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Credit: DH Illustration
In the chapter on meditation, Lord Krishna says, “the Yogi who has controlled his mind, who is always engaged in contemplation of my greatness will soon attain to a state of peace which is of my form, ultimately leading to final salvation”. The phrase ‘state of peace which is of my form” is of special relevance to ordinary mortals living in this world where peace is in pieces and violence is the order of the day.
What the Lord is trying to convey here is that the state of peace is his true form, in which he resides in all beings as that divine spark , to discover which, man has take some measures, such as controlling his senses, his evil thoughts, engaging for at least some time in contemplation of the divine and so on. Such conscious mental exertions purify man’s mind, aiding in recognising the presence of the divinity within. This leads to a state of inner tranquility, a state of peace. This is what the Lord is speaking about, where he equates peace with divinity.
Where there is peace, there is divinity and where there is divinity, there is peace. The two go hand in hand. To be inwardly peaceful is to have attained to at least a certain degree of spiritual awareness, as far as ordinary men are concerned. And it must be noted that this is the reason why, in the presence of great spiritual luminaries, devotees feel a state of inexplicable, ineffable peace, with all their worldly trammels just melting away. Just silently standing in front of these personifications of peace, who radiate peace gives them immense bliss and peace. Paul Brunton’s descriptions of his experiences in the presence of the ‘Sage of Arunachala’, Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi echoes this. “I felt as if I was drowning in an ocean of peace and bliss, just drinking in the ambrosia”. This, with not a single word being spoken. S K Ramachandra Rao evocatively speaks of his experience in the presence of Saint Chandrashekara Bharati. “There was no need for words. Just being in his presence was to be awash in a cascade of pure bliss and peace.” Similar accounts of experiences of devotees with Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, those in the presence of great Sufi saints among many others attest to this truth. “Inner peace and divinity are synonymous. Attain this and try to sprinkle this fragrance around” is the message here.