[Extracts from Sri Sankara's Bhashya dealing with some concepts in the Gita with explanatory notes by S. N. Sastri]

Contents:

Adhyasa - Superimposition
Ahankara
Atma - The Self
Bhakti - an essential requisite for liberation
Brahma-sakshatkara - Self-realisation
Karanam-Karyam - Cause and Effect
Dhyanam - Meditation
Jivanmukti
Jnanam - Knowledge
Kama and Raga
Tulapurushadih
Karma - Action
Krishna is Atma
Vairagyam - Detachment
Mumukshutvam - Yearning for Liberation
Omkarah
Prakrtih - The Nature [of a person]
Svabhavah
Paramam padam
Prarabdha karma
Prana, apana, etc
Purusha
Samadhih
Sankhyam/Sankhyah
Sannyasa and Tyaga
Sattva
Sthitaprajnah
Svadharmah - what is it?
Pratibimba-vada and Avaccheda-vada
Vedas - the sphere of their validity
Vedic rituals - their ultimate purpose
Yogah/Yogi
Yogakshemah
Yogabhrashtah
Three Levels of Reality

Abbreviations

GSB - Gita Sankara Bhashya
Br.up - Brhadaranyaka upanishad
Ch.up - Chandogya upanishad
Sv.up - Svetasvatara upanishad
Tai.up - aittiriya upanishad

Adhyasa - Superimposition

GSB13-26 Kshetrakshetrajnayoh vishayavishayinoh - apagacchatimithyajnanam.
The body, which is referred to as the field and theAtma, the indwelling Self, referred to as the knower of the field inthis verse are wrongly looked upon by us as equally real, though thebody has no reality in the absolute sense. The Self [Brahman] is alonereal. The body appears to be real in the same manner as, when a rope ismistaken for a snake, the illusory snake appears to be real. The snakeis said to be superimposed on the rope. This is known assuperimposition or Adhyasa. Similarly the identification of the bodyand the Self and looking upon the two as forming one entity is due tosuperimposition of the body on the Self. They are the object and thesubject, respectively, and are of different natures. Their relationshipis of the form of superimposition of each on the other as also of theirqualities, as a consequence of the absence of discrimination betweenthe real nature of the field and the knower of the field. This is likethe association of a rope, nacre, etc, with the superimposed snake,silver, etc, owing to the absence of discrimination between them. Theassociation of the field and the knower of the field in the form ofsuperimposition is described as false knowledge [mithyajnanam]. Afterhaving known the distinction between, and the characteristics of, thefield and the knower of the field according to the scriptures andhaving separated, like a stalk from the munja grass, theabove-described knower of the field from the field whosecharacteristics have been shown earlier, he who realises the knower ofthe field, which, in accordance with 13.12 is devoid of alldistinctions created by adjuncts-- as identical with Brahman and whohas the firm realisation that the field is surely unreal like anelephant created by magic, a thing seen in dream, an imaginary cityseen in the sky, etc. though it appears as real-- for him falseknowledge becomes eradicated, since it is opposed to the rightknowledge described above.[For further elucidation see ‘The threelevels of reality' on page21].

Ahankara

GSB.3.27-Ahankara is looking upon the aggregate of body and organs as "I".

Atma - The Self

GSB-2.18- The Self is self-established. It is not revealed by any pramana,including the scriptures-Atma svatahsiddhah - na tuajnatarthajnapakatvena...

The scripture becomes a Pramana orvalid means of knowledge regarding the Self only by helping toeliminate the superimposition {on the Self} of the attributes alien toit, and not by revealing the Self directly as an object previously notknown, [as Pratyaksha or direct perception does].

GSB.2.19 - Theobject of the Gita is to remove the cause of Samsara {transmigration},such as grief and delusion and not to enjoin action for its own sake.{Action is to be performed only as a means to the attainment ofSelf-knowledge through the purification of the mind.}

GSB.2.21 - TheSelf, while remaining immutable, is imagined to be the knower ofobjects such as sound, which are actually perceived by the intellectand the organs of sense. This is because the Self is not distinguishedfrom the mental states, due to nescience.

Similarly, the Self isspoken of as having become enlightened only because of avidya{nescience} associating it with that intellectual perception- which isalso unreal- which takes the form of discrimination between the Selfand the not-Self, while in reality the Self has undergone no changewhatever. { That is to say, neither ignorance nor its opposite,enlightenment, pertains to the Self. Both relate only to the intellect{or mind} and are wrongly attributed to the Self, which, however, isever free from avidya or ignorance.}.

