Contents
Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya
(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)
CHAPTER -7
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27. By the delusion of the pairs, arising from desire and aversion, O descendant of Bharata, all beings fall into delusion at birth, O scorcher of foes. By the delusion of the pairs, arising from desire and aversion- The pairs are the cause of delusion. Desire and aversion, which are mutually opposed like cold and heat, and which, arising in connection with pleasure and pain and theii causes, are felt by every being, each at its proper time, are called the pairs. Now, when desire and aversion manifest themselves on meeting with pleasure and pain, or their causes, they bring under their own sway 'he intelligence of all beings and thereby produce delusion, which is the obstruction to the rise of the Knowledge concerning the Supreme Reality, the Self. And as is well known, in one whose mind is subjugated by the evils of desire and aversion, knowledge of matters as they arc. even of the external world, cannot arise; need it be said that to a person whose intellect is taken possession of by them, and who becomes deluded. Knowledge of the Inner most Self, the attainment of which is b.'set with many obstacles, cannot arise? Therefore, by the delusion of the pairs, arising from desire and aversion. O descendant of Bharata, all beings become ignorant: and fall into delusion at the time of birth, O scorcher of foes. The meaning is: all beings taking birth are in fact born subject to delusion. Because of this, all beings, with their intelligence impeded by the delusion of the pairs, and so deluded, fail to know Me. their very Self, and consequently do not worship Me as the Self. Who then are thev who being free from the delusion of the pairs, know Thee and' worship Thee as the Self, according to scriptural teaching? Disclosing the answer to this enquiry, the Lord says- |
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