Charitamrith

māṁ cha yo ’vyabhichāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

Those who serve me with unalloyed devotion rise above the three modes of material nature and come to the level of Brahman.

Having explained the traits of those who are situated beyond the three guṇas, Shree Krishna now reveals the one and only method of transcending these modes of material nature. The above verse indicates that mere knowledge of the self and its distinction with the body is not enough. With the help of bhakti yog, the mind has to be fixed on the Supreme Lord, Shree Krishna. Then alone will the mind become nirguṇa (untouched by the three modes), just as Shree Krishna is nirguṇa.

Many people are of the view that if the mind is fixed upon the personal form of God, it will not rise to the transcendental platform. Only when it is attached to the formless Brahman, will the mind become transcendental to the modes of material nature. However, this verse refutes such a view. Although the personal form of God possesses infinite guṇas (qualities), these are all divine and beyond the modes of material nature. Hence, the personal form of God is also nirguṇa (beyond the three material modes). Sage Ved Vyas explains how the personal form of God is nirguṇa:

yastu nirguṇa ityuktaḥ śhāstreṣhu jagadīśhvaraḥ

prākṛitairheya sanyuktairguṇairhīnatvamuchyate (Padma Purāṇ)[v3]

“Wherever the scriptures refer to God as nirguṇa (without attributes), they mean that he is without material attributes. Nevertheless, his divine personality is not devoid of qualities—he possesses infinite divine attributes.”

This verse also reveals the proper object of meditation. Transcendental meditation does not mean to meditate upon nothingness. The entity transcendental to the three modes of material nature is God. And so, only when the object of our meditation is God can it truly be called transcendental meditation.

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣhṭhāham amṛitasyāvyayasya cha
śhāśhvatasya cha dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya cha

I am am the basis of the formless Brahman, the immortal and imperishable, of eternal dharma, and of unending divine bliss.

The previous verse may give rise to the question about the relationship between Shree Krishna and the formless Brahman. It was previously stated that the all-powerful God has both aspects to his personality—the formless and the personal form. Here, Shree Krishna reveals that the Brahman which the jñānīs worship is the light from the personal form of God. Padma Purāṇ states:

yannakhenduruchirbrahma dheyaṁ brahmādibhiḥ suraiḥ

guṇatrayamatītaṁ taṁ vande vṛindāvaneśhvaram (Patal Khand 77.60)[v4]

“The light that emanates from the toe nails of the feet of the Lord of Vrindavan, Shree Krishna, is the transcendental Brahman that the jñānīs and even the celestial gods meditate upon.” Similarly, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said:

tāṅhāra aṅgera śhuddha kiraṇa-maṇḍala

upaniṣhat kahe tāṅre brahma sunirmala (Chaitanya Charitāmṛit, Ādi Leela 2.12) [v5]

“The effulgence emanating from the divine body of God is described by the Upaniṣhads as Brahman.” Thus, in this verse, Shree Krishna unequivocally confirms that the panacea for the disease of the three guṇas is to engage in unwavering devotion to the personal form of the Supreme Lord.

Salt

 Be the salt!

If you were to cook 3 cups of rice, would you add 3 cups of salt to it? Certainly not!

So, in every preparation of Rice, the grains of Rice always outnumber the Salt, 

yet a little Salt makes a huge difference / impact in the overall outcome.

In the room in which you currently are, look up at the ceiling... 

What is the size of the bulb compared to the size of the room? It is probably a ratio of 1:5000.

Yet, darkness flees the entire space once the small bulb is flipped on.

If I am the Salt of the earth, and the light of the world, then "little me" has the ability to make big things happen..

Sometimes, because we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed at the sheer magnitude of evil or wrong-doers, we then 

choose powerlessness, and decide to go with the flow, not standing up for what we believe is right.

LITTLE doesn't mean insignificant.

You are significant. Your presence should make a BIG difference. Stop waiting to be on the side of the majority. 

They may be the majority, but they are the trivial majority, and you are the impactful minority.

They are the RICE of the world, and you are the SALT of the world..

They are the ROOM and you are the LIGHT.

Make your influence felt!