G-2.18 - The Atma cannot beknown through any of the pramanas {means of knowledge} - seeSankarabhashya on ‘ aprameya' in Vishnusahasranama. Being devoid ofsound, form, taste, smell and touch, Atma cannot be known by pratyakshapramana. Nor can it be known by anumana{inference} as it has no mark{linga} which can be the basis of inference. It cannot be known byupamana {analogy} as it has no parts and as analogy functions bycomparing one part of a thing with the corresponding part of anotherthing.

Arthapatti {implication} too cannot apply. Atma cannotbe known by the criterion of abhava {negation} because it is alwaysexistent and is the witness of all negation. Nor can Atma be known bymeans of the scriptures, because it is devoid of any peculiar featuresthat can be deduced from the scriptures. Then it may be asked, how isit said {in Brahma sutra 1.1.3,}that the scriptures are the validsource of knowledge of Brahman? The answer is- The Atma is the witnessof all pramanas, being the Supreme light and so it cannot be the objectof any means of knowledge; yet nescience superimposes on Brahmansomething which it is not. What the scripture does is only to remove
this superimposition. Then Brahman {or the Atma} shines in its own light.

GSB-2.25-As the self is inaccessible to any of the senses, it is not manifest.

GSB-4.25-Theoffering of the self in Brahman means the realisation that theindwelling self which is associated with the limiting adjuncts such asthe body is identical with the supreme Brahman devoid of all limitingadjuncts. In this verse the word yajna is used in the sense of Atma.

GSB-5.13-TheSelf, by nature, is not an agent {doer}, nor does it make the body andsenses act. See also Gita 2.25, 13.31, and Br. Up. 4.3.7 -

Bhakti - an essential requisite for liberation

GSB-2.39 - The Lord says-" You will get rid of your bondage by the attainment of Self-knowledge through God's grace.

GSB-15.1-{Introduction}-Yasmat madadhinam - moksham gacchanti.- those who worship Me withdevotion attain liberation by My grace.

SB-18.62-Tam evaIsvaram saranam - sasvatam nityam. - Take refuge in the Lord alonewith your whole being for getting rid of the sufferings of thistransmigratory existence and to attain the eternal supreme peace.

GSB-18.65 - Here also the importance of devotion is stressed.
Brahma-sutra-2.3.41.-SB thereon-Tadanugrahahetukena - bhavitum arhati. -Only throughSelf-knowledge attained by His grace does one become liberated.

Theextracts from Sri Sankara's commentaries given above disprove thecontention of some western scholars that there is no place for devotionto a personal God in Sri Sankara's philosophy.

Brahma-sakshatkara - Self-realisation

GSB-18.50 - Purvapakshah-nanu vishayakaram - atmakaram jnanam iti anupapannam.-
Objection-Knowledgetakes the form of its object. But it is not admitted anywhere that theSelf is an object, or even that it has form.

Pseudo-vedantin-Donot such texts as - ‘radiant like the sun'{Sv.3.8}, ‘of the nature ofeffulgence'{Ch.up.3.14.2} and ‘self-effulgent'{Br.up.4.3.9} say thatthe Self has form?

Objection-No, because those sentences aremeant to refute the idea that the Self is of the nature of darkness.- There is specific denial of form in 'formless' {Katha up.1.3.15} andalso in Katha-2.3.9, Sv.4.20, etc, which indicate that the Self is notan object of perception. Therefore it is illogical to say that therecan be knowledge which takes the form of the Self.

Siddhanta{Vedantin}-Na, atyantanirmalatva-svacchatva-sukshmatvopapatteh atmanah - atmadrishtih kriyate. - No. Since it is establishedthat the Self is supremely taintless, pure and subtle and that theintellect also can have taintlessness etc, like the Self, it stands toreason that the intellect can take a form resembling the Self, which isconsciousness itself. The mind becomes impressed with the semblance ofthe intellect, the organs become impressed with the semblance of themind and the body becomes impressed with the semblance of the organs.{In other words the intellect, the mind, the organs of perception andaction and the entire physical body, which are all really insentientmatter, appear to be sentient because of the Self which is pureconsciousness} This is why everyone identifies himself with hisbody-mind complex.

Atah atmavishayam jnanam - grhyamanatvat.- Hence, knowledge about the Self is not amatter for injunction. What has to be done is only the eradication ofthe superimposition of name, form, etc, which are not the Self and notthe {acquisition of} knowledge of the Self. Knowledge of the Self meansonly the realisation that the Self {or Brahman] alone really exists andthat all objects experienced are only superimposed on it, just like theillusory snake on a rope.
Tasmatavidyaadhyaropana - prasiddhatvat. - Therefore it isonly the elimination of what has been superimposed on Brahman due toignorance that has to be done. Since Brahman is self-luminous, itbecomes manifest when the superimposition is removed with the help ofthe scriptures. It is therefore said here that no effort is necessaryto attain knowledge of Brahman. All effort is only for removal of thewrong notion that the universe is absolutely real.

