A whole new year! What a great gift you get to give to yourself!
There is nothing more precious than time, and you’ve got a whole new year starting up. You get to decide what to do with it. And remember, not choosing is a choice.
If your life is perfect as it is, you can choose to keep on keepin’ on. If your body is perfect, and you appreciate the fine condition of your mind and emotions, then do what you did last year.
If you want some improvements, then you must choose to do something differently. I recommend you resolve to — be happy!
Why? Because you like you better when you are happy. Simply resolve to do what makes you happy. But there is a catch in it. As Krishna warns in the Bhagavadgita, pursuing pleasure makes you happy in the beginning, but it leads to pain in the end.
If eating makes you happy, more food won’t make you happier. The side effects of more food will make you physically uncomfortable, resulting in unhappiness.
If getting others to change would make you happy, working on them changing won’t make you happier. And it won’t make them happier either.
If lazy makes you happy, more laziness won’t work. Neither will more busy-ness. Spinning your wheels gets you nowhere. Even spinning your mental wheels gets you nowhere.
Sometimes the GPS offers me side roads to avoid road congestion. I could drive an extra 6 miles, with lots of confusing turns on tiny roads, so I could arrive at the same time. No, thank you. I know how to sit quietly and be responsive to the cars around me.
There’s the key! I know how to sit quietly. This is the key that opens the door to happiness.
I know how to listen in a conversation. I know how to watch the birds in the bird feeder without moving, so I don’t scare them away. I revel in watching a sunrise or sunset, especially when the colors splay across the sky for an hour or more. And if someone speaks to me, I can respond without losing my delight.
Centered, grounded, established within, while being responsive to others. This is yoga’s promise, that you will live in the inner fluidity of pure awareness, the awareness of your own Beingness.
I know how to lay in bed at night, basking in the stillness and the dark, even hoping I won’t fall asleep. I prefer consciousness to unconsciousness. The bliss is more tangible.
I have cultivated my ability to abide in stillness, which makes me able to abide in my own Self even when I am active. It’s the Self that matters, not the stillness nor the activity. It is the experience of your own Self that makes you happiest of all.
Relying on outer things to trigger happiness works sometimes. When it works, it’s because it triggered Self to arise within. Can you trigger Self to arise within anytime that you want? Yoga says yes.
Then the only question that remains is – when would you want Self to NOT be arising within? When would you choose to be unhappy? Too many people make this choice too much of the time. This year, make a better choice. Do more yoga.
Chapter 17: Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga (The Yoga of the Three Kinds of Faith)
Krishna teaching Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga to Arjuna1
Krishna delves into the nature of faith, and how it shapes the character and destiny of every individual.
While faith is innate to everyone, it is not uniform. It is governed by the three gunas (described in Chapter 14). Depending on which guna predominates, faith expresses itself as uplifting, restless or misguided.
Krishna then turns to the significance of three essential spiritual actions: ceremony (yaj~na), charity (dana), and austerity (tapas). He emphasizes that the true value of any spiritual act lies in the intention, purity and devotion behind it, rather than in the action itself.
He also addresses the importance of the sacred syllable “OM,” which embodies the Divine.
This chapter is an invitation to look at the faith which shapes our choices, to understand its origins and to consciously cultivate the higher qualities within. By aligning faith with wisdom, purity and devotion, every action becomes a step on the path to union with the Divine.
The Dialog
Arjuna asks, “When one disregards scriptural injunctions in their life, but still worships with faith, what is the nature of their devotion?”
The three types of innate faith: Rajas, Sattva & Tamas2
Krishna says, “Every being is born with innate faith, which is of three kinds: sattva-goodness, rajas-passion, and tamas-ignorance. The sattvic worship the Gods, the rajasic worship the demons (rakshasas) and the tamasic worship the ghosts/spirits.
The food which is dear to each is of three types, as also ceremonies, austerity and almsgiving.
Food
“Foods which increase life span, health, strength, happiness and satisfaction are dear to sattvic people. These foods are nourishing, juicy, tasty and enjoyable,
“Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, pungent, dry and burning are liked by the rajasic. These produce pain, grief and disease. Foods which are stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten and impure are liked by tamasic people.
Ceremonies
“Ceremonies offered without desire for reward and according to scriptural rules, with conviction that this is a duty, are sattvic. But a ceremony performed with expectation of reward or out of pride is rajasic. Ceremonies are tamasic when done without faith, contrary to scriptural rules, without mantras and without offering food or donations.
Austerities
“Worship of the Gods, the wise, the Guru and elders are physical austerity along with purity, uprightness, sexual continence and non-violence.
Letting go – surrender leads to liberation.3
“Spoken words that cause no distress and are truthful, pleasant and beneficial are austerity of speech, along with the study of the Vedas. Serenity of mind, good-heartedness, silence, self-control and purity of purpose comprise austerity of the mind.
“These three austerities (physical, speech and mind) are sattvic when practiced with faith and desiring no reward. Austerity is rajasic when done to gain honor and respect. The benefits are unstable and temporary. Austerity is tamasic when practiced from confusion, with self-torture or for harming another.
Example of rajasic charity.4
Charity
“If the giver knows it is their duty to give in a fit place and time to a worthy person, the alms are sattvic when given to one who does nothing in return.
Charity is rajasic when given for the sake of recompense, with the expectation of results, or in a grudging mood. Charity is tamasic if given at the wrong place and time, to unworthy persons, with no respect or with contempt.
OM Tat Sat
“From the beginning of creation, OM TAT SAT has been spoken to express Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. From this has come the brahmins (priests), the Vedas and ceremonies. Therefore, those who perform ceremonies, give in charity and do austerities always begin with OM.
“Those who wish to become free from material entanglements utter TAT, as they do not seek the fruits of ceremony, charity and austerity. SAT names Absolute Truth. It is also used to describe an auspicious action, including ceremonies, charity and austerities.
“Whatever ceremony is done, charity given or austerity practiced, but without faith, is called a-sat, meaning perishable. It is useless in this world as well as after death.
Chapter 18: Moksha Sannyasa Yoga (The Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation)
Krishna weaves together the threads of knowledge, devotion and right action, culminating in full surrender to the Divine. True renunciation is not the mere abdication from action but the letting go of dependency on outcomes.
By discerning the forces that drive our actions — clarity, passion and ignorance — we come to act without selfish motives, aligning ourselves with our higher nature. He reveals that each individual’s duty (svadharma) is sacred. Fulfillment comes from embracing one’s own path with sincerity and selfless intent.
Moksha Sannyasa Yoga 5
The Gita’s final teaching is one of trust and loving surrender. By dedicating all actions to the Supreme One and transcending your ego’s limitations, you discover an unwavering peace and the joy of spiritual freedom.
In letting go of pride, fear and the need for control, your heart opens to Divine presence inside and outside. In this surrender lies the promise of liberation, the realization that your own Self is eternal, untouched by sorrow or change, and ever united with the source of all.
Chapter 18 is a luminous summation of the entirety of the Gita’s wisdom. It is an invitation to integrate knowledge, selfless action and loving surrender — to know yourself as the immortal One, to act without attachment and to yield in trust to the Supreme. In doing so, you transcend all limitations and sorrows, and you realize the ultimate goal: liberation or enlightenment, peace, and the unchanging bliss of the Divine.
The Dialog
Arjuna says, “I desire to understand the truth of full renunciation, tyaga, and of the renounced life, sannyasa.”
Krishna says, “The learned ones say that sannyasa is giving up actions motivated by desire. The wise ones say that giving up the fruits of your actions is tyaga.
“Some say all actions should be abandoned. Others say ceremonies, charity and austerity should never be abandoned. My conviction is that renunciation is of three kinds. Because worship, charity and austerity are purifiers even for the wise, these actions should never be abandoned.
“But these activities should be performed without expectation of result. Prescribed duties should never be renounced. If you abandon them due to delusion, it is tamasic. If you abandon them because they are troublesome or cause physical discomfort, it is rajasic. Such renunciation brings no benefits.
“Sattvic renouncer neither hates disagreeable work nor is attached to agreeable work.” 6
“Renunciation is sattvic when you perform your duty, done without desire for reward. Such a sattvic renouncer neither hates disagreeable work nor is attached to agreeable work. Indeed, it is not possible to give up all actions completely. One who renounces desire for the fruits of action is called a tyagi — a hero, a true renunciant.
“Fruits of action are of three types: painful, pleasant and mixed. After death, these fruits accrue to those who are not renounced, but never to the renounced. There are five causes of action: the body, the doer, the senses, effort and the Divine. These five are the cause with every action performed, whether physical, speech or thought, whether proper or improper.
“Due to impure intellect, one thinks the Self is the doer and is thus unable to see the truth. One who is free from the egoistic notion of being the doer and whose intellect is clear, even if he kills, he will not be the slayer, nor will he incur karmic repercussions.
“Knowledge, the object of knowledge and the knower are the three factors that induce action. The constituents of action are the action itself, the senses and the doer.
“Sankhya describes three kinds of knowledge, actions and doers. Inherent to all beings, sattvic knowledge is seeing the one indestructible reality, intact and whole in all beings. Rajasic knowledge is seeing beings as different and unconnected. Tamasic knowledge is clinging to one thing as if it were the whole, without a reason or based on the truth.
“Sattvic action is in accordance with the scriptures, free from attachment, free from desire and aversion, without depending on reward. Rajasic action is done for the fulfilment of desires or gain, enacted from a sense of ego, and full of stress. Tamasic action is motivated by delusion, with no regard to one’s ability, and disregarding consequences or injury to others.
“The doer who is sattvic is free from worldly attachment and ego, endowed with resolve and enthusiasm, and even-minded in success or failure. The rajasic doer craves the fruits of their actions, is greedy, cruel, impure, motivated by joy and sorrow. The tamasic doer is undisciplined, vulgar, stubborn, deceitful, dishonest, lazy, despondent.
“The three modes apply to intellect and determination. Sattvic intellect understands proper and improper actions, fear and fearlessness, what is binding and what is liberating. Rajasic intellect is confused about righteousness and cannot distinguish between what should be done and should not be done. Tamasic intellect is covered in density, thinking non-duty as duty, seeing untruth as truth.