You are the world's seasoning, to make it beautiful...

So if we can just do the right seasoning to  make even one life beautiful our life is worth living. 

Onwards and Upwards! 

Be the SALT in someone's life today . . .

Tagore once asked.. 

“Who is there to take up my duties?” asked the setting sun. The world remained dark and silent. With joined palms said the earthern lamp, “I will do what I can, my master!”

Kevat

 Guha requests Lakshmana to take rest, duly expressing his readiness to guard Rama and his consort by keeping awake the whole night. Lakshmana expressed his unwillingness to lie down in the presence of his elder brother and sister in law and preferred to remain awake. He spends night talking with Guha, voicing grief for his royal father as well as his affectionate mothers.

tam jaagratam adambhena bhraatur arthaaya laksmanam |

guhah samtaapa samtaptah raaghavam vaakyam abraviit || 2-51-1

Distressed with anguish (to see Rama and Sita lying on the ground) Guha said to Lakshmana, the scion of Raghu, who kept awake, through sincere love, for the protection of his brother Rama.

iyam taata sukhaa shayyaa tvad artham upakalpitaa |

pratyaashvasihi saadhv asyaam raaja putra yathaa sukham || 2-51-2

 “Here is a comfortable bed made for you, my friend! Relax well comfortably on it, Oh, prince!”

ucitah ayam janah sarvah kleshaanaam tvam sukha ucitah |

gupti artham jaagarisyaamah kaakutsthasya vayam nishaam || 2-51-3

 “All of us are habituated to hardships. You are habituated to comforts. We shall keep awake this night, for the protection of Rama”

na hi raamaat priyatarah mama asti bhuvi kashcana |

braviimy etat aham satyam satyena eva ca te shape || 2-51-4

 “For, none is dearer to me than Rama in this world. I speak the truth and swear to you by truth.”

asya prasaadaat aashamse loke asmin sumahad yashah |

dharma avaaptim ca vipulaam artha avaaptim ca kevalaam || 2-51-5

 “I hope to acquire abundant acclaim and supreme merit in this world as also full reward of wealth, by the sole grace of Rama”

so aham priya sakham raamam shayaanam saha siitayaa |

raksisyaami dhanus paanih sarvatah jnaatibhih saha || 2-51-6

 “As such, I along with my kindred, shall protect my dear friend Rama who is reposing with Sita in every way, with bow in hand.”

na hi me aviditam kimcit vane asmimh caratah sadaa |

catur angam hi api balam sumahat prasahemahi || 2-51-7

 “Nothing is indeed unknown in this forest to me, where I wander continually. We can able to withstand even a vast army too, comprising of four parts (elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry).”

laksmanah tam tadaa uvaaca raksyamaanaah tvayaa anagha |

na atra bhiitaa vayam sarve dharmam eva anupashyataa || 2-51-8

Then, Lakshmana replied to Guha as follows: “Oh, sinless Guha! Being protected by you, who keep your duty alone in view, all of us are fearless in this land.”

katham daasharathau bhuumau shayaane saha siitayaa |

shakyaa nidraa mayaa labdhum jiivitam vaa sukhaani vaa || 2-51-9

 “When Rama, the son of Dasaratha is lying on the ground with Sita, how is it possible for me to sleep or to enjoy the pleasures of life?”

yo na deva asuraih sarvaih shakyah prasahitum yudhi |

tam pashya sukha samvistam trinesu saha siitayaa || 2-51-10

 “See that Rama, who cannot be vanquished in combat even by the gods and demons combined, now sleeping profoundly on the grass along with Sita.”

yo mantra tapasaa labdho vividhaih ca parishramaih |

eko dasharathasya esa putrah sadrisha laksanah || 2-51-11

asmin pravrajitah raajaa na ciram vartayisyati |

vidhavaa medinii nuunam ksipram eva bhavisyati || 2-51-12

When Rama- who is endowed with similar characteristics as Dasaratha, uniquely beloved, the son obtained by Dasaratha by virtue of his chanting of several sacred texts and austerities and by various undertakings (in the form of sacrificial performances) has gone to exile, the king will not live long and the earth will become surely widowed forthwith.

