Samuel P. Huntington

Clash of  Civilizations,

And The  Gita.

सैम्युअल हटिंग्टन  और 

सभ्यताओं का संघर्ष

--

काल का अभ्युदय और दृश्य जगत् / संसार. 

The Emerging World-Scenario :

महाभारत युद्ध की समाप्ति होते होते धरती पर कलियुग का अवतरण हो गया। भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण ने अर्जुन और समस्त संसार को आगामी काल के लिए उपदेश देते हुए अपनी शिक्षाओं का सार इन श्लोकों से स्पष्ट किया : 

With the end of 

The Mahabharata War

And the ascent of the Kaliyuga, Lord Shrikrishna Concluded His Teachings to Arjuna and the whole of the Humanity,  through the following words / stanzas :

Chapter 2, Stanza 18 :

अध्याय २, श्लोक ४९,

दूरेण ह्यवरं कर्म बुद्धियोगाद्धनञ्जय।।

बुद्धौ शरणमन्विच्छ कृपणाः फलहेतवः।।४९।।

Chapter 3, Stanza 11

अध्याय ३, श्लोक ११,

देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु वः।।

परस्परं भावयन्तः श्रेयः परमवाप्स्यथः।।११।।

Chapter 3, Stanza 12

अध्याय ३, श्लोक १२,

श्रेयान्सस्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्।।

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः।।१२।।

Chapter 5, Stanza 1

अध्याय ५, श्लोक १,

संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि।।

यच्छ्रेयः एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम्।।१।।

Chapter 7, Stanza 12

अध्याय ७ श्लोक १२,

ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये।।

मत्त एव तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु च मयि।।१२।।

Chapter 8, Stanza 21

अध्याय ८, श्लोक २१,

अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्याहुस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम्।।

यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम।।२१।।

Chapter 9, Stanza 18

अध्याय ९, श्लोक १८,

गतिर्भर्ता प्रभुः साक्षी निवासः शरणं सुहृत् ।।

प्रभावः प्रायः स्थानं निधानं बीजमव्ययम्।।१८।।

chapter 9, Stanza 25

अध्याय ९, श्लोक २५,

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान् पितृन्यान्ति* पितृव्रताः।।

भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या मद्याजिनोऽपि माम्।।२५।।

(*please check the correct spelling of this word by clicking the label 9/25 and viewing all posts in this blog)

Chapter 12, Stanza 12

अध्याय १२, श्लोक १२,

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते।।

ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्।।१२।।

Chapter 14, Stanza 18,

अध्याय १४, श्लोक १८,

ऊर्ध्वं गच्छन्ति सत्त्वस्थाः मध्ये तिष्ठन्ति राजसाः।।

जघन्यगुणवृत्तिस्था अधो गच्छन्ति तामसाः।।१८।।

Chapter 17, Stanza 4

अध्याय १७, श्लोक ४,

यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः।।

प्रेतान्भूतगणानंश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः।।

संक्षेप में :

And Finally ;

Chapter 18, Stanza 62

अध्याय १८, श्लोक ६२,

तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत।।

तत्प्रसादात् परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम्।।६२।।

--

The above post is with reference to the idea of :

"Clash of Civilizations"

- by Samuel Huntington.

***

The Perspective.

 ...And The Parlance.

----------------©---------------

Chapter 2 Verses 12 to 27

--

With special reference to, and the focus on the concept of suicide. 

--

First the verses :

अध्याय २ --

आत्मा की निजता और नित्यता :

The Immortal and The Eternal :

आत्मन् / The  Self :

न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः।।

न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम्।।१२।।

देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा।।

तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरो तत्र न मुह्यति।।१३।।

नित्य-अनित्य, विषयों, विषय-भोगों और संसार की अनित्यता का विवेक और तितिक्षा :

The Unreal, Temporal and transient and the Real Intransient.

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः।।

आगमापायिनोऽनित्या तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत।।१४।।

यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ।।

समदुःखसुखं धीरं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते।।१५।।

सत् और असत:

What Exists and what appears to exist :

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः।।

उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः।।१६।।

देह की नश्वरता और देही की नित्यता :

The body is perishable while the one who possesses the body - the consciousness is imperishable.

अविनाशी तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम्।।

विनाशमव्ययस्यास्य न कश्चित्कर्तुमर्हति।।१७।।

अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः।। 

अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत।।१८।।

"पता न होना और पता नहीं है" - यह भी पता न होना :

Not knowing the not-knowing!

