Ch-2|Meaning of Shlokas 15-17

Meaning of Ślokas 15-17

Śloka 15

Bhagavan SriKrishna tells Arjuna:

A person steadfast in his path,who has mastered his senses and lives with patience,remains undisturbed by the alternating experiences of happiness and sorrow.For him,sukha and dukha appear as one and the same.Having understood the tattva behind these experiences through the knowledge of karma siddhanta,such a person attains the state of amrutattva — the eternal, imperishable state of being.

In the Sankhya Yoga,Bhagavan SriKrishna presents these truths directly.For those unable to grasp them in abstraction,he reiterates the same wisdom through karma siddhanta — the doctrine of action and consequence.

There are two aspects we constantly seek to understand — the Body and the Soul.

The Soul is described as Sat (Existence),Chit (Consciousness) and Ananda (Bliss) — Chaitanyam.The eternal is termed the Soul,while that which perishes is the Body.

Just as our elders repeat important lessons until they settle into our consciousness,Bhagavan SriKrishna reiterates these truths to Arjuna through various verses.

Śloka 16

That which exists (Sat) is eternal and ever-present;that which is non-existent (Asat) has no true being.

The eternal does not possess the qualities of non-existence, and the non-eternal does not possess the qualities of eternality.

Hence,Body and Soul are distinct — the body perishes,but the Soul (I) remains eternal.

For the perishable body, bhāvaḥ — continued existence — does not truly apply.Similarly,for the eternal Ātman,abhāvaḥ — absence of being — has no place,for the Atman is of the nature of Sat–Chit–Ananda.

Śloka 17

Know that every particle in this universe — animate or inanimate, seen or unseen — is pervaded by the Atman.This universe itself arises from that imperishable source,known variously as Parabrahma,Sat or Akasa in different Upaniṣads.

All our powers are but fragments of that supreme energy.Just as multiple sparks arise from a single firecracker,we too are tiny flames of that infinite light (Paramatma).

If the Supreme is eternal,why should we consider ourselves mortal?When compared to the omnipotent,our powers are merely reflections of that one infinite source.

Thus,the doubts troubling Arjuna about engaging in battle are unfounded,for there is but one eternal essence pervading all creation.Whether we call it Parabrahma,Shiva,Vishnu,Shakti or Surya according to our respective anushthāna paddhati,the tattva remains the same — eternal.

Earlier,Sri Krishna emphasised patience.Now,he highlights — awareness of the universal,eternal consciousness that pervades everything,visible and invisible.

Nothing in this world can destroy that eternal consciousness.