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”
