THE BHAGAVAD-GITA 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Jai:       Grandma, I have a hard time understanding the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita. Would you help me?

 

Grandma:        Of course, Jai, I will be glad to. You should know what this holy book teaches how to live happily in the world. It is an ancient holy book of Hinduism (also known as San|tana Dharma), but it can be understood and followed by people of any faith. The Gita has eighteen (18) chapters and a total of only 700 verses. Anyone can be helped by daily practice of only a few of its teachings.

            Here is the background situation in the Gita:

            In ancient times there was a king who had two sons, Dhritar|shtra and P|ndu. The former was born blind; therefore, P|ndu inherited the kingdom. P|ndu had five sons. They were called the P|ndavas. Dhritar|shtra had one hundred sons. They were called the Kauravas. Duryodhana was the eldest of the Kauravas.

            After the death of king P|ndu, his eldest son, Yudhisthira, became the lawful King. Duryodhana was very jealous. He also wanted the kingdom. The kingdom was divided into two halves between the P|ndavas and the Kauravas. Duryodhana was not satisfied with his share. He wanted the entire kingdom for himself. He tried several evil plots to kill the P|ndavas and take away their kingdom. Somehow he took over the entire kingdom of the P|ndavas and refused to give back without a war. All peace talks by Lord Krishn| and others failed, so the big war of Mah|bh|rata could not be avoided.

            The P|ndavas didn’t want to fight, but they had only two choices: fight for their right because it was their duty or run away from war and accept defeat for the sake of peace and nonviolence. Arjuna, one of the five P|ndava brothers, faced this choice in the battlefield.

He had to choose between fighting the war and killing his most revered guru, who was on the other side; his very dear friends, close relatives, and many innocent warriors; or running away from the battlefield to be peaceful and nonviolent. The entire eighteen chapters of the Gita are the talk between confused Arjuna and his best friend, mentor and cousin, Lord Krishna --- an incarnation of God --- on the battlefield of Kurukshetra near New Delhi, India, about 5,100 years ago. This conversation was reported to the blind king, Dhritar|shtra, by his charioteer, Sanjay. It is recorded in the great epic, Mah|bh|rata.

 All lives, human or nonhuman, are sacred, and nonviolence or Ahims| is one of the most basic principles of Hinduism. So when Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to get up and fight, this may confuse you about the principle of Ahims| if you don’t keep in mind the background of the war of Mah|bh|rata.

This spiritual talk between the Supreme Lord, Krishna, and His devotee-friend, Arjuna, occurs not in a temple, a lonely forest, or on a mountain top, but on a battlefield on the eve of a war.

 

Jai:       This is an interesting story, Grandma. Can you tell me more?

 

Grandma:          If you come to where I sit every evening, Jai, I will tell you the whole story, one chapter each day. Just make sure your homework is done and you have time to listen. If you agree, let’s start tomorrow.

 

Jai:       Thank you, Grandma. I’ll be there to hear more.

 

CHAPTER 1

ARJUNA’S CONFUSION

 

Jai:       I would like to know first how Lord Krishna and Arjuna happened to talk on the battlefield, Grandma.

 

Grandma:          It came about in this way, Jai. The war of Mah|bh|rata was about to begin after peace talks by Lord Krishna and others failed to avoid the war. When the soldiers were gathered on the battlefield, Arjuna asked Lord Krishna to drive his chariot between the two armies so that he could see those who were ready to fight. Seeing all his relatives, friends, and soldiers on the battlefield and fearing their destruction, he became compassionate.

 

Jai:       What does compassionate mean, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          Compassion does not mean pity, Jai. That would be looking down on others as poor, pitiful creatures. Arjuna was feeling their pain and their unlucky situation as his own. Arjuna was a great warrior, who had fought many wars and was well prepared for the war, but suddenly his compassion made him not want to fight. He spoke of the evils of war and sat down on the seat of his chariot, his mind full of sorrow. He saw no use in fighting. He did not know what to do.

