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to Heaven------------------------ "Bhagavân on the Bhagavad Gîtâ" 'The

Song of the Lord' based on the Divine Discourses of Bhagavân Sri Sathya Sai

Baba Prayer - Janedu - MP3 - Text 1. In which sacred text is the

Gîtâ incorporated? The Gîtâ is incorporated in the sacred scripture of the

Mahâbhârata, Bhîshma-Parva, Ch. 23-40. 2. What is the special name given to

each chapter in the Gîtâ Each chapter is called "YOGA". 3. How many chapters

are there in the Gîtâ? There are eighteen chapters in the Gîtâ. 4. Mention

them. Arjuna Vishâdha Yoga, Sânkhya Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnâna Yoga, Karma Sanyâsa

Yoga, Âtmâ Samyamana Yoga, Vijnâna Yoga, Akshara Parabrahma Yoga, Râja Vidhya

Râja Guhya Yoga, Vibhuthi Yoga, Vishvarûpa Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Kshetra

Kshetrajna Vibhâga Yoga, Gunathraya Vibhâga Yoga, Purushotthama Prâpthi Yoga,

Dhaivâsura Sampadvibhâga Yoga, Shraddhâtharaya Vibhâga Yoga, Moksha Sanyâsa

Yoga. 5. How many Slokaís (verses) are there in the Gîtâ? There are 700 slokaís

in the Gîtâ. 6. What is the concluding commentary of each chapter? The

concluding commentary of every chapter is as: 'iti srimadbhagavadgîtâsu,

upanishith su,

Brahmâ vidyâyâm, yoga sâsthre, Srî Krishna Arjuna samvadheÖ' 'In the Bhagavad

Gîtâ, which is the text about the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna,

the philosophy of pure consciousness and the absolute truth of yoga is

propagated' 7. Where and when was the Gîtâ taught? The Gîtâ was taught on the

eve of the Kuruksetra battle, in the middle of the two armies of the Kauravaís

and the Pandavaís. 8. Why was the Gîtâ taught? The Gîtâ was taught to transform

Arjuna who had suddenly become a Dhîna (weak) into a Dhîra, a heroic warrior. 9.

Why was Arjuna overwhelmed by despondency though he had come prepared to

fight? Arjuna surveyed at a glance the entire Kaurava army. Beholding the

grandfather Bhîshma who had brought him up, his guru Dronâcârya, who had

trained him as an ace archer, his friends and relatives, he was overwhelmed by

pity. He became weak, the weapons fell down from his hand. He cried: "Oh!

Krishna, how can I fight and kill those with whom I should have been living in

happiness and harmony. Of what avail would be the victory at the expense of so

many lives? Is it not true according to Sruti that after a war there will be

corruption and injustice. Especially it is said that women may be led astray

from the path of virtue. When women become immoral, the generation would be

immoral. I cannot fight even if I were to win the Lordship of all the three

worlds. I am in a dilemma. Please steer me across the state of indecisiveness

and instruct me what I should do?" 10. How did Lord Krishna dispel Arjunaís

delusion? In order to dispel Arjunaís delusion that he was the killer and his

kinsmen were going to be killed, Krishna taught the Gîtâ - that teaches the

knowledge of Âtmâ. Lord Krishna says that there is none who kills, none who

will be killed. It is the body that perishes and the Âtmâ is imperishable.

Above all death is the final end of man. "jâtasya maranam druvam". Death is not

in the hands of any one but God. So it is foolish to entertain such thoughts.

The duty of a Ksatriya is to fight. 11. What is the central message of the

Gîtâ? The central message of the Gîtâ is that every one should regard

performance of 'Sva-dharmaí is of utmost importance. It is indicated in the

first word of the first verse of the opening chapter and the last

word of the last verse in the concluding chapter. Mama: mine, Dharma: Duty. 12.