In-attention to / of the ignorance! 

य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्।।

उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते।।१९।।

आत्मा का नित्य, सनातन, और शाश्वत स्वरूप :

Indestructible, imperishable, ever-existing Timeless Reality of the Self :

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वाऽभविता वा न भूयः।।

अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।२०।।

वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम्।।

कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम्।।२१।।

Transition from one life to the another / the next : Reincarnation :

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि।।

तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही।।२२।।

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः।।

न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः।।२३।।

अच्छेद्योऽयमदाह्योऽयमक्लेद्योऽशोष्य एव च।।

नित्यः सर्वगतः स्थाणुरचलोऽयं सनातनः।।२४।।

अव्यक्तोऽयमचिन्त्योऽयमविकार्योऽयमुच्यते।।

तस्मादेवं विदित्वैनं नानुशोचितुमर्हसि ।।२५।।

विकल्प  / Alternatively :

अथ चैनं नित्यजातं नित्यं वा मन्यसे मृतम्।।

तथापि त्वं महाबाहो नैव शोचितुमर्हसि।।२५।।

Why? If you take yourself to be this person who was born, has been given a name, and has a history, biography, and is eventually  going to die, then also you need not grieve!

Because :

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मत्स्य च।।

तस्मादपरिहार्येऽर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि।।२७।।

The many "selves" :

There is the body which thinks not, 

There is the mind that appears to think,

There is yet another thought : "I am".

Sometimes we think "I am this body" for example when we need to refer to oneself, -- like when we say :

"I am going,  coming, I am here, I was there, at some other place, I am sick, tired, child, old, young", etc.

And at times we refer to oneself according to the state of the mind - like when we say :

"I am happy, worried, excited, depressed or anxious etc."

Then again we tend to think :

"I am skilled, intellectual, scholar, erudite, knowledgeable, ..."

Obviously I never undergo any change and we do know this reality without any effort whatsoever.

So there is a stream of thoughts that emerge and subside moment to moment.

So the thought : "I was born and shall die," is but a thought like so many different, other and various thoughts.

"I want to die, I will kill myself" - are even so thoughts only that emerge out from and then submerge into the source unknown to them. This source is ever so unborn and immortal  deathless underlying principle, the Reality, - The consciousness which is sentience with reference to the body, thought and the mind.

So the question of suicide or killing oneself is just ridiculous, absurd and senseless.

But if interested, earnest eager to know, one can sure sunk deep and enquire about what us "the death"? Is not it a only a meaningless superficial word!

No one can ever kill oneself, nor be get killed by someone else.

Though, as it appears, we see others die, and overwhelmed by the thought of death, think "I too shall die at some point in time." That is but an assumption only. Neither through the experience, logic, nor the example, we could prove it! Even if we really die, how could we affirm "I am dead"

We simply neither know nor understand what is death, and we just imagine, form a mental image of death, and think "I will die, or will kill myself"

***

 

The Zen and Samurai.

ध्यान, युयुत्सु और युद्ध-कला 

----------------©----------------

Zen, Ju-jutsu and Martial Arts.

Whatever intuition I have, wakes up and wakes me up around at the right moment when it's most needed.

I began studying Gita in 1968, when I was 15 years of age. Just to have a preliminary and introductory understanding of what Gita is.

Basically I was just curious and had no idea or opinion what Gita was about and where shall I be, having gone through this book. In a way, I felt about Gita like kind of any other  text-book of a subject that I had to study in and during my student-life.

The very first verse took me by grip and I had to contemplate a lot to comprehend its  meaning and sense.

Because of reasons beyond my knowledge, I have been trained in the way of learning the scriptures in and according to the recitation. (Only later on I realized how fortunate I was to follow this way of practicing the Dharma.)

I thought of and pondered over exactly what the word Dharma in Gita might have meant. But that didn't help me much.

Then I tried to understand the text according to its storyline. That was however easier and interesting also.

The whole chapter 1 narrates the storyline in a nutshell.

Then I had to go slowly. The second chapter is truly the turning point. A road-block and also a block-buster too. 

The genre, the text had in the chapter second was altogether almost quite different from and onwards the third chapter.

As is the way of the intellectual, I felt as if I was caught into an intellectual labyrinth.

