इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय कदाचन |
न चाशुश्रूषवे वाच्यं न च मां योऽभ्यसूयति || 67||
idaṁ te nātapaskyāya nābhaktāya kadāchana
na chāśhuśhruṣhave vāchyaṁ na cha māṁ yo ‘bhyasūtayi
idam—this; te—by you; na—never; atapaskāya—to those who are not austere; na—never; abhaktāya—to those who are not devoted; kadāchana—at any time; na—never; cha—also; aśhuśhrūṣhave—to those who are averse to listening (to spiritual topics); vāchyam—to be spoken; na—never; cha—also; mām—toward me; yaḥ—who; abhyasūyati—those who are envious
Translation:
This is never to be spoken by you to one who is devoid of austerity, nor to one who is not devoted, nor to one who does not do service, nor to one who speaks ill of me.
Commentary:
The Lord teaches his disciple that this great science of Liberation should not be revealed to those who are devoid of austerity and devotion.
This warning is necessary and no true seeker is excluded from the benefit of receiving the light of knowledge. It means that the seeker for Liberation should make himself fit to receive this knowledge by austerity, service and devotion.
It should not be taught to people who have neither self-control nor devotion to God. Such men are likely to disparage this great and secret knowledge and give false interpretation to the laws enunciated in the Gita. In practical life one comes across many flippant shallow people, engrossed in worldliness, who decry all spiritual knowledge as a foolish exercise in futility. Such men do great harm to society. They destroy faith and create doubts about the truth of this great science. Such men are not only unhelpful but positively harmful to society.
The idea is stated negatively, but its positive meaning is clear. The receiver of this knowledge should possess certain qualities of character. He must have acquired self-discipline by following an austere way of life. He must possess devotion. He must have served elders and teachers, and he should never scorn the wise masters, who deliver this wonderful message.
Above all, the disciple should be most eager to free himself from the ills of the flesh. This eagerness, this yearning to know the truth, to live by it, and experience the bliss of Liberation. in his own life, is the first qualification for receiving the message of the Gita.
Swami Turiyananda: “If the Lord is ever present inside and outside, then with what object should you undergo austerities? And if He be not inside and outside, of what avail are these austerities ?’ In other words, we must go through them, betaking ourselves to God. In our country, however, there is now a sad dearth of austerities. One no more hears nowadays of rigid austerities as of old. Well, this is the result of undigested Vedanta. Is it possible to understand the truths of Vedanta without undergoing austerities? Vicharasâgara is a misnomer now. Pseudo-Vedantism has spoilt the country. They simply talk big-‘He only exists, “The universe is non-existent, in the past, present, as well as in the future,’ and so on. Nonsense! Do they mean anything by all that? Vedanta cannot be understood except through austerities.” (Source: Spiritual Talks by the First Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna)
[Vicharasâgara: A celebrated Hindi metrical treatise on Advaita Vedanta by Nischaladása, extensively read by up-country Sadhus, many of whom make a travesty of its teachings in their everyday life.]
Swami Turiyananda: “Only the One exists, nothing else. We see Him as men, animals, birds, insects, plants etc. If we only think correctly, we shall find that there is no such differentiation in Him. How we imagine an ego and slave for its gratification! Each has his own world which accompanies him beyond death. It is enjoyment and the desire for it that obstruct true knowledge; freed from them we can have knowledge this moment. Are we not knowledge itself? But alas, it is so hard to renounce the joys of the world!
“Unless we are willing to understand, none can convince us. There was a king who promised the gift of half his kingdom to anyone who would teach him the preparation of puffed rice. Many came and explained and demonstrated, but at the end the king would always say that he did not understand. How could he? He simply would not! We are also like him. Who does not know that the world is transitory ? But we refuse to feel convinced lest we also have to give away ‘half the kingdom’ – the enjoyments of the world.” (Source: Spiritual Talks by the First Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna)
Question: To whom should the Gita-Sastra be not taught?
Answer: To those who are devoid of austerity and devotion.
Question: What does this prohibition imply?
Answer: It implies that those who have practised austerity and who have devotion to God are most qualified to receive the Gita message.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18 🔻 (78 Verses)
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