What is 'Sva-dharmaí and what is 'Para-dharmaí? 'Sva-dharmaí is Âtmâ-dharma;

'Para-dharmaí is the dharma related to the body. 13. Why did Lord Krishna

impart knowledge of Âtmâ only to Arjuna and not either to Bhîshma or

Yudhisthira? Lord Krishna taught the Gîtâ only to Arjuna and not either to

Bhîshma or Yudhisthira for the following reasons: Bhîshma knew that justice was

on the side of the Pândavaís and had even made a public proclamation of this.

But he took to the side of the Kauravaís and led the army. There was no harmony

between his thought, word and deed. Harmony of thought, word and deed is the

greatest virtue, and

its absence is hypocrisy.As for Dharma-râja (Yudhisthira) he had only

'pascha-thâpaí and not 'purva-tâpaí (futile regret of the past concern for the

future). Dharma-râja was subject to common human failing of repentance rather

than prior consideration though he was a noble soul. He lacked foresight and

was guilty of remorse for his past mistakes. Arjuna alone was fit to receive

the knowledge of the spirit because he had Purva-tâpa, a wise concern for the

welfare of the people. In the midst of the battlefield even when he had come

prepared for the war, he thought of the future "what would happen after the

war"? He at once asked for the advice of Krishna and acted accordingly.

Moreover, he had the following qualifications necessary for a spiritual

aspirant: Surrender, desirelessness, dispassion and detachment as revealed in

his words: "I do not care even for the Lordship

of all the three worlds". 14. Krishna addresses Arjuna during the course of the

dialogue by many names. Mention them. They are: Prthâ, Kaunteya, Kurunandana,

Gudakesa, Anasûya, Vijaya, Parantapa, Dananjaya. 15. Give the meaning of each

name. They are: Arjuna: One who is pure and unsullied Prthâ: One who is the

son of Pritvi the earth, that is, one who is the representative of mankind.

(Prthâ: Queen Kuntî, mother of Arjuna) Kaunteya: One who can listen with rapt

attention to the divine teaching. Gudakesa: One who punishes the enemies

Kurunandana: One who delights in work (action). Anasûya: One who is free from

jealousy. Parantapa: One who strikes fear in the hearts of his enemies. Vijaya:

One who is ever victorious. Dananjaya: One who has earned the merit to receive

the wealth of spiritual wisdom. 16. What light throw these names on the

personality of Arjuna? They show several virtues that Arjuna possessed and

necessary for a disciple who is ready to receive knowledge from the Guru. 17.

What is the meaning of yoga? Yoga means union with God, pathway to union with

God as well. 18. How is 'yoga' defined in the Gîtâ? "karmasu kausalam yoga":

Doing the allotted work well to the utmost capacity is Yoga. "cittavritti

niroda yoga": Control of inner and outer

senses and stilling the mind is Yoga. "samatvam yoga muchyate": Maintaining

equanimity under all circumstances is Yoga. 19. What are the principal yogas in

the Gîtâ? Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnâna Yoga and RâjaYoga: Work, Worship,

Wisdom and Yoga of Mind Control. 20. What is Karma Yoga? Karma Yoga means:

Performing one's duties and action without interest in the fruits of action.

Performing actions with a spirit of dedication and devotion to God. 21. How

does Swami explain Karma, Vikarma and Akarma? Swami explains

Karma, Vikarma and Akarma as follows: Suppose there is a Jyothi (a flame); the

steady flame is Karma, when the flame flickers due to certain external factors,

it is Vikarma; the light that we get from the flame is Akarma. Akarma is

complete detachment from activity. It is the characteristic of Âtmâ 22. Explain

the meaning of the verse: [bG: 2:47]karmany evâdhikâras temâ phalesu kadâcanamâ

karma-phala-hetur bhûrmâ te sango 'stv akarmani It should be remembered that

the Lord has said that it does not mean the doer has no right for the fruit,

the doer has a right for the fruit but he should not selfishly desire the

fruit. The expression 'mâ phalesu' the results deed yields, should be taken

into account. "You certainly have the right to do your duty but not the claim

over the fruits whenever; never see yourself as the cause of the results as you

should never let attachment accompany a religious duty". 23. What is Bhakti

Yoga: Bhakti Yoga means the path of attaining union with the Lord through

intense love of God. It is not loving God for any selfish benefit but it is

single minded devotion to God and total surrender to God. 24. How many types of

Bhakti are there? There are four types of Bhakti: Ârtha, Arthârthi, Jignâsu and

Jnâni. An Ârtha prays to God intensely when he is in dire distress. He pleads

for relief from difficulties and sufferings. God grants relief and blesses him

with

worldly happiness. An Arthârthi prays for money, power, position and prosperity.

