Gita, a practical code to man's life

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, once visiting down south, was propagating the message of the Bhagavad Gita to a huge audience. One among the listeners was in tears and the saint thought this particular person was more impressed and moved by his speech than others. When he was approached, the devotee said he was unlettered and had not understood even a single syllable of the talk. But all the same, he said, he was moved by the ecstatic spectacle of Lord Krishna driving the chariot while Arjuna was seated in it. This grand vision touched his heart and hence the tears, he explained.

Gita is not just a scripture for intellectual appreciation. It is a positive, pragmatic code to regulate man's life and to answer all situations. It is universal in character, dealing primarily with one who has to live in this world, love his neighbours and leave, when the call comes. Life has to be purposeful and the Lord's message in the Gita lays down the dictum that man should be free form malice and be friendly even to one who envies him. He should be ever kind to those who have gone astray and remain ever-balanced. He should be forbearing and forgiving. The Lord says that man should cultivate equanimity even under the most disturbing circumstances. "Look upon friends and foes alike, ignore both obloquy and honour, be indifferent to praise or blame," Sri Krishna says.

In a lecture, Sri N. Giridhari Prasad said "Devotion is not mere external symbolism. It is a quality of the heart." It is a one way traffic where one always gives and never takes anything in return. Out of the four types of people who approach God --to secure worldly benefits, to seek real knowledge, to regain what was lost and to be ever at His service, the supreme devotee submits himself without expecting any reward. Life should also be wedded to daily activities. Mere bland action is 'Karma' but when impregnated with desireless devotion and service, it turns into Karma Yoga, which is doing an act without expecting any return.

The deleterious quality of action is neutralised by desireless service. Salvation is realisation of the soul's eternal function of unalloyed service to God, which is the climax of all duties enjoined by the scriptures. King Janaka attained eternity only by actions done without desire. The Lord says that all acts should be consecrated to Him. As a devotee, one should perform his duties leaving the results to God.
                                                                    October 8, 1993

A true devotee must do his ordained duties

Persons who seek divine mercy and guidance may be eager to understand the correct import of certain terms which they come across in the field of religion. Who can be called a devotee? It cannot refer to one who claims himself as devoted. God should acknowledge him as His devotee.

The term Dharma can be applied to those acts which please God. This may vary from time to time and from man to man: For instance, in the Mahabharatha, the Lord asks the most virtuous Yudhishtira to utter a statement which may appear contrary to rules prohibiting utterance of falsehood. But the circumstances of a situation when Drona was ferocious, a shock-treatment of this nature was required. The oft-used word 'Maya' can be defined as God's win.

The sermon on the battlefield of Lord Krishna, called the Bhagavad Gita, explains the manner in which a devotee can please God by carrying out the ordained duties casting aside all desires for the fruits of his actions. God advocates equality of temperament in success or failure. The 'Yoga' prescribed in this holy text means a 'technique' and the Yogi is the technician who is qualified to do his job perfectly, with ease and precision, thereby achieving deservedly the best results. The Gita is a sublime book of technology given to the suffering mankind. God governs the cosmos as per the Divine Laws spelt out in this text. A devotee who knows these Laws and abides by them will be assured of a life full of joy and bliss, devoid of sorrow, stress and tension. Krishna teaches the dejected Arjuna to execute his job to get the best results on both material and spiritual planes. So done, the acts in turn will assure a person a dynamic peaceful life full of contentment and tranquillity.

Sri Anand Teerth Baitmangalkar, in a lecture, said the Lord asks His disciple to cultivate a devotional attitude by the application of pure intelligence and perform his duties disinterestedly. A devotee will be balanced in pleasure and pain and will be ever harmonised. The Lord says that those who strictly follow the gradual steps to spiritual progress related by Him in the Gita, are dear to Him. Devotees should understand that they are mere instruments in the hands of the Lord and realise that He is the indwelling monitor of all hearts. The core of His message to mankind runs thus: "Take shelter in Me alone as the highest Divinity. I shall deliver you from all sins."
                                                                    March 19, 1994

Man should cultivate good qualities

Every human being experiences in his or her life, three different types of modifications in his or her activities, in his or her conduct and attitudes. In the lowest state among the three, there is a predominance of lethargy and heedlessness. In the next stage, he may show restlessness, attachment and thirst for the pleasures of life. The highest state connotes purity, wisdom and happiness. Scriptures indicate that the first two stages of inertia, ignorance, and passion should be discarded and a person should cultivate good qualities and perform his duties dedicating them to God.

