BHAGWAD GITA

Gita

In Gita lord Krishna informs Arjuna that this system of yoga, the Bhagavad Gita, was first spoken to the sun-god ,and the sun-god explained it to Manu, and in that way by disciplic succession ,one speaker after another, this yoga system has been coming down. But over the period of time that it has become lost. So the lord spoke it again, this time to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.

Bhagvad Gita is best understood by a devotee of lord .As Arjuna was a friend and devotee of Krishna so it was the Lord's wish, therefore,to establish another parampara in the same line of thought that was coming down from the sun-god to others.

Chapter One:

The Mahabharta is not history,it is a dharma-grantha. Who can ever describe an actual event. A man cannot exactly describe even a drop of water seen by him.God having created him so week,how can he describe an actual event perfectly.

This is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna about the battle which Sanjaya is narrating to blind king Dharitarashtra . Sanjaya is a man of devotion .The battle takes place far away from where he is ,and he cannot see it. Vyasa therfore endows him with divine vision so that he can see what is happening.And what does this signify.

In this battle,moreover,the warriors were,on the one side,the sons of Dharma,Vayu ,Indra and Ashvinikumars and ,on the other,a hundred brothers all born at the same instant.Have we ever heard of such a thing actually happening. Duryodhana rode on the chariot of adharma,and Arjuna that of dharma. The battle described here is ,therefore,a struggle between dharma and adharma. The epic describes the battle ever raging between the countless Kauravas and pandavas dwelling within us.It is a battle between the innumerable forces of good and evil which become personified in us as virtues and vices. We shall leave aside the question of violence and non-violence and say that this dharma-grantha was written to explain man's duty in the inner strife.

Quite a few such blind men live within us. This is not a battle which took place so many thousand years ago, it is one which is raging all the time,even today.

On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kind of relatives.He could see his grandfathers Bhisma and Somadatta teachers like Dronacarya and Krpacarya,maternal uncles like Salya and Sakuni,brothers like Duryodhana,sons like Laksmana,friends like Asvatthama, well wishers like Krtavarma, etc.He could see the armies with many of his friends.

After seeing all his family Arjuna asks Krsna I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle,nor can I, my dear Krsna, desire any subsequent victory,kingdom or happiness.

Why should I kill them ,I may survive,I am not willing to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds,let alone this earth.

It was the custom ,that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked .Arjuna decided not to fight if he were attacked by the enemy.I would consider it better for the sons of Dhrtarastra to kill me unarmed and unresisting,rather than fight with them.

Sometimes we lose sight of the truth when we get into emotional attachments to people. It is here that Lord Krishna tries to remove the sentimental feelings and bring Arjuna back to truth and his duty. But Sanjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield ,cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot,his mind overwhelmed with grief.


Let us suppose that Arjuna flees the battle field . Though his enemies are wicked people ,are sinners,they are his relations and he does not want to kill them.If he leaves the field what would happen to people on his side.Kaurvas will simply kill all Pandavas .The very calamities which he feared would have befallen them.. Their families would have been ruined ,and the traditional dharma of these families and the race would have been destroyed. Arjuna therefore had no choice but to fight. This shows that war is not always bad.Occasionally there is a just war,when innocent people are being vicitimizes by the wicked and there is no way to stop it except by fighting.


This ends the first chapter of Bhagvad Gita.


Chapter Two (The Yoga of Wisdom)
No one can destroy what is everlasting and imperishable.

The indwelling one is eternal ,indestructible and immeasurable . The bodies of the in dwellings one are impermanent . Therefore who ever thinks that Atman ,or the self does the killing or can be killed misunderstands that self does not kill,nor is it ever killed .It is not born and it does not die . Unborn eternal and ancient ,the self is not killed when the body is killed.

Chapter Three (Karma Yoga)
In order to excel ,mentally control the senses,let go all attachments and engage the body in Karma Yoga ,selfless service.

Through sacrifice you cherish the Gods and they cherish you. Thus loving one another,you reap the very highest.Always do your duty without attachments . If you will do things without desiring results for yourself ,you will experience the highest state.

The enemy here on earth is (personal) desire and anger which arises because of the restless nature of humans.Wisdom in the humankind covered over by the insatiable fire of desire ,is the constant enemy of the wise.Take control of your desire ,the sinful destroyer of wisdom and self realization.