“Determination or willpower is sattvic when developed through yoga, is unwavering and sustains the mind, prana and the senses. Rajasic willpower holds firmly to duty, pleasure and wealth, clinging to results. Tamasic willpower does not abandon dreaming, fearing, grieving, depression and arrogance.
“Three types of happiness are enjoyed, by which one can attain the end of suffering. Sattvic pleasure seems like poison at the beginning, but is like nectar in the end, coming from the intellect based in Self-knowing. Rajasic pleasure comes from the senses enjoying their objects. It is like nectar in the beginning, but ends up like poison. Tamasic pleasure hides the Self, coming from sleep, laziness and delusion.
Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras-fulfilling duties7
“No being is free from these three qualities. Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras have their duties distributed according to the qualities of their own nature (not by birth). Brahmins have the qualities of serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, compassion, uprightness, knowledge, wisdom and faith in God. Kshatriyas have the qualities of heroism, strength, fortitude, skill with weapons, courage in battle, generosity and leadership. Natural work for the vaishyas includes farming, dairy farming and business. Sudras serve through their work.
“By fulfilling their duties, one attains perfection. Their work is a form of worshipping the One from whom all has come and pervades all. By such work, one easily attains perfection. Doing one’s own duty, even imperfectly, is better than doing another’s duty perfectly. They who do their duties incur no sin. One must not give up the action they were born to do, even if it has defects. The supreme state of freedom from action is attained by having an intellect that is free from clinging and free from desires by renunciation.
“One can also attain the Absolute by transcendental knowledge. For this, one must have a purified intellect, restrain their senses, and abandon attraction and aversion. They relish solitude, eat small quantities, control their speech, body and mind, and are always engaged in meditation. Free from egoism, power, arrogance, desire, anger and selfishness and possessiveness, such a person is full of peace and is fit for union with the Absolute. They become serene, neither grieving nor desiring. Treating all beings equally, becoming Brahman, they attain supreme devotion to Me.
“Only by devotion does one know what and who I truly am. By coming to know Me, one knows the Supreme. Taking refuge in Me, while continuing to perform their actions, one obtains the eternal state by My grace. Dedicating every activity to Me, make Me your only goal. This is the yoga of the intellect (buddhi yoga), keeping your consciousness focused on Me. Thus, by My Grace, you overcome all obstacles.
“If, due to ego, you don’t listen to Me, you will perish. Filled with ego, even if you think ‘I shall not fight,’ your inherent qualities will compel you to do so. Due to delusion, if you decline to act, you will do it anyway, due to your own karma, born of your own nature.
“God dwells in everyone’s heart. According to their karmas, He causes all beings to wander, propelled by their karma and qualities. Whole-heartedly, take refuge in God alone. By grace, you will become established in supreme peace. Thus, I have explained this secret knowledge. Ponder it deeply and do as you choose.
Having devotion and taking refuge in Krishna8
“Hear Me, as you are dear to Me. This is the most secret of all knowledge. Always think of Me, worship Me, bow to Me, and you will certainly come to Me. Abandoning all dharmas, simply take refuge in Me. I will liberate you from all karmic results, do not fear.
“Do not share this knowledge with those who are undisciplined or without devotion. Never tell it to those who do not listen nor to those angry with Me or envious. The devotee who teaches this secret knowledge performs the greatest act of devotion. They will attain Me, without doubt. They are dearest to Me.
“Study of this sacred dialogue is worshipping Me through intelligence. Those who hear this with faith and free from malice will be liberated. Arjuna, have you heard Me with focused mind? Have your delusion and ignorance been destroyed?”
Krishna and Arjuna9
Arjuna replies, “My delusion is destroyed. I have regained knowledge through your Grace. I am free from doubt. I will act according to your word.”
Sanjaya (the narrator) says, “I have heard this wonderful dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, the noble-hearted one. It is so thrilling that my hair stands on end. Through the grace of Vyasa, I have heard this supreme and most secret yoga directly from Krishna. Recalling it, and the revelation of Krishna’s cosmic form, I rejoice again and again.”
“May your days be merry and bright” — what a great line from the song “White Christmas.” It is a beautiful and heartfelt wish.
This sums up what most people look for on Christmas Day or the other holy days celebrated at this time of year. Yes, you want your family gathering to be merry and bright. This is the focus for most people on Christmas. Let go of your agendas for what you want. See how you can help others get what they want.
It’s not so much about the physical gifts, probably. It’s more about the time together, something that may happen too rarely these days.
A full heart is also the secret to having all your days be merry and bright. Not artificially merry, but filled with the love and joy that overflows from a full heart. Your days are bright when they are lit from within, with your own inner light. Now we are talking about yoga.
Yes, your yoga makes you able to share light, love and joy with your dear ones. Your yoga makes you able to give more to the world. Your yoga makes you happier as well as healthier, and fills your heart from the inside out.
As a yogi, this means you fill yourself up before you get together with others. Do more yoga is true on every day, including Christmas Day. Do it for them! As well as for you. You will all be happier.
Plus you might take a moment to remember the one whose birthday we celebrate on December 25. His life and death have affected millions of people for thousands of years. Don’t try to ignore him. You may not be attending a Christ-mass, a religious ceremony in his honor, but give him a breath or a few, a little space in your mind and heart.
