बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।
तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥४-५॥
Transliteration:
In Bhagavad Gita chapter 4 verse 5 Lord Krishna emphasizes immanence of cosmic life. The absolute reality was far different than manifest physical reality seen from senses point of view. On earthly domain governed by senses everything that appeared solid was in fact a gaseous formation… cluster of atoms and molecules! This proves beyond doubt that cosmic governance always laid in hands of our soul atman, the spirit within and never the manifest physical human form! Our soul atman, consciousness within being governing… fruits of karma performed by human beings always belonged to our soul atman, the spirit within!
Death of body in cosmic domain carried no meaning. It was as simple as changing of guards at Buckingham Palace. From first manifestation to last, 8.4 millionth manifestation… the entire life cycle of a soul atman was one single uninterrupted span of life! Body after body, manifestation after manifestation… the journey of a soul atman in cosmos continues uninterrupted! Death of one form does not mean end of life. A soul atman keeps changing forms one after another until it finally regains its lost original pure prime pristine primordial form, the moment our karma negated to zero! Absence of dross impurities within announces a soul atman liberating self from cycle of birth and death forever. One finally reaches 8.4 millionth manifestation forever.
Lord Krishna saying to Arjuna that he had many earlier lives unknown to him implies Arjuna not yet reaching stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana)! The moment one becomes an enlightened one… a bodhi, a Jina… one becomes knower of all forever! Lord Krishna asserts to Arjuna that not only Arjuna but Lord Krishna himself had passed through many manifestations before taking the present form. This cycle of birth and death ceases only when dross impurities within a soul atman, the spirit within removed completely! In absence of dross impurities within, need for a purified soul atman to manifest another life now ceased to exist. A soul atman, the spirit within reaching stage of absolute purity means human beings gaining enlightenment forever.
To quell all doubts of Arjuna, Lord Krishna emphasizes that although Arjuna was unknown to cosmic principles of life… he was not! This authoritative assertion by Lord Krishna announces Lord Krishna reaching stage of enlightenment only as a child. The kundalini of Lord Krishna awakened fully when he was very young. The moment full kundalini awakening occurs, the Sahasra Pushpa (thousand petalled Lotus) existing in our brain behind forehead opens fully. Opening of Sahasra Pushpa announced one becoming an enlightened one forever. For all practical purposes… one finally gains omniscience, becomes knower of all forever! Awakening of Kundalini Shakti, opening of Sahasra Pushpa is an irreversible process.
Once opened, one could never revert to daily routines of life! This is what happened with Lord Krishna. When his kundalini awakened fully even while he was a child, lord Krishna started exercising all cosmic powers that be. The process of reincarnation, life after death becomes absolutely clear after gaining enlightenment (kaivalya jnana)… never before! To know what reincarnation means… one has to travel spiritual path to reach cosmic end of life! Most human beings world over thought that at the time of reincarnation, our soul atman, the spirit within took birth in a new body! How is that possible? Something that never dies… how could it rebirth? Our soul atman, the consciousness within was indestructible… could neither birth nor die!
The entire cycle of life always belonged to our soul atman, the consciousness within! The human form, manifest human life was but a short sojourn in the entire lifespan of 8.4 million manifestations in the life of a soul atman. The permanence in life always rested with our soul atman, the spirit within! The human form, human life was but a temporary phase in the entire lifespan of a soul atman, the consciousness within! In a short lifespan of 70 to 80 years, if human beings succeeded in reaching stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana)… It was nothing short of a miracle! Truly undertaking spiritual journey happened only by grace of God Almighty. Human beings were only puppets in hands of God Almighty… nothing more!
The Explanation:
The process of reincarnation is writ large in Bhagavad Gita chapter 4 verse 5 wherein Lord Krishna says to Arjuna that he along with Lord Krishna had many previous births, manifestations! Still, Arjuna remains in doubt! For a normal human being who had not yet reached stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana), assimilating process of reincarnation (rebirth) was difficult. Prompted by a bloated ego (Aham in Hinduism), most human beings world over did not believe in concept of reincarnation. All gave importance to bodily self. Until death of body, no matter what… people were not willing to accept that our soul atman was running the body all the time.
