Re: Gita 4.40 - What does Kṛṣṇa mean by saṁśayātmā (doubting mind)?
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté & hello,
Originally Posted by
svh
Bhagavad-gītā 4.40 says:
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति। <br>
नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मनः।।4.40।।
ajñaścāśraddadhānaśca saṅśayātmā vinaśyati. <br>
nāyaṅ lōkō.sti na parō na sukhaṅ saṅśayātmanaḥ ৷৷ 4.40 ৷৷
One who is ignorant and faithless, and has a doubting mind perishes. Neither this world nor the next nor happiness exists for one who has a doubting mind.
Question:
So if one asks a lot of questions on a website like HDF, does that make them a saṁśayātmā (doubting mind) according to Gita?
And we should be asking less and less questions? But then how will we learn if we don't ask questions?
ajñaścāśraddadhānaśca saṅśayātmā = ajñaḥ ca śradda adhānaḥ ca saṅśaya+ātmā
Note the sequence:
- ajñaḥ - not knowing, lack of knowledge
- aśradda - lack or without faith
- dhānaḥ - receptacle, seat
- saṅśaya+ātmā = saṁśaya + ātmā
- saṁśaya = uncertainty , irresolution , hesitation , doubt
- ātmā = ātman = the individual, the person
- (fyi) ca = and
This says,
not knowing + the lack of faith becomes the receptacle or seat for uncertainty and doubt for the individual.
The lack of knowledge is the basis for the lack of faith which will gain or make a seat for doubt and uncertainty.
You see why the sequence is of key import?
Now to answer your question:
So if one asks a lot of questions on a website like HDF, does that make them a saṁśayātmā (doubting mind) according to Gita?
Finding out, knowing, asking questions is an approach to eradicating ( or at least mitigating) ajñaḥ.
Since we're in chapter 4.40 of the śrīmad bhāgavad gītā , we need to back-up two śloka-s to 4.38:
truly there is nothing in the world so purifying as knowledge.
If one looks to the top of this Forum's page, this śloka is called out and a main principle of this site.
One also needs to be mindful of different degrees of knowledge... there is pure knowledge ( Self) , that of undifferentiated Being,
and there is relative knowledge. Our upaniṣad-s have much to say about this, but that will take us off this beacon path.
But that said, full/whole knowledge is knowledge + experience ( experience of pure awareness which is perfect knowledge).
इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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