His message was very yogic. Yes, it has been interpreted in different ways throughout the millennia. This is why yoga says you must have a living Guru – one who can keep you from the misinterpretations that lead to so much pain.
The whole point is to be filled from the inside-out. The only reliable source for that filling is inside. This is why Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14). Yoga tells you to bring your light with you everywhere you go.
If nobody notices, that’s OK. It’s not about how they see you. It’s about how you see you, oh Shiva. And it’s about how you can make their day merrier and brighter, for that’s what they want, just like you. Oh, Shiva.
Pilgrimage is a sacred journey, practiced in Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and native American traditions, as well as yoga.
It is one of the practices that has done me a world of good for almost 50 years, beginning with my first trip to Ganeshpuri in 1977.
A holy site is important for only one reason – the effect it has on you. It opens you to the greater reality within. The inner infinity.
Many people go on pilgrimage so they can open to God, whom they place as being outside of themselves. Yet, when they experience God, they have an inner experience. They experience God inside. It is the inner experience that matters.
This is yoga’s sole purpose and goal. To help you find the Divine within yourself, who is your own Self. By being at satsang, you are on a pilgrimage to the infinite — within. Yet you need external help to get there. Why?
When you rely on only the resources, skills, talents and knowledge you already have, you’ll get the results you have been getting. To get a different result, you need training from one who is farther along than you.
I got it from my Guru, who got it from his Guru, who got it from his Guru, in a lineage that stretches back to the beginning of human history. Where did the first yogis get it? They got it from God.
As documented in the ancient texts from India, they called upon God as the primordial Being, the Source of the universe, the creator, the protector, the chastiser, the one who saves and uplifts – it’s all there in the most ancient of texts.
They did ceremonies, intricate and powerful ceremonies, to invoke God’s blessings — praying for good weather, good crops, health and happiness. You know, the usual stuff. And they experienced that their own inner state was uplifted when they did these ceremonies – flames, fire, offerings, the chanting of mantras.
In that inner deepening, they had insights into how the universe works, into how the mind works, into the deeper essence that underlies it all. Revelations. Illuminative insights. Inner wisdom, revelations from God.
In the Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali describes it this way:
Sa purveshaam api guruh kalena anavacchedat.
— Yoga Sutras 1.26
Eternal, beyond time, God is the teacher of the ancients.
The ancient sages got it from God. I’ll call it a cosmic download.
Now, this is not a new and unusual thing. We are used to hearing about God giving teachings. The Old Testament is honored as Divine revelation from God. From the Ten Commandments through the prophets, it’s all God’s word.
The New Testament is Jesus words and life story – more Divine revelation. Muhammed wrote the Koran over a period of 23 years of Divine revelations – all dictated by God.
So when the texts from India cite God as the source, it’s not news. It’s rather reassuring, actually, that God is paying attention and trying to help out. Yes! We need the help!
We need someone who can take us by the hand and lead us out of our own blind spots — to our own inner light. The Guru knows the way. This means they are not trapped in their own blind spots, so they won’t get trapped in yours. Nor will they let you stay…
Your celebration of Thanksgiving Day in the USA is likely to be focused on family and food. You are probably anticipating a wonderful event. However, it’s rarely a day of thanks, irrespective of the name.
In the many hours with others, how much time is actually spent in gratitude? Maybe 2 minutes? Maybe 5? We’re a long way away from the Pilgrims. They were thanking God as well as their neighbors, the native Americans who had saved them from starvation.
While food insecurity is still happening in America, hopefully it’s not one of your challenges. Since you don’t feel a shortage or need, then you’re not likely to feel grateful when it is met.
Gratitude abounds when you receive something you need. Thus you are not short on gratitude — your life is lacking need. While your wish list may include many wonderful things, your day-to-day needs are probably well under control. And that is worth celebrating!
To be aware of the blessings in your life, Thanksgiving Day is the day. To appreciate the small things, this is the day. To recognize the many people involved in simple stuff, like when you buy a pie, this is the time. Not only did the baker do something wonderful for you, but also the farmers who grew the ingredients and the truck driver who moved the farm’s produce to its destination. There’s always room for gratitude.
At a recent meeting I attended, the sound of leaf-blowers outside the window made it difficult to hear the other people. Of course, some complained. I offered a different perspective, “I’m grateful to the gardener who is doing this instead of me. He’ll move to another area soon.”
Yes, even in the midst of difficulties, there’s always something to be grateful for. A grateful heart is a soft heart, open to receiving more and more of what is already being given. Your ability to receive is honored by yoga as a sublime surrender.
It is my Baba that made me able to surrender, thus receiving his great gift fully. This inner awakening gave me life, gave me a reason to live, and continues to give me the ability to care and to share. Ji, Baba. Yes, Baba. My gratitude grows every year. Every day.
To search for happiness is like trying to drink water from a mirage. As you get closer and closer to what looks like a lake, it fades and disappears. And you’re still thirsty.
The same thing happens in relationships. You make a new friend, who seems to be on the same wavelength as you.
