Depth of Silence

   Some of the verses of the Bhagavad-Gita remain a secret despite the fact that Bhagavan says, shrunomi arjuna, guhyatama guhyamam pravashyaami | If it is a secret, rahasyam, to Bhagavan, it is really difficult to understand what the Bhagavan says. 

  Now, coming straight to the point, the greatest secret lies in silence. Silence is much deeper than the sounds that traverse the entire cosmos. It has its beginning at the deepest seat of 'atyantabhava'. There is no spandha, vibration, here. It is the state of absolute peace, nirvana, shantata, and Bhagavn Shree Krishna advocates this level of attainment to all His devotees. There is absolutely nothing here. There is no duality, not even unity, ektavam, samyam, samatvam. It is all a state of total rest. The soul of the jiva, jivatman, aspires for this and it is not possible to attain to this state since it is fully blemished of a hundred and odd avagunas- moha, svartha, krodha, mada, matsarya, etc. It may be well said, the soul is divine, the atman is pure and unblemished! But the avarana, the covering, the upadhi is such that 'it is' and 'it is not'! It is only when the jivatman rests in peace, rests in absolute peace at this level of atyantabhava it attains mukti, moksha. It has reached its primordial state. The moment ichha, desire, starts in the jiva, the vibration begins (anyonayabhva, prdhvamshabhava and pragbhava- three levels of silence leading to prapanch or disturbannces). Finally, these vibrant energetic particles brings it(the jiva) to level of sounds (shabdha), akshara or varna, pada, and padartha or the material world! All these stages can be observed in a child's first few weeks after birth! 

    Bhagavan Shree Krishna advocates jnyana, viveka and vairagya, followed by yajnya, dana and tapas to reach the state of samadhi. Thus, the Gita as yogopanishat leads us from darkness to light, untruth to truth or ajnyan to jnyan, and finally, death to immortality.

    Hence, it is extremely difficult to reach the depth of silence, nirvana without the help of a yogacharya..