“He who is without attachment, who does not rejoice when he obtains good, nor lament when he obtains evil, is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.57)

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यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य श‍ुभाश‍ुभम्
नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता

yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas
tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham
nābhinandati na dveṣṭi
tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

Bhagavad-gita is shastra. It is scripture. It is a sacred text within a larger sacred text that is Mahabharata. One of the meanings of shastra is “to correct.” If Bhagavad-gita corrects, then it must mean that the person receiving the instruction requires correcting. This implies that something is incorrect. This makes sense, as the impulse from the bow-warrior Arjuna is wrong. His decision to quit, at the most important moment, requires a kind corrective force, in the sublime guru who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna.

How, then, can any sane person recommend abandoning the concepts of good and bad? We find this in one of the couplets of Goswami Tulsidas. Those couplets are arranged in a row to make what is known as the Dohavali. The saint says that good and bad, guna and dosha, are merely part of the illusion of Hari, who is God. Only worship of Hari can remove that illusion.

हरि माया कृत दोष गुन बिनु हरि भजन न जाहिं
भजिअ राम सब काम तजि अस बिचारि मन माहिं

hari māyā kṛta doṣa guna binu hari bhajana na jāhiṃ
bhajia rāma saba kāma taji asa bicāri mana māhiṃ

“Good and bad, which are part of the illusion created by Hari, cannot be removed without worshiping Hari. Keeping this in mind, worship Rama and renounce all desires.” (Dohavali, 127)

Fortunately, someone who studies Bhagavad-gita worships Krishna by their intelligence. Krishna is the same Hari. Krishna essentially references the same concept, through the Sanskrit words of shubha and ashubha.

1. Describing the symptoms of one in the transcendental consciousness

The problem begins with the material consciousness. This is why Arjuna is in distress. He focuses only on the bodily welfare of the fighters assembled on the battlefield. Arjuna is still wise enough to reach out for help, to know that Krishna can clear the confusion. Krishna describes the state of transcendence. Being a wise and attentive disciple, Arjuna asks for further clarification. More than just a theoretical state, are there practical indications of the presence of such transcendence? In His reply, Krishna describes that one indication is the steadiness in obtaining different outcomes. Not rejoicing over something good, shubha, and not lamenting over something negative, ashubha.

2. Describing renunciation

श‍ुभाश‍ुभफलैरेवं मोक्ष्यसे कर्मबन्धनै:
सन्न्यासयोगयुक्तात्मा विमुक्तो मामुपैष्यसि

śubhāśubha-phalair evaṁ
mokṣyase karma-bandhanaiḥ
sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā
vimukto mām upaiṣyasi

“In this way you will be freed from all reactions to good and evil deeds, and by this principle of renunciation you will be liberated and come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.28)

In this section, Krishna reveals the most confidential knowledge. This sharing is always at the discretion of the teacher. They make the decision whether to reveal or to conceal. Since Arjuna lacks envy, since he is anasuyave, he is the ideal candidate. The secret is to avoid the circuitous route. Simply worship Krishna. This worship has a practical side. Make everything you do an offering to Krishna. If you are having a difficult time figuring out what to offer, then Krishna says that a flower, some fruit, or even water will suffice. The benefit to such worship is that a person becomes free of the reaction to good and bad deeds, shubha and ashubha. This must mean that anything less than worship of Krishna has such vulnerabilities. It must mean that shubha and ashubha are otherwise binding.

3. When describing who is dear

यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्‍क्षति
श‍ुभाश‍ुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्य: स मे प्रिय:

yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
śubhāśubha-parityāgī
bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ

“One who neither grasps pleasure or grief, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things, is very dear to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 12.17)

In this section, Krishna clears any confusion between the personal and impersonal paths of Vedanta. The personal path is superior, but the impersonal path is still an option. Both represent the Supreme Lord in the final objective, except the pictures are different. The devotee is dear to Krishna in ways identifiable to others. This is through behavior. The principle of renunciation is the foundation of such behavior, and one indication of that renunciation is relinquishing interest in good and bad, shubha and ashubha.

It should be noted that rising above good and evil does not mean a devotee suddenly has license to commit heinous crimes. It is not like they are callous to the suffering of others or are looking to exploit. The distinction is that they know both good and bad results are binding to the material world. Their decision for surrender to Hari is to renounce interest in the results to such activity. They are not eager to acquire meritorious credits. They are not halted in their devotion by setbacks from negative outcomes. They have a firm determination, described as dridha-vrata, which ensures their success in the path.

येषां त्व् अन्त-गतं पापं
जनानां पुण्य-कर्मणाम्
ते द्वन्द्व-मोह-निर्मुक्ता
भजन्ते मां दृढ-व्रताः

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.28)

In Closing:

Determination carrying across,
Whether winning or suffering loss.

Because still world to bind,
Whichever state to find.

Rather on Krishna to rely,
Strong determination to apply.

Such that in illusion no more,
Sacrificing everything for.

Categories: the three

Tags: bad, dailyprompt, god, good, hare krishna, life, poem, poems, poetry