After a while you find some discrepancies, some flaws, some imperfections – so do you stay in the relationship or not? And if they are a relative, now what?
Are you looking outside for your bliss or are you looking inside? If you look outward, your bliss will be temporary, impure and even cause pain. You are fueled by the delusion that the illusion will make you happy. Instead, you drown in your sorrows as your mind replays them for you over and over.
It’s a familiar story. Your mind concocts a plan to do something that will make you happy. Let’s start with something simple, even healthy — maybe to eat a raisin. A plain raisin. We’re getting out of chocolate and having raisins. Just one, maybe two.
So you’re going to have a raisin. You have it planned that it will make you happy. You have projected happiness onto a raisin. This is illusion. Raisins contain vitamins and minerals as well as sugar, but not happiness.
Even if they make a cartoon out of a dancing raisin, in order to convince you that happiness comes from raisins, it’s all illusion. It’s only an appearance or sham; it’s deceptive. Maayaa — illusion.
You eat the raisin anyway. Unfortunately it doesn’t really make you happy. So you eat another one. And another and then more. This is delusion, to keep doing the same thing over and over, hoping to get different results.
Delusion means your perception is erroneous, like attributing happiness to a raisin. Of course, you could say that, if it is an organic raisin, produced in a certain location, packaged in recyclable materials — it can even lead to infatuation. You’re falling in love with a raisin! This will certainly lead to pain, for raisins can never hold up to how you see them. Moha — delusion.
Maybe, for you, it’s not a raisin. It’s a new car, or a new job. Maybe it’s a riverside walk or a hot bath – or both. And these are wonderful things. They will even make you happy, for a while. And then, you’re stuck with your mind again. You drown in your sorrows as your mind replays them for you over and over.
I’d like to show you how to use your mind productively. When you use your mind differently, you get different results. What if your mind replayed…
Chapter 15: Purushottama Yoga (The Yoga of the Supreme Spirit)
Krishna unveils the cosmic vision of existence through the metaphor of the eternal Ashvattha tree, the tree of samsara, showing the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
He describes this upside-down tree, with its roots above and branches below, representing the material world, ever-changing and impermanent.
Entanglement of worldly desires.1
The journey towards liberation, he explains, begins with detaching yourself from the entanglements of worldly desires, then seeking the Supreme One (Purushottama) who transcends both the perishable and imperishable aspects of creation.
Within this chapter, Krishna reveals that all things are parts of the Divine. True wisdom lies in understanding the distinction between changeable material nature, the individual soul and the Supreme Soul.
By realizing the Supreme One as the ultimate source and support of all existence, you attain the highest knowledge and freedom from bondage. Thus you reach the supreme state of immortality and bliss.
The Dialog
Krishna says, “The wise speak of an indestructible Ashvattha (peepul or fig) tree with its roots above and branches below. Its leaves are the Vedic hymns.
Krishna & Ashvattha tree 2
“Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the gunas (three qualities). The twigs are the objects of the senses. Its clustering roots spread downward, giving rise to action. The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is.
“With determination, you must cut down this tree with the strong axe of non-attachment. By doing this, you seek the place from which you never return, surrendering to the Supreme One from whom everything has come and in whom everything abides.
“Free from vanity and delusion, free from clinging, dwelling constantly in the Self, free from desires, liberated from the duality of pleasure and pain, the undeluded reach it. The illumination of sun, the moon and the fire cannot reach this abode of Mine. Those who go there will not be reborn.
“A portion of My Supreme Self has become a Soul, which takes on five senses, with mind as the sixth. When the Supreme One acquires a body, and when leaving a body, He takes these with them.
“Most people do not see who departs from the body or dwells in it, experiencing objects and enjoying the modes of nature. Those who have the eye of wisdom see all this. Seekers striving for liberation behold the Supreme One dwelling in the body, but those with impure minds don’t see Him.
Krishna as the Supreme One 3
“That brilliance which illumines the whole universe, residing in the sun, the moon and the fire, is Me. Permeating the earth, I sustain all beings by My energy. Having become the moon, I supply the juice of life to all plants.
“It is I who has become the fire of digestion and the outgoing and incoming breaths, I am seated in the hearts of all. Memory, knowledge and forgetfulness are all Me. I am that which is known by all the Vedas. I am indeed the author of Vedanta and the knower of the meaning of the Vedas.
“There are two types of beings in this world, perishable and imperishable. The perishable are all the beings in the material realm. The imperishable are the liberated ones. Besides these two, there is the Supreme One, pervading the three worlds and sustaining them.
“I transcend the perishable and the imperishable, thus I am celebrated in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme One. The wise ones know Me as the Supreme One. Knowing everything, they worship Me with their whole heart. I have given this most secret teaching. Knowing this, you become wise and fulfill all that is to be accomplished.”
Chapter 16: Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga (The Yoga of the Divine and the Demoniacal)
There are two fundamental forces at play within every individual: divine and demoniacal. Here, Krishna provides a clear roadmap to discern the qualities that lead to liberation and those that result in bondage.
Divine nature exhibits virtues that illuminate the path toward spiritual progress and ultimate freedom. In contrast, demoniacal nature is marked by traits that entangle souls in ignorance and suffering.
