Gita Satsang - Resumption: Chapter 1 Summary

[Guest guest]

Harih Aum:

 

First, I want to thank Sunderji and Madhavaji on

behalf of all the members for their willingness to

coordinate the Gita Satsang. At the same time, I

earnestly request the members of the list to

participate enthusiastically in the Satsang

discussions.

 

In Satsang the prevailing atmosphere is one of

nobility, understanding, generosity and love. All

noble qualities are to the fore, suppressing the

baser instincts and feeling. All satsangiis (people

who attend satsangs) seem to like each other and ever

willing to help each other. When we first started the

fire, most of the logs were wet and only one or two a

bit dry; these kept the fire alive and exposed other

wet logs to the heat of the fire. Slowly but surely,

all logs started drying up and the fire started

burning brightly. Any passer-by could come and get

the warmth. Why purification of mind is necessary

? Same reason why we clean our reading glasses; with

dust, oilstain and paint marks on my spectacles, I

won't be able to read anything, and if I insist on

reading through them, you would say that I was crazy;

but that's what's the whole world's problem. We just

won't wipe our specs clean and see clearly. So too,

the mind full of desires (paint marks) and other

enemies (stains and dust), is unable to know what is

good for it. Tragically, it does not even know that

its specs are full of dust & dirty.

 

In Gita Satsang, we focus on the verses of Gita with

the translations, discuss commentaries of

authoritative individuals and books. In addition,

someone knowledgeable explains the meaning and its

relevance in today's world. Invariably the practical

day to day living guidance is ascertained during the

discussions. The benefits of the Satsang depend on

the level of participation. Without participation,

all the postings will serve just like the books lying

on the bookshelf without anyone touching. Ideas and

suggestions that can improve greater participation by

the members are welcome. Please send your ideas to

Sunderji (sunderh) and he needs the

support and encouragement from all of us. Now let me

divert back to the chapter 1 summary..

 

The chapter 1 starts with the word, "Dharmaksetre"

(the field of righteousness) uttered by the blind

king, Dhrtaraastra:. The theme of Gita is to emphasize

human dharma (quality of deciding what is right and

wrong). The battle ground is Dharmaksetre where the

moral struggle has just started.

 

Dr Radhakrishnan has the following observation: "The

words, ‘dharmaksetre kuruksetre,' suggest the law of

life by death. God, the terrible, is a side of the

vision that Arjuna sees on the field of battle. Life

is battle, a warfare against the other. By their

mutual conflict, the development is advanced and the

cosmic purpose furthered, In this word are elements of

imperfectin, evil and irrationality, and through

action, dharma, we have to change the world and

convert the elements, which are now opaque to reason,

transparent to thought. War is retributory judgement

as well an act of discipline. Kurusksetra is also

called taphksetra, the field of penance, of

discipline. War is at once punishment and cleansing

for mankind. God is judge as well as redeemer. He

destroys and creates. He is Siva and Vishnu." (The

Bhagavad Gita, by S. Radhakrishnan, page 80).

 

This entire chapter describes the moral struggle that

took place in Arjuna's mind caused by his misconceived

notions of dharma. The last verse of this chapter

(verse 47) explains the mental agony and sorrow:

 

evam uktvaa ‘rjunah samkhye rathopastha upaavisat

visrjya sasaram caapam sokasamvignamaanasah

 

(After uttering everything that came to his mind,

Arjuna sank down on the seat of the chariot, throwing

aways his bow and arrow and his spirit filled with

sorrow and grief)

 

The distress of Arjuna is the dramatization of the

struggle that we all undergo everyday in our life. We

feel disappointed and agitated by the conflicting

forces of the world where we live. We fail to

recognize our ‘divine ancestry' and become more

attached to our personality cultivated by our own

illusive perceptions. We refuse to accept the

obligations imposed by the world of spirit due to our

ignorance propelled by our self-centered ego. What

Arjuna portrays in chapter I is the evolution of the

human soul undergoing the continued struggle of

fighting its own enemies - selfishness and stupidity.

This fight will not be over until we determine to

reestablish our true divine nature. Arjuna in distress

understood that his struggles will be over when his

true nature is Self (Lord Krishna) revealed.

 

warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

[Guest guest]

Ram Chandran <ramvchandran wrote:

 

Harih Aum:

 

 

Dr Radhakrishnan has the following observation: "The

words, ‘dharmaksetre kuruksetre,' suggest the law of

life by death.

 

--------

 

A saint in his discourse on Gita recently referred to the above words,

 

'dharmakshetre Kurukshetre"

 

and opined that they were to be re-arranged to give us its inteanded meaning

thus:

 

'kshetre kshetre Dharma kuru '

 

and preached that one should hold steadfast to Dharma at all places that we

happen to tread during our life time.

 

Hari Om !

 

Swaminarayan

 

 

 

 

 

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