The Bhagavad Gita is a word made from two words, Bhagavad means God and Gita mean Song, which together combines and makes it as ‘The Song of God’.
The spiritual discourse of Shrimad Bhagwat Gita was delivered in the middle of the battle field by Lord Krishna to his Sakha Arjuna when he felt weak while fighting against the Kauravas, his teachers and relatives. The Gita is an ancient text which is also called Gita or Bhagwat Gita and is considered to be the universal truth doctrine which has been influencing people all over the world for many centuries. This religious book is a part of the epic –MAHABHARATA and ascribed by a sage – Ved Vyasa. This book has been considered to be a holy text that gives answers to unasked questions and has been sworn to be the most relevant book in all times and situations. The Gita is known to hold the knowledge about the self, the soul, God, liberation, yoga, Dharma and much more.
It makes relevant reading for all types of people….in fact, it has been said that the young can learn how to live from Gita, the old gain the wisdom of death, the Learned read it to learn humility, the ignorant seek wisdom in its words, the rich study the Gita for compassion, the poor on the other and read it for comfort, the dreamers seek enchantment in its shlokas, the practical study it for counsel, the weak gain strength from it, the strong find direction in its words, the haughty get warned from its knowledge, the humble study it for exaltation, the troubled have been known to find peace within its pages, the weary seek rest, the doubting read it for assurance, the sinners for salvation and finally all humans study this sacred text for guidance. In fact, this composition has been winning over the hearts of all those who seek truth, are looking for perfection and are interested in the complete science of everything, including the science of living. It presents life, as it is, which was originally spoken to Arjuna by Lord Krishna in the battlefield of Mahabharata approximately 5000 years ago, and what is surprising is that the same text was so powerful that it continues to be relevant even in today’s world after the passage of thousands of years.
The Bhagwat Gita is not limited to only the Indian subcontinent. In fact, such is the power of this holy text that there is not a single language in the world in which it has not been translated. Just like the Quran and the Bible are known all over the world, The Bhagwat Gita is also known all over the world for its wisdom and guiding power.
The Bhagwat Gita is neither restricted to nor applicable to only a particular community, in fact, it is the universal science of the soul and is known to compel one to embrace divinity and find solace in its divine qualities. The knowledge of the Gita is said to be timeless- eternal and hence it remains to be relevant even after more than 5000 years of coming into existence.
The battle of Mahabharata could have never been won by the Pandavas had Arjuna not cleared his doubts and decided to fight. It is said that Arjuna got struck by a moment of self doubt at the beginning of the battle and such was the power of that self doubt that he decided to renounce the world and give up the thought of fighting. We all are Arjuns and all these self doubts are attacking is in many forms every second of our lives. The world is a battlefield and it requires great humility to ask perfect questions. Some even say that asking questions is the beginning of finding answers. Arjuna had that humility and hence he surrendered to Lord Krishna to get the answers to his confusion. We too can seek all that we want from the divine text of The Bhagwat Gita. Even though at first it might seem that all that the text contains was specifically meant for Arjuna but that is not true. A close study of the Gita tells us that all the answers to our day to day problems lie within its sacred pages.
It has been rightly said and that too by the divine text of The Gita itself, that – On this path, effort never goes to waste. There is no failure. Even a little effort towards spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear…. Be it the fear of failure, or the fear of public ridicule, The Gita has an answer to every question. Right knowledge is the ultimate solution to all our problems, and where else to find this knowledge than within the pages of this ancient text!
For those who say that The Gita is nothing but a myth….it can be said with complete conviction that The Bhagwat Gita is a complete science of both- spirit and matter from a holistic perspective. This text provides timeless science that is applicable to every human race in every corner of the world. Albert Einstein, the great scientist has said- When I read the Bhagwat Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous. Such was the power of this text that it left the biggest personalities of all times speechless. Mahatma Gandhi too has said that- when doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare at me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to the Bhagwat Gita and find a verse to comfort me, and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on The Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day.
The power of this text is such that it convinces us that we are tiny particles having the same quality as that of the absolute divinity-Lord Krishna. Even when we crave for relationships in this short journey of life, we forget that all relationships are temporary and most are the biggest sources of our agony. When we connect ourselves to The Divine Him through this Divine text, it turns even our temporary relationships divine and teaches us to look at them in the right perspective. The biggest lesson that The Gita teaches us is that we are not merely matter, we are a spiritual soul, a conscious being.
The timeless and universal message of The Gita is all-encompassing in its expression of truth. The words of Lord Krishna as spoken to his Sakha Arjuna are at once a miraculous amalgamation of a scripture on the science of yoga, union with God, and a text book on everyday living. Reading this sacred text answers questions that bombard our minds ever second of our conscious lives. The Gita is loved by millions because it describes the Laws of Nature and shows a clear path to ascension. One of the quotes of Gita righty say –We are kept from our goal, Not by obstacles, But by a clear path to a lesser Goal. The Gita in its wisdom, through this quote shows us that it is not always good to take an easier path. The Greatest of Glory comes to those who show the Greatest of Guts. The underlying essential truths of all great world scriptures can find common amity in the infinite wisdom of the Gitas mere 700 concise verses. The same verse will mean different things to the same person when read in different circumstances….such is the versatility of this text. Those who study Gita, even a little bit, drink just a drop of water from the holy Ganga, worship Lord Krishna with love even once, Yama, the God of death has no control over them. ॥20॥
Finally the biggest lesson that The Bhagwat Gita teaches us is that-
Man is made by his belief,
As he believes, so he is.
By Dr. Swati Jindal Garg