Divine and demoniacal natures 4
Krishna urges Arjuna to cultivate the divine virtues and avoid the snares of the demoniacal ones. He emphasizes that every individual has shaped their destiny through conscious choice and effort. A central teaching of this chapter is the power of discernment — the ability to distinguish right from wrong, truth from untruth. By nurturing divine traits, purifying your mind, and surrendering to the Supreme, you can overcome inner obstacles and realize your own immortality.
This teaching is a practical guide for self-examination in regards to spiritual growth, inviting each person to reflect on the qualities they embody and to consciously choose the path of light. Krishna’s reminder: those who disregard scriptural guidance and act solely according to their own impulses miss the higher purpose of life. Those who live in harmony with divine wisdom attain peace, fulfillment, and ultimate freedom.
The Dialog
Divine qualities, leading to union with Krishna (liberation).5
Krishna says, “These are the virtues of those with a divine nature: fearlessness, purity, steadfastness in spiritual knowledge, alms-giving, control of the senses, performing your sacred duties, study of scriptures, austerity and straightforwardness.
“Also non-violence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of fault-finding, compassion towards all beings, freedom from covetousness, gentleness, modesty, freedom from greed, vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, absence of hatred, absence of vanity.
“Those in a demoniacal state exhibit hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance of spiritual principles.
“The divine qualities lead toward liberation. The demoniacal qualities cause continuing bondage.
“Those who are demoniac do not know what is proper and improper actions. Thus they possess neither purity nor right conduct, not even truthfulness. They say the world is devoid of truth, without a moral basis and without a God. It is brought about by sexual union of male and female, with lust as its cause. Holding firm to such views, these lost souls have little intelligence, engage in cruel actions, becoming enemies of the world, threatening its destruction.
“Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy and arrogance, they cling to their ideas. They are attracted to the impermanent and work with impure motives. Obsessed with endless anxieties that end only with death, they pursue sense gratification and wealth as the highest purpose of life. Bound by hundreds of desires, driven by lust and anger, they seek wealth by unrighteous means, all to gratify their senses.
Krishna showing demonical qualities lead to “the foulest hell” (bondage).6
“The demoniac think, ‘I have gained so much wealth today, and will gain more in the future. I have destroyed that enemy and will destroy the others too. I am the lord of all, the enjoyer, the perfect, the powerful and I am happy. I am wealthy and have influential relatives. No one else is equal to me. I shall perform ceremonies and give some donations, and thus I shall rejoice.’ In this way, they are deluded by ignorance.
“Obsessed in their imaginings, addicted to sensory gratification, they fall into the foulest hell. Conceited, stubborn, arrogant and prideful due to their wealth, they perform ceremonies in name only, without following any rules or regulations. Blinded by egoism, power, haughtiness, lust and anger, these malicious people abuse Me, who am present in their own body and those of others.
“I send these cruel people into the wombs of the demons. Deluded in birth after birth, they sink into even a lower condition. Lust, anger and greed are the three gates leading to the hell of self-destruction. Abandon these three. Perform actions for the welfare of your soul to attain the supreme goal.
“Those who act under the impulse of desire, discarding the guidelines of the scriptures, attain neither perfection, nor happiness nor the supreme goal. Use the scriptures as the authority in determining what should be done and what should not be done. Know such rules and regulations, so you may act in this way.”
Today is the Ashram’s 16th birthday. Happy birthday to us…
Sixteen. I remember waiting for my 16th birthday, the magic age where I would get my driver’s license and gain freedom. That’s what I wanted – not the drivers’ license but freedom. That’s what I’ve always wanted – freedom. That’s why I became a yogi.
I have studied with a Siddha, a master of Consciousness. I continue to be a disciple of my Guru, through his teachings and practices, and most importantly, through his Grace. My life is Grace infused, for which I am always and ever grateful.
Yet I have changed the name of the practice from Siddha Yoga to Svaroopa® Yoga. And I have given this name to the Ashram — Svaroopa Vidya Ashram. Why?
Because, when I call it Siddha Yoga, you think it’s all about the Siddha, all about the Guru. Then you want to know, “What’s her latest hairstyle like? Did she get a new shawl? What kind of car does she drive? Does she drive?”
But it’s not about me. It’s all about you. Not merely the you that you think you are, it’s all about your Divine Essence, svaroopa — your own Self.
You are Shiva. When you are in the knowing of your own Self, and you open your eyes, you know your own Shiva-ness. You are Shiva, being you.
But when you are the usual, ordinary, everyday you, especially when you are feeling contracted, needy or scared, you look for a way to feel better.
In that moment, if you are capable of being intelligent, you look inside. When you look inward, you are looking for your own svaroopa – your own essence and Beingness.
In other words, your svaroopa is your own Divine Essence, your own Beingness. And Shiva is your own Divine Essence, your own Beingness. But you call your own Beingness by different names depending on where you are placed, where you are looking from.
When you are on the outside, looking inward, you are looking for your own svaroopa.
When you are on the inside, looking outward, you are being Shiva, and even seeing Shiva being each and all.