 

Jai:       I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to fight either. Why do people fight, Grandma? Why are there wars?

 

Grandma:          Jai, there are not only wars between nations, but quarrels between two people, quarrels between brothers and sisters, between husband and wife, between friends and neighbors. The main reason is that people are not able to let go of their selfish motives and desires. Most wars are fought for possession and power. But all problems could be solved peacefully if people could see both sides of the problem and work out an agreement. War should be the last resort. Our holy books say: One should not commit violence towards anyone. Unjustified killing is punishable in all circumstances. Lord Krishna urged Arjuna to fight for his rights, but not to kill needlessly. It was his warrior's duty to establish peace and law and order on earth.

We humans also have wars inside of us. Our negative and positive forces are always fighting. The negative forces within us are represented by the Kauravas and the positive forces by the P|ndavas.

 

Chapter 1 summary: Arjuna asked his charioteer friend, Lord Krishna, to drive his chariot between the two armies so that he could see the P|ndava’s army. Arjuna felt great compassion to see his friends and relatives on the opposite side, whom he must kill to win the war. He became confused, spoke of the evils of war, and refused to fight.

 

CHAPTER 2

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

 

Jai:       If Arjuna felt so kind-hearted for everyone he was supposed to kill in the war, how could he go out and fight, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          That is exactly what Arjuna asked Lord Krishna. He said: How shall I strike my grandfather, my guru, and all other relatives with arrows in battle? They are worthy of my respect.

            Arjuna had a good point. In Vedic culture, gurus, the elderly, honorable persons, and all other superiors are to be respected. But the scriptures also say that anyone who acts wrongly or unlawfully against you or others, or anyone who supports such deeds, should no longer be respected, but punished.

Arjuna was confused about his duty and asked guidance from Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna then instructed him on the true knowledge of Atm| and the physical body.

 

Jai:       What is Atm|, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          Atm| is the spirit, the soul, or the Self. Atm| is never born, never dies, and is everlasting. Our body takes birth and dies, but not Atm|. Atm| supports the body. Without Atm|, the body becomes dead. Atm| supplies the power for our body, mind, and senses, just as air burns and supports fire. Weapons cannot cut Atm|, fire cannot burn it, wind cannot dry it, and water cannot make it wet. Therefore, we should not grieve over death of the body because the Atm| inside the body never dies. (Gita 2.23-24)

 

Jai:       What is the difference between Atm| (spirit), soul, and body?

 

Grandma:          One and the same Atm| dwells inside all bodies. Our body changes with time. Our old-age body is different from our childhood body. But Atm| does not change. Atm| gets a childhood body, a youth body, and an old-age body during this life, then takes another body after death. (Gita 2.13) The Sanskrit word Atm| is translated as spirit in English. Spirit is universal and all pervading. The English word soul means the spirit residing in individual bodies. In Sanskrit, we call this individual soul Jeev|tm| or Jeeva.

The body is called a garment of Atm|. Just as we get rid of an old, worn out garment and put on a new one, similarly, Atm| disposes the old body and takes a new one after death. So death is like changing the garment of Atm|. (Gita 2.22) Although all beings are visible between birth and death, they can’t be seen before birth or after death and remain in their subtle form. (Gita 2.28) Therefore, we should not grieve over death of the body. We are not the body. We are Atm| with a body. Death just means our soul passes from one body to another new body.

 

Jai:       Then why did Arjuna grieve over deaths of loved ones on the battlefield? Why didn’t he want to fight?

 

Grandma:          Arjuna was a very tough warrior, Jai, but he wanted to run away from the horrors of war and lead an easy life of a Samny|si or a wandering holy man. Lord Krishna taught us to face the battle of life by giving Arjuna the beautiful science of KarmaYoga, the art of peaceful and prosperous living. Arjuna was worried about the results of the war. Lord Krishna asks us to do our duty without worrying about gain and loss, victory and defeat, success and failure. If you are constantly worried about the results of your studies, you will not be able to put your heart and soul into them for fear of failure.

