(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

This Supreme Self Is Unbreakable Since It Has No Beginning Or Qualities Despite The Fact That It Resides In The Body, It Neither Acts Nor Is Polluted

यदा भूतपृथग्भावमेकस्थमनुपश्यति |
तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते तदा || 13.31||

yadā bhūta-pṛithag-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśhyati
tata eva cha vistāraṁ brahma sampadyate tadā|| 13.31||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 13- Ver. 31:

They realize the Brahman when they witness the varied range of living beings placed in the same material nature and understand that they are all born from it.

Explanation

The ocean changes its appearance in a variety of ways, including waves, froth, tides, ripples, and so on. When someone sees all of these for the first time, they may infer that they are all different. A person who understands the ocean, on the other hand, finds the intrinsic oneness in all the diversity. Similarly, life exists in many different forms, They are all based on the same reality: the soul, which is a part of God, sitting in a body comprised of material energy.

The differences in the forms are due to the diverse bodies displayed by the material energy, not to the soul. All living beings’ bodies are produced from material energy at birth, and their bodies merge back into it at death. We discover the oneness behind the diversity when we perceive the diversity of living beings all anchored in the same material basis. Because material nature is God’s energy, such awareness allows us to see the same spiritual substratum that pervades all reality. This leads to the realization of the Brahman.

Verse & what we can learn

What distinguishes Prakriti from the transcendent self if both have no beginning? The difference, according to Shri Krishna, is caused by whether or not they have gunaas, or characteristics. We’ve seen that Prakriti is made up of the three gunaas of sattva, rajas, and tamas so far. The highest self, on the other hand, is “nirguna,” meaning it has no association or association with any quality. This is what distinguishes it from Prakriti. Furthermore, Prakriti is ever-changing and perishing, whereas the highest self is eternal.

When anything is associated with attributes, such as strength in the human body, it is doomed to expire or decay. The highest self is impregnable because it has no attributes. Prakriti, on the other hand, is a Hindu goddess.

Is the supreme self-affected by Prakriti’s acts and reactions? It does not, according to Shri Krishna. We’ve seen how, due to ignorance, the supreme self identifies with a body, a Prakriti product. This is what this shloka means when it says it “resides” in the body.

We’ve also heard that the supreme self has nothing to do with Prakriti on numerous occasions. It can never be the one who performs or enjoys any activities. The supreme self, however, assumes that it is a doer and enjoyer because of its seeming association with the body. Because the identification is fictitious, not real, the supreme self is unaffected by Prakriti’s acts and emotions.
In theory, we may have grasped the supreme self’s non-doership and non-enjoyers hip, but in practice, it remains a little hazy. We must comprehend how, in its true nature, the highest self-neither acts nor experiences the consequences of its activities.

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 is 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 shloka, Shri Krishna presents an illustration to better clarify.

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