"karmany evadhikaras te
ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango ’stv akarmani"
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47)
"Sri Krishna
said: You have right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled
to fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your
activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."
Bhagavad Gita is
one of the most famous Hindu scriptures. It is a part of the great Hindu epic
Mahabharata and is revered by most of the Hindus. Bhagavad Gita teaches us
various important principles that are related to ourwork, life, religion,
philosophy and spirituality.
It is an epic
conversation between Pandava Prince Arjuna and his charioteer, Lord Krishna.
The Gita is a series of sermons that Lord Krishna passes on to Arjuna in order
to make him understand the meanings of war and life. Hindus all over the world
are familiar with the Bhagavad Gita and we have all heard about its greatness
from our earlier generations. Gita teaches us to gain mental peace and
tranquility one must try to discard their desires. It also teaches us that the
fear of death is useless as death is just the passing of the soul from the
material world to the spirit realm.
Here are some
interesting facts about bhagavad gita.
1.
Bhagavad Gita is called as song of the lord because,
it is spoken in rhyming meter called “Anushtup” and it contains 32 syllables in
each verse. The general theme is in four lines of eight syllables each. In
particular verses, a “Trishtup” meter is used, which contains four lines of 11
syllables each. This is used in various poignant slokas in the Gita including
Chapter 2, Chapter 8, Chapter 11 etc.
2.
Do not run away from ‘action’ which doesn’t help:
Running away from duties is not the way forward. Spiritual wisdom or eternal
peace cannot be acquired by forsaking friends or family members. In fact, it is
not even possible to refrain from activity while living in the materialistic
world. It is therefore advisable to fulfill all duties with utmost dedication.
Renouncing various physical actions without subduing the constantly wandering
mind is useless.
3.
Krishna first tried to narrate the Bhagavad Gita
to Duryodhana. Obviously, if Duryodhana would have been educated, then the
entire war would have been averted. But, Duryodhana told Krishna that he
already knows what is right and what is wrong. His argument to Krishna was that
there is some internal force within him which does not allow his mind to choose
what is right. That his Prakriti is not allowing him to act as per his dharma.
4.
The narration of the Bhagavad Gita by Krishna was
heard firsthand not only by Arjuna but also Hanuman, Sanjaya and Barbarik. Sanjaya
was blessed by Veda Vyasa with divine vision in order to narrate the events of
the battle to Dhritharashtra and Hanuman was perched on top of Arjuna’s chariot
throughout the battle of Kurukshetra. Barbarik, son of Ghatotkach was watching
it all from a hill top.
5.
The body is temporary whereas the soul is
permanent: Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita compares the human body to a piece of
cloth. A person should not be identified with the body but the real Self
within. One should not grieve for growing old or having a disease that cannot
be cured. Just as worn out clothes are replaced by the new ones, the soul of a
person acquires a new body. Identification with the Self instead of the body
helps a seeker to be detached from the limitations of the human body.
6.
Do not doubt: Doubts in the self or an ‘absolute
truth’ is the main reason why billions lead unhappy lives on the planet.
According to Bhagavad Gita, a doubtful man cannot have a peaceful life in this
world or the next. It is important not to confuse this lesson with
inquisitiveness which is an absolute necessity for a person to discover his own
self. However, the habit of rejecting a philosophy, belief or truth told by a
learned man is not productive at all.
7.
Bhagavad Gita is a Moksha shaastra- Scripture
whose main purpose is freedom from sorrow and experience of permanent
Happiness.It is a universal scripture. It is not only meant for Hindus. There is no word named Hindu in the whole
Geeta.
8.
Geeta also inspired non-violent Indian freedom
fighters like Gandhiji and revolutionaries like Khudiram bose alike.
Balgangadhar Tilak, Vinoba Bhave even gave lectures on Geeta when they were in
prison to the prisoners and wrote commentaries on it. Gandhiji used to say that “I open any page of
the geeta when I have a problem and I find my solution there”. For him Geeta was his “Spiritual Dictionary”
9.
Sri Krishna talks in the Geeta from 5 different
standpoints – As Infinite Consciousness, As the Creator Ishwara, As Sri
Krishna, As a Teacher, As a friend.It consists of Both – BrahmaVidya – Pure
Science and Yoga-Shastra – Applied Science
10.
Geeta is a synthesis of Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga
& Jnana Yoga which cater to the
Action-Emotion-Vision aspects of the personality.
Bhagavadgita is not
a religious scripture, because its intention is not to cater to a side of our
nature or a part of our expectation in life, but the whole of what we need, and
what we are.
It is better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the
dharma of another. Nothing is ever lost in following one’s own dharma. But
competition in another’s dharma breeds fear and insecurity. By fulfilling the
obligations he is born with, a person never comes to grief.
-Bhagavad Gita
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