Exactly after 25 years, as if chalked out and pre-destined, I could discover and feel, what I could say; the comprehensive, the whole approach and the understanding of this text might be. I felt my understanding was quite appropriate, in line, and suited with the way  Adi Shankaracharya has explained in His commentary in Gita :

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता भाष्य / Gita Bhashya.

He beautifully relates and connects all the threads in chapter 18.

In between, and during my college days I tried to delve deeper into philosophies and 'ism-s' and the same pushed me into  dark even more, and fortunately I could rescue myself after a short stint there in time.

I already had with me a copy of ;

J. Krishnamurti's 

"Poems and Parables" ,

Which helped me in understanding how :

"Ideals are Brutal Things." is true. 

But the interesting part of all this exercise is, I found out a "pattern" where I could relate all these old / new notions and concepts that often hinder :

The Exploration into the Reality.

Again, while pondering over the words

युयुत्सवः / युयुत्सु -- yuyutsu (ju-jutsu?) and ध्यान -- Zen, by chance, I seriously felt that Japanese Religion, language, culture, tradition are so  greatly influenced by the doctrine of Gita.

Lord Shrikrishna was no doubt the Hero of the text, yet He too had (to play) a role in the war that took place in Kurukshetra.

As an individual person like Arjuna, due to circumstances only, He too was pushed into this war.

He was only the charioteer, not a warrior as such. Still He was the convener indeed. He did not take part in the war, yet everything that had any role in the war, was controlled and ordained by His order and Intelligence.

And there, He was this spontaneity about the war.

While Arjuna was ridden with conflict and was just unable to decide what is his duty or the Dharma, Lord Shrikrishna helped him in removing his doubt and in overcoming the conflict.

So,  in a way Arjuna could be likened to the Samurai that could commit "Hara-kiri"; the ultimate sacrifice done by a warrior while performing his duties.  An honorable and adorable death that takes one to the gates of heaven.

This Hara-kiri is no escape from the war but also an act of the Self-respect, --a ritual too.

So a Samurai does not commit suicide, but observes the duty,  - the Dharma.

In Sanskrit; the words war (युद्ध) and yoga (योग) could be conveniently derived from the root-verb

√युज्- युज्यते,  √युध् - युध्यते..

युज्यस्व 2/38, 2/50,

युध्यस्व, 2/18, 3/30, 11/34,

युयुत्सवः , युयुत्सुम् 1/28, 

योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् ।। 2/50

1/4, 2/38, 2/50,

समर ~ samara in Sanskrit means Battle / War.

May be Samurai is a cognate! 

***

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्

नायं भूत्वाऽभविता वा न भूयः.. 

--

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता के अध्याय 2 का यह श्लोक इस प्रकार से है :

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वाऽभविता वा न भूयः।।

अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।२०।।

कठोपनिषद् अध्याय १, वल्ली २ में यही श्लोक निम्नलिखित रूप में पाया जाता है:

न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन्नायं कुतश्चिन्न भभूत कश्चित्।।

अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।।१८।।

कदाचिन्नायं -- कदाचित् न अयं,

विपश्चिन्नायं -- विपश्चित् न अयं,

'कदाचित्' अर्थात् किसी भी काल में, क्योंकि काल स्वयं जो कि एक ओर जहाँ क्षणजीवी की तरह से अस्तित्वमान और विलीन होता हुआ जान पड़ता है, दूसरी दृष्टि से वही अजन्मा, अजर, अमर, शाश्वत्, गौण नित्य भी है, ऐसा भी समझा जा सकता है। किन्तु काल का यह स्वरूप बुद्धि के सक्रिय हो उठने पर, उसके पश्चात् ही जाना जाता है। दूसरी ओर, यह तर्क कि भी इतना ही महत्वपूर्ण है कि बुद्धि स्वयं भी किसी न किसी काल में ही तो उदित / जाग्रत होकर पुनः पुनः विलीन होती रहती है। वस्तुतः काल और बुद्धि का संपूर्णतः एकमेव युगपत् अस्तित्व है और उनमें किसी भेद का होना संभव नहीं है।

'विपश्चिन्नायं' में विपश्चित् का अर्थ हुआ - वि पश्चित् । पश्च से बने शब्द past, post 'बाद में' के द्योतक हैं। जबकि पहले / बाद में, काल या बुद्धि के सन्दर्भ में ही हो सकते हैं।

