Today is the sacred day on which it is said that Lord Krishna spoke the Divine Song (Bhagavad Gita) to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. But what importance does the Bhagavad Gita have in our lives today?
There was an elderly couple living in the mountains. They were of simple means but extremely devoted and pious. The man would sit every morning at the small temple in the home and read passages of the Bhagavad Gita. The couple's grandson lived with them and he was enamored of his grandfather. The young boy would emulate everything his grandfather did.
One day the boy came, sat in his grandfather's lap and said, "Grandfather, I see you read the Bhagavad Gita every morning and I see the way your eyes fill with tears. I have heard you tell so many people that the Gita has changed your life. So, I too have started to try to read the Gita, but I do not understand it. Further, if I do understand a small passage, a few short hours after reading it I forget what I have read." The old man simply said, "Do not worry, my child, if you understand it or not. Just keep reading it." So the boy did as he was instructed. However, a few weeks later again he came to sit in his grandfather's lap and again he admitted, "Grandpa, I have done what you say, but still I do not understand it or I forget so quickly. It seems like such a waste of time. Why is it so important to keep reading if I am not benefiting?"
At this, the Grandfather handed the young boy an empty basket that was used for carrying coal. He said to his grandson, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me a basket of water." So the boy did as his grandfather instructed, but inevitably he returned with an empty basket, for it had all leaked out the many holes before reaching home. Again the grandfather sent the boy to the river, telling him, "Bring it faster next time, before it leaks out." So the boy ran quickly from the river to the home, holding the basket as water poured out. Again the basket was empty long before arriving at his grandparents' house. He told his grandfather that carrying water in a basket was impossible and instead he would require a bucket or pail. But the grandfather was firm, "I don't want a bucket of water," he said. "I want a basket of water. You'll have to try harder next time."
This went on for 5 or 6 rounds from the river to the house, each time the boy would arrive, breathless from his sprint, but the basket was always empty. Finally the boy dropped to his knees and said, "Grandfather it is useless." The grandfather sat down, took the boy and basket in his lap and smiled. "You think it is useless, my child?" he asked. "Have a look at the basket." The boy turned his attention from the lack of water to the actual basket itself, and it noticed that where before it had been black and dirty from all the coal, now it was clean and beautiful. The trips to the river, attempting to carry back the water, had washed the basket clean.
The grandfather said, "Just as you may not have succeeded in carrying the water to me, your act of trying has served to transform the dirty, old basket into a clean, beautiful one. Similarly, you may not succeed in understanding or remembering everything in the Gita, but the act of reading it cleans you, from the inside out! When Lord Krishna enters our lives we too become new and transformed."
Bhagavad Gita literally means Song of God, Song of the Soul, Song of the Spirit. Like any truly divine song, the language of the original lyrics and the religion of the original singer are irrelevant. For once it has been written and sung, the song itself becomes alive, bursting forth across oceans and mountain ranges, breaking all barriers of caste, creed, nationality. Such is the power of a divine song. However, as the original "singer" of the Gita is Bhagwan Shri Krishna, Himself, this is the holiest and most sacred of all the songs of God. Therefore, its power to transform, to heal, to uplift is as limitless as the Singer.
The Bhagavad Gita is not a scripture reserved for Hindus. Rather, the messages and teachings are universal. Regardless of your religion or culture, the Gita will surely bring great insight, awareness and upliftment to your life.
There was an elderly couple living in the mountains. They were of simple means but extremely devoted and pious. The man would sit every morning at the small temple in the home and read passages of the Bhagavad Gita. The couple's grandson lived with them and he was enamored of his grandfather. The young boy would emulate everything his grandfather did.
One day the boy came, sat in his grandfather's lap and said, "Grandfather, I see you read the Bhagavad Gita every morning and I see the way your eyes fill with tears. I have heard you tell so many people that the Gita has changed your life. So, I too have started to try to read the Gita, but I do not understand it. Further, if I do understand a small passage, a few short hours after reading it I forget what I have read." The old man simply said, "Do not worry, my child, if you understand it or not. Just keep reading it." So the boy did as he was instructed. However, a few weeks later again he came to sit in his grandfather's lap and again he admitted, "Grandpa, I have done what you say, but still I do not understand it or I forget so quickly. It seems like such a waste of time. Why is it so important to keep reading if I am not benefiting?"
At this, the Grandfather handed the young boy an empty basket that was used for carrying coal. He said to his grandson, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me a basket of water." So the boy did as his grandfather instructed, but inevitably he returned with an empty basket, for it had all leaked out the many holes before reaching home. Again the grandfather sent the boy to the river, telling him, "Bring it faster next time, before it leaks out." So the boy ran quickly from the river to the home, holding the basket as water poured out. Again the basket was empty long before arriving at his grandparents' house. He told his grandfather that carrying water in a basket was impossible and instead he would require a bucket or pail. But the grandfather was firm, "I don't want a bucket of water," he said. "I want a basket of water. You'll have to try harder next time."