vinadya sumahaa naadam shramena uparataah striyah |

nirghosa uparatam taata manye raaja niveshanam || 2-51-13

Having cried out in a high-pitched tone, the women having exhausted, will have fallen silent and I am sure that a profound stillness reigns in the palace.

kausalyaa caiva raajaa ca tathaiva jananii mama |

na aashamse yadi jiivanti sarve te sharvariim imaam || 2-51-14

 “I do not expect Kausalya, Dasaratha and my mother all of them to remain alive for this night.”

jiived api hi me maataa shatrughnasya anvaveksayaa |

tat duhkham yat tu kausalyaa viirasuur vinashisyati || 2-51-15

 “By looking forward to meet Satrughna, my mother might even stay alive. But it will be painful if Kausalya who has given birth to a heroic son, dies.”

anurakta jana aakiirnaa sukha aaloka priya aavahaa |

raaja vyasana samsristaa saa purii vinashisyati || 2-51-16

That city of Ayodhya, filled with devoted people, hitherto a source of joy and which brought pleasure to the world, when seized with agony over the king’s death, will perish.

katham putram mahaatmaanam jyeshhtham priyamapasyatah |

shariiram dhaarayushhyaanti praanaa raajjno mahaatmanah || 2-51-17

 “How, in the absence of his magnanimous and the first born son, will the vital airs in the body of the generous king be maintained?”

vinashhte nripatau pashchaatkausalyaa vinashishhyati |

anantaram cha maataa.api mama naashamupaishhyati || 2-51-18

 “After the death of king, Kausalya will die. My mother also will die thereafter.

atikraantam atikraantam anavaapya manoratham |

raajye raamam aniksipya pitaa me vinashisyati || 2-51-19

 “Having failed to install Rama in the kingdom, failed forever, which was the most cherished wish of his heart, my father will leave this world.

siddha arthaah pitaram vrittam tasmin kaale hi upasthite |

preta kaaryesu sarvesu samskarisyanti bhuumipam || 2-51-20

 “Those who are fortunate will consecrate our deceased father and the king in the course of all funeral rites, when the hour has struck.

ramya catvara samsthaanaam suvibhakta mahaa pathaam |

harmya prasaada sampannaam ganikaa vara shobhitaam || 2-51-21

ratha ashva gaja sambaadhaam tuurya naada vinaaditaam |

sarva kalyaana sampuurnaam hrista pusta jana aakulaam || 2-51-22

aaraama udyaana sampannaam samaaja utsava shaaliniim |

sukhitaa vicarisyanti raaja dhaaniim pitur mama || 2-51-23

People will joyfully move in the capital belonging to my father and the city with its quadrangular places allocated at lovely sites, and well- aligned roads, rich in mansions of well-to-do men, temples and royal palaces adorned with the foremost of courtesans, its chariots horses and elephants that obstruct the roads, the musical instruments that resound there- full of all blessings and crowded with merry and well fed men, well- provided with gardens and royal parks and bright with festivities carried on under the patronage of associations.

api jiiveddhasharatho vanavaasaatpunarvayam |

pratyaagamya mahaatmaanamapi pashyema suvratam || 2-51-24

Will Dasaratha remain alive? After returning from exile, can we see the high-soled king Dasaratha of noble vows again?

api satya pratijnena saardham kushalinaa vayam |

nivritte vana vaase asminn ayodhyaam pravishemahi || 2-51-25

Can we safely return to Ayodhya, after completion of the exile in the forest along with Rama who is faithful to his promises?

paridevayamaanasya duhkha aartasya mahaatmanah |

tisthatah raaja putrasya sharvarii saa atyavartata || 2-51-26

While the high-soled Lakshmana thus lamenting, stood on ground, afflicted with anguish as he was, that night rolled away.

tathaa hi satyam bruvati prajaa hite |

nara indra putre guru sauhridaat guhah |

mumoca baaspam vyasana abhipiiditah |

jvaraa aaturah naagaiva vyathaa aaturah || 2-51-27

While Lakshmana (son of Dasaratha), who was concerned with the welfare of the people; was thus speaking the truth out of his affection for his elder brother (Rama), Guha, overcome with agony and oppressed with adversity shed tears like an elephant tormented with fever.

iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye ayodhya kaande ekapamchaashah sargah

First.

