The Bhagavad Gita, or simply The Gita, is a book that has a message for all times, for all lands and for people in all stages in life. It is about purity in human action in society, about achieving inner perfection through self-examination and realizing the highest Reality, which we call God, and which gives a meaning to life. Thousands of books have been written to convey the message of the Gita, but each book becomes relevant because the writer addresses his/her own contemporary audience with examples from everyday life. The present book by Priya Arora is an excellent example of such an attempt to spread the message to the modern audience.
The Gita is said to be a summary of the Upanishads, the philosophical texts of Hinduism. It is told by Krishna, a man of action, to Arjuna, another man of action, and hence it is about how to live that philosophy even under critical conditions. It is told on the battlefield, named Kuru-kshetra. The battlefield is a metaphor for human life, the field of action in which one must move in a strong chariot. One Upanishad calls the human body a chariot where the five sense organs are horses and the mind is the reins. The discerning mind is the charioteer. The field is a place where we sow seeds to get fruits. Just as a good seed, sown in a proper field, produces good fruit, our right actions produce right results, which are beneficial for the person and for the society around him. Right action is that which is done in consonance with the cosmic scheme of things. It does not disturb the harmony of life. It brings about inner purity and thus it becomes a means (which Krishna calls yoga), which enables a person to proceed further on the spiritual path. This right action is called karma yoga by Krishna.
This is enough for a person who wishes to remain at this level, but a spiritual seeker wishes to go further. Karma yoga does not remove all impurities of the mind such as attachment to things, hate, jealousy and such. For this, Krishna prescribes yogic practices, which are similar to the eight-fold yoga told by Patanjali in the Yogasutras. The seeker must practise focusing the mind, which is needed to contemplate the reasoning of the Upanishads.
The Gita is a short excerpt from the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. In Sanskrit, gita means song, but it should be understood as a discourse in this context. The conversation takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the form of a dialogue between Arjuna, a renowned warrior, and his dear friend Krishna, who had agreed to be his charioteer. As the battle is about to commence, Arjuna suddenly becomes despondent and wants to abandon his duty. In this grave moment of emotional crisis, Krishna comes to his aid, helping Arjuna overcome his confusion. He does this by teaching Arjuna to recognize himself as he truly is and understand the real purpose of his mortal existence.
Although the Gita is often referred to as the 'Hindu Bible', this description is misleading because the Gita transcends conventional religion. Its philosophy has universal appeal as practical advice on life and duty, a call to enlightened action. The message is universal because it speaks of values that apply regardless of one's faith, and practical because it provides the key to living in contentment.
The Gita is best described as a eternally relevant wisdom, rather than a collection of religious doctrines. text on The battle of Kurukshetra is a metaphor for life, and like a good charioteer, Krishna expertly steers Arjuna's mind in a winning direction. No single text directs Hindus. Their philosophy of timeless principles, Sanatana Dharma, is contained in numerous writings and is ultimately based on the Vedas. The Gita is a shining jewel amongst them because it summarizes the essential aspects of Vedic philosophy compactly in 700 verses, serving as a concise handbook for easy reference. Swami Vivekananda aptly referred to the Gita's marvellous presentation of Vedic revelations as 'a bouquet composed of the beautiful flowers of spiritual truths collected from the Vedas and the Upanishads'.¹
Vedanta, the essence of Vedic philosophy, views God as universal existence, one all-pervading consciousness and the source of Ananda-unending bliss. Therefore, it uses the term Brahman, which means 'vast' when speaking of this infinite power. However, the name itself is unimportant; God, called by any name, remains the same divinity. In the Gita, Krishna acts as a spokesperson for Brahman, delivering eternally relevant life lessons to help Arjuna in his distress. Thus his teachings are referred to as the Bhagavad Gita or 'God's song'. Like Arjuna, every human being must navigate the battlefield of life; therefore the Gita speaks to us all, providing invaluable coping skills to handle challenges that inevitably arise along the way.
Vedas (1199)
Upanishads (501)
Puranas (633)
Ramayana (747)
Mahabharata (363)
Dharmasastras (167)
Goddess (506)
Bhakti (244)
Saints (1514)
Gods (1295)
Shiva (380)
Journal (184)
Fiction (61)
Vedanta (367)
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