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About Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad-gita is also known as Gitopanishad
or Gita, is a Sanatana Dharma or
Hindu scripture produced from the colloquy
given by Sri Krishna to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra War. Its philosophies
and insights are intended to reach beyond the scope of religion and to
humanity as a whole.
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Neither in this world nor elsewhere
is there any
happiness in store for him
who always doubts. |
Lord Krishna |
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The Bhagavad Gita is considered among the most
important texts in the history of literature and philosophy.
It
is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the most important Upanishads
in Vedic literature.
The Bhagavad Gita is revered as sacred by the majority of
Hindu traditions, and especially so by followers of Krishna. It is at times
referred to as the "manual for mankind" and has been highly praised by not
only Indians but also by Western
great thinkers.
The Bhagavad Gita comprises exactly 700
verses, and is a part of the Mahabharata. The verses, using the range and
style of Sanskrit meter (chandas) with similes and metaphors, are very
poetic; hence the title, which translates to "the Song of the Divine One",
of Bhagavan in the form of Krishna.
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"When
doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face,
and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to
Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I
immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming
sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day."
~ Mahatma Gandhi
"When I
read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created
this universe everything else seems so superfluous."
~ Albert Einstein |
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The teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna, who is
revered by Hindus as a manifestation of God (Parabrahman) Himself, and is
referred to within as Bhagavan, the Divine One.
The Bhagavad Gita is also called Gītopaniṣad, implying its
having the status of an Upanishad, i.e. a Vedantic scripture. As it is taken
to represent a summary of the Upanishadic teachings, it is also called "the
Upanishad of the Upanishads". Another title is mokṣaśāstra, or "Scripture of
Liberation".
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The context of the Gita is a conversation between Lord
Krishna and the Pandava prince Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before
the start of the
Kurukshetra War. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral
dilemma about fighting his own cousins, Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna his
duties as a warrior and prince, and elaborates on different Yogic and
Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies.
This has led to the Gita
often being described as a concise guide to Hindu theology and also as a
practical, self-contained guide to life. During the discourse, Lord Krishna
reveals His identity as the Supreme Being Himself (Svayam Bhagavan),
blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring vision of His divine universal form. |
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Bhagavad Gita quotes
Action
is greater than inaction. Perform therefore thy task in life.
Even the life of the body could not be if there were no action.
That one I love who is incapable of
ill will, and returns
love for
hatred. Living beyond the reach of I and mind, and of pain and
pleasure, full of mercy, contented, self-controlled, with all
his heart and all his mind given to Me
– with such a one I
am in love. |
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The Essence of Bhagavad-Gita
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Even
a little
effort
toward
spiritual
awareness
will protect
you from the
greatest
fear. |
Lord Krishna |
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The Bhagavad-Gita teaches you how to live in this world of illusion,
find
your true nature and
purpose, and do your duty by remaining amidst the
routines of life and facing them squarely with a sense of fearlessness,
detachment and stability of mind.
Krishna first explains
the samsaric cycle of birth and death. There is no
true death of the soul – simply a sloughing of the body at the end of each
round of birth and death. The purpose of this cycle is to allow a person to
work off their
karma, accumulated through lifetimes of action.
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If a person completes
action selflessly, in service to God, then they can work off their karma,
eventually leading to a dissolution of the soul, the achievement of
enlightenment and vijnana, and an end to the samsaric cycle. If they act
selfishly, then they keep accumulating debt, putting them further and
further into karmic debt.
The three main concepts for achieving this dissolution of the soul are
renunciation, selfless service, and meditation. All three are
elements for achieving
'yoga,' or skill in action. The truly divine human does not renounce all
worldly possessions or simply give up action, but rather finds peace in
completing action in the highest service to God. As a result, a person must
avoid the respective traps of the three gunas: rajas (anger, ego), tamas
(ignorance, darkness), and saatva (harmony, purity).
The highest form of
meditation comes when a person not only can free themselves from selfish
action, but also focus entirely on the
divine in their actions. He who
achieves divine union with God in meditation will ultimately find freedom
from the endless cycle of rebirth and death. He who truly finds union with
God will find him even at the moment of death.
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Bhagavad Gita quotes
The disunited mind is far from
wise; how can it meditate? How be at peace? When you know no
peace, how can you know joy?
Better indeed is
knowledge than mechanical practice.
Better than
knowledge is
meditation. But better still is
surrender of attachment to results, because there follows
immediate
peace.
Set your heart upon your work but never its reward.
The mind is
restless
and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by practice.
On this path effort never goes to waste, and
there is no failure. Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you
from the greatest fear.
Still your
mind in me, still
yourself in me, and without a doubt you shall be united with me,
Lord of
Love, dwelling in your heart.
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