Wisdom and Ignorance

The actual commentary of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita by Bhagavan Sri Sankaracharya begins with chapter 2, Verse 11: Shri Bhagavan said: You are worrying about Bhishma, Drona and others who need not be worried about as they are of good conduct and from a supreme point of view too they are eternal. Those who need not be worried about, you are worrying that they are dying because of me. What will I do without them with comforts of kingdom and palace etc.

You speak with words as if like a wise person. It seems you are presenting the contrary expressions of ignorance and wisdom in yourself as if you are mad. This is the understanding.

It is so because, the wise men who know the self, do not worry about the one’s whose breath has left them, that is they are dead and those whose breath has not left them, the ones who are alive.
They are indeed called wise who have knowledge about their true self. The Shrutis say, knowing the Self (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad).

It is the opinion that at the highest level you are ignorant because you are worrying about what is eternal.

Why are they beyond worry? They are eternal. How? At any time indeed am I not, not there. I am existing indeed. Before the beginning of birth and after the death of the body the idea is I am eternal only.

In the same way, not indeed are you not existing. You are existing indeed. In the same way are all these kings – not not existing, but existing only.

In the same way, it is not that we will not be; indeed we will be – all of us. Therefore even after the destruction of the body in the supreme time beyond too, in all the three periods of time, it means that we are eternal in the form of our supreme self.

The usage of plural is considering the differences in the bodies and not owing to differences in the Self.

In what way is the Self eternal? An example is given to show this.

Self is eternal:

13: The one who has a body is called Dehi. To that Dehi, the Self as if it has a body, in this body how he goes through the phase of childhood, youth in the interim period and old age when the years are destroyed and they are in a phase of withering – the three states are different from each other.
Among them when the first phase is destroyed, there is no real destruction. When the second phase sets in, there is no real birth of the Self. How come? Even after attaining the second and the third phase, the Self is seen not to go through any modification.
Therefore in the same manner alone, when the body is dropped, when another body is attained, the Self does not go through any change.

Though there is no delusion pertaining to the destruction of the Self knowing that the Self is eternal even then on account of experiencing cold and heat, comfort and sorrow there is the delusory experience of duality in the world. Sorrow is when joy is not experienced and when united with sorrow. Considering that Arjuna would say in this manner, Sri Bhagavan says the next verse.

Om Tat Sat

Brahmacharini Sharanya Chaitanya