Thanks for this share. I first learnt about 4000 after I heard this verse from our family vadyar who used to come home for tirumanjanam and I had made appam that day.

from neerattam of periya alwar.

Asidvishayaha

nārada uvāca | atra te varṇayiṣyāmi itihāsaṃ purātanam | purā kṛtayuge rājanniṣadhe nagare vare || 1 | āsīdvaiśyaḥ kuberābho nāmato hemakuṃḍalaḥ | kulīnaḥ satkriyo devadvijapāvakapūjakaḥ || 2 || kṛṣivāṇijyakarttāsau vividhakrayavikrayī | goghoṭakamahiṣyādi paśupoṣaṇatatparaḥ || 3 || payo dadhīni takrāṇi gomayāni tṛṇāni ca | kāṣṭhāni phalamūlāni lavaṇādrā rdipippalī || 4 || dhānyāni śākatailāni vastrāṇi vividhāni ca | dhātūnikṣuvikārāṃśca vikrīṇīte sa sarvadā || 5 || itthaṃ nānāvidhairvaiśya upāyairaparaistathā | upārjayāmāsa sadā aṣṭau hāṭakakoṭayaḥ || 6 || evaṃ mahādhanaḥ sotha hākarṇapalitobhavat | paścādvicārya saṃsārakṣaṇikatvaṃ svacetasi || 7 || taddhanasya ṣaḍaṃśena dharmakāryaṃ cakāra saḥ | viṣṇorāyatanaṃ cakre gṛhaṃ cakre śivasya ca || 8 || taḍāgaṃ khānayāmāsa vipulaṃ sāgaropamam | vāpyaśca puṣkariṇyaśca bahudhā tena kāritāḥ || 9 || vaṭāśvatthāmrakaṃkola jaṃbū niṃbādi kānanam | svasatvena tadā cakre tathā puṣpavanaṃ śubham || 10 || udayāstamanaṃ yāvadannapānaṃ cakāra saḥ | purādbahiścaturdikṣu prapāṃ cakre'tiśobhanām || 11 || purāṇeṣu prasiddhāni yāni dānāni bhūpate | dadau tāni sadharmmātmā nityaṃ dānaparastadā || 12 || yāvajjīvakṛte pāpe prāyāścittamathākarot | devapūjāparo nityaṃ nityaṃ cātithipūjakaḥ || 13 || tasyetthaṃ varttamānasya saṃjātau dvau sutau nṛpa | tau suprasiddha nāmānau śrīkuṃḍala vikuṃḍalau || 14 || tayormūrdhni gṛhaṃ tyaktvā jagāma tapase vanam | tatrārādhya paraṃ devaṃ goviṃdaṃ varadaṃ prabhum || 15 || tapaḥkliṣṭa śarīro'sau vāsudevamanāḥ sadā | prāptaḥ sa vaiṣṇavaṃ lokaṃ yatra gatvā na śocati || 16 || atha tasya sutau rājanmahāmāna samanvitau | taruṇau rūpasaṃpannau dhanagarveṇa garvitau || 17 || duḥśīlau vyasanāsaktau dharmakarmādyadarśakau | na vākyaṃ cāgatau māturvṛddhānāṃ vacanaṃ tathā || 18 || kumārgagau durātmānau pitṛmitraniṣedhakau | adharmaniratau duṣṭau paradārābhigāminau || 19 || gītavāditraniratau vīṇāveṇuvinodinau | vārastrīśatasaṃyuktau gāyaṃtau ceratustadā || 20 || cāṭukārajanairyuktau biṃboṣṭhīṣu