Passage 12

On the Gītā: 8.9

Tap any word for its meaning.

In plain words

“Listen, I shall explain the sixth. ‘Acintya-rūpa’ means ‘one who cannot be thought of’. What is it that thinks? The Manas, is it not? So it means: the one who cannot be thought of with the Manas. You may doubt this, and ask how. Brother-in-law! Listen. The Manas is momentary. Not only that; it is inert. The Paramātma, on the other hand, is the eternal reality, and Caitanya as well. Inquire into them, and they are wholly opposed to each other. The momentary and the eternal have no relation to each other: one is that which is not, the other is that which abides. Then the inert and Caitanya: these too are the same; they have no agreement with each other. How can such a Manas, inert and momentary, think of the Paramātma, who is eternal and Caitanya? You may also ask, ‘If so, what becomes of the sādhaka?’ It is not that there is no way for him, brother-in-law! It is enough to think of the Paramātma as ‘Acintya-rūpa’. Surely a way will come to him. If one thinks in the way one should think, the fruit will surely come in the way it should come. So the sādhaka must first learn the method of thinking too.” Then Arjuna said, “Very well, Svāmī! Let us move ahead; the time is drawing near. We are not standing on this battlefield without any responsibility, are we? The war is bearing down upon us. Whatever command You swiftly give, I am ready to carry it out. So tell me about the remaining seventh.”

Sri Satchitananda Sai