God grants his wishes too. A Jignâsu prays to God to enlighten him with self

knowledge. His aim is to unravel the mystery of existence. God fulfills his

longing by sending a Guru to enlighten him. A Jnâni is one who sees in every

one and in every thing divinity. 25. Give examples of each. Draupadî is an

example of Ârtha bhakti. Prahlâda [sB: Canto 7, Ch. 5-10] and Sakku Bai (a

famous Krishna devotee) are other examples of this bhakti; Dhruva, Sudhama and

Arjuna are Arthârthi's; Uddhava is an excellent example of Jignâsu; Suka

Maharishi is an example of

Jnâni. 26. What are the qualities that a true devotee should have? A true

devotee should have the following qualities: He should hate none including all

other living beings. He should be friendly, compassionate, without ego, and

should remain equal minded in joy and sorrow. He should be self controlled,

enduring, ever content. The path of realizing God by the experience of seeing

unity in this world of duality and multiplicity (diversity). This knowledge can

be acquired by serving a genuine Guru. 27. What is Jnâna yoga? Jnâna yoga is the

path of self enquiry with such questions as: Who am I? From where have I come?

Where will I go? It begins with negating everything else (This is not, This is

not) and ends in an intuitive experience of the Âtmic

reality. 28. How many types of Jnâna are there? There are two types of

knowledge: Secular and Spiritual. 29. How can one earn Jnâna? Jnâna can be

earned only by Sraddhâ and intense faith in one's self. Sraddhâ means:

earnestness, perseverence and determination. 30. What is Râja Yoga? Râja Yoga

is concerned with the occult or hidden spiritual experience and inner mysteries

of the human soul. 31. King Janaka, Sant Nâma Dhev, Sant Jnâna Dhev, are

realized souls. What was the yoga they practiced? King Janaka [bG 3:20] is the

exponent and practitioner of Karma Yoga, Nâma Dhev of Bhakti Yoga, and Jnâna

Dhev of Jnâna Yoga. [bG 3:20] For sure even kings like Janaka [father of Sîtâ,

the wife of Râma] and others attained to perfection through this work and also

in consideration of what the world needs you should act. 32. How does Swami

explain the inter-relationship between Karma, Jnâna and Bhakti Mârga's? Karma

is like a flower, Bhakti is the raw fruit and Jnâna is the ripened fruit, one

leading to the other. 33. What is it that prevents a spiritual aspirant from

taking to these paths? It is the mind that is ever in agitation that is

responsible.

34. What is mind? It is a bundle of thoughts and desires. 35. Why should mind be

controlled? Mind is responsible for both man's bondage and liberation. So it

should be controlled. 36. How can mind be controlled? The mind can be

controlled only by being a master of the senses and not be a servant of them.

it should obey the dictates of the Buddhi or intellect. 37. What are the other

components of the mind? The other components of the mind are Buddhi, Chittha

and Ahamkâr. The mind is the seat of ever-wavering thoughts. It is called the

'Buddhi' when it

discriminates (intellect); the 'Chittha' is that mind which stores impressions

of experiences of the past and past lives. 'Ahamkâr' is the ego-mind. 38. What

are the impurities that affect the mind? The impurities that affect the mind

are Mala, Âvarana and Vikshepa. 39. What is Mala? 'Mala' is the dirt and dust

that soils the mind in the form of the imprints of the offences committed in

this life and the previous lives. It is treasured in the Chittha or storehouse

of memory. As a consequence the mind cannot reflect the Âtmic effulgence. 40.