The Bhagavad Gita broadly rates these three constituents of worldly activities as the impure, the alloyed and the pure. In the ultimate analysis, he or she should endeavour to gain self-realisation, and give up the initial temperaments and rise to the first, dedicating all activities to the Lord and reach beyond the three states. Sri Krishna has advised aspirants to remain peaceful by absolving themselves from such relative sentiments as honour and dishonour, gain and loss, victory or defeat and desisting from the search after unattainable objects and freeing from anxiety to preserve the obtained objects. (called "Yoga" and "Kshema"). " Attain the highest end in the spiritual realm, beyond the three qualities" says Krishna to Arjuna.

The influence of the three tendencies had been explained by Swami Ramakrishna through a story. A traveller, passing through a dense forest, was attacked suddenly by three robbers. One of them said that the money could be taken and the man killed. The second suggested that after depriving him of the possession, he could be left tied to a tree. The third wanted him to be let free after depriving him of his money. The first and second removed the cash and left the place whereas the third saw to the victim's safe journey till his house and then vanished. The three represent infatuation, passion and purity respectively. (Thamas, Rajas and Satwa).

Sri C. V. Sivaramakrishna Sarma in a discourse, next referred to the unreasonable and adamant nature of a king in demanding from his royal priest to give him the very next day, a practical demonstration of obtaining liberation. The aged scholar was puzzled hut his granddaughter assured him that she could solve the problem. The next morning after securing an assurance from the king that he would obey her directives without questioning them, she took him and her grandfather to a chamber which had two pillars and tied them separately asking them to get the bonds removed. "How can I," each one said as both were kept tied. She explained to the ruler that salvation has to be shown only by one who had himself known and reached that stage. To realise God should be the goal of everyone, gaining enlightenment through spiritual knowledge and getting rid of all types of bondage.
                                                                    May 23, 1994

Be not as ignorant as musk deer

In spite of remarkable achievements in various fields, man is unhappy. But everything will be fine for him, if only he learns to be humble and accept the fact that what he thinks he has gained, was made possible for him by God. He should acknowledge that God has helped him to register the progress he has made and His guidance is absolutely necessary in all his endeavours. Such a faith is necessary as the first step for his spiritual advancement even while he lives in this material world.

Saint Ramadas once visited an Anjaneya temple. The priest, who felt himself to be a very important person and went out to fetch water, ignoring the presence of Ramdas who prostrated behind his back. This was repeated even after the priest returned. The peculiar conduct of the visitor surprised the priest who asked him why he prostrated behind him. Ramdas replied that the salutations were not for him but to Anjaneya who had entered the temple when the priest left and made his exit when the priest came back. The latter realised his guilt bf not displaying humility despite his learning.

Real happiness does not lie in satisfying one's desires. Love and attachment bind men, causing despair. Refusing to be lured by their glamour, man should direct his attention towards God. Happiness thus lies in transcending the worldly attraction. Like the deluded musk deer which does not know that the scent emanates from a gland in its body, a person fails to realise that the source of joy is within him, i.e. his own Self. Two verses in Bhagavad Gita present a fine picture of a man's gradual process of self-destruction. Attachment formed by musing on objects, generates desire, which when not fulfilled, produces anger, as a result of which the capacity to discriminate fails and man feels unhappy. To illustrate how desires form a chain, Sri Ganapathi Satchidananda Swami said a saint wanted to initiate a disciple who expressing his gratitude, first wanted to get married and lead a family life for a brief period. Later, he sought more time to see his child grow and then for him to study. Several years later, the miseries of life made him go to the master, who took him to the seashore. Gazing at the ocean, the saint stood for a long time when the disciple felt uneasy at the delay. "I am waiting for the waves to subside when alone the time will be ripe for initiation" said the saint making him realise his folly in expecting all desires to subside. "Remember God when you are happy, forget yourself when you are in sorrow."
                                                                    May 28, 1994