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| The Holy Gita | | | Shiban Khaibri | 9/1/2010 8:37:55 PM |
| Today is the auspicious day of Janamashtami, the birth day of Shree Krishna Ji , the incarnation of Vishnu and on this occasion it is a natural corollary that due mention with all reverence is made of the Holy Geeta which is a Holy divine treatise, full of explanations of and solutions to the mysteries of life and death, ways of action and acquiring Gyan or the knowledge of the way to supreme spirit, about meditation, about giving alms, about yajna, about way of renunciation, nature and soul, distinction between divine and demoniac, even the type of diet we should eat and what not.
The Gita is a discourse between Shree Krishna and His devotee Arjuna and this discourse is the greatest philosophical and religious dialogues known to man. The essence of and the importance of removing doubts, inhibitions, knowing His mysteries and then their solutions with explanations and the beholder putting questions after questions is a superb manifestation of the spirit of dialogue and accommodation . It exhibits the freedom of expression and an open and free debate between the incarnation of God and the human kind in the form of Arjuna. He asks and asks and learns only when fully satisfied . This is the spirit of the great religion of Hiduism which is not limited or fitted into some set rules or commandments.
It is, however, unfortunate that whenever a religious matter concerning Hindus is discussed or explained ; particularly in some parts of the media, the explanations or the information are preceded by the phrases---- “ legend has it “ or it is believed” or “the myth is “or “ it is said” etc; while such a latitude is not dared even in the least , to be taken with other faiths when such explanations are similarly required there. Print media is in particular very cautious about it. It is pertinent to note that Shree Krishna being the Supreme Being Himself had descended on earth , is both the goal and the substance of Shree Bhagwad Gita so far as the Holy book speaks of itself.
The Gita is the essence of the Vedic knowledge and the most important Upanishad in the Vedic literature. In order to understand Shree Gita , one must be a devotee of the Lord.
A person who even merely hears the Holy Gita but with devotion and without caviling, shall be freed and shall attain the blessed spheres attained by men of religious deeds. ( chapter 18; verse 66)
Arjun submits before Shree Krishna saying “ you are the primeval God, the ancient being , you are the Supreme repository of this universe, you are the knower and the knowable, and the highest of highest abode ; O you of infinite form, by you is the universe pervaded.”(chapter 11.verse 38)
About Shree Krishna ,Shrimad Bhagavatam says “Wonderful is the teacher – Shree Krishna ; wonderful are his deeds . Even the utterance of his Holy name sanctifies him who speaks and him who hears.
It is pertinent to mention that if one wanted in brief and in precise all of the Vedas , the Upanishads , the Puranas and quintessence of all these to be distilled into any single text, it could be only and only The Holy Gita.
About giving alms or daan, the Book elaborates in verses 17/20-22 ,
“Giving simply because it is right to give, without thought of return, at a proper time, in proper circumstances , and to a worthy person is known to be sattvik or enlightened giving. Giving with regrets or in the expectations of receiving some favour or of getting something in return, is selfish giving. Giving, again , at a wrong place and time and to unworthy persons without any regard and disdainfully is called Tamsik giving.
The enduring value of The Gita is not only for the Indians but for whole of the mankind. It teaches the man to be completely free from duality and not to envy, to be steady in both success and failure, to be never entangled though keep on performing actions. The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges fully into transcendence. The beauty about this universal scripture is that it is of immense help to those who are involved in worldly responsibilities, as well as those who are exclusively devoted to the spiritual quest .It is not rigid , not in the least, and its flexibility is unique which allows itself to be interpreted in different ways without in any way affecting its fundamentals because truth is varied and multifaceted and cannot confine itself to any single rigid dogma . It is , therefore, to our immense benefit to develop intrinsic love and devotion for this Divine book and to daily and regularly read and recite its verses (let there be recitation of two to three verses ,understanding the meaning and the message ) on daily basis in a chronological and chapter wise basis . It will become one’s part of life and be a tremendous gainer in the form of gaining spiritual wisdom , treading on the right paths of freedom, creativity and bliss and that of moral perfection. This book does not permit life to go to pieces or compartments , instead it integrates will power, wisdom, work and emotion;self control, the philosophy of life and practical guidance for work in day to day life, efforts to attain perfection----- the absolute state of consciousness.
Verse No. 3 of Chapter No. 2 moved the heart of Swami --Vivekananda who drew inspiration from its words ,Give up Cowardice. Enter the field of action, this weak heartedness does not befit you. Fight without hatred.”
The Swami says ,“the teachings of Shree Krishna as taught in the Holy Gita are the grandest the world has ever known………….. the human race will never again see such a brain as his who wrote the Gita”. Its teaching knows no limitation of time or space and is valid for all times and can be regarded as the focus of all Indian religion which is also one of the clearest and most comprehensive summaries of the perennial philosophy ever to have been made . Therefore, its enduring value is not only for Indians but for all mankind. This Book has played a vital role in sustaining us through many centuries through innumerable vicissitudes whether social or political. At every critical turn in our collective life, this Holy book has given us strength and succors. Shree Krishna is an Avtar who teaches us not to shirk our duties but to take them up lion heartedly and not to think of the results.
Mahatma Gandhi drew all the strength from the Gita and held it in the highest esteem. For him it was Gita the mother , a scripture that provided him guidance whenever he was in distress or any confusion . He called it his spiritual dictionary “ for it has never failed me in my distress. It is free from sectarianism and dogma and its appeal is universal.” Bapu further says “ I must confess to you that when doubts haunt me , when disappointments stare me in the face , and when I see no ray of light on the horizon , I turn to the
Bhagvad Gita and find a verse to comfort me , and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. My life has been full of external tragedies . If they have not left any visible and indelible effect on me , I owe it to the teaching of the Bhagvad Gita.” |
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