(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

The Seeker Should Be Devoid Of Selfish Desires, Likes, And Dislikes Before Beginning Meditation

यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति
विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागा: |
यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति
तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये || 8.11||

yad akṣharaṁ veda-vido vadanti
viśhanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ
yad ichchhanto brahmacharyaṁ charanti
tat te padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣhye|| 8.11||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 8- Ver. 11:

He is described as imperishable by Vedic scholars, and great ascetics take a vow of celibacy and forgo earthly pleasures in order to get into Him. I’ll now give you a quick overview on how to get there.

Explanation

Shri Krishna continues the topic of concentrating on Ishvara’s name after discussing the technique of meditating on Ishvara’s form. God is known by numerous names, including Brahman, Bhagwan, Deva, Paramātmā, Praṇa, Puruṣh, Sat, and others. God is sometimes referred to as Akshar, which means imperishable, when referring to His formless essence.

In this stanza, Shree Krishna uses the phrase sangrahea, which means “in a nutshell.” He claims that this is a difficult route to pursue and that it is not fit for everyone. As a result, He will not go into great detail and will simply outline the path of yog-mihr bhakti, which leads to the attainment of God’s formless aspect. It necessitates a life of strict chastity and severe austerities.

Giving up worldly cravings and taking the vow of celibacy known as brahmacharya. The discipline of celibacy conserves a person’s bodily energy, as stated previously in verse 6.14. This energy is transformed into spiritual energy when it is channelled through sadhana. It also helps sdhaks (spiritual seekers) understand spiritual things better by improving their intelligence and memory.

Verse & what we can learn

The qualifications of the person who will be performing this meditation are: He should be devoid of selfish desires, love, and dislikes. We’ve already come across this term in the context of karma yoga. In meditation, strong passions or dislikes become impediments because they force the mind to move from one thought to the next. Such meditation can only be performed by someone who has mastered mind control.

The seeker should have a strong desire to learn about the everlasting essence. Celibacy, in its traditional sense, is not utilised here. It’s a term for someone who “moves around” or is fascinated with studying brahman, or the eternal essence. The majority of us, on the other hand, are consumed with our deeds., preoccupation with activity can also become a hindrance to meditation.

With these qualities, the seeker is prepared to dwell on the imperishable Ishvara or “aksharam,” which is regarded the ultimate aim.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There are also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the Next verse, tells Arjuna What is the process by which one can perform this meditation? This is taken up in the next two shlokas.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…