Jai:       But Grandma, how could Arjuna fight his best if he wasn’t fighting to win and gain something?

 

Grandma:          Arjuna should go into the fight to win, but he should not weaken his will by worrying about the result while he is fighting. He should put all his attention and energy into every minute of the fight. That energy is what will bring the greatest result.

Lord Krishna tells us that we have full control over our action, but no control over the results of our action. (Gita 2.47) Harry Bhalla says: A farmer has control over how he works his land, yet no control over the harvest. But he cannot expect a harvest if he does not work his land with energy and the best tools he has.

We should do our best at the present moment and let the future take care of itself.

 

Jai:       Could you tell me more about the secret of success as told by Krishna to Arjuna?

Grandma:          One should be so completely absorbed in work or study itself as to become unaware of everything else, even of its results. To achieve the best results from what one does, one should be focused in the action with undivided attention.

            Action should be done sincerely without worrying about its results. The results of the action will be greater if one puts all attention and energy into the action itself and does not allow one’s energy to be diverted by thinking of results. The result will depend on energy put into action. One is asked not to worry about results during the course of action. This does not mean that one should not care about results. But one should not expect only positive results all the time.

The secret of living a meaningful life is to be very active, and do our best without thinking of our own selfish motives or even the results. A Self-realized person works for the good of all.

 

Jai:       What is a Self-realized person like, Grandma?

 

Grandma:   A Self-realized person is a perfect person, Jai. Lord Krishna tells us the mind of a perfect person is not shaken by suffering, does not run after pleasures, is free from fear, desire, greed and attachment, and has control over mind and senses. (Gita 2.56) A Self-realized person does not get angry, is peaceful and happy.

 

Jai:       How can we keep from getting angry, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          We get angry if our desire is not fulfilled. (Gita 2.62) So the best way to control anger is not to become a slave of our desires. We need to limit our desires. Desires begin in the mind, so we should control our mind. If we don’t, we drift like a ship without its rudder. The desire for pleasure takes us to the dark alley of sin, gets us in trouble, and prevents our progress. (Gita 2.67) As a student, you should set a higher goal for yourself than pleasure. Put forth your best effort and concentrate on your studies.

Arjuna was not only the greatest warrior of his time, but also a compassionate KarmaYogi. Lord Krishna chose Arjuna as His tool to give us the knowledge of the holy Gita.

Whatever work you do, do it with single-minded attention and put your whole heart into it. This is the main theme of KarmaYoga of the Gita and the secret of success in anything you do.

 

Chapter 2 summary: Lord Krishna taught us, through Arjuna, the difference between Atm| and body. We are Atm| with a body. Atm| is unborn and indestructible. One and the same Atm| dwells inside all bodies, human or nonhuman. Thus we are all connected with each other. We should do our duty to the best of our ability without worrying about success or failure. We must learn from our failures and go forward without letting our failures defeat us. To become a perfect person, we need to control or limit our desires.

 

CHAPTER 3

PATH OF DUTY

 

Jai:       Why do we have to control our desires, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          When you choose wrong behavior for sense enjoyment, you also choose its results. That is why work has to be done for the welfare of all and not just to satisfy one’s desires or for personal gain. A KarmaYogi finds the right way to serve and turns her or his work into worship. In KarmaYoga, no work is more important or less important.

 

Jai:       Uncle Hari left his family and home and went to an Ashram last year to find God. Do we have to leave home to seek God?

 

Grandma:          No, we do not. In the Gita, Lord Krishna has given us different paths to God-realization. The path you choose depends on your individual nature. In general, there are two types of people in the world: the inward (or studious, introvert) type and the outward or active type. For the introvert like Uncle Hari, the path of spiritual knowledge is best. Followers of this path go to a spiritual master or a guru where they study Vedic scriptures under proper guidance. In this path, we learn who we are and how we can lead a happy and peaceful life.