This went on for 5 or 6 rounds from the river to the house, each time the boy would arrive, breathless from his sprint, but the basket was always empty. Finally the boy dropped to his knees and said, "Grandfather it is useless." The grandfather sat down, took the boy and basket in his lap and smiled. "You think it is useless, my child?" he asked. "Have a look at the basket." The boy turned his attention from the lack of water to the actual basket itself, and it noticed that where before it had been black and dirty from all the coal, now it was clean and beautiful. The trips to the river, attempting to carry back the water, had washed the basket clean.
The grandfather said, "Just as you may not have succeeded in carrying the water to me, your act of trying has served to transform the dirty, old basket into a clean, beautiful one. Similarly, you may not succeed in understanding or remembering everything in the Gita, but the act of reading it cleans you, from the inside out! When Lord Krishna enters our lives we too become new and transformed."
Bhagavad Gita literally means Song of God, Song of the Soul, Song of the Spirit. Like any truly divine song, the language of the original lyrics and the religion of the original singer are irrelevant. For once it has been written and sung, the song itself becomes alive, bursting forth across oceans and mountain ranges, breaking all barriers of caste, creed, nationality. Such is the power of a divine song. However, as the original "singer" of the Gita is Bhagwan Shri Krishna, Himself, this is the holiest and most sacred of all the songs of God. Therefore, its power to transform, to heal, to uplift is as limitless as the Singer.
The Bhagavad Gita is not a scripture reserved for Hindus. Rather, the messages and teachings are universal. Regardless of your religion or culture, the Gita will surely bring great insight, awareness and upliftment to your life.
Mahatma Gandhi said, "When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagavad-Gita...I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies and my life has been full of external tragedies. If they have left no visible, no indelible scar on me, I owe it all to the teachings of Bhagavad-Gita."
It has been said that the Upanishads are the cows, Krishna is the cowherd, Arjuna is the calf, and the Gita is the milk. But, it is not just any milk. This milk is nectar that flowed from the Gods with the power to heal the sick, comfort the lonely, guide the lost, uplift the fallen and bring peace to the troubled. The milk is gentle and pure enough for a baby, but strong enough for a warrior.
The Gita is a journey from depression and despondency to devotion. Arjuna was despondent and dismayed as he surveyed the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Suddenly the great warrior lay down his arms. He told Krishna that he could not fight. "I see in the opposing army my cousins, my uncles, my revered teachers. It would be better to renounce the kingdom than to fight with those who are so close to me," he bemoans. Thus begins the Bhagavad Gita.
Lord Krishna takes Arjuna on the journey from despondency to devotion - devotion to God and devotion to his own dharma. That is the divine gift of the Gita: to carry us from a state of despair to a state of joy.
The teachings of the Gita are not applicable merely to life on a battlefield, when war with our relatives is imminent. Rather the true battlefield is within us. Through the story of Arjuna and the war of Kurukshetra, Bhagwan Shri Krishna gives us lessons for our lives. The real Kurukshetra is within us. Each of us is Arjuna, struggling with right and wrong, temptation, fear and frustration. Our bodies are our chariots, being driven all too frequently by our senses as the horses. The mind, ego, desires, lust and greed are the evil Kaurvas with whom we must do righteous battle, from whom we must not shy away in fear. If we give the reins of our lives to God (as Arjuna made Krishna his divine charioteer), we will surely be victorious.
If we, too want to transform our lives from despair and depression to devotion and delight we merely have to allow ourselves to be bathed in the Bhagavad Gita's divine and healing powers.
Lord Krishna takes Arjuna on the journey from despondency to devotion - devotion to God and devotion to his own dharma. That is the divine gift of the Gita: to carry us from a state of despair to a state of joy.
The teachings of the Gita are not applicable merely to life on a battlefield, when war with our relatives is imminent. Rather the true battlefield is within us. Through the story of Arjuna and the war of Kurukshetra, Bhagwan Shri Krishna gives us lessons for our lives. The real Kurukshetra is within us. Each of us is Arjuna, struggling with right and wrong, temptation, fear and frustration. Our bodies are our chariots, being driven all too frequently by our senses as the horses. The mind, ego, desires, lust and greed are the evil Kaurvas with whom we must do righteous battle, from whom we must not shy away in fear. If we give the reins of our lives to God (as Arjuna made Krishna his divine charioteer), we will surely be victorious.
If we, too want to transform our lives from despair and depression to devotion and delight we merely have to allow ourselves to be bathed in the Bhagavad Gita's divine and healing powers.
With love and blessings always to you and your loved ones.
In the service of God and humanity,
Swami Chidanand Saraswati
Swami Chidanand Saraswati
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