(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

Due To The Ego’s Identification With The Body, The Soul Feels Sleep, Waking, Exhaustion, Refreshment, And So On

यथा सर्वगतं सौक्ष्म्यादाकाशं नोपलिप्यते |
सर्वत्रावस्थितो देहे तथात्मा नोपलिप्यते || 13.33||

yathā sarva-gataṁ saukṣhmyād ākāśhaṁ nopalipyate
sarvatrāvasthito dehe tathātmā nopalipyate|| 13.33||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 13- Ver. 33:

Space contains everything, yet since it is subtle, it is not contaminated by what it contains. Similarly, while the soul’s consciousness pervades the body, it is unaffected by the body’s characteristics.

Explanation

Due to the ego’s identification with the body, the soul feels sleep, waking, exhaustion, refreshment, and so on. One could wonder why the soul is unaffected by changes in the body in which it resides. With the example of space, Shree Krishna explains it. Because it is subtler than the gross stuff it holds, it holds everything while remaining unaffected. In the same way, the soul is a more subtle energy. Even though It identifies with the corporeal body, It keeps its divinity.

Verse & what we can learn

The sun is used as an example to emphasize the self’s lack of action. Even though the sun is millions of kilometres away from the earth, it is necessary for life to exist. Minerals, plants, animals, and humans are all dependent on the sun’s energy to survive. The sun, on the other hand, never does anything. All of the events take place on our planet, which is separate from the sun.

In nature, the self in us, the “I” in us, is similar to the sun. The kshetrajnya, or self, or knower of the field, illumines or knows the actions occurring in the kshetra, or field, our body, which is a portion of Prakriti. Furthermore, the self does not assume pride or doership in the activities of the body, nor does it become differentiated as a result of differences or changes in Prakriti, just as the sun does not claim doership or become differentiated as a result of the variety of forms on our planet.
How does our intellect know things if the self is the single knower of all actions in our body? In terms of the sun example, the intellect can be compared to a pool of water that reflects the sun’s rays. The intellect is merely a tool that acts as a result of self-awareness. The intellect works perfectly in interpreting the information provided to it by the mind and senses when it is calm and stable. It cannot work perfectly if it is agitated or dull.

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 tells about the Individual soul.

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