विपश्चित् का दूसरा अर्थ है जिस किसी ने भी उस अजर अमर नित्य शाश्वत को जान लिया है, उसके इसे जान लिए जाने के बाद वह अपने आपको जिस प्रकार से समझता है।

कठोपनिषद् से उद्धृत उपरोक्त श्लोक में इसलिए विपश्चित् शब्द सर्वथा उपयुक्त है। इसी प्रकार, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता से जिस श्लोक को उद्धृत किया गया है, उसमें भी 'कदाचित्' शब्द स्थान और प्रसंग के सर्वथा अनुकूल है।

इसके पूर्व के श्लोकों से भी यह स्पष्ट है :

अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः।।

अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युद्धस्व भारत।।१८।।

य एवं वेत्ता हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्।।

उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते।।१९।।

***

इमे, इमौ, इयम्

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता
शब्दानुक्रम -Index 
--
इमे 1/33, 2/12, 2/18, 3/24,
इमौ 15/16,
इयम् 7/4, 7/5,
--      

अप्रमेयम्, अप्रमेयस्य, अप्रवृत्तिः

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता
शब्दानुक्रम -Index 
--
अप्रमेयम् 11/17, 11/42,
अप्रमेयस्य 2/18,
अप्रवृत्तिः 14/13,
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अन्तवत्, अन्तवन्तः, अन्तम्, अन्तः

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता
शब्दानुक्रम -Index
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अन्तवत् 7/23,
अन्तवन्तः 2/18,
अन्तम् 11/16,
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अनार्यजुष्टम्, अनावृत्तिम्, अनाशिनः

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता
शब्दानुक्रम -Index 
--
अनार्यजुष्टम् 2/2,
अनावृत्तिम् 8/23, 8/26,
अनाशिनः 2/18,
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आज का श्लोक, ’शरीरिणः’ / ’śarīriṇaḥ’

आज का श्लोक, ’शरीरिणः’ / ’śarīriṇaḥ’
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’शरीरिणः’ / ’śarīriṇaḥ’ - देही का, शरीरी का,

अध्याय 2, श्लोक 18,
अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ताः शरीरिणः ।
अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ॥
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(अन्तवन्तः इमे देहाः नित्यस्य उक्ताः शरीरिणः ।
अनाशिनः अप्रमेयस्य तस्मात् युध्यस्व भारत ॥)
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भावार्थ : (तत्वदर्शियों के द्वारा*) इन समस्त देहों को अन्तवान अर्थात् नाशवान, तथा इन देहों को धारण करनेवाली चेतना अर्थात् जीव-भाव की नित्यता, अविनाशिता तथा अप्रमेयता कही जाती है ।  इसलिए हे भारत (अर्जुन) ! तुम युद्ध करो ।
*टिप्पणी :
श्लोक क्रमांक 16 तथा 17 में इस चेतना ’जीव-भाव’ के यथार्थ स्वरूप का वर्णन पहले ही कर दिया है । अध्याय 15 श्लोक 7 में यह भी बतलाया गया है कि यह ’जीव-भाव’ परमात्मा का ही अंश है, और इसलिए नित्य, अविनाशी तथा अप्रमेय है । जीव तथा परमात्मा की भिन्नता या द्वैत भी औपचारिक ही है, न कि वास्तविक ।
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’शरीरिणः’ / ’śarīriṇaḥ’ - of the 'self'/ individual soul, of the consciousness that is the support of the 'I am this body'-idea.

Chapter 2, śloka 18,

antavanta ime dehā
nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ |
anāśino:'prameyasya
tasmādyudhyasva bhāratya ||
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(antavantaḥ ime dehāḥ
nityasya uktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ |
anāśinaḥ aprameyasya
tasmāt yudhyasva bhārata ||)
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Meaning :
(As is seen by the seers and sages*), all these bodies are said as perishable, while the consciousness that supports these bodies (and appears as individual, but when questioned about and inquired into its nature, is found as Indivisible One Whole in all bodies) is Imperishable, Immutable and indescribable. Therefore bhārata (arjuna) ! Don't hesitate and fight this war without conflict.  
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*Note :
As already mentioned in the preceding 16 and 17 of this chapter, seers and sages have known and said that ...)
This 'sense of the individual self' takes root in the all-pervading consciousness where-in all bodies come into existence and disappear again and again. This consciousness could be viewed as The only sub-stratum that is Ever Abiding Reality. And the 'self' is but a limited expression of the same principle, the same Reality.
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