What You Invoke You Become

Shubhraji’s Three Part Discourse in Rockland County

Written by Shyamala Shankar, Rockland, NY

In Chapter 9 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna gives us promises and assurances that are not found elsewhere in the celestial song. In fact if we were to follow His advice, not only will we inherit supreme peace of mind but begin to live a life that can laugh at the maya of turmoil that is this world and actually enjoy ourselves.

With equally amazing lucidity, Shubhraji made this chapter crystal clear to the audience that listened with rapt attention at the Hilton Garden Inn in Nanuet, NY, on September 24, 25 and 26, 2010. A large crowd attended each day taking advantage of the rare opportunity of hearing the Gita expounded in their own neighborhood from such an erudite speaker as Shubhraji. As the culmination to the series, a beautiful satsang and saatvic lunch was held in the home of one of the devotees and the attendees thoroughly enjoyed it all.

Krishna gives Chapter 9 a high honor when he declares right in the first verse that what we are about to hear is the “Royal Science” and a “Kingly Secret” and is something that is at once clearly comprehensible. Shubhraji further qualifies this as being a divine, joyful state of mind and it is quite possible for one to be in this condition. Inner perfection, that Consciousness, is our true nature but we fail to recognize it being drawn into the turmoil of life.

We are all like a wave that forgets that it is but a part of the deep and tranquil ocean. Krishna says that He pervades all creation. “They are in Me, I am not in them”, he declares and he explains, the destiny of the wave is not His. Hinting elsewhere in the same chapter that it is the “samashti vasanas” (collective desires) that brings forth the jivas of the world at the beginning of a kalpa (age). The creator is unaffected by their activities which Swami Chinmayananda describes thus: “They are helpless under the sway of Prakriti, which is primordial nature.”

What then is the way out of this helplessness? Krishna implores us to know Him as the Imperishable Source and worship Him with a mind devoted to nothing else. Shubhraji has often reminded us that this does not imply leaving our role in the world and heading for a cave in the Himalayas! On the contrary, be in the world, enjoy it but always remembering Him, dedicating all activities and surrendering unto Him. Shubhraji has given us in the course of these talks, a list of words from verse 14 that can clearly be our guide: Satatam: constantly chanting, Kirtayantah: glorifying, Yatantascha: striving toward a goal, Dridha vrata: firm resolve, Namantasyantascha: prostrating or surrendering, Nitya yukta: steadfast, and lastly Upasate: worship or invoke.

Any description of Chapter 9 would not be complete without the mention of two extremely famous verses: the first one is verse 22, said to be positioned almost at the center of the Bhagavad Gita:

“Ananyas cintayanto mam ye janah paryupasate,
tesam nityabhiyuktanam ygakshemam vahamyaham”

Simply put, this is an assurance from the Lord that for those who are steady in their devotion, who worship with an “undivided heart” as Swamiji calls it, He promises to give what they need and protect what they already possess. The other important verse is verse 26 which says: “Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I accept that offering if it comes from a pure mind.” It is quite amazing how little He is asking for. The entire creation is His, we offer Him what already belongs to Him and He is happy.

What do we invoke in this world? Sometimes power, wealth, sometimes material objects, transient happiness, maybe peace of mind. “But those who invoke Me, they come to Me” He says. He declares that to Him, “none are hateful nor dear, I am the same in all beings.” The small difference is that the more we invoke Him with total faith, the more He responds and shows us the way, says Shubhraji.

This chapter is so meaningful and pertinent to the real purpose of our lives. If we can take the time to read Swami Chinmayanandaji’s explanations and try to live by Krishna’s teachings, we would be well on the path of the real goal of life.