(From the discourses of Pujya Sri Swamiji)

Compiled by Swami Datta Pada Renu

Everyone is born as a result of his past Karma. But an incarnation of God is not subject to Karma. The Lord incarnates by His own will for the redemption of the world. Such a divine manifestation is not limited by time, space or nationality. He is the master of the whole world and not a slave to it like ordinary mortals. Of course, he may live or appear like an ordinary human being; still He is not on the human plane.

But foolish people who lack discrimination cannot understand this truth. They disregard the Lord, who has taken a human body, as no more than an ordinary mortal. Not knowing His higher nature as the Supreme Self, they attribute to Him births and deaths and earthly fortunes. As a result of continuously disrespecting the Lord, these people go to ruin.
The real state of the Lord’s incarnation is transcendent. His personality is above all attributes. He is the great Lord of all beings. He is eternal and one without a second.

"Futile are their desires, futile their actions, futile their knowledge; they are senseless for they have resorted to the delusive nature of monsters and demons." (12 – IX)

These deluded people who disrespect the divine manifestation are of bain hopes as all their hopes are of selfish nature. As they are purely materialistic, the results of their actions are also short-lived and disappointing. As such not only their hopes, but also their actions are vain. Their knowledge is also vain because it pertains only to the sense-world which is perishable and painful. Real knowledge consists in the knowledge and realization of the self.

But people lacking in discrimination cannot distinguish between the eternal and the non-eternal. Thy do not see the transitoriness of material pleasures. They use their powers to enjoy sensual pleasures even by inflicting injuries on others. They have no sense of morality. Such people are called demons or Asuras. Their life is useless. They may even go to hell and suffer. After reaping the results of their wicked actions, gradually they will come to know the moral and spiritual laws governing human life. Thereafter they will direct their thoughts and actions along the right path.

"But the divine men, resorting to divine nature, O Arjuna, worship Me, with mind turned to no other, knowing Me as the imperishable source of all beings." (13-IX)

In the previous two verses a description of the people with demoniac nature is given. Now the Lord is going to deal with the way that people with divine nature act. Those who possess divine qualities are described as great souls. They have faith in the eternal and unchangeable Reality. Resorting to a nature that is divine, they lead a life of self-control they are charitable and kind towards others. They have realized that the Supreme Self is the Eternal Reality, which remains changeless amidst everything that is changing. Realization of this eternal Reality is the highest aim of human life. Therefore the Mahatmas (the great-souled ones) meditate on this eternal Truth, the source of all beings (bhutadin) and imperishable (avyayam) with undisturbed mind (ananya manasah).

"Always glorifying Me, striving with steadfast vows, prostrating. They worship Me with love, always devout." (14-IX)

In the previous verse, it is declared that Mahatmas worship the Lord with their mind resorting to nothing else. But one would like to know the form of their worship or methods of their worship. They worship by always glorifying the Lord and explaining to all the excellence of the Lord. They do not glorify anything that is transitory or ever changing. The Supreme Lord alone is eternal Truth and Peace and therefore worth glorifying.
In order to realize this eternal Truth and not to deviate from the path of Truth they take firm vows like Japa, Dhyana, fasting, celibacy etc., and pracitse them with determination. They are full of humility. As an act of surrendering their ego before the Lord, they humbly bow down to Him and salute Him. Thus they worship the Lord with all love and devotion and with constant application.

"And others, worship Me, through the sacrifice of Knowledge, adore Me, as one (with themselves) or as different or as all-faced. (15-IX).

The Lord is the describing the different methods by which the Eternal Truth (the Lord Himself) can be worshipped and realized. In the previous verse it is declared that the Mahatmas worship the Lord through intense love (Bhakti) by chanting His glories and by surrender and prostrations. Here in this verse the Lord says that others realize Him by sacrifice of Knowledge (Jnana Yajna).

In Jnana Yajna some worship the Lord and meditate on Him in their own self. They consider the Lord as having the true nature as their own self. For them the awareness of the distinction of separate beings does not exist as all beings merge in the complete unity of the Supreme Self. This gets revealed to them in the complete intuition of the Self. This form of worship is based on the Soul’s Oneness (Ekatva) with the Supreme Self. This knowledge consists in the realization of the highest truth that the Supreme Brahman is verily one. This is Advaitic point of view.

Others worship the Lord making a distinction (Prithaktvena) between the soul (jeeva) and the Supreme Self (Paramatma). This is the dualistic view (dvaita bhava).
Some others worship anyone or more of the Lord’s manifold manifestations like Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, the Sun, the Moon etc. As it is the same supreme Brahman who has manifested as all these incarnations and deities, it is really He who is worshipped through them all, because the Lord is "Vishwatomukham", universal and present in everything.