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Gita - Introduction
Dear netters,
As requested by many, I will be posting the summary of each chapter of gita
every week, in this news group. To catch up with SCI, I will post one chapter
every 3rd day, to start with. These summaries are done from the book
"Bhagavad Gita As It Is", by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupad, the Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness. These books are available in the Hare Krsna
temples/ISKCON centres all over the world. If you have any points to clarify
please post the questions in this group, rather than mailing them to me
directly, so that everyone is benefitted.
Yours in service of Lord Sri Krishna,
Mrs. Jayashri Ravishankar.
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Here goes the introduction to gita:
hare krishna hare krishna
krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare
INTRODUCTION
************
Bhagavad Gita is also known as Gitopanisad. It is the essence of all
vedic knowledge. We have to receive this knowledge by the proper
parampara (disciplic succession). We must accept Bhagavad Gita
without interpretation, without deletion and without our own whimsical
participation in the matter. The Gita should be taken as the most
perfect presentation of the vedic knowledge.
The speaker of Bhagavad Gita is Lord Sri Krishna. He is mentioned on
every page of Gita as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is
also confirmed by many authorities of vedic knowledge like Sankaracharya,
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, etc. The Lord Himself accepts this in the
Gita and He is accepted as such in Brahma-samhita and in all puranas
especially the Srimad Bhagavatam. Because Bhagavad Gita is spoken by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead one need not read any other vedic
literature.
Bhagavad Gita was first spoken to the sun-god and the sun-god explained
to Manu and Manu explained to Iksavaku and in that way by disciplic
succession, one speaker after another this has been coming down. But in
the course of time it has been lost. Consequently, the Lord has to
speak it again, this time to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. He
tells Arjuna that He is relating this supreme secret to him because
Arjuna is His devotee and friend. Therefore, Bhagavad Gita is best
understood by a person who has qualities similar to Arjuna's, ie, he
must be a devotee in direct relationship with the Lord. Every living
being has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally. This is
called svarupa. By the process of devotional service one can revive
that svarupa. Sri Caintanya Mahaprabhu explained that the svarupa or
constitutional position of the living being is the rendering of service
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All living entities whatever may
be the type of the body or whatever may be the religion is rendering
service to someone or other. Therefore rendering of service is sanatana
dharma (eternal occupation). This dharma could be made trancendental by
rendering loving service unto the Supreme Lord.
Bhagavad Gita should be taken up in the spirit of devotion. One should
not think that he is equal to Krishna nor should he think that Krishna
is an ordinary personality or even a great personality. Lord Sri
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So according to the
statements of Gita, a person who is trying to understand the Gita,
should atleast theoritically accept Sri Krishna as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and with that submissive spirit he could
understand the Gita.
The purpose of Bhagavad Gita is to deliver mankind from the nescience
of material existence. Gita clearly explains the five elements, viz,
isvara (Supreme Lord), jiva (living entity), prakrti (nature), kala
(time) and karma (activity). Out of these, Lord, living entity,
material nature and time are eternal. The manifestation of the world is
not accepted as false; it is accepted as real but temporary. It stays
for a while and then disappears. But again the cycle is working
eternally. However, karma is not eternal. We are enjoying or suffering
according to our past karma. Gita explains what sort of activities we
should adopt to gain relief from the effect of karma.
Living entities are parts and parcels of Krishna. He lives in the heart
of every living being as Paramatma. Therfore, our consciousness is
transcendental as that of the Lord's. But, at the present moment, it is
materially contaminated ie we are called conditioned. Hence we are
subjected to the following defects: (1) sure to commit mistakes
(2) invariably illusioned (3) has the tendency to cheat others and
(4) limited by imperfect senses. False consciousness is exhibited under
the impression that I am a product of this material nature. One who
wants to become liberated, must first of all learn that he is not this
material body. Mukthi means liberation from the contaminated
consciousness of this material world and situation in pure consciousness.
In pure consciousness our actions will be dovetailed to the will of
isvara and that will make us happy. All the instructions of Bhagavad
Gita are intended to awaken this pure consciousness.
Gita states that the living entity (soul) is eternal. We keep changing
only our material bodies. No planet in the material universe is free
from the four principles of material existence namely birth, death,
disease and old age. This applies even to the highest planet Brahmaloka.
Therefore, in the Gita worship of different demigods is not approved. We
need to worship only the Supreme Lord because our ultimate goal is to
return to His abode. Lord Krishna assures that those who return to His
abode will never come back again to this material world.
Bhagavad Gita also states that one who think of Krishna at the time
of death goes back to Him. Therefore, if we always engage our mind in
reading the vedic literatures, then it is possible for us to remember
the Lord at the time of death. Thus this life is the preparation for
the next life. At the same time, the Lord does not advise us simply to
remember Him and give up our occupation. Gita teaches us how to absorb
the mind and intelligence in the thought of the Lord. Lord Caitanya also
advises that one should practice chanting the names of the Lord always
as the names of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent.
If one adopts the principles enuciated in Bhagavad Gita he can make his
life perfect and make a permanent solution to all the problems of life.
This is the sum and substance of Bhagavad Gita. The doors of this
knowledge are open to everyone. All classes of man can approach Lord
Krishna by thinking of Him, for hearing and thinking of Him are possible
for everyone.
In conclusion, Bhagavad Gita is a transendental literature which one
should read very carefully. If one properly follows the instructions of
Gita (1) one will be freed from all fears in this life and one's next
life will be spiritual (2) by the grace of Lord the reactions of his
past misdeeds will not act upon him.
Gitamahatmya states: Let there be one scripture for the whole world -
Bhagavad Gita, one God - Sri Krishna, One mantra - the chanting of His
holy name "hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare
rama hare rama rama rama hare hare" and let there be one work only - the
service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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