Chapter 2: Summary: The lessons learnt in this chapter are: 1. Death is only a change, not an end. The physical body perishes, but the soul is immortal. 2. Performance of swadharma is the summum-bonum of activity in life. It should be performed in karma yoga spirit, i.e. with no expectation of results, no selfishness. One should be even-minded in loss or gain, pleasure or pain while performing. 3. Mere rituals and desire-prompted work have limited scope for spiritual evolution. 4. Karma yoga is the step for Jnana yoga the goal which ensures the attainment of the Brahmi state. 5. The qualities of one, steady in reason vide slokas 55 to 68 should be assiduously cultivated. Explanations: Chapter II of the Bhagavad Githa contains a quintessence of the whole gospel. The teaching starts from Slokha 11 of this chapter. Some fundamental definitions may help in understanding the gist of the chapter. Yoga - is from the root Yuj - i.e., to join. Pursuit of any discipline is Yoga. (Yoga has other meanings in different contexts). Karma - performance of any activity by thought, word or deed. "Sroutha" Karma is what is prescribed in the Vedas and "Smartha" Karma pertains to Dharma Sastras. Where the motive is bad, karma is sinful and falls outside our present considerations. Samadhi is composed of Sam - As - Dhi meaning intellect well placed. It connotes contemplation of high order. Karma yoga is the pursuit of Karma and Samadhi yoga deals with concentration/contemplation. These are further dealt with from slokhas 15-58. After admonishing Arjuna in Sathvic Anger (Anger out of affection) for his despicable faint-heartedness, Bhagavan starts with Samkya Yoga - Slokha 16 is sourced from the Upanishads and means Truth is the same everywhere and at anytime being changeless. Arjuna is enjoined to discriminate between lower truth (world of being) and higher truth (Brahman). The real never ceases to be and the unreal has no (real) existence but only relative. Bhagavan declares that Arjuna should not have any hesitance to fight because the physical body is inevitably perishable and the indwelling soul immortal. The death of the body makes only a change (not an end) for the soul to transmigrate into another body in its journey in the eternity of time. The soul is immortal, unchanging, unmanifest, indescribable and unthinkable. Bhagavan, next coming to a mundane level, advises Arjuna to fight as befitting the duty of a Kshatriya. He underscores the performance of ones own duty - Swardhama - as of paramount importance. His concern should only be for actions and not results. Next Bhagavan introduces the topic of Karma Yoga in the "Chathu- Sruthi" - (Slokha 47)- thus. Man's entitlement is to do work, not for results thereof. Man should never act with an eye for results, nor should he ever be associated with inactivity. The tenet of Karma-yoga may be difficult to practice though easy to understand. An ounce of practice is, however, better than a ton of knowledge. Ordinarily, even a fool would not perform without expecting results (Prayojanam Anudhdhisya Mandopi no pravarthathe). Bhagavan, however, gives inspiration and encouragement by saying - (Slokha 40) - Even a little of practice will enable one to cross the sea of Samsara. The crux of the Karma- yoga is the mental attitude behind physical activity. The outlook should be one of even-mindedness at success or failure. Like Arjuna, the rank and file of humanity fail to exercise discrimination - the golden gift of God - because of fundamental ignorance, coupled with emotions endangered by internal stimuli and enfeebled by outside impulses. The time-tested much-valued knowledge of the self is only ONE, but plethora of pitfalls beset the irresolute. The discursiveness of the undisciplined and the single hearted sincerity of the resolute are catalogued in Slokha 41-46. Bhagavan condemns the over-fond attachment to rituals of the Vedas for mere worldly prosperity. Since it is a stumbling block for the practice of Samadhi contemplation. Bhagavan advocates that one should transcend "Gunas", transcend duality and be always conscious of one's indweller, the Atman. In a fitting conclusion Bhagavan details the quality of a "Sthitha Prajna" - one steady in reason - which is the sine-qua-non for the practice of any Yoga. Mahatma Gandhi felt that one should learn Sanskrit if only to know Githa and one should study the Githa if only to memorise the Slokhas 55-60 which catalogue the qualities. The man of steady wisdom eschews all desires. He delights in his own self (Atman). (Happiness is purely internal). He is not perturbed by misery nor does he jump with joy at prosperity. He is free from attachment, anger and fear. He uses his organs sensibly - (like a tortoise projecting its limbs only when necessary and safe to do so !). Man's downfall along a ladder of progressive deterioration is marked in order by attachment, which generates desire, anger, when desire is unfulfilled, confusion of mind, loss of memory, loss of intellect leading finally to loss of personality in toto. A man steady in wisdom has no likes and no dislikes. He does not allow free play of his sense organs - but controls them. Bhagavan thus emphasises on Karma Yoga - which is a step and Samadhi Yoga - which is also the goal for final liberation and attaining the state of Brahaman. Cont...