What is Âvarana? 'Âvarana' is that which conceals reality and makes man

identify with the

body. 41. What is Vikshepa? 'Vikshepa' is constant wavering of the mind and the

projection of the unreal as the real. It is like one mistaking a rope for a

serpent in the twilight or dawn. 42. How can these impurities be removed?

'Mala' can be got rid of by Nishkâma Karma. Hence it is said: 'Chitthasya

Suddhaye Karmah'. Âvarana' can be got rid of by wisdom, 'Vikshepa' by Bhakti or

devotion. 43. What is it that is responsible for these impurities? The three

guna's or the attributes that are inherent in Nature (Prakrithi). 44. What are

Guna's? The Tamas, the Rajas and Satva qualities are responsible for the

impurities. 45. Describe the characteristics of these Guna's. The

characteristics of these guna's are: Tamasic is characterized by intellectual

inertia, wavering mind, indecisiveness, non-discriminating and heedlessness.

The Rajasic is characterized by passion, anger, jealousy, greed and

restlessness. The Satvic is full of wisdom, is calm and serene but experiences

happiness. Wisdom belongs to Satva-guna, activity to Rajo-guna and delusion to

Tamo-guna. 46. What is the basis for these Guna's? The food that we eat is the

basis for these guna's. 47. How many types of food are there? There are three

types of food: Tamasic, Rajasic and Satvic. The Tamasic food is stale,

tasteless, putrid. The Rajasic food is bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot,

pungent and burning. The Satvic food is savoury, oleaginous and substantial,

confers energy, health, strength, joy and cheer. 48. What exactly is food

according to Swami? Food according to Swami is not just what we take by mouth

alone. All that we take in through all the sense organs is food. Hence,We

should not see evil but see only good.We should not hear evil but hear only

good.We should not speak evil but speak only good.We should not think evil but

think only good.We should not do evil but do only good. 49.

What should we do to purify the food? We have to say prayer and offer the food

to God before eating. 50. What are the impurities related to food? The purity

of food materials - how it was bought, whether by fair or foul means. The

purity of the cooking utensils. The purity of the person who cooks. 51. Who

digests the food that we eat? The digestive fire by name Vaishvânara digests

the food. 52. What are the types of food that He digests? Food that is eaten by

mastication (chewing), by sucking in, by devouring and by licking. 53. How can

we get rid of these

Guna's? We can get rid of these just as a thorn in the foot can be easily

removed by a thorn - by subduing the Tamasic by Rajasic and the Rajasic by the

Satvic and ultimately transcend the three Guna's. 54. What are the three gates

to hell? Anger, greed and desire are the three gateways to hell. 55. How do they

affect man? "kâmam karma nâshanam". Desire will make one take to improper

actions. "krodham jnâna nâshanam". Anger will destroy wisdom. "lobham bhakti

nasanam". Greed will destroy devotion. 56. How does the Gîtâ illustrate that

'desire leads to despair'? Brooding over sense objects attachments is born;from

attachment comes desire, from desire sprouts anger,from anger proceeds delusion,

from delusion results confused memory and ruin of reason. Due to the ruin of

reason he perishes. In the verse: [bG: 2-62] "dhyâyato visayân pumsahsangas

tesûpujâyatesangât sanjâyate kâmahkâmât krodho 'bhijâyate" Facing sense-objects

a person develops attachment for those objects. From that attachment desire

develops and from that desire anger [the drift of passion] arises. and in the

verse: [bG: 2-63] "krodhâd bhavati sammohahsammohât smrt-vibhramahsmrti-bhramsâd

buddhi-nâsobuddhi-nâsât pranasyati" From anger [losing one's order] one gets

illusioned and from illusion the memory gets bewildered. With the memory

disturbed one loses one's intelligence and from that loss of intelligence one

falls down. 57. What are the three stages that make an aspirant merge in God?

Jnâthum - knowing about God; Dhrashtum- seeing God face to face, and Praveshtum

- merging in God. 58. What is

the illustration given by Swami to explain these stages? We first hear the news

that sweet mangoes are available in the market. This is the stage of 'Jnâthum'.