 

Jai:       Do we have to read all the scriptures to understand and find God?

 

Grandma:          There are many scriptures in our religion, such as the four Vedas, 108 Upanishads, 18 Puranas, R|m|yanas, Mah|bh|rata, various Sutras and many others. No one can read all of them. But Lord Krishna has given us everything one needs to know about God in the Gita. The Gita has the essence of all the Vedas and Upanishads.

 

Jai:       Uncle Puri is a farmer and has no interest in studying the Gita. He says the Gita is difficult and not for common people like him. So how can Uncle Puri realize God?

 

Grandma:          Uncle Puri should follow the path of KarmaYoga, which is the path of duty or selfless service. This path is better for most people who work hard to support a family and have no time or interest to read scriptures. Followers of this path do not have to leave work and go to an Ashram. They give up selfish motives and do all work for the greater good of society, instead of just for themselves.

 

Jai:       But people will work harder if they have selfish motives, won’t they, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          It is true that people may earn more if they work for selfish gain, but they will not find lasting peace and happiness. Only those who do their duty selflessly for the good of all people will find real peace and satisfaction.

 

Jai:       If people don’t work for personal gain, will they still do their best and not become lazy?

 

 Grandma:         A true KarmaYogi works hard even without personal gain. Only the ignorant work just for personal gain. The world runs smoothly because people do their duty. Parents work hard to support their family, and the children do their part. Nobody can remain inactive or idle all the time. Most people engage in some activity and do what they can. Brahm|, the creator, gave his first teaching to humanity when he said: Let all of you progress and prosper by helping each other and by doing your duty properly. (Gita 3.10-11)

 

Jai:       What happens if people work hard just for their own benefit?

 

Grandma:          They get sin, Jai. It is wrong to perform any action without considering its effect on others. Lord Krishna calls such a person a thief, useless, and sinful. (Gita 3.12-13) No one should live just for oneself. We should help and serve each other.

 

Jai:       What does a person gain who follows the teaching of lord Brahm| and works for the good of society?

 

Grandma:          Such a person attains peace and success in this life, reaches God, and does not take birth again on this earth.

 

Someone once said: What goes around comes around. This is the law of cause and effect or Karma. Help fulfill someone’s dream and your dream will be fulfilled too by the Lord!

 

Jai:       Please give me more examples of true KarmaYogis, Grandma.

 

Grandma:          You have read the story of R|m|yan. Lord R|ma’s father-in-law was Janaka, the King of Janakpur. He attained God by serving his people as his own children, selflessly and without attachment to the results of his action. He did his duty as worship to God. Work done without any selfish motive, as a matter of duty, becomes worship of God because it helps God run the world.

 

Mah|tm| Gandhi was a true KarmaYogi who worked selflessly all his life without any personal motive, just for the good of society. He set an example for other world leaders to follow. There are many other examples of selfless persons.

 

Jai:       Is that how our leaders should work?

 

Grandma:          Yes, a true KarmaYogi shows by personal example how to lead a selfless life and attain God by following the path of KarmaYoga. (Gita 3.21)

 

Jai:       If I want to become a KarmaYogi, what do I have to do?

 

Grandma:          KarmaYoga requires doing our duty in life the best we can, unselfishly, without attachment to the results of our work. A KarmaYogi remains calm in both success and failure and has no likes or dislikes for any person, place, object, or work. Work done as selfless service for the welfare of humanity produces no good or bad K|rmic bondage and leads one to God.

 

Jai:       It would be hard to work without wanting to gain something personally from it. How do we do this, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          Spiritually ignorant persons work just for themselves. The wise work for the welfare of all. The ignorant work to enjoy the result of their labor and become attached to it because they think they are the doer. They do not realize that all work is done by the power supplied to us by God. With the power to do our duty and the intellect to choose between right and wrong action, we become responsible for our actions. People act wrongly because they don’t use their intellect and don’t think of the results of their action on others.