Avidya-kalpita-nama-rupa - avivekinam.- Itis because the intellect is distracted by the names and forms which areconjured up due to nescience that Brahman, even though self-evident,easily realisable, nearer than all else and identical with oneself,appears to be concealed, difficult to realise, very far and differentfrom oneself to the unenlightened.

-Bahyakaranivrtta-buddhinamtu - svasannam asti. But to those whose mind has been withdrawnfrom external objects and who have received the grace of a teacher, aswell as acquired purity of mind, there is nothing more blissful,manifest, well-known, easily realised and nearer to oneself than theSelf.

Tasmat bahya-akara-bheda-nivrttih.eva karanam. - Therefore, the cessation of the perception of differences in theform of external objects is alone the means for being established inthe Self.

Tasmat yatha svadehasya - itisiddham - Therefore, just as for knowing one's own body there isno need of any other {external} means of knowledge, so also there is noneed of any other means of knowledge for the realisation of the Selfwhich is innermost. Hence it is established that steadfastness in theknowledge of the Self is a fact very well known to discriminatingpeople.

Yesham api nirakaram jnanam - abhyupagantavyam -
Evento those who hold the view that knowledge is formless {the Bhatta-mimamsakas}, and not cognised by direct perception, cognition of anobject is dependent on knowledge. Hence it has to be admitted thatknowledge [of the Self] can be as immediate as the experience ofhappiness and other states of the mind.
Paramahamsa-parivrajakah - Thisterm is found to be applied in the Gita-bhashya only to one who hasattained Self-realisation-See 13.31, 18.53 and 18,66,

Karanam-Karyam - Cause and Effect

GSB-2.16 - Vikarahca vyabhicarati - anupalabdheh asan. - Every effect istemporary .For instance, an effect such as an earthen pot, presented toconsciousness by the eye, is not real, for it is not perceived apartfrom clay. Thus every effect is unreal, since it is never seen asdistinct from its cause. An effect is not perceived before itsproduction and after its destruction.

Dhyanam - Meditation

GSB-13.24 - Dhyanam nama - Dhyanam.
Meditationmeans-contemplation {on the Self} after withdrawing into the mind theorgans of hearing etc, from their objects such as sound and thenwithdrawing the mind into the indwelling self. It is a constant anduninterrupted current of thought like a line of pouring oil.

Jivanmukti

GSB-2.51--,5.24,--6.27---18.25---Liberation consists in remaining identified with the changelessSelf even while living in the present body. Liberation is not somethingto be attained after death..

Jnanam - Knowledge

Cannot be combined with karma-

GSB-2.11 - Sankhyabuddhimyogabuddhim ca asritya dve nishthe vibhakte - pasyata - Thus,on the basis of the Sankhya and yoga standpoints, two distinct pathshave been laid down by the Lord {in Gita-3.3}, considering theimpossibility of Jnana and Karma being conjoined in the same personsimultaneously, Jnana being based on the idea of non-agency and unityand Karma on the idea of agency and multiplicity.

Yasya tuajnanat ragadidoshatah va - yena buddheh samuccayah syat.- A person,who, having undertaken an action {with the sense of doership}, becauseof ignorance {of the Self}, or due to defects like attachment, andhaving{even before the action has been completed} attained purity ofmind{and consequently detachment-vairagya} as a result of theperformance of sacrificial rites, the giving of gifts and the practiceof austerities,{yajna,dana and tapa,-which lead to vividisha, thedesire to know the Self-see Br. Up.4.4.22}, realises the supreme Truththat he is Brahman, the non-doer, may still continue to perform theaction {which he has been doing} in the same manner as before, solelywith the object of setting an example to the world, in spite of havingnothing to gain thereby. This is however only a semblance of action.{It is really akarma- inaction, since the notion of agency is no longerthere-see Gita-4.18}. It cannot therefore be said that there is acombination of Jnana and Karma here. {The doctrine ofJnana-Karma-samuccaya of the Mimamsakas and others is refuted here.}.

Liberation is due to knowledge alone -

GSB.2.11 - TasmatGitasu kevalat - iti niscitah arthah - The definite conclusion ofthe Gita is therefore that liberation is attained by the knowledge ofthe Reality alone and not by knowledge combined with action. {Once theknowledge of the Reality has arisen, liberation follows immediately andaction or karma is no longer necessary}.

GSB-2.21 - ‘Manasaivanudrashtavyam‘ iti sruteh - {Br. Up. 4.4.19}. - karanam.- The sruti says- ‘It canbe known by the mind alone'. The mind, refined by sama , dama, etc, andequipped with the teachings of the scripture and of the guru is themeans for the realisation of the Self.