viśāradau | suveṣau cāruvasanau cārucaṃdanarūṣitau || 21 || tathā sugaṃdhimālāḍhyau kastūrīlakṣmalakṣitau | nānālaṃkāraśobhāḍhyau mauktikāhārahāriṇau || 22 || gajavājirathaughena krīḍaṃtau tāvitastadā | madhupānasamāyuktau parastrīratimohitau || 23 || nāśayaṃtau pitṛdravyaṃ sahasraṃ dadatuḥ śatam | tasthatuḥ svagṛhe ramye nityaṃ bhogaparāyaṇau || 24 || itthaṃ tu taddhanaṃ tābhyāṃ viniyuktamasadvyayaiḥ | vārastrī viṭa śailūṣa malla cāraṇa baṃdiṣu || 25 || apātre taddhanaṃ dattaṃ kṣiptaṃ bījamivoṣare | na satpātre ca taddattaṃ na brāhmaṇamukhe hutam || 26 || nārcito bhūtabhṛdviṣṇuḥ sarvapāpapraṇāśanaḥ | ubhayoreva taddravyamacireṇa kṣayaṃ yayau || 27 || tatastau duḥkhamāpannau kārpaṇyaṃ paramaṃ gatau | śocamānau tu muhyaṃtau kṣutpīḍāduḥkhapīḍitau || 28 || tayostu tiṣṭhatorgehe nāsti yadbhujyate tadā | svajanairbāṃdhavaissarvaiḥ sevakairupajīvibhiḥ || 29 || dravyābhāve parityaktau ciṃtyamānau tataḥ pure | paścāccauryyaṃ samārabdhaṃ tābhyāṃ ca nagare nṛpa || 30 || rājato lokato bhītau svapurānniḥsṛtau tadā | cakraturvanavāsaṃ tau sarveṣāmupapīḍitau || 31 || jaghnatuḥ satataṃ mūḍhau śitairbāṇairviṣārpitaiḥ | nānāpakṣivarāhāṃśca hariṇānrohitāṃstathā || 32 || śaśakāñchallakāngodhānśvāpadāṃścetarānbahūn | mahābalau bhillasaṃgāvākheṭakabhujau sadā || 33 || evaṃ māṃsamayāhārau pāpāhārau paraṃtapa | kadācidbhūdharaṃ prāpto hyeko'nyaśca vanaṃ gataḥ || 34 || śārdūlena hato jyeṣṭhaḥ kaniṣṭhaḥ sarpadaṃśitaḥ | ekasmindivase rājanpāpiṣṭhau nidhanaṃ gatau || 35 || yamadūtaistatobaddhvā pāpairnītau yamālayam | gatvābhijagaduḥsarve te dūtāḥ pāpināvubhau || 36 || dharmarāja narāvetāvānītau tava śāsanāt | ājñāṃ dehi svabhṛtyeṣu prasīda karavāma kim || 37 || ālocya citraguptena tadā dūtāñjagau yamaḥ | ekastu nīyatāṃ vīra nirayaṃ tīvravedanam || 38 || aparaḥ sthāpyatāṃ svargeyatra bhogā hyanuttamāḥ | kṛtāṃtājñāṃ tataḥ śrutvā dūtaiśca kṣiprakāribhiḥ || 39 || nikṣipto raurave ghore yo jyeṣṭho hi narādhipa | teṣāṃ dūtavaraḥ kaściduvāca madhuraṃ vacaḥ || 40 || vikuṃḍala mayā sārddhamehi svargaṃ dadāmi te | bhuṃkṣva bhogānsudivyāṃstvamarjitānsvena karmaṇā || 41 || iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe triṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 30 ||

