Friday, April 28, 2017

GEMS FROM BHAGAVAD GITA - Kshudram hridaya dourbalyam thyakthvotthishta - Throw out the weakness of your Heart


GEMS FROM 

BHAGAVAD GITA


Bhagavad Gita was proclaimed by Lord Krishna on the turf of Kurukshetra, the Battle field of Mahabharata War. 

While the Main purpose of Lord Krishna was to advice Arjuna and bring him out of his moroseness and aversion to fight the war, Lord Krishna made this an occasion to teach Arjuna the complete science of Yoga. 

Bhagavad Gita is also well known and well-acknowledged as (i)  Upanishad (or summary of Vedas), (ii) knowledge of the supreme (or Brahma vidya) and (iii) Yoga Sastra(or science of Yoga). 

As Upanishad, it teaches us the very essence of the Vedas. It teaches us the knowledge of the supreme (or, Brahman), which is the essence of the Vedas. It also teaches us the complete Yoga Sastra, which is the route to understand Brahman. 

Every Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, or Gita in short, is called a “Yoga”. Yoga means unification. There are 18 chapters (or 18 yogas) in Gita. 

The phrase “Complete Yoga Sastra” means and implies – the complete Art and Science of Human Living. Bhagavad Gita contains answers to almost all of our questions on how we must live, and how we must not.

Our education, knowledge and wisdom are most certainly not complete, until we have understood the Art and Science of Living in the Gita.

I will endeavour to place before you the CHOICEST SLOKAS, or, the Gems from the Gita, with their meaning and significance. Enjoy the same. Explore the same. Employ the same in your life. And, Give me your suggestions and criticisms.

We will look at the slokas specifically spoken by Lord Krishna and not the other slokas. In them also, we will choose the very Best and avoid repetitions containing same meaning or purport. 

The first chapter of Gita is Arjuna Vishada Yoga, or, the sorrow of Arjuna. Arjuna always thought that the war was with the 100 kauravas, the evil sons of Dhritarashtra. He was well prepared and determined to kill them all. But now, when he is on the war field in his chariot driven by Lord Krishna, he finds that, he is  facing, first and foremost, his most beloved grandsire, Bhishma and his most respected Guru, Drona. He never expected this, when he was preparing for the war. 

He did not want to fight these two great loved and honoured elders, whom he respects and loves so much, come what may. He was not interested in getting a kingdom soiled by their blood. For that reason, he was now willing to let go the Kauravas also, who were under their protection. 

Krishna listened to this ranting of Arjuna for all of the first chapter of Arjuna Vishada Yoga, containing 47 slokas, without speaking a word. 

Now Arjuna stopped his speech, put his arrows and his great Bow, the Gandeeva down, sat down morosely and said, Krishna, I will not fight. 

Krishna, even now, was not willing to advice. But, he started chiding Arjuna for his sorrow.

Let us see what he says :

Kuthasthvaa kasmalamidham vishame samupasthitam |
Anaaryajushtamasvargam akeertikaramarjuna          || (2.2)

Lord Krishna said :

From where has this moroseness and dejection come to you O Arjuna, it is disgraceful. It bars you from Heaven, from fame, and is never liked by great people.

Klaibyam maa sma gamah Paartha naithatva yyupapadyathe |
Kshudram hridaya dourbalyam thyakthvotthishta Paranthapa || (2.3)

O Partha, Give up this impotence. It does not befit you. This faint heartedness is most disgraceful. Abandon it  and Get up immediately, O, scorcher of Foes.

I have given the slokas and their meanings. 

The most important words of Lord Krishna here, which we must focus on are – “Kshudram hridaya dourbalyam thyakthvotthishta.” 

“Faintheartedness” or "weanesses of the heart" - is disgraceful. 

Abandon it and Get Up, says Lord Krishna, to Arjuna, and to all of us. 

Hridaya Dourbalyam is a very significant word. Your heart is filled with all sorts of weaknesses. These weaknesses are extraordinarily disabling for you. 

Because of them, You are now unable and unwilling. You don’t want to do what you must do. You want to turn away from your Life's call, your most sacred duty and trot out excuses for it. This mindset is dangerous for you and for anybody else.. It is not fit for people who want to succeed in life. You must come out of it. 

This is the first Great Teaching in the Gita. Do not be faint Hearted. Do not give in to forces like timidity, diffidence, laziness, and such other backward-pulling forces. Throw out these feelings from your heart. 

Krishna addresses Arjuna as, "O scorcher of thy enemies". Arjuna was always known as the most Courageous warrior on earth. He was not afraid of fighting any human being, any Gandharvas, any Devas, even the king of Devas namely Indra, and even the Great Siva himself. This was his past record.

But, when hridaya Dourbalyam or weaknesses of the mind(or heart) has entered into him, even the Great Arjuna wants to get away from his most loved and desired call of life. Lord Krishna is warning Arjuna against Arjuna these weaknesses.

What causes Hridaya Dourbalyam? 

Kama(excessive/undue desire), Krodha(anger), lobha(greed), moha(delusion), madha (unreasonable pride), maatsarya(disliking others for their being better than you) and finally, Bhaya (fear). These are the seven dreaded Enemies of every human being. 

We will definitely examine them in detail elsewhere. 

But, for now, You must clearly understand this first and foremost teaching of Gita. It is Lord Krishna's first advice to Arjuna, and by inference, his first advice to you, me and all of us.

What is that?

Khsudram Hradya Dourbalyam. Thyakthvottishta !

Give up all weaknessness of your Heart. Throw them out. Get up and Get ready (to achieve your great goals)!

Yours sincerely,

(V.Vijayamohan)

Author of :

“Comprehensive Treatise on Patanjali Yogasutras”