Senses are stronger then the body . The mind is stronger then senses . The discriminating intellect (Budhi) is stronger then the mind ATMAN is above intellect.
Gita calls upon us to dedicate ourselves ,body,mind and soul ,to pure duty and not to become victim of desires and undisciplined impulses.Once you have tasted of its sweet nectar,your attachment to it will grow from day to day. The recitation of Gita verses will support you in your trials and console you in your distress,even in the darkness of solitary confinement.

Karmayogi:
One can establish communion with God through work.You will see him in the communal services,you will meet him when you are helping poor,sick,or any one who is distressed and is in need of help. God could be only realized through service .A KaramYogi will relieve the hunger and sickness of the millions of starving human beings by advocating equality and sharing of the wealth by honest and hard work. We should give Vedic learning and counting of beads a second place before community service.God's work and God's name go hand in hand.
Devotion to duty is itself prayer. We go and pray in order to be qualified for doing actual service.But when one is engaged in actual practice of duty prayer is merged with the execution of duty.If some one is engaged in deep prayer ,hears the cry of other for help,one should leave prayer and run to help the distressed.Prayer finds fulfilment in the service of the distressed.By doing the service of community one can attain self realization,to see God face to face,to attain Moksha.Real prayer from the heart brings the real work behind it.For in the end work itself becomes prayer.The real way to pray to God is to do something in his name some little service to those who are less fortunate then ourselves.
There is no worship purer or more pleasing to God then selfless service of the poor.The rich and powerful in their arrogance and intellectual pride often forget God and even question His existence . But God dwells among the poor as they cling to him as their sole refuge and shelter.To serve the poor is to serve Him.Karmayogi:

One can establish communion with God through work. You will see him in the communal services, you will meet him when you are helping poor, sick, or any one who is distressed and is in need of help. God could be only realized through service .A KaramYogi will relieve the hunger and sickness of the millions of starving humanbeings by advocating equality and sharing of the wealth by honest and hard work. We should give Vedic learning and counting of beads a second place before community service.God's work and God's name go hand in hand.
Devotion to duty is itself prayer. We go and pray in order to be qualified for doing actual service.But when one is engaged in actual practice of duty prayer is merged with the execution of duty.If some one is engaged in deep prayer ,hears the cry of other for help,one should leave prayer and run to help the distressed.Prayer finds fulfilment in the service of the distressed.By doing the service of community one can attain self realization,to see God face to face,to attain Moksha.Real prayer from the heart brings the real work behind it.For in the end work itself becomes prayer.The real way to pray to God is to do something in his name some little service to those who are less fortunate then ourselves.
There is no worship purer or more pleasing to God then selfless service of the poor.The rich and powerful in their arrogance and intellectual pride often forget God and even question His existence . But God dwells among the poor as they cling to him as their sole refuge and shelter.To serve the poor is to serve Him.

Lot of important things which we do in our lives they are not prompted by reason but by instinct.Inner voice cannot be described in words.But sometimes we have a positive feeling that something in us prompts us to do a certain thing.When you are close to God you will recognise this voice within you.
God can do tremendous things through the person who doesn’t care who gets the credit. If you make a goal that you will be helping others who are sick, poor and needy and do good things without any thing in return for you. You will be surprised how much God will help you in achieving your goals .He will be working with you lot harder then you and helping you at every step till the time your aim is service and not getting credit.




As the sixth chapter in Gita assures us the least little sadhna (spiritual effort) is not wasted.The seeker will proceed in his next birth,starting from it as a base.Similarly if a person has the will but not the ability to make spiritual progress ,his environment in his subsequent birth will be such as to strengthen that will


Gita calls upon us to dedicate ourselves , body ,mind and soul ,to pure duty and not to become victim of desires and undisciplined impulses. Once you have tasted of its sweet nectar, your attachment to it will grow from day to day. The recitation of Gita verses will support you in your trials and console you in your distress, even in the darkness of solitary confinement.

As the sixth chapter in Gita assures us the least little sadhna (spiritual effort) is not wasted. The seeker will proceed in his next birth, starting from it as a base. Similarly if a person has the will but not the ability to make spiritual progress ,his environment in his subsequent birth will be such as to strengthen that will.