The wise offer all their work to God with no selfish desire of their own. The ignorant work only to fulfill their personal desires. (Gita 3.25)

 

Jai:       Can a common person like me do what great people like King Janak and Mah|tm| Gandhi have done?

 

Grandma:          With a little effort, anybody can follow the path of KarmaYoga. Think of whatever work you are doing as your gift to society. If you are a student, your duty is to attend school, do your homework, respect your parents, teachers, other elders, and help your brothers, sisters, friends and other classmates. In student life, prepare yourself to be a good, productive citizen by getting a good education.

 

Jai:       What kind of work should I do when I graduate, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          Choose the work that you like and can do well. The work should be suited to your nature. (Gita 3.35, 18.47) If you choose work for which you don’t have a natural skill or attraction, your chances of success are limited. You know what you can do best. Trying to be someone you’re not is the greatest cause of failure and unhappiness.

 

Jai:       But shouldn’t I try to find good work, like an Engineer, a teacher or a government service?

 

Grandma:          There is no such thing as good or bad work. All types of workers are needed to keep society running. Some work pays more than others, but higher paying jobs are usually more difficult and stressful if you are not qualified for them. If you are qualified for a lower paying job, lead a simple life and avoid unnecessary items. A simple life means not desiring too many material things. Limit yourself to the basic needs of life. Keep your desires under control. Lord Buddha said: Selfish desire is the cause of all evils and misery.

 

Jai:       Is selfish desire the reason why people do bad things?

 

Grandma:          Yes Jai, our selfish desire for enjoyment is the cause of all evils. If we don’t control our desires, our desires will control us, and we will become the victims of our own desires. Control your wants because whatever you want, wants you also!

 

Jai:       Then are all desires bad?

 

Grandma:          No, all desires are not bad. The desire to serve others is a noble desire. The desire to enjoy most pleasures is bad because it leads to sinful and illegal activities. Always remember that desire never ends after you get what you wanted. It just leads to new desires and creates greed. And if you don’t get what you want, you feel angry. People do bad things when they are angry.

 

Jai:       How can we control our desire for pleasures?

 

Grandma:          One way is by the knowledge given in the Gita and by the power of thinking. Before you act from desire, always think first of the results of that action. Desires start in the mind and stay there. You can control your mind by intellect and reasoning.

When you are young, your mind becomes dirty just as the clear water of a pond becomes muddy during the rainy season. If your intellect doesn’t control your mind, your mind will run towards sense pleasures. This will keep you from achieving the higher goals of life. So set a high goal in life to keep your mind from getting dirty by sensual pleasures like smoking, alcohol, drugs, and other bad habits. Bad habits are very hard to get rid of, so avoid them to start with. Always keep a good company, read good books, avoid bad people, and think of the long term result of your actions.

 

Jai:       Since we know right from wrong, Grandma, why can’t we just avoid doing wrong?

 

Grandma:          If we don’t control our mind, it will try to weaken our will and take us for a ride to the wrong road of sensual pleasures. We have to watch our mind and keep it on track.

 

Chapter 3 Summary: Lord Krishna mentioned two major paths to peace and happiness in life. The path chosen depends on the individual. It is easy for most people to follow the path of KarmaYoga, the path of selfless service. To help each other is the first teaching of the creator. This keeps society going and progressing. All should do their duty to the best of their ability. Choose the career best suited to your nature. No job is small. It’s not what you do, but how you do it that is important. Finally, Lord Krishna tells us we must control our desire for pleasures. Uncontrolled desires for pleasure lead one to failure and suffering in life. We must think about the results of an action before taking it up. Avoid bad company at all costs.

