Krishn Discourses Arjun - Anugeetaa-11 - Who Are the First?

Brahmaa Jee further said - "Among the men, royal Kshatriya have the middle quality (quality of passion); among the riding animals elephant is so; among the wild animals lion is so; among all the sacrificial animals sheep is so; among the animals who live in burrows snake is so; among the cattle bull is so; and among other females mule is so. 

Among the trees, Jamboo, Peepal, Shaalmali, Shinshup, Mesh-shring, and Keechak are the foremost. Himvant, Patipatra, Vindhya, Shwet, Neel, Mahendra and Malaya etc are the foremost among mountains. Marut are the foremost among Gan. Soorya (Sun) is the Lord of all planets and Chandramaa (Moon) of all the constellations. Yam is the Lord of Pitar; ocean is the Lord of all water bodies; Varun is the king of all water; Indra is the king of all Marut and luminous bodies; Ark is the Lord of all hot bodies. Agni is the eternal Lord of all elements and Brihaspati of all Braahman; Som is the Lord of all herbs; Vishnu is the Lord of all mighty things; Shiv is the Lord of all creatures; sacrifice is the foremost of all initiatory rites; and Maghaavat of all deities. North is the Lord of all directions; Kuber is the Lord of all precious gems. Such is the highest creation among all entities. Prajaapati is the Lord of all creatures and of all the entities, I am the foremost. There is no entity who is higher than I or Vishnu. Among the women who are source of pleasure, the foremost are Apsaraa. Kings seek piety and Braahman are the source of piety, there fore kings should always protect Braahman. 

Now I will tell you the everlasting indication of duties. Injury is the indication of unrighteousness; splendor is the indication of deities; men have acts; space has the sound as its characteristic; wind has touch; lighted bodies have color; water has taste and earth which has all entities in it has scent; speech has words; mind has thoughts; and thoughts are the characteristics of mind. The things thought by the mind are ascertained with accuracy by the understanding; and the understanding perceives all things by perseverance. The characteristic of mind is meditation and the man is to live unperceived. Devotion has acts as its characteristics and knowledge is the characteristic of renunciation. Therefore keeping this knowledge before oneself one should practice renunciation. Who has won all opposites, also darkness, death etc attains the highest goal.

Now I will tell you the seizure (comprehension) of qualities. Smell is the quality of earth and is seized by the nose; the wind which stays in nose perceives smell. Taste is the quality of water that is seized by the tongue; Som who resides in the tongue perceives the taste. The quality of lighted body is color that is seized by eyes; Aaditya who always resides in eyes perceives color. Touch is the quality of wind and is perceived by skin; the wind always resides in skin and perceives touch. The quality of space is sound and is perceived by ears; all directions live in ears and perceive sound. The quality of the mind is thought, that is seized by understanding; the upholder of consciousness resides in heart and apprehends mind. The understanding is apprehended in the form of determination and Mahat in the form of knowledge. The unperceived (Prakriti) seizes all things.

The Kshetragya (soul) which is eternal and without quality is pure knowledge. This Unmanifest resides in Kshetra (body) in which all qualities are produced and absorbed. Purush knows it that is why He is called Kshetragya. Kshetragya perceives also the operation of qualities and absence of their operations. The qualities which are created repeatedly do not know themselves as entities, because they are not intelligent. No one else except Kshetragya attains the highest. Hence one who knows duties, casting off all qualities and understanding, enters the Kshetragya."

Brahmaa Jee said - "I tell you now which has a beginning, a middle and an end. First was created day and then was created night. The months have the lighted fortnight first; the constellations had Shravan first; the seasons had dews (winter) first; Earth is the source of all smells; and water of all tastes. The solar light is the source of all colors and wind is the source of all sensations of touch. Space is the source of all sounds. Now I tell you about the highest of all entities - the Sun is the first of all lighted bodies. Fire is the first of all the elements. Saavitree is the first of all branches of learning. Prajaapati is the first of all deities. The syllable Aum is the first of all Ved; and the life-wind is the first of all winds. The Gaayatree is the first of all meters; goat is the first of all sacrificial animals; cow is the first of all quadrupeds; Braahman are the first of all human beings; the hawk is the first among all the birds; of all the materials for sacrifice is Ghee to be poured; snake is the first reptile; Sat Yug is the first Yug; gold is in all precious metals; barley is the first among all plants; food is the first among all the eaten things; water is first among all the liquids to be drunk; Plaksh tree is the first among all the immobile; and of all the Prajaapati I am the first. Of all inconceivable soul, the self existent Vishnu is first and superior to me. Among all mountains Meru is first; among all rivers Gangaa is first; among all water reservoirs ocean is first; Eeshwar is the supreme deity of all Devtaa and Daanav; of all the Aashram (modes of life) Grihasth Aashram is the foremost; and the Unmanifest is the beginning and end of all the things. Day ends with sun's setting and night ends with sun rising. The end of pleasure is always sorrow; and the end of sorrow is always pleasure. All accumulations end in exhaustion; and all ascent end in fall. All associations end in disassociations; and life ends in death. Sacrifice, gifts, penance, study, vows, all are destroyed at their end. But knowledge has no end. That is why who possesses tranquil soul, devoid of Egoism, is free from all sins."

Brahmaa Jee further said - "Thus the wheel of life goes on; with the power of Understanding; the Mind as its resting place; the group of senses as its bonds; the five elements as its center and home for its circumference. It is overwhelmed by grief and sorrows and disease and calamities. The wheel relates in Time and space. Day and nights are the rotations of the wheel. It is encircled by heat and cold. Pleasure and pain fire its joints; and hunger and thirst are the nails fixed into it. Sunshine and shade are its causes. It is being capable of getting agitated in a short time like in a blink of an eye. It is enveloped by water of delusion. It is ever revolving and unconscious. It is measured by months and fortnights. Penances and vows are its mud. Passion's force is source of its movement. It is illuminated by Egoism; and is sustained by qualities. Unfulfillment of desires are the fastenings which bind it around. It revolves amidst the grief and destruction. It is large and extended by attachments. It is unsteady by desires; it is produced by ignorance; it is attended upon by fear and delusion; and is the cause of delusion of all beings. It is made up of entities beginning with Mahat (Tattwa) and ending with the Gross elements (five elements). It is characterized by production and destruction going on continuously. Its speed is like of mind; and mind is its boundary.

It is associated with duals. That man who understands the motion and stoppages is never deluded and attains the highest. All the three Aashram are founded on Grihasth Aashram. He who eats after offering to deities and guests etc, who is not unduly active with his Indriyaan, who follows prescribed rules, he conquers Heaven."

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