B L Razdan
Regardless of whether or not the Bhagvat Gita is officially declared as a national book, the fact remains that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted the Bhagavat Gita to the US President Barack Obama and the Prime Minster of Japan, Shinzo Abe, during his official visits to their countries. In that sense it has already received the honour of a national book. As we commemorate 5,151 years of the Bhagavat Gita, it is time that doubts are cleared as to its true message to the humanity at large and more particularly to the Inidans.
Gita-sugitakartavya
kim anyaih sastra-vistaraih
Praising the Bhagavad-gita, this verse says that the Gita has to be studied well, gita-sugita kartavya; what will you gain by studying other books in detail, kim anyaih sastra-vistaraih? This verse presents the Gita as a book to be studied, a book containing everything that one has to know through the scriptures [Vedas]. It doesn’t belittle the efficacy or the necessity of studying other scriptural books; it only points out that the study of the Gita is inclusive and amounts to the study of other scriptures as well.
Bhagavat Gita, also known as Gitopnishad, is the epitome of Vedic knowledge and is considered by some as one of the most important Upnishads in Vedic Literature. It is the most celebrated scripture and has become the single expression of Hindu religious thought in India. Bhagavat Gita has long been a source of inspiration to generations of young Indians seeking Perfection. With its help they achieved excellence in every field of endeavour – be it surgery, mathematics, art or music.
The Bhagavat Gita is the most enchanting and comprehensive dissertation on how an ordinary mortal can rise above petty, personal preoccupations to become the extraordinary immortal Spirit. It draws from the sublime truths of the Upanishads and presents them as a practical technique of living. The Gita has generated deep interest among seekers of Truth worldwide and has been translated into almost every major language. Yet it is enigmatic and eludes the grasp of most people.
The Bhagavat Gita is part of the great epic Mahabharata and forms the very spiritual core of the Mahabharata. The stories of the Mahabharata lend a charm to the philosophy and convey the subtle concepts by way of endearing narratives that are easier to understand and remember. It explicitly recognizes that we cannot simply take it for granted that Dharma will always prevail and that there would be no danger of its subversion. Therefore, it imposes a duty upon those who seek protection from Dharma to take care that this wonderful governing concept of life is not put in jeopardy. That is why Lord Sri Krishna said in the Bhagavat Gita:
yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya glaanir bhavati bhaarata
abhyutthaanam adharmasya tadaa’tmaanam srijaamyaham
(Whenever there is a decline of righteousness (Dharma), O Bharata, and rise of unrighteousness (Adharma), then I manifest myself).
The Gita is a dialogue between Krishna, the guru, and Arjuna, his dear friend and commander-in-chief of the Pandava army. The Gita begins at the edge of a battle between two sets of cousins – the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Duryodhana, the Kaurava chief and evil son of the blind king Dhrtarastra, usurps the Pandavas’ kingdom. When all attempts at reconciliation fail and even Krsna is unable to get Duryodhana to see reason the battle lines are drawn. At the zero hour, as the confrontation is about to start, Arjuna asks his charioteer Krishna to drive him between the two armies for a last minute reconnaissance. It is then that Arjuna is overcome with grief and despair on seeing his very own ancestor Bhisma and revered guru Dronacarya in the enemy camp. He views the entire situation from a narrow, personal perspective and loses heart. He lays down his bow and arrow, refusing to engage in combat. Krishna masterfully blends psychology with philosophy and in a short span of eighteen chapters restores Arjuna to his original stature. He gives him the clarity and commitment to fight the battle and win it.
The physical location of the Mahabharata was Kurukshetra, in the present day Haryana, a little north of Delhi. However, the spiritual plane of inner conflict, emptiness and uncertainty is something we are all familiar with. Though the Gita was given out over 5000 years ago, it is as alive today as it was on the day it was delivered, because its contents are eternal principles that apply to all human beings, at all times, at all places, anywhere in the world. We all have our battles to fight; battles between our own positive and negative tendencies; between our higher aspirations and lower indulgences; between the intellect on the one hand and the mind and senses on the other. In the midst of these challenges we need to stand between the two opposing forces and delve deep into our inner being, and find our purpose, our mission, our inner calling. Then alone will we get the answers and derive the strength to fight and overcome adversity. All problems being self-created, their solutions too lie within. As long as we look outward the situation will always appear insur-mountable. Just look within and the problems vanish.
The Gita zeroes in on desire which stands between you and your Godhood. The formula is simple: Man Minus desires = God. The Gita helps us deal with desires. The first step is to manage desires with the intellect. The next stage is to reduce, refine and re-direct them with the three pathways of Karma Yoga or the Path of Action, Bhakti Yoga or the Path of Devotion and Jnana Yoga or the Path of Knowledge. That done, only a few desires remain like the desire to realise the Self, serve the guru and engage in the service of humanity. These also get eliminated through meditation which is a single pointed focus on a mantra or word-symbol under the supervision of the intellect that keeps the mind leashed to it by not allowing it to meander to any other thought. When the last trace of thought vanishes the individual merges with the Godhead and you become God.
Is Bhagwat Gita a religion? Is it belief in God? Is it about becoming a good or moral person? These are common questions. The answer to all of them is that it is none of these. Yes, there are yogic practices that involve the body and the mind. But fundamentally, `yogas’ explained in the Gita means you have begun to experience the universality of who you are. Science proves beyond doubt that the whole of existence is just one energy manifesting in various forms. If this scientific fact becomes a living reality for you, if you begin to experience everything as one, you have got the message of the Gita right.
Just because the Bhagvat Gita represents the epitome of Vedas that were evolved in Indic civilisation in the land between the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean, it cannot be regarded as a Hindu religious text. In fact, at the time it was made public, the word Hindu did not even exist inasmuch as this word was coined much later and that too by the outsiders for identifying the civilization that had thrived on the banks of river Indus. Terming it as Hindu is akin to saying that the digit ‘zero’ is Hindu or that the theory of relativity is Jewish! Bhagwat Gita, it may be asserted with full responsibility, has nothing to do with any creed or faith.
The question is: are you looking for solace and/or for a solution? If you want solace, belief in anything is solace; belief in anything is fine; it will settle you psychologically. If you want a solution, Bhagwat Gita provides you even that. The need of the hour is peace of mind. A tranquil mind is the foundation on which the edifice of success, happiness and growth can be built. The Gita gives you the ability to remain peaceful in the midst of noise and confusion prevailing around. It speaks of a dynamic peace where the mind is at rest, intellect sharp and actions brilliant. It offers a peace that cannot be shattered by a changing world; a strong, resilient peace, not a fragile equilibrium. The world pays homage to one who is at peace with himself and the world.
No other Indian text has attracted more attention from foreigners than the Bhagavad Gita. No wonder that it has been highly praised, not only by prominent Indians like Gandhi, Nehru, Aurbindo and Radhakrishnan but also by prominent foreigners like Aldous Huxley, Henry D Thoreau, R. W. Emersson, Carl Jung, Herman Hesse, Bulent Ecevit and many others. In fact, the physicist, Robert Oppenheimer, who watched the massive explosion and blinding flash of the mushroom cloud of the first atomic bomb test in New Mexico, claimed that when he saw that, two verses from the Gita came instantly to his mind:
Divi sooryasahasrasya bhavedyugapadutthitaa; Yadi bhaah sadrishee saa syaadbhaasastasya mahaatmanah
If a thousand suns were to raise in the heavens at the same time, the blaze of their light would resemble the splendor of that supreme spirit. (Bhagavat Gita 11:12)
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