Birth is a change, death is a change, life itself is a continuity of changes in so far as the changeful body is concerned. THE SUBSTRATUM - THE PARAM-ATMAN - THE JIVA-ATMAN - THE EMBODIED SOUL, HOWEVER, IS IMMORTAL AND CHANGELESS; IT IS THE ILLUMINER - THE OBSERVER - THE ENJOYER - WHO ILLUMINES/OBSERVES/ENJOYS THE CHANGES IN 'THE CHANGEFUL BODY'; IT IS ONLY THE CHANGEFUL BODY THAT IS BORN AND OR DIES..... THE EMBODIED SOUL 'EVER WAS, IS, AND SHALLEVER BE'....
It is worth noting that prior to the revelation of The Holy Gita, undertaking Karma as were prescribed by the scriptures (e.g. Vedic Karma-Kandin actions) etc. were alone considered 'worthwhile'; their pursuit was deemed to be 'spiritually meritorious' and hence these Karma were alone deemed to be 'liberating' in nature. Other Karma, especially the mundane day-to-day Karma, were invariably deemed to be inferior and/ or binding in nature. Thus pursuit of the former variety of Karma and that too in Gurukuls and Ashramas - situate in far-off locales-under the tutelage of the venerable preceptors-far removed from the hurly-burly of day-to-life-became the 'prescribed and preferred way of living' for those seeking spiritual progress and/ or fulfillment. The Holy Gita interalia seeks to correct this.
Karma-Yoga is 'the art and science' as to how 'any and all Karma' can be raised to the level of Dharma; this indeed is amongst the foremost contributions of THE HOLY GITA. Indeed! this represents a huge quantum leap and puts THE HOLY GITA in an orbit all its own - in a territory uncharted by any philosophy or scripture at anytime and/ or anywhere.
It is worthwhile looking at the term aparaspara-sambhutam. THE LORD IS DECLARING THAT ALL SUCH NOTIONS -that creation/evolution is un-caused..... that it is purely random/accidental (that creation is not 'the effect' consequent upon an 'all-intelligent cause').....that space, time, matter and energy somehow (un-wittingly) "exploded out" of essentially nothing in the sudden/ accidental "Big Bang" (13.7 - 14.5 billion years ago).....that the 'Big Bang' (un-wittingly) produced Hydrogen, Helium (and possibly Lithium) and a variety of subatomic particles that somehow (un-wittingly again) condensed into stars through some sort of an un-intelligent/ random/ accidental evolutionary process.....that these two/three original elements somehow (un-wittingly) evolved into the other naturally occurring chemical elements we know today.....that primate life on earth began as a result of chance and/ or un-witting natural occurrences (about 3.5 - 4 billion years ago)...that over innumerable millennia primate life 'linearly' evolved into 'more complex and more evolved species'...that 'consciousness' that is 'now intrinsic' to plants, animals and/ or humans (in varying degrees) is also but consequent upon 'a happy random accident'...that overtime even more complex and even more evolved species with intrinsic 'so-called supra-consciousness' shall 'descent' to inhabit the mother earth or even some far removed planetary body within the Milky Way or even beyond -ARE ABSOLUTELY UNFOUNDED..... |
