Sānkhya Yoga: The Yog of Analytical Knowledge

Disclaimer: All details are with regards to the book Bhagavad Gita As it is by his divine grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.  However, the summary, views expressed and errors in the interpretation and understanding are the authors' own opinions. The goal of this write-up is to serve as class notes for the author in the upcoming exams.

Chapter 2: With 72 shlokas the second chapter "Sānkhya Yoga" is the second-longest chapter and is considered to present the gist of the entire Bhagavad Gita. The chapter is simply referred to as "Contents of the Gita Summarized" in the version of as-it-is. The use of the heading "Sankhya" leads to speculation about its link to the Sankhya philosophy. 

• Sanjaya (Shloka 1; 9-10): 3 shlokas
• Arjuna (Shloka 4-8; 54): 6 sholkas
• Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Shloka 2-3;11-53; 55-72): 63 shlokas

Brief Summary: In this chapter, Lord Krishna answers the questions raised by Arjuna in chapter-1 and tries to convince him that fighting the war by overcoming his apprehensions is the correct path. Arjun completely surrenders to his friend and accepts Krishna as his mentor seeking his guidance. The lord justifies the killing of the kuru army by explaining the eternity of the soul and the need for compliance with one's duty. Lord Krishna preaches that one's mind should remain steady irrespective of the favorable or adverse circumstances. As the seasons change in nature in the same way perception of our circumstances changes throughout our life. The wise man is not bewildered by such changes (happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat, death) and remains unfazed. According to Vedanta, such a person of a steady mind is eligible for liberation (i.e., attainment of moksha or escape from the cycle of birth and death).

In this chapter, the shlokas can be categorized under Karma yoga (duty), Gyan yoga (knowledge), and Bhakti yoga (surrender). These three aspects of yoga are further explained in greater detail in subsequent chapters. 

1) The eternity of the soul has been described in several shlokas in different ways to drive home the main message.  For example, 

• Change of clothes==change of the body for the soul
• Young age, old age, and death for the body ---> In the same way the soul also changes the body

 2) In order to attain liberation: 

• One should not be indulged in sense pleasures (desires).
• Keep the mind free from attachment, fear, anger, and lust.
• Not be disturbed by the incessant flow of desires.
• Be always involved in devotional service of the lord

3) Guidance on the performance of duties 

• Action without expectation of results. This chapter contains the most popular shloka of the Bhagavad Gita which every Indian has probably heard either through movies or everyday proclamations states that "One should perform their duties diligently with detachment and not focusing on the results of their actions". (Shloka 47)
• The shloka 48 states that one should perform his/her duties equipoise abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is described as yoga in the scriptures.
• The various characteristics of a person with a steady mind are described at the end of chapter-2.

Salient observations:

1. In Shloka 23, it is given that the soul is eternal. It can not be destroyed by weapons, fire, water, or wind.
2. In Shloka 58, the tortoise withdrawing its limbs into its shell is compared to a person withdrawing his senses from the material world.
3. Shloka 48 states that one can perform his duties with a balanced state of mind irrespective of attachment with success and failure. (Yoga definition).

Favorite Shlokas:

Shloka 13:

dehino 'smin yathä dehe

kaumäraà yauvanaà jarä

tathä dehäntara-präptir

dhéras tatra na muhyati

Shloka 47:

karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana

mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi

Shloka 63:

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛiti-vibhramaḥ

smṛiti-bhranśhād buddhi-nāśho buddhi-nāśhāt praṇaśhyati

Shloka 70:

āpūryamāṇam achala-pratiṣhṭhaṁ

samudram āpaḥ praviśhanti yadvat

tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśhanti sarve

sa śhāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī