Gita Satsangh Chapter 9 Verses 30 to 33 - Rajaji's Commentary

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

The discussion provided below is from Rajaji's book on Bhagavad Gita

(Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay 1995) with the chapter title: HOPE

FOR ALL. Rajaji (Rajagopalachari) is a and great friend of Gandhiji

and he is well versed in Hindu scriptures . He has written several

books in Tamil and English on Hindu Epics and Bhagavad Gita is one of

them. This is a short but well written book and Rajaji is known for

his clarity in writing using simple English words.

The entire discussion below is quite relevant to the ongoing Chapter

9 Gita Satsangh

 

Warmest regards,

Ram Chandran

 

Rajaji's Bhagavad Gita: Chapter Title: Hope for All

======================================

(Adhyaya IV Sloka 11. Adhyaya VII Slokas 20-22 Adhyaya IX Slokas

23, 26, 27,29,31]

THE doctrine of Karma should not frighten us. Law is immutable but

God is Love as well as Law. There is none who need despair on the

ground that his sins have been too great or too many. Prayer and

repentance purify the soul. According to the Gita, whatever might

have been said in the Hindu codes of observances, neither sex nor

caste makes any difference in the way of Grace.

The same am I to all beings; there is none hateful to Me, nor

dear. They who worship Me with devotion are in Me, end so am I in

them. IX29

If even he who has greatly erred turns to Me with single-

minded devotion, he too must be counted among the good, for he has

resolved well. IX30

Soon he becomes purified in spirit and attains abiding peace;

know for certain that he who gives Me his devotion can never be

lost. IX31

And particularly referring to caste and sex disqualifications:

They who seek refuge in Me, though born in the lowest

condition, and be they women or Vaishyas or Sudras, they also attain

the highest abode. IX32

Genuine prayer and repentance are counter motions in the field of

Karma and neutralise previous acts. But no one may deliberately

indulge in sin on the assurance that the sin may later be washed

away. True repentance, which alone can be of avail, does not come

that way. Genuine penitence is a motion of the mind involving intense

pain and is itself a self-imposed punishment, neutralizer and a

corrective for past sins, but it so acts only in the measure that it

is truly suffered.

Repentance and self-abasement and prayers for grace and mercy are

operations of the mind, not words or ceremonies gone through or

absolution procured from priests. Words and ceremonies and priests

may be helpful through inspiring association, and as aid to focus the

mind in penitent thought, but are not in themselves cleansers of sin.

A man may deceive himself or others, but he cannot deceive Truth

itself. And Karma is immutable Truth. You may mislead the patient

about his temperature or deceive your customer about the weights of

things sold to him, but you cannot. cheat the thermometer or the

scales themselves.

Forms of worship do not matter. They may vary, but are all in

reality one. This is the great, all-important and unique attitude of

Hinduism towards the so-called religious differences.

In whatsoever way men approach Me, even so do I blessed them,

for whatever the paths that men may take in worship, they come unto

Me. IV11

When we consider how long ago this truth was seen and laid down for

mens guidance in such emphatic terms. we are in a position to

appreciate and admire the spiritual greatnesss of the fathers of

Hinduism.

Even the devotees of other gods who worship them full of faith,

even they worship but Me, though irregularly. IX23

Whatever is offered to Me with devotion, be it a leaf, a

flower, a fruit or water, is eagerly accepted by Me as the devoted

offering of a striving soul.IX26

Whatsoever you do, whatsoever, you eat, whatsoever you offer in

sacrifice, whatsoever alms you give, whatsoever penance you under

go, do it as an offering unto Me. LX2

They whose understanding has been seized by various desires go

to other gods, re sorting to various external observances, con

forming to their own natures. VII20

Whosoever the devotee and whatsoever the form worshipped with

sincere faith, it is I who bestow on him that firm faith. VII21

He, filled with that faith, seeks to worship such form. He

obtains his desires, I verily decreeing them. V II22

This teaching, of course, referred to the unity of goal of all forms

of worship that were-prevalent at the time. We. may not claim that

the varieties of religions and religious practices .at came into

existence much later were then thought of. But the doctrine is stated

in such wide terms and so broad based on essential principle as to be

applicable to every variety of religion.

[Guest guest]

Friends. namate.

 

the book was published first in 1962,and i had purchased it in 1984.

a good work and a useful guide for all youngsters.he had made it

simple,as he only can do as in his 'chakravarthy thirumagan'(ramayana)

and viyasar virundu(mahabarata).

 

cdr bvnadvaitin, "Ram Chandran