Thread by @Sampadananda

Welcome to the 2nd session of #SriGitamritam tutorial. Today the discussion will be on what should be one’s attitude who aspires to study the Gita and enter into the spirit of its teaching. This leads to the question who is the real adhikarin to approach the Gita. 2/1

To truly study and enter into the spirit of the Gita or of any spiritual text, the seeker or aspirant has to be a real adhikarin. An adhikarin is the one who has developed the necessary qualities within him. Only then he can gain true benefit from the study of the text. 2/2

Adhikara or necessary eligibility has been misunderstood as this or that group or community alone has the adhikara to study or preach a spiritual text. But, in fact, every human being has the adhikara to be an adhikarin and one must become that to study a spiritual text. 2/3

Let’s see what the Gita itself says about who is the true adhikarin to study it. After giving the teaching to Arjuna Sri Krishna says: Never speak about this to the one who has no tapas, is not devoted, is not ready to listen and does not love the Divine. (Gita:18.67) 2/4

इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय कदाचन ।
न चाशुश्रूषवे वाच्यं न च मां योऽभ्यसूयति ॥

जो तप नहीं करता, जो भक्ति नहीं करता और जिसे सुनने की इच्छा नहीं है और जो मेरी निन्दा करता हैं— इस ज्ञान को तुझे इन सब को कभी भी नहीं कहना चाहिए । 2/5

The one who has no inner aspiration, no tapasya, and no shraddha (sincerity) and is not ready to listen, can never gain anything deep from a spiritual text. Rather, the scripture is misunderstood in the hands of such persons who have not risen to this status of adhikarin. 2/6

Tapas and shraddha are thus the two fundamental conditions for the seeker to raise himself to the position of a true adhikari for the teaching of the Gita. Tapas is that inner fire of persistent aspiration and shraddha is the utmost sincerity without any doubt or shrinking. 2/7

There is a beautiful verse in Shankracharya’s Upadeshasaahasri which says that the teaching must be given to him:
-who has a tranquil mind (praśāntacitta)
-who has control over his senses (jitendriya)
-who is free from all weaknesses or stains (prahīṇadoṣa) 2/8

-who is always ready to do and follow what has been said in the text or by the Guru (yathoktakārin)
-who is endowed with all the good or Divine qualities (guṇānvita)
-who is a sincere follower (anugata)
-who intensely aspires to become free from all limitations (mumukṣu). 2/9

प्रशान्तचित्ताय जितेन्द्रियाय च प्रहीणदोषाय यथोक्तकारिणे।
गुणान्वितायानुगताय सर्वदा प्रदेयमेतत् सततं मुमुक्षवे॥
praśāntacittāya jitendriyāya ca prahīṇadoṣāya yathoktakāriṇe |
guṇānvitāyānugatāya sarvadā pradeyametat satataṁ mumukṣave || 2/10

So the true markers of an adhikarin are:
श्रद्धा – Utmost sincerity
सङ्कल्प – Pure resolution
तपस् – Intense fire of persistent aspiration
भक्ति - Devotion
अनसूया – No envy
शुश्रुषा – Willingness to listen 2/11

जिज्ञासा – Intense aspiration to know more
जितेन्द्रियत्व – Control over senses
प्रशान्तचित्तत्व – Calmness of the mind
मुमुक्षा – Intense aspiration to become free from all limitations and weaknesses
पावित्र्यम् – Purity
These are the basic qualities a seeker must have. 2/12

That's all for today. The next session will be all about what are the things that a seeker of the Gita should know before he starts studying the actual text and to have a greater clarity in approaching the teachings of the Gita step by step. Keep following.
#SriGitamritam