Author: JG Arora
Publication: Organiser
Date: October 25, 2009
URL: http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=314&page=15
Bhagvad Gita, literally meaning the Divine
Song, is a practical guide to day-to-day life. It is meant for them who want
to achieve supreme success and excellence. It is meant also for them who wish
to transcend suffering and misery. Gita helps them also who want to live a
life of contentment and divine blessedness. Because of its theme and content,
Gita has got universal appeal, and will help anyone realise his dreams.
Bhagvad Geeta contains just 701 shlokas (verses),
and occurs in Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata. As per Adi Shankara, Bhagvad Gita
is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of Vedic scriptures.
Gita is a practical guide to day-to-day problems,
challenges and obligations of life. It takes us to real freedom and real success.
Gita stipulates that real freedom is freedom from attachment, aversion, ego,
greed, anger and fear. For Gita, real worship consists of doing one's duty
with perfection without being distracted by thoughts of outcome of our action.
It liberates us from all bondages, doubts, self-imposed limitations, anxieties
and fears, and enables us to lead happier, fuller, contented, peaceful, blissful
and supremely successful life.
Detachment and Yoga
As per Gita, detachment does not mean inaction or renunciation of action.
Detachment means renunciation of expectation of reward of action. It repeatedly
emphasises performance of duty without getting distracted by the thoughts
of outcome of our action. Shloka 2.47, the most quoted but the most misunderstood
shloka, is reproduced as follows:-
Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadaachan,
Ma karmphal heturbhurma tey sangoastav akarmani.
(Your right is only to do your duty, and not
to its fruit or result. Neither the result of your action should be your motive,
nor should you become inactive"). This shloka does not glorify inaction
or fatalism, as it is generally misunderstood. Rather, it makes us focussed
towards our duty, and instructs us not to be distracted by brooding over outcome
of our efforts.
Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning union. In
spiritual context, linking oneself with the Supreme is called Yoga. Vide shloka
8.27, the Lord advises Arjun to be always immersed in Yoga (sarveshu ka1eshu
yogayukta bhava Arjun). Moreover, Yoga means having complete control over
one's mind and senses. Here, it is relevant to refer to shloka 2.48:
Yogasthah kuru karmani sang tyaktva Dhananjay,
Sidh asidhyo samo bhutva samatvam yoga uchyate.
(O Arjun! Be steeped in Yoga and do your duty
in a detached manner unconcerned as to success or failure. This equanimity
is called Yoga).
Same point is repeated in shloka 6.1 which
stipulates that he who does his duty without caring for its fruit is a real
Sanyasi and Yogi. Adding another dimension to Yoga, shloka 2.50 elevates duty
to the status of Yoga since Yoga means doing one's duty with perfection (yogah
karmsu kaushalam).
Fight for justice
Gita teaches that it is our duty to fight for justice.
Bhagvad Gita is the journey of a despondent
Arjun, who, faced with the prospect of fighting his near and dear ones in
the battle, has thrown away his weapons in the battlefield (as narrated in
shloka 1.47), to a self-assured Arjun ready to fight (as described in shloka
18.73). Arjun's refusal to face the challenge at Kurukshetra is explained
in shloka 1.47 as follows:
Evam uktava Arjun sankhye rathopasth upavisht,
Visarijya sasharam chapam shok sanvigna manasah.
(Thus, uttering the despondent words, grief
stricken Arjun threw away his bow and arrows, and sat down on the chariot
in the battlefield).
Gita is replete with Bhagwan's exhortations
to Arjun to get up and fight. Shloka 2.3 starts this transformation:
Klaibyam ma sama gamah Partha naitatava yupapadyate,
Khshudram hrudaya dourbalyam tayaktvo uttishtha prantapa.
(O Partha, do not yield to weakness. It does
not become you to yield to weakness. O scorcher of foes, shake off faint heartedness,
and get up).
The Lord tells Arjun to engage in the battle
without worrying over its outcome. Just visualise the motivation contained
in shloka number 2.38:
Sukh dukhe same krutava labh alabhou jaya
ajayaou,
tato yudhay yujasva na tvam papam vapasyasi.
(Treating pleasure and pain, gain and loss,
victory and defeat alike, engage in the battle. Thus, you will not incur sin).
After this, the Lord continues to guide and
resolve Arjun's doubts culminating in Arjun's transformation and readiness
to face any situation as described in Shloka 18.73:
Nashto mohah smruti labdha tavat prasadanmaya
achyut,
Sthito asmi gata sandehah karishye vachanam tva.
(By Your grace, my apprehension is gone, and
I have regained my senses. All my doubts are destroyed, and I shall do as
desired by You).
Timeless and universal message
Gita's message is timeless and universal,
and is applicable to all situations, all times and all places. It cannot be
confined just to a war like situation.
As per Gita, we are not just the body, the material beings. Rather, we are
spiritual beings, the imperishable Aatma. The knowledge that we are the Aatma,
a part of divinity, gives the proper direction to our life. Liberating us
from our limitations, bondages, attachments, aversions, ego, greed, anger
and fears, Gita makes us lead happier, fuller, meaningful, contented, and
superbly successful life.
Besides, Gita proclaims that combination of
wisdom and valour brings glory and victory as shloka 18.78 (the last shloka
of Gita) declares:
Yatra yogeshwarah Krishno yatra Paartho dhanurdharah,
tatra shreervijayo bhootirdhruvaa neetir matirmama.
(Wherever Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, and Arjun,
the wielder of bow are there; wealth, victory and prosperity are bound to
follow).
(The author is former Chief Commissioner of
Income Tax and can be contacted at jgarora@gmail.com)
