World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 536

As the colophon indicates, the Bhagavadgitā is both - a metaphysics and an ethics, brahmavidyā and yoga-śāstra or the science of reality and the art of union with reality. The Song Divine is an epitome of the essential teachings of the Vedas. It tells us about the origin of existence, the nature of happiness and its source, the energy pervading the universe and its existence inside us, the lasting nature of energy, the sustenance of life by this energy, and so on. The knowledge of Om is virtually Brahma-vidyā. Om includes Brahman and the universe created by Brahman. Om is sat (existence), cit (knowledge) and ana?da (Bliss). The Bhagavadgītā is also a scripture teaching the union (yoga) of the soul with the Supreme. In a nutshell, it tells us that 'we are that.' In other words, it explains the famous mahāvākya, namely, tattvamasi (That Thou Art). In some form or the other this idea is contained in all the scriptures. That book which does not deal with this supreme idea is no scripture. The Bhagavadgītā is, virtually, from beginning to end, a grand commentary on the sublime statement - Thou Art That.
There are eighteen chapters in the Bhagavadgita. They are conveniently called three-sixes (tri-satkam). The first six chapters of the text, roughly, elucidate the word 'tvam (thou, the jīva or the person) of the Mahāvākya, the next six chapters describe the nature of 'tat (that, Brahman) and the last six chapter underline their unity through the predicate 'asi (are, the identity or the oneness of the Lord and the individual). In the first set (of first six chapters) the nature of the individual is depicted. Arjuna gets perplexed in the beginning of the war. In chapter Two the Lord tells him that he should not behave like a fool. The soul is eternal, only the body perishes. The death is like changing the old clothes. But such wisdom is not easily grasped. Hence, in chapter Eleven, belonging to the second set (chapters Seven to Twelve), the Cosmic Form (Viśva-rupa) of the Lord is presented. The third set comprises chapters thirteen to eighteen. It asks the individual to realize its unity with the 'paramātmar. The inviolable relationship between the Cosmic Reality and the individual soul is well established in this part of the book. Verse twenty-seven of chapter Thirteen tells us that the Lord pervades all beings. In verse fifteen of chapter Fifteen Sri Krsna tells that He is existing in the heart of all. And yet he transcends all, being Purusottam. This is the most secret knowledge of the scripture revealed to Arjuna in the text. Verse sixty-one of chapter Eighteen repeats this fact as the secret of secrets: 'The Lord sits in the heart of all beings' (īśvarah sarva bhūtānāṁ hrddeśe'rjuna tisthati). Thus the three aspects of the Maha-vākyam have an equal number of chapters allotted for their elucidation. It is the speciality of the Bhagavadgītā to give equal weight to all the three aspects. It has been planned for the purpose of the exposition of the mahā-vākyam. A knowledge of the teachings of the text leads to the realization of all human aspirations, says Sankara in his Introduction to the Bhagavad-Gītā-bhāsya:
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