The Bible of the Hindus
The' Bhagavad Gita' is in a sense the Bible of the Hindus. 'Bhagavad Gita' means 'Divine Song'. The Bhagavad Gita or Gita is a portion of the Mahabharata Epic and is a collection of God’s answers to man’s questions about life, as envisioned by the author of the Mahabharata, Sage Vyasa.
In the Gita, God is represented by "Krishna", a pivotal character in the Mahabharata, who is believed by Hindus to be an incarnation of God. Mankind is represented by "Arjuna", an Indian Prince, who along with his four brothers was unjustly banished from his own Kingdom and went to war to win back what was rightfully theirs. The stage is set for the Gita when Arjuna gets ready on the battlefield and all of a sudden, loses heart and wishes he did not have to see bloodshed in order to get justice. He throws away all his armour and bowing before Lord Krishna, who assumes the role of Arjuna’s charioteer in the war, says he does not want to fight.
Lord Krishna’s response to Arjuna’s dilemma, the subsequent questions from Arjuna about life and its purpose, and Krishna’s answers all together make the Gita. Lord Krishna seeing Arjuna's dilemma and sorrow at the prospect of bloodshed, tells him,``Arjuna, you grieve over those who should not be grieved for and yet speak like the learned; wise men do not grieve over the dead or the living.'' Krishna talks about transmigration and explains that anything that comes into existence and perishes is impermanent, whereas the soul is permanent and never ceases to exist. Wise men are free from the existential bane that all of us experience and are therefore free from any state of existence. Karma is the bane of our existence and getting rid of karma is the answer to the illusion of our existence.
Usually, some emotional crisis is essential to force man to come to grips with his life and drive him towards understanding the meaning of life. Such an emotional crisis forms the basis for the Gita. The profound spritual knowledge which can liberate man eternally from "samsarik" bondage is imparted in the Gita. The Gita portrays the brave warrior prince Arjuna undergoing an intense emotional dilemma in the battlefield. Lord Krishna, his charioteer, becomes his Guru (Teacher), and thereby, the 'Jagadguru' (World Teacher).
The central message of the Gita for modern man is contained in a single verse, which when translated in English equates roughly to the following - "Seek not the fruits of your action but do your duty in this world and dedicate it to Me". There are several occasions in our lives when we wonder about our "rat race" and its relevance in the grand scheme of things. The Gita exorts us to perform our duties irrespective of the grand scheme of things, for nothing in this Universe ceases to perform action. The sun does not cease to rise every morning and set at night. To run away from the world and our duties is not an act of bravery, but one of cowardice.
In the Gita, God is represented by "Krishna", a pivotal character in the Mahabharata, who is believed by Hindus to be an incarnation of God. Mankind is represented by "Arjuna", an Indian Prince, who along with his four brothers was unjustly banished from his own Kingdom and went to war to win back what was rightfully theirs. The stage is set for the Gita when Arjuna gets ready on the battlefield and all of a sudden, loses heart and wishes he did not have to see bloodshed in order to get justice. He throws away all his armour and bowing before Lord Krishna, who assumes the role of Arjuna’s charioteer in the war, says he does not want to fight.
Lord Krishna’s response to Arjuna’s dilemma, the subsequent questions from Arjuna about life and its purpose, and Krishna’s answers all together make the Gita. Lord Krishna seeing Arjuna's dilemma and sorrow at the prospect of bloodshed, tells him,``Arjuna, you grieve over those who should not be grieved for and yet speak like the learned; wise men do not grieve over the dead or the living.'' Krishna talks about transmigration and explains that anything that comes into existence and perishes is impermanent, whereas the soul is permanent and never ceases to exist. Wise men are free from the existential bane that all of us experience and are therefore free from any state of existence. Karma is the bane of our existence and getting rid of karma is the answer to the illusion of our existence.
Usually, some emotional crisis is essential to force man to come to grips with his life and drive him towards understanding the meaning of life. Such an emotional crisis forms the basis for the Gita. The profound spritual knowledge which can liberate man eternally from "samsarik" bondage is imparted in the Gita. The Gita portrays the brave warrior prince Arjuna undergoing an intense emotional dilemma in the battlefield. Lord Krishna, his charioteer, becomes his Guru (Teacher), and thereby, the 'Jagadguru' (World Teacher).
The central message of the Gita for modern man is contained in a single verse, which when translated in English equates roughly to the following - "Seek not the fruits of your action but do your duty in this world and dedicate it to Me". There are several occasions in our lives when we wonder about our "rat race" and its relevance in the grand scheme of things. The Gita exorts us to perform our duties irrespective of the grand scheme of things, for nothing in this Universe ceases to perform action. The sun does not cease to rise every morning and set at night. To run away from the world and our duties is not an act of bravery, but one of cowardice.
posted by jasdeep_grover26 at 11:23 AM
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