 

CHAPTER 4

THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION

WITH KNOWLEDGE

 

Jai:       How did the Gita come from, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          The teachings of the Gita are very old. They were first given to the Sun God in the beginning of creation by Lord Krishna. Over time, this knowledge got lost. The Gita in its present form was spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna about 5100 years ago. Thus Gita was spoken by the Supreme Lord Himself.

 

Jai:       So is Lord Krishna the author of the Gita?

 

Grandma:          Yes, Lord Krishna is the author of the Gita. It was put together by sage Vay|sa who also edited the four Vedas. Sage Vay|sa had the power of recalling events of the past and future, but he could not do the work of both recalling the Gita spoken by Krishna in the battlefield as well as writing it down. He needed a helper to write the Gita. Lord Ganesha, the lord of wisdom, offered to do the work of writing.

            The Gita was first translated in Sanskrit and fully explained by great guru Adi Sankar|ch|rya in the year 800 A.D.

 

Jai:       Why is Lord Krishna so important?

 

Grandma:          Lord Krishna is considered the eighth incarnation of the Supreme God. The Supreme God comes to earth in different forms from time to time whenever the forces of evil try to disturb and destroy the world order. Lord comes to set everything right. He also sends prophets and teachers to help mankind. His birth and activities are divine and each incarnation (Avat|ra) has a purpose. The Shrimad Bh|gavatam (or the Bh|gavad Pur|n) gives details of all ten major Avat|rs of God. Lord Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad and saints and sages of other religions are also considered minor incarnations of God. At the end of the present time period, known as KaliYuga,  the Kalki incarnation will happen in the distant future of about 428,900 A.D.

 

Jai:       Will Lord Krishna give us whatever we want in prayer or worship?

 

Grandma:          Yes, Lord Krishna will give what you want (Gita 4.11), such as success in your study, if you worship Him with faith. People may worship and pray to God by using any name and form of God. The form of God is called deity. One can also worship God without the help of a deity.

 

Jai:       Will we still have to study if we want to do well in examinations?

 

Grandma:          Yes, one must do the work. Do your best and then pray. The good Lord will not work for you. You will have to do your work. Your work should be free from selfish desires so as not to earn any Karma.

 

Jai:       What is Karma, Grandma?

 

Grandma:          The Sanskrit word Karma means action. It also means the results of an action. The word ‘Karma’ is generally mispronounced as ‘Karma|.’ Every action produces a result called Karma, which can be good or bad. If we do our work only to enjoy the results ourselves, we become responsible for the results. If our action harms anyone, we get bad Karma, called sin, and we will have to suffer in hell for it. If we do good to others, we earn good Karma and get rewarded by a trip to heaven.

Our own Karma is responsible for our rebirth to enjoy or suffer the results of our deeds. Karma is like depositing money in the form of good and bad deeds in the bank. We do not take birth when all our Karma is used up. This freedom from the cycles of birth and death is called liberation, Nirv|na, Moksha or Mukti. In Mukti one becomes one with God.

 

Jai:       How can we avoid Karma when we live and work in society?

 

Grandma:          The best way not to earn any Karma is not to do anything just for yourself, but do it for the good of society. Always keep in mind that Mother Nature does everything; we are not the real doer of any action. If we strongly believe this and work just as a servant of God, we will not earn any new Karma, and all our past Karma will be wiped out by Self-knowledge. When all Karma is finished, we become liberated. This method of uniting with God is called the path of selfless action (or KarmaYoga).

 

Jai        How do we get rid of the Karma from our past lives?

 

Grandma:          A very good question! True knowledge of the Self (or God) acts like fire that burns away all Karma from our past lives. (Gita 4.37) Selfless service (KarmaYog) prepares one to receive Self-knowledge. A KarmaYogi automatically gets Self-knowledge in due course of time. (Gita 4.38) One who has true knowledge of the Self or God is called a Self-realized or a God-realized person.

 

Jai:       Are there other ways to get liberation, Grandma?