Pp

शशकाञ्छल्लकान्गोधान्श्वापदांश्चेतरान्बहून् । महाबलौ भिल्लसंगावाखेटकभुजौ सदा ॥ ३३ ॥ śaśakāñchallakāngodhānśvāpadāṃścetarānbahūn | mahābalau bhillasaṃgāvākheṭakabhujau sadā || 33 || मांसमयाहारौ पापाहारौ परंतप । कदाचिद्भूधरं प्राप्तो ह्येकोऽन्यश्च वनं गतः ॥ ३४ ॥ evaṃ māṃsamayāhārau pāpāhārau paraṃtapa | kadācidbhūdharaṃ prāpto hyeko'nyaśca vanaṃ gataḥ || 34 || शार्दूलेन हतो ज्येष्ठः कनिष्ठः सर्पदंशितः । एकस्मिन्दिवसे राजन्पापिष्ठौ निधनं गतौ ॥ ३५ ॥ śārdūlena hato jyeṣṭhaḥ kaniṣṭhaḥ sarpadaṃśitaḥ | ekasmindivase rājanpāpiṣṭhau nidhanaṃ gatau || 35 ||

Be weary

sattvaṁ sukhe sañjayati rajaḥ karmaṇi bhārata jñānam āvṛitya tu tamaḥ pramāde sañjayaty uta Sattva binds one to material happiness; rajas conditions the soul toward actions; and tamas clouds wisdom and binds one to delusion. In the mode of goodness, the miseries of material existence reduce, and worldly desires become subdued. This gives rise to a feeling of contentment with one’s condition. This is a good thing, but it can have a negative side too. For instance, those who experience pain in the world and are disturbed by the desires in their mind feel impelled to look for a solution to their problems, and this impetus sometimes brings them to the spiritual path. However, those in goodness can easily become complacent and feel no urge to progress to the transcendental platform. Also, sattva guṇa illumines the intellect with knowledge. If this is not accompanied by spiritual wisdom, then knowledge results in pride and that pride comes in the way of devotion to God. This is often seen in the case of scientists, academicians, scholars, etc. The mode of goodness usually predominates in them, since they spend their time and energy cultivating knowledge. And yet, the knowledge they possess often makes them proud, and they begin to feel that there can be no truth beyond the grasp of their intellect. Thus, they find it difficult to develop faith toward either the scriptures or the God-realized Saints. In the mode of passion, the souls are impelled toward intense activity. Their attachment to the world and preference for pleasure, prestige, wealth, and bodily comforts, propels them to work hard in the world for achieving these goals, which they consider to be the most important in life. Rajo guṇa increases the attraction between man and woman, and generates kām (lust). To satiate that lust, man and woman enter into the relationship of marriage and have a home. The upkeep of the home creates the need for wealth, so they begin to work hard for economic development. They engage in intense activity, but each action creates karmas, which further bind them in material existence. The mode of ignorance clouds the intellect of the living being. The desire for happiness now manifests in perverse manners. For example, everyone knows that cigarette smoking is injurious to health. Every cigarette pack carries a warning to that extent issued by the government authorities. Cigarette smokers read this, and yet do not refrain from smoking. This happens because the intellect loses its discriminative power and does not hesitate to inflict self-injury to get the pleasure of smoking. As someone jokingly said, “A cigarette is a pipe with a fire at one end and a fool at the other.” That is the influence of tamo guṇa, which binds the soul in the darkness of ignorance. Shri Krishna recaps the characteristics of the three gunaas in this shloka. Sattva binds by making us hold on to joy experienced after attaining a sense object. Rajas binds us by giving us joy in performing actions and obtaining their results. Tamas binds us by giving us joy in holding on to laziness and heedlessness. We now begin to look into how these three are interrelated. In the second chapter, we have come across a series of shlokas that describe how the mind can fall from sattva into rajas and tamas in a matter of seconds. We start with the mind resting in a peaceful sattvic state. A tinge of rajas comes in, causing us to think about some sense object, let’s say a sweet. This fuels rajas further, creating a strong attachment to that sweet, culminating in a strong desire to do anything to get that sweet. But it gets worse. If we cannot get that sweet, if someone or something obstructs our consumption of the sweet, anger arises in us. Rajas deteriorates into tamas. The last rung of the ladder of fall is when anger goes to such an extent that it causes us to lose our faculty of intelligence and memory. Conversely, we can go from tamas to rajas to sattva, but it may take a little longer. For someone steeped in tamas, immersing themself in action will raise them to the level of rajas. When action becomes focused and directed towards the pursuit of a selfless goal, rajas is elevated to the level of sattva. Swami Vivekananda always used to say “awake, arise, stop not till the goal is reached”. When India was under British rule, many had become accustomed to this slavery and had fallen into a tamasic state. They could not find a way out of their predicament, and were clouded in ignorance. Swami Vivekananda’s message urged citizens to engage in action towards independence. That was the only way . to get them out of the tamasic state of laziness