Gitomancy

I opened a random page from Srimad Bhagvad Gita for guidance and look what I got:

प्रह्लादश्चास्मि दैत्यानां कालः कलयतामहम्।
मृगाणां च मृगेन्द्रोऽहं वैनतेयश्च पक्षिणाम्।।10.30।।

 

prahlādaścāsmi daityānāṅ kālaḥ kalayatāmaham.

mṛgāṇāṅ ca mṛgēndrō.haṅ vainatēyaśca pakṣiṇām..10.30..

English translation by Swami Sivananda

10.30 And, I am Prahlada among the demons, among the reckoners I am time; among beasts I am the lion, and Vainateya (Garuda) among birds.

And I have a Othakadai Shri Lakshmi Narasimha photo with me and recently I came across the "Kodanda Rama mantra" .

पवनः पवतामस्मि रामः शस्त्रभृतामहम्।

झषाणां मकरश्चास्मि स्रोतसामस्मि जाह्नवी।।10.31।।

10.31 Among the purifiers (or the speeders) I am the wind; Rama among the warriors am I; among the fishes I am the shark; among the streams I am the Ganga.

मकर: makarah

is translated as a "Shark" or more accurately a "Gangetic Dolphin"

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/religion-helps-save-up-s-dolphins/172534

A Mantra for all times !!

I had been searching for a siddha mantra that has no strings attached..no ahvaan, no purascharan etc.
Finally, found one mentioned in "Sanat kumar samhita" -

" नमो गोपीजनवल्ल्भाभ्याम "

This mantra then started a journey...

The meaning was supposed to be- obesciences to the divine couple who are the beloved of the Gopis. I thought this was obesciences to Krishna who is the beloved of the Gopis.

What is the meaning of "VallabhAbhyAm".. I was told that English doesn't have the "Dual" form and this word is referring to two people(the Divine couple) . Well! I thought, it will be good to learn Sankrit, and what better way to Learn Sanskrit than to read the "padachheda" of Srimad Bhagvad Gita and soon I knew that the Mantra is having its effect...

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति।
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया।।18.61।।

īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṅ hṛddēśē.rjuna tiṣṭhati.
bhrāmayansarvabhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā..18.61..

English translation by Swami Sivananda
18.61 The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His illusive power, to revolve as if mounted on a machine. 

and there was only one way out..

तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत।
तत्प्रसादात्परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम्।।18.62।।

tamēva śaraṇaṅ gaccha sarvabhāvēna bhārata.
tatprasādātparāṅ śāntiṅ sthānaṅ prāpsyasi śāśvatam..18.62..

English translation by Swami Sivananda
18.62 Fly unto Him for refuge with all thy being, O Arjuna; by His grace thou shalt obtain supreme peace (and) the eternal abode.

So, from one mantra- I believe a Siddha mantra, I have changed from inquisitive to a devotee.

This is God's "Maya" but in this case a "Kripa"

The "KIlakam" or The peg or pillar that supports mantra to make it strong

अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः।।18.66।।

ahaṅ tvā sarvapāpēbhyō mōkṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ..18.66..

The blessed Lord supports you by promising "Don't grieve ! , I will liberate you from all sins ."

This is the pivot around which the upadesha revolves.

say no more :)

The "Shakti" or power of Gita

The "Shakti" or power of Gita is can be condensed in this one shloka:

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः।।18.66।।

 

sarvadharmānparityajya māmēkaṅ śaraṇaṅ vraja.

ahaṅ tvā sarvapāpēbhyō mōkṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ..18.66..

Hindi translation by Swami Ram Sukhdas

सम्पूर्ण धर्मोंका आश्रय छोड़कर तू केवल मेरी शरणमें आ जा। मैं तुझे सम्पूर्ण पापोंसे मुक्त कर दूँगा, चिन्ता मत कर ।।18.66।।

The critical issue is the interpretation of the  word "सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य" (sarvadharmānparityajya)-In short Shri Krishna is asking Arjuna to leave it to him whether what he is going to do will be dharma or adharma and if he is doing the dharma or adharma- leave all the attributions to God and just do what you have to do in this scenario.