Precepts of spirituality… truths of reincarnation can only be realized by undertaking spiritual journey as ordained by God Almighty in Bhagavad Gita. For a seeker of God Almighty… truthfully understanding definition of a soul atman was not that difficult. As per doctrine of Maya (veil of illusion)… we were truly a cluster of gaseous formation, made from clusters of atoms and molecules! Only when perceived from senses point of view… things appeared solid, otherwise all was gaseous formation! As per doctrine of Maya put forward by Adi Shankaracharya, God Almighty was the only truth of life. Why?
As per Adi Shankaracharya, entire cosmos consisted of only souls atmans! God Almighty, the sum total of all souls’ atmans in cosmos in their purified form was the only truth of life as per Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita. The sooner we realize this truthful fact of life, the better for us! Human beings travelled spiritual path to realize cosmic truths of life. Realizing definition of God Almighty, knowing definition of souls’ atmans constituted major part of spiritual journey. God could only be realized by gaining enlightenment in present life. Enlightenment can only be gained by indulging in yoga nishkama karma way.
Contemplation on God Almighty becomes possible via path of self enquiry (path of Neti… not this, not this) as preached and advocated by Maharishi Ramana, one who realized God in his lifetime! Lying in shavasna pose of yoga when human beings contemplated on God Almighty… one finally succeeded in cutting across shackles of karma, negating karma to zero forever! Removing dross impurities within our soul atman mandates a long cosmic journey of 8.4 million manifestations that entailed an earthly journey of 96.4 million years! Of 8.4 million manifestations… the initial 7.3 million manifestations occurred in insect, plant and animal form. In the remaining 1.1 million manifestations in human form, one was expected to reach stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana) at the earliest.
The precept of continuity of life in cosmic system can never be known by travelling path of religion (path of rituals). Path of contemplation, self enquiry was necessitated to know God in present life. One of the most important constituent of path of contemplation was… having absolute faith in God Almighty all the time. Unless we had hundred percent faith in God Almighty, unless Arjuna had hundred percent faith in Lord Krishna… he could never learn anything from Lord Krishna! It was power of faith that Arjuna slowly realized teachings of Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna. To fight battle of Dharma (righteousness), Lord Krishna had to convince Arjuna at all costs. By explaining cosmic precepts to Arjuna… Lord Krishna again and again emphasized continuity of life in cosmic system. We truly are a spiritual being undertaking cosmic journey.
Lord Krishna repeatedly calling Arjuna as Parantapa points to extreme penances Arjuna practiced in life. Arjuna truly was an exalted Yogi who had almost overcome fear of death! Fear of death can only be overcome by one in totality who in stages succeeds in establishing absolute control over five senses and mind. Subduing five senses and mind is not easy… more so when faced with arch enemies that consist of maternal grandfather Bhishma Pitamah, revered teacher guru Dronacharya… first cousins, relatives and friends! To overcome the insurmountable, Arjuna needed a spiritual guide, the level of Lord Krishna! Establishing absolute control over Moha (deep emotional attachment) was necessitated for Arjuna to fight his arch enemies Kauravas. Moha (deep emotional attachment) is that inherent ingredient in life of human beings controlling which needs many lifetimes.
From beginning of time, Lord Krishna was confident that after sermon of Bhagavad Gita… Arjuna would agree to whatever Lord Krishna demanded. As recorded in history, Arjuna did not antagonize efforts of Lord Krishna and humbly accepted all teachings of Lord Krishna. Such is the prowess of sermon of Bhagavad Gita that anyone who undertakes spiritual journey with absolute faith in God Almighty finally reached cosmic end of life! When Arjuna realized limitations of physical manifest life, he agreed to fight Kauravas to the hilt! For one who had conquered fear of death, fighting arch enemies like Kauravas was not very difficult, especially when one had backing of Lord Krishna, an avatar of his era… a saviour, messiah!
Commentary by: Vijay Kumar “Atma Jnani”… The Man who Realized God in 1993 – May 9, 2013
Selected Books on Bhagavad Gita on Barnes & Nobles
Bhagavad Gita Study Circle: a meeting point for people from all walks of life interested in knowing anything relating to spirituality, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and on a broad platform… life!
Subscribe Weekly Newsletter “Spiritual Secrets Unveiled”
Whats more… it is free. You would love you did!