So where do you spend the most of your time? on the inside, looking out, or on the outside, looking in? …
Chapter 13: Kshetra Kshetraj~na Vibhaga Yoga (The Yoga of the Field & the Knower of the Field)
Lord Krishna reveals profound insights into the nature of existence, the body and the soul.
The “field” or kshetra is the physical body and the material world that includes it. The “knower of the field” or kshetraj~na is the eternal soul or consciousness that resides within.
The “field” & “knower of the field.” 1
Krishna emphasizes that understanding this distinction is key to attaining true wisdom. It illuminates the transient nature of the physical realm and the eternal essence of the Self.
He further elaborates on the qualities of a wise person including humility, non-violence, patience and devotion. These help you transcend the material attachments of the “field.” He introduces the concept of prakriti (nature) and purusha (soul), describing their interdependence and how they play a role in the cosmic order.
This chapter also delves into the understanding of ignorance and knowledge, with true knowledge being the realization of your own Self’s unity with Supreme Being. This realization leads to liberation and eternal peace.
Krishna explaining the body is the “field”. 2
Through vivid metaphors and Divine insight, Krishna imparts that the ultimate truth lies in recognizing the imperishable soul as distinct from the perishable body. He stresses that this awareness enables you to navigate life’s challenges, while remaining detached from the fruits of action.
Chapter 13 serves as a spiritual guide for seekers who wish to understand the deeper dimensions of existence and the path to Self-realization.
The Dialog
Arjuna asks, “I wish to learn about the nature, the soul, the field, the knower of the field, knowledge and that which needs to be known.”
Krishna replies, “This body is the field, he who knows it is called the knower of the field. Knowing Me as the Knower in all the fields is real knowledge. All this has been sung by sages in many and different ways, presented with all reasoning as to cause and effect.
“The field is much more than your physical body. It includes the great elements*, egoism, intellect and unmanifested nature, your ten senses*, your mind and the five objects of the senses*. Also desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, your body, fortitude and intelligence.
Absence of Ego3
“Knowledge includes humility, freedom from hypocrisy, non-violence, forgiveness, uprightness, service of the teacher, purity, steadfastness and self-control. Also renunciation of the objects of the senses, absence of egoism, perception of evil in birth, death, old age, sickness and pain. In addition, non-attachment, non-identification of the Self with a son, wife, home and the rest and constant even-mindedness on the attainment of the desirable and undesirable.
“Also unswerving devotion unto Me by the Yoga of non-separation, resorting to solitary places and aversion for spending time with others. Constancy in Self-Knowing and perception of the Absolute Truth – all this is declared to be knowledge. What is contrary to it is called ignorance.
“Beyond the cause and effect of this material world, the beginningless Supreme Brahman, who is neither a being nor a non-being, is to be known. This knowing is how you attain Immortality. With hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouths and ears everywhere, existing in the world, enveloping all.
“That is shining through the functions of all the senses, but without the senses; unattached, yet sustaining all; devoid of qualities, yet the experiencer of all. Outside and within all beings, the unmoving as well as the moving; incomprehensible because of His subtlety; That is near and yet far. Being undivided, That exists as if divided in all beings.
“Brahman is the sustainer of all beings, as also their devourer and generator. That, light of all lights, is beyond darkness; being knowledge, the knowable and the goal of knowledge, seated in the hearts of all. Thus the field, as well as knowledge and the knowable is described. My devotees, understanding this, enter into My Being.
Soul & Nature (Purusha & Prakriti) 4
“Nature and soul are beginningless. All modifications and qualities are products of nature. In the production of the effect and the cause, nature is the cause; in the experience of pleasure and pain, the soul is the cause. The soul seated in nature experiences the qualities born of nature; clinging to the qualities is the cause of one’s birth in good and evil wombs.
“The Supreme Soul in this body is also called the spectator, the permitter, the supporter, the enjoyer, the great Lord and the Supreme Self. He who thus knows nature and soul, together with the qualities, regardless of his present condition, is not reborn. He will be liberated.
“Some behold the Supreme Soul by meditation, others by yoga philosophy and others by the yoga of action (karma yoga). Others worship, not knowing this but having heard of it from others. They also transcend the path of birth and death, through regarding what they have heard as the Supreme Refuge.
“Wherever a being is born, whether moving or unmoving, know that it is through the combination of the field and the knower-of-the-field. One who sees, sees the Supreme Lord existing equally in all beings, unperishing. Because he sees the same Lord dwelling equally everywhere, he does not destroy his Self by his ego. Thus he reaches the highest goal.
Sunlit Earth5 Supreme Self6
“One who sees, sees that all actions are performed by nature alone and that the Self is actionless. When one sees that the variety of beings is resting in the One, spreading forth from That One alone, he then becomes Brahman.
“The Supreme Self is without beginning, possesses no qualities, is imperishable although dwelling in the body, neither acts nor is tainted! Like all-pervading ether is not tainted because of its subtlety, the Self seated everywhere in the body, is not tainted.
“Just as the one sun illumines the whole world, so also the Supreme Self illumines the whole field. They who, through the eye of knowledge, perceive the distinction between the field and the knower-of-the-field and also the liberation from the nature of being, they go to the Supreme.”
