Jahalya Kahi Chooka

 

Sunday morning Dr Rambachan spoke at the satsang. He shared his reflections on the 66th verse from chapter 18th of the Bhagwad Gita. It was yet another opportunity to collect valuable gems. I am not sure how many remained in my hands and how many rolled away due to my carelessness 

From the very beginning of the second chapter of the Gita Shri Krishna began to advise Arjun about the importance of fulfilling one’s dharma, prescribed duties in society. Failure to do so would incur both sin and dishonor, he warned. In subsequent chapters the focus of the conversation never deviated from the call to perform one’s duty with single pointed devotion and non attachment to the rewards. 

And then out of the blue as the conclusion of the final chapter approached Krishna says:

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज। 
अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥ १८-६६॥

---

sarvadharmān parityajya māmekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja 
ahaṃ tvā sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ 18-66

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Abandoning all DHARMAS, (of the body, mind, and intellect) , take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee from all sins; grieve not.

Why this sudden about turn? 

At first glance it looks like a direct contradiction to everything that was said until now. Don’t forget your dharma. Doing your prescribed duty, even if imperfectly, is desirable than abandoning it. Even if you expect nothing, doing your duty sets an example for people who will follow in your footsteps. Doing your rightful duty is a way to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Krishna, like a skilled lawyer, made every possible argument in favor of performing one’s duties. 

And now why is he changing the tune? Why is he saying abandon all dharmas?

Dr Rambachan explained this shloka in a way no one had explained before. 

A very straightforward explanation:

Surrender to Me means meet me with love in your heart. Once you have love in your heart whatever you do with your body and intellect will no longer be drab. You will be able to do it joyfully. 

Don’t just fulfil your responsibilities as an obligation. Do it with love. Don’t worry if it is not perfect. I will liberate you from all sin.

This discussion brought to mind a lovely old song by poet Mangesh Padgaonkar sung by Smt Lata Mangeshkar. 

जाहल्या काही चुका

जाहल्या काही चुका अन् सूर काही राहिले
तू दिलेले गीत माझे आवडीने गायिले
जाहल्या काही चुका

I sang the song you gifted me and I sang it lovingly, even if not perfectly! A few mistakes were made, a few notes were missed. But I still sang the song. And sang it joyfully.

तू दिलेले गीत माझे आवडीने गायिले

What is expressed here when you read between the lines is how much the individual values the giver of life and the gift itself. It lacks comparing the gift with what others got or finding faults in the gift. Faults if any are owned up by the recipient of the gift in his or her shortcomings about how best to use the precious gift. 

चांदण्यांच्या मोहराने रात्र केव्हा दाटली
काजळी काळ्या ढगांनी हाक केव्हा घातली
मी स्वरांच्या लोचनांनी विश्व सारे पाहिले
तू दिलेले गीत माझे आवडीने गायिले
जाहल्या काही चुका

It was a dark night. Before I realized , thousands of stars gathered like blossoms in spring to crowd the sky. At another time dark clouds called out to me. Despite the darkness I saw the world through the eyes of my music, through the notes of my song. I sang your song lovingly, even though imperfectly.

सौख्य माझे दुःख माझे सर्व माझ्या भावना
मोर स्वप्नांचे निळे अन् विंधणाऱ्या वेदना
मी असे गीतांतुनी सर्वस्व माझे वाहिले
तू दिलेले गीत माझे आवडीने गायिले
जाहल्या काही चुका

My joys, my sorrows, all my feelings, my hopes and colorful dreams along with my soul piercing pains, I channeled them all through my song and surrendered them in your worship. I never gave up singing your song from the bottom of my heart, even though it wasn’t perfect.

We tend to lay ownership upon our joys and sorrows and keep that part of us separate to maintain our identity. Instead here the individual has left no wall between themselves and their master. The deepest feelings that are mine I offer them to you, is the sublime nature of surrender. 

संपता पूजा स्वरांची हात तू देशील का
दाटुनी काळोख येता तू घरी नेशील का
पूर्णतेसाठीच या मी सर्व काही साहिले
तू दिलेले गीत माझे आवडीने गायिले
जाहल्या काही चुका

When my worship through my music concludes, can I count on your hand? Will you escort me home when the darkness overwhelms?This ultimate experience of fulfillment was the only hope with which I weathered all hardships all my life. I went on singing your song fondly, even though wrought with faults(with the hope of going back home with you someday). 

Each of us have been gifted our own unique yadnya. A talent. A strength.  A dharma to follow. A song to sing for life. Our side of the bargain is to sing it with devotion and sincerity. The notes may not always sound perfect. The rhythm may occasionally be off. The pitch may fluctuate. The lyrics may be uttered wrongly. But perfection is never part of the pact with our creator. By lifting the condition to be perfect every time He has lifted the pressure off our shoulders. In addition our job will become more enjoyable if we do it happily. His side of the bargain is that He will be waiting with open arms when we conclude the song. 

Padgaonkar’s poem is acknowledging that dark nights of despair are to be anticipated. Even in those times if we hold on to hope and continue to remain focused on our task at hand we may be surprised to enjoy the beauty of millions of stars in the midst of the darkness. Temptations of all kinds ( symbolically described as the call from dark clouds) are to be watched with alertness as we keep marching on.

We are human and it is natural to experience a wide array of emotions through our lives. Rather than let these emotions distract and pull us in different directions, acknowledging them at every stage and offering them in our service of God without losing the focus on our work will keep the integrity of head and heart. 

It is a beautiful poetic expression of the essence of bhakti yoga and karma yoga that the Bhagwad Gita tries to teach. 

Saree is  Dabu printed Chanderi silk cotton with natural dyes.