Manav Kalyan

Shrimad Bhagawat Geeta

An Introduction

Shrimad Bhagawat Geeta is essence of Vedic knowledge and most important Upanishad in Vedic literature. Bhagawat Geeta is to be read or taken as per the sense and the spirit directed by the Speaker Himself who is Lord Shri Krishna (the Supreme Power). In the chapter 4.1-3, Krishna informs to Arjuna (the great devotee of Krishna) that this system of “Bhagawat Geeta Yog” was first spoken to the Sun God by Me, the Sun God explained it to Manu, the father of mankind and Manu explained it to Iksvaku, the king of planet Earth. But in the course of time it has been lost. Consequently Krishna has to explain it again to Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra as Arjuna was His devotee and friend. Arjuna has accepted it and the manner of his acceptance has been given in chapter 10.12-14. Arjuna said to Lord Krishna that you are the purest, absolute truth, eternal, original person, unborn and greatest. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa confirm this truth and you yourself are declaring it to me. Therefore I totally accept as truth that You have told me. No one can understand Your personality.

 Five basic subject matters discussed in Shrimad Bhagawat Geeta are:

All the five taken together is called compete whole or Absolute Supreme Truth. All the five manifestations are His different energies. Therefore He is complete whole. There is complete facility for small complete units, namely the living entities (Jivas), to realize the Complete (Absolute Supreme Truth), and all sorts of incompleteness are experienced due to incomplete knowledge of the Complete (Absolute Supreme Truth).

Since Bhagawat Geeta is essence of Vedic knowledge It is most perfect presentation of Vedic knowledge, hence a human being must be intelligent enough to realize the importance of human life and refuse to act like ordinary animals. On realizing this, to reach the destination-sanatana or spiritual or eternal loka we should purify our inner being. As Arjuna accepted Bhagawat Geeta in totality, one has to accept it in totality. Noone is allowed to accept one portion of Bhagawat Geeta and not another. Unless you accept it in totality there will be contradiction and you will be in a confused state of mind. Bhagawat Geeta as it starts at the battlefield where Arjuna was in confused state of mind, the confusion of the Arjuna could have been removed at the first chapter itself by Krishna by showing Arjuna His “Vishva or Virat Roopa” but Krishna has not done so. Why because the knowledge of basic 5 subject matters was to be poured by Krishna in a step to step manner to understand the Whole or the Complete. The manner in which the knowledge of 5 subject matters flows from the Speaker Himself Krishna, is very beautiful how a “jiva” doing “karma” is reached to “ishavar” beyond “samaya” and “prakruti”.         

In the chapter-18.61-62, it has been made clear by Krishna that the God abides in the hearts of all living beings but we are ignorant of His presence because the body is driven by the power of maya (the universal ignorance or illusion). Therefore we go round endlessly through one birth after another in search of God to find a shelter. So Krishna guides to seek shelter with your heart where the God resides for ultimate everlasting bliss. Krishna went on clarifying (18.66) that He is the dwelling immortal God, of everlasting life, of eternal Dharma and of the unblemished pure joy of attaining the Supreme goal.  

So to attain the everlasting bliss we have to meditate within the realm of the heart. By searching God in temple we are wasting of our time. It has also been said in the Supreme Yoga “Yoga-Vasistha” that temples of formal worship have their significance for seekers with inadequate knowledge or awareness. The heart is true abode of the God. Krishna also guided Arjuna in chapter-17.5-6 one who departs from the body meditating OM which is God in “words” and remembering Krishna attains salvation. Om represents cosmic sound.