*The great elements are earth, water, fire, air and ether. Your ten senses are the five organs of knowledge (hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting, smelling) and five organs of action (handling, locomotion, speaking, excretion and procreation). The five objects of the senses are sound, touch, form/color, taste and odor.
Chapter 14: Guṇa Traya Vibhaga Yoga (The Yoga of the Three Gunas)
Here Krishna expounds the profound science of the three gunas — sattva, rajas and tamas — which constitute the fabric of all living beings and nature.
The Three Gunas 7
Sattva is luminous, pure and tranquil. It fosters wisdom, happiness and harmony. When sattva predominates, clarity, serenity and discernment flourish in a person’s life, leading them toward truth and higher knowledge. But sattva can also bind by clinging to joy and knowledge itself.
By contrast, rajas is restless and insatiable, propelling individuals into action, ambition and unending desire. It brings about longing, agitation and a thirst for results, which bind the soul through its endless pursuit of worldly achievements and pleasures.
The third guna is tamas, born of ignorance and darkness. It clouds discernment, giving rise to inertia, laziness and delusion. Tamas overwhelms the mind with confusion, resulting in negligence, apathy and stagnation.
Krishna reveals that these qualities arise from material nature and bind the immortal soul to the cycle of birth and death. He further explains that every human being is influenced by a unique combination of these three gunas, which determine their temperament, actions and destiny. At the time of death, the predominant guna governs one’s next birth.
Recognizing this, Krishna urges Arjuna to rise above the play of the gunas by cultivating self-knowledge, equanimity and unwavering devotion. Ultimately, He declares that the soul remains ever pure, eternal and untouched, even though embodied and seemingly affected by the gunas.
True liberation is attained when a person transcends sattva, rajas and tamas, realizing their own identity as the imperishable Self. This chapter illuminates the path to transcendence through understanding, inner discipline and devotion.
The Dialog
Krishna continues, “Those who take refuge in this knowledge attain unity with Me. They are neither born at the time of creation nor are they disturbed at the time of dissolution.
Krishna as the “seed-giving father.” 8
“My womb is nature (prakriti), wherein I place the seeds of living entities, from which all are born. Whatever forms are produced in any womb whatsoever, nature is their womb and I am the seed-giving father. Material nature consists of the three gunas (qualities): sattva, rajas and tamas. When the imperishable soul encounters nature, it becomes bound in the body.
“From its stainlessness, sattva is luminous and healthy. It binds by clinging to knowledge and to happiness. Rajas is of the nature of passion; it binds by clinging to action. Tamas is born of ignorance, deluding all embodied beings. It binds by clinging to carelessness, laziness and sleep.
“If the embodied one meets with death when sattva prevails, he attains the worlds of the knowers of the highest. Meeting death in rajas, he is born among those engaged in goal-driven activities. Dying in tamas, he is born in the womb of creatures devoid of reason.
“The fruit of good action is sattvik; the fruit of rajas is pain. the fruit of tamas is ignorance. When the embodied soul has risen above these three gunas, of which its body is made, it is freed from birth, death, decay and pain and attains immortality.”
Krishna, Rising above the three gunas. 9
Arjuna asked, “What are the marks of one who has risen above these three gunas? What is his conduct? How can you go beyond these three qualities?
Krishna said, “The one who does not hate when the three gunas bring happiness, action and delusion. He does not long for them when they are absent. Seated like one unconcerned, he is unaffected by these modes of nature.
“He is the same in pleasure and pain, dwelling in Self. He sees a clod of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye. Wise, holding praise and blame to be the same, unchanged in honor and dishonor, he treats friends and enemies alike. He abandons all undertakings, having crossed beyond the gunas.
“One who serves Me with unswerving devotion is fit for becoming Brahman. For I am the abode of Brahman, the immortal and the immutable, of everlasting dharma and of absolute bliss.”
The millennia-old yogic tradition is based on yogis helping yogis.
While Western yoga is focused mainly on entry-level practices (poses, breathing practices and devotional chanting), there is help available every step of the way.
Even if you’re doing it yourself by working through a website, yoga book or our Pose Cards, you’re getting a boost from the author. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
As your yoga progresses into the subtleties, into the more powerful realms of inner exploration, the help you get also becomes more subtle and more powerful. Yoga calls this “Grace,” defined as the power of revelation.
Your process of interiorization moves through stages of contemplation and meditation, culminating in profound and deep experiences of inner absorption (samadhi).
As a practitioner of Svaroopa® yoga’s spinal release poses, you already know the early levels of samadhi. You experience them so easily in the seated poses and twists, and especially in your many Shavasanas.
To excavate more deeply, all the way to your inner Divinity, you have to sit up.
All your spinal release work has prepared you for an easy seated pose, so the meditative energy, named Kundalini, can climb your spine.
Yo’vipastho j~nahetushcha.— Shiva Sutras 3.29
Only a yogi with mastery over the shakti-chakra is capable to enlighten others.
This sutra says there are yogis who are capable of giving enlightenment to others. What an amazing gift that is! Personally, this is what got me into yoga and has kept me so focused for so long. Having met such a yogi, my own Guru, I knew I was being given a gift beyond compare ― Grace.
Excerpt from Yoga: Embodied Spirituality, pages 30–32
