Srikrishnāya namah.

The Supreme Lord said, “Wise, noble persons do not get angry at other living beings. Neither do they seek to cheat others. Such persons are the most supreme amongst humans. This is because they realize that the gross body is different from the Self (atma).

Coming under the spell of My illusion, if people like you also entertain malicious feelings towards others, then the benefits accrued from serving elders for extended periods of time gets nullified. All your good efforts will be reduced to a sheer waste of time.

Ataḥ kāyam imaṁ vidvān avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ

Ārabdha iti naivāsmin pratibuddho ’nuṣajjate

As the human being fails to realize that inherently he is a state of completeness, desires arise in him. In his attempt to fulfill those desires, he performs fruitive actions due to which he gets this gross body. The intelligent person who realizes this profound truth gives up feelings of ‘I and mine’ as well as attachment towards this gross body.

A person who does not associate with his gross body automatically ceases to have attachments with objects connected to it such as house, property, children, spouse etc.

Bodies are many but Self is one. Self is non-dual. It is unconnected to virtue or sin (punya-pāpa). It is eternally pure. It inherently illumines. It is the shelter for the trigunas but yet its existence is independent of the trigunas. It is all-pervading. It is the eternal witness for all actions.

Ya evaṁ santam ātmānam ātma-sthaṁ veda pūruṣaḥ

Nājyate prakṛti-stho ’pi tad-guṇaiḥ sa mayi sthitaḥ

The original Self makes itself visible to living beings in the form of feelings of ‘I’ (egoism). The person who realizes that this Self is different from the gross body remains in his original form (atma rupa). He remains firmly established in Parabrahma. Even though he is living in this body which is composed of the trigunas, he is unconnected to the virtues and sins that accrue on account of the body.

O King, the mind of the person who, giving up desires in totality completes his assigned duties with absolute dedication and meditates upon me without any expectation, gradually turns pure.

The yoga practitioner who has a pure mind will be unaffected by the joys and sorrows that arise due to the trigunas. He will be in a state of equipoise. He will realize that the Lord pervades everything and hence will be freed from worldly bondages. He obtains liberation which is the ultimate peace.  He will be totally established in Me, the Self. This is known as advaita (non-dual) state.

The Self is changeless and is merely a witness. The person who realizes that such Self is beyond the body, senses and mind crosses this samsāra (worldly bondages) and attains liberation. In other words, the person who recognizes his original form obtains liberation.

How can a person who considers his body to be his Self understand these topics? If their focus is only upon their pain and other bodily afflictions then how can they be taught about the Self (atma)? On the other hand the person who understands that he inherently is the Self can obtain liberation from this world and its bondages. Bondages mean repeated births. Birth means actions. Actions include both meritorious and sinful activities. As a result of sinful actions the person has to be re-born. As a result of meritorious actions also he has to be re-born.

Therefore along with performing meritorious actions the person should strive to learn about the Self. This will pave the way to liberation!

A person normally listens to such topics for a certain fixed time during the day, say for about an hour or so. Thereafter he gets involved in frutitive actions for the rest of the day i.e. he will be focused upon material possessions, attachments and accompanying sorrows. Of what use are the couple of hours spent on spiritual lessons? Hence it is imperative that in all times and under all circumstances the person should focus only on the Self!

The person who believes this gross body to be his real Self, will endlessly experience the joys-sorrows and attachments that arise due to the trigunas birth after birth. Contrary to this, the person who is totally established in the Self will neither bloat during prosperity nor shrink at times of sorrows and losses. He will remain as a witness in all situations.

Therefore, subduing the mind and the senses, learn to treat happiness and sorrows equally.  Treat the worthy, mediocre and worthless persons equally. Protect all living beings in this creation of mine”.