English translation by Dr. S Sankaranarayan (on Sri Abhinavagupta's Sanskrit Commentary)
18.66 Sarvadharman etc. Abandoning all attributes : This act of slaying the kinsmen and the like that arises incidentally while fighting a war - not owning those acts as your own attribute by your thought 'I am the doer of all these'; also giving up by mind, the notion 'If the act of slaying the teacher etc., is avoided, merit will accrue to me'. come to Me: Come to Me alone, the Agent-of-all-actions, the Supreme Lord, the Sovereign. As your Refuge : as the Guardian of all your natural impulses. On that account I, the Omniscient, shall rescue you from all the sins. Don't be sorrowful : Don't get perplexed 'What to be done'.

The "bIja" of Gita

The "bIja (बीज ) " of Gita is said to be the Shloka: Chapter 2 verse 11:

श्री भगवानुवाच
अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे।
गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः।।2.11।।

aśōcyānanvaśōcastvaṅ prajñāvādāṅśca bhāṣasē.
gatāsūnagatāsūṅśca nānuśōcanti paṇḍitāḥ..2.11.. 

 
English translation by Swami Gambhirananda
2.11 The Blessed Lord said -- You grieve for whose who are not to be grieved for; and you speak words of wisdom! The learned do not grieve for the departed and those who have not departed. 

English commentary by Swami Sivananda
2.11 अशोच्यान् those who should not be grieved for, 

अन्वशोचः hast grieved, 

त्वम् thou, 

प्रज्ञावादान् words of wisdom, 

च and, 

भाषसे speakest, 

गतासून् the dead, 

अगतासून् the living,

च and, 

न अनुशोचन्ति grieve not, 

पण्डिताः the wise.

Commentary -- The philosophy of the Gita begins from this verse....

The Adyar Press has the KashmIr reading as well--"प्राज्ञवन्नाभिभाषते " meaning "not speaking like an intelligent man" .

Dambha,Darpa and Abhimaan

दम्भो दर्पोऽभिमानश्च क्रोधः पारुष्यमेव च।

अज्ञानं चाभिजातस्य पार्थ सम्पदमासुरीम्।।16.4।।

dambhō darpō.bhimānaśca krōdhaḥ pāruṣyamēva ca.

ajñānaṅ cābhijātasya pārtha sampadamāsurīm..16.4..
  
English translation by Swami Sivananda
16.4 Hypocrisy, arrogance and self-conceit, anger and also harshness and ignorance, belong to one who is born for a demoniacal state, O Partha (Arjuna).

 Hindi translation by Swami Ram Sukhdas

हे पृथानन्दन! दम्भ करना, घमण्ड करना, अभिमान करना, क्रोध करना, कठोरता रखना और अविवेकका होना भी -- ये सभी आसुरी-सम्पदाको प्राप्त हुए मनुष्यके लक्षण हैं ।।16.4।।

दम्भः hypocrisy, 

दर्पः arrogance, 

अभिमानः self-conceit,

I like Swami Ramsukhdas ji's explanation:

दम्भः -- मान, बड़ाई, पूजा, ख्याति आदि प्राप्त करनेके लिये, अपनी वैसी स्थिति न होनेपर भी वैसी स्थिति दिखानेका नाम 'दम्भ' है।

दम्भ दो प्रकारसे होता है -- (1) सद्गुण-सदाचारोंको लेकर (2) दुर्गुण-दुराचारोंको लेकर

दर्पः -- घमण्डका नाम 'दर्प' है। धन-वैभव, जमीन-जायदाद, मकान-परिवार आदि ममतावाली चीजोंको लेकर अपनेमें जो बड़प्पनका अनुभव होता है, वह 'दर्प' है। 

अभिमानः -- अहंतावाली चीज़ो को लेकर अर्थात् स्थूल, सूक्ष्म और कारण-शरीरको लेकर अपनेमें जो बड़प्पनका अनुभव होता है, उसका नाम 'अभिमान' है |

About "Krodha" , "Kopa" and "Kshobha" ..later