GSB-Introduction - Tasya asya Gitasastrasya - dharmatbhavati. - The aim of the Gita is the attainment of supreme bliss, acomplete cessation of samsara , along with its cause. This is attainedby being established in the knowledge of the Self., preceded by therenunciation of all works{by the knowledge that the Self is not anagent and that all action pertains only to the body-mind complex}.

GSB-2.11 - Pandaatmavishaya buddhih - iti sruteh. - ‘Panda' means ‘knowledge ofthe Self'. Those who have it are Panditah-vide the sruti-‘securing thestatus of knowers of the Self-{Br. Up. 3.5.1}.

GSB-2.16-Tattvadarsinah-Theword ‘Tat' is a pronoun, known in Sanskrit as sarvanama, which alsomeans ‘the name of the "all"'. Brahman is ‘all' and so the name ofBrahman is ‘Tat'. The real nature of Brahman is therefore ‘Tattvam'.Those who see that Brahman are therefore ‘Tattvadarsinah'.

GSB-2.69-Tatraapi pravartaka-pramana-abhave - sambhavati.- {the validity ofall pramanas holds good only so long as knowledge of the Self has notarisen}.

Pramatrtvam hi atmanah - iva prabodhe. - Once theSelf is realised, it is known as bereft of all limiting adjuncts and istherefore no longer looked upon as a seer, etc. The Self is just pureconsciousness. It becomes a seer, hearer, etc, only when looked upon asassociated with the limiting adjuncts in the form of the body, etc.After the eradication of this wrong association by the knowledge of thereal nature of the Self, attained through the teachings of the Vedas,the Vedas themselves cease to be authoritative for such a person. Thisis like the objects seen in a dream becoming non-existent on waking up.The sruti which is valid in the state of ignorance {of the Self}, andwhose injunctions and prohibitions are binding, loses its validity inthe case of a person who has realised the Self, even though therealisation was achieved only with the help of the sruti.

GSB-3.1 - Tasmat kevalat eva jnanat - sarvopanishatsu ca. - Hence, thedefinite conclusion in the Gita and all the Upanishads is thatliberation follows from knowledge of the Self alone.

GSB-3.3 - Jnanam eva yogah jnanayogah - Jnana itself is the means {to liberation}.
In the words Jnanayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Karmayoga, the word ‘yoga' signifies-‘the means to unity'-yujyate anena iti yogah.

GSB-3.3 - Jnananishtha tu karmanishthopaya-labdhatmika - anya-anapeksha-.
Steadfastnessin knowledge {of the Self}, having come into existence through themeans of steadfastness in action [karma], leads to liberationindependently, without depending on anything else.

GSB-3.4 - Naishkarmyam - svarupena eva avasthanam-‘Freedom from action' is the state of beingestablished in the knowledge of the Self and abiding as the action-lessSelf.

GSB-3.4 - Karmayogopayatvam - pratipadanat - Karmayogais the means to the yoga of knowledge characterized by freedom fromaction, as has been established in the Upanishads as well as in theGita -

GSB-3.4 - Na kevalatkarmaparityaga-matrat - prapnoti - By the mere renunciation ofaction without the knowledge {of the Self}, steadfastness in the yogaof knowledge, characterized by freedom from action {naishkarmya} cannotbe attained.

GSB-3.41 - Jnanam sastratah - avabodhah.-Jnana means knowledge about the Self derived from the scriptures andone's teacher [intellectual knowledge].
Vijnanam viseshatahtadanubhavah - Vijnana means the realisation as an actual experience ofthat intellectual knowledge, the realisation in the form ‘I amBrahman'.

GSB-4.19 - Karmadau akarmadi-darsanam jnanam - Seeingaction as non-action [i.e. knowing that the Self does not perform anyaction], is ‘jnanam'. See Gita 4.18.

GSB-4.28 - Jnanam sastrartha-parijnanam-Here the word ‘Jnana' is used in the sense of mere book knowledge.

GSB-5.12 - Sattvasuddhi - nishthakramenaiti vakyaseshah. - Liberation is attained through the stages ofpurification of the mind, acquisition of knowledge [paroksha-jnanam],renunciation of all action [which really means, looking upon all action[karma] as non-action [akarma], since they are performed by the bodyand not by the Self] and remaining as the pure Self devoid of alladjuncts.

GSB-6.8 - Jnanamsastrokta-padarthanam - svanubhavakaranam - nana is intellectualknowledge of what is taught by the sruti. Vijnana is making thatknowledge the subject of one's own experience. To know Brahman is to beBrahman, that is, to realise that one is Brahman.

See also GSB-6.46 and 16.1 for the meaning of the word ‘Jnana'.