Fetching the mangoes and feeling happy of the possession is 'Dhrashtum'.

Tasting and enjoying the fruits is 'Praveshtum' 59. Which is more fruitful, the

worship of God with name and form or the worship of God without form and name?

Both the types of worship is important but as long as a devotee is body

conscious and does Sadhana through the body-, mind-, intellect-complex, he has

to take to the worship of God with name and

form. 60. What does the Gîtâ say about Avatâric mission? Avatharana means

descent, Avatharana is the descent of God for the ascent of mankind. The Lord

says: "Whenever there is a decline in de practice of Dharma and Adharma

prevails, I incarnate. I incarnate to protect the virtuous and punish the

wicked". [bG: 4-7]yadâ yadâ hi dharmasyaglânir bhavati bhârataabhyutthânam

adharmasyatadâtmânam srjâmy aham Whenever and wherever it is sure that one

weakens in righteousness and a predominance of injustice does manifest, o

descendant of Bharata, at that time I do manifest

Myself. 61. What is the message of the Vibhuthi Yoga? The Vibhuthi Yoga

exemplifies how divinity is immanent in the creation. 62. What is the purpose

of the Vishvarûpa Samdharshana Yoga? The Vishvarûpa Samdharshana Yoga projects

the entire cosmos in the form of the Lord. God is not exhausted in His

creation. 63. What are the qualities of a Stitha Pragna? A Stitha Pragna is

one who has complete control over his senses, has steady mind, unaffected by

the world of pluralities, he is ever established in God. He is equal minded and

ever alert. He is free and is always at peace and joy. 64. How can the

despondency of Arjuna be called a Yoga? The despondency of Arjuna was not an

ordinary type of despondency characterized by lack of courage and fear.

Arjuna's despondency was beneficial. It tested his sincerity and steadfastness.

It induced him to seek unquestioning refuge in the Lord. Hence Arjuna's Vishâdha

or despondency is given a dignified name - Yoga. 65. How does Lord Krishna

explain the efficacy of the caste system? Lord Krishna says that He Himself has

created the caste system according to people's natural attributes and aptitudes.

It is based on Guna and Karma. The four castes, the brâhmana, the ksatriya, the

vaishya and the sûdra are like the four limbs of the human body. It is said

that the brâhmana's are born from the head of

the Lord, the ksatriya's from the shoulders, the vaishya's from the thighs and

the sûdra's from the feet. Just as each limb is important and has a function of

its own, but interdependent, so too all these castes are equally important.

Further by virtue of the Guna's they possess, they can transcend the castes.

66. What does the Gîtâ say about speech habit? The words spoken must be true,

must be devoid of passion and should not hurt others even if it be true. 67.

What is the meaning of the terms Sadhu, Samadhi, Moksha and Pandit as given by

Swami? A 'Sadhu' is not just a monk or a sanyasi who wears an ochre robe. A

'Sadhu' is one who has Satva Guna, who practices Sathya (Truth) and Dharma

(compassion). One who fosters Satva Guna in society and spreads sacred values

of life.'Samadhi' is made of two syllables: Sama and dhi. Sama means equal and

dhi means buddhi; so it means equal mindedness. 'Moksha' is

Moha-kshaya.'Pandit' is one who has equal vision - Samadarsan. 68. What is the

significance of Dhaivâsura Sampadvibhâga Yoga? Dhaivâsura Sampadvibhâga Yoga

describes the virtues that one should cultivate and the vices that one should

discard. 69. Describe the Tree of Samsara. The tree of Samsara is

compared to the imperishable Asvattha tree (banyan/peepal) with its roots above

and branches below. The leaves are the Veda's. The branches spread above and

below. They are nourished by the three guna's: sense objects are its buds, the

roots stretch forth nourishing the

tree. Œswara is the tap root of the tree sustaining from above. The roots

stretch forth below in the world of men originating in action. Its form is not

perceived here - neither its end, nor its origin, nor its existence is visible.

The phenomenon vanishes to one, attaining Brahma Jnana. But it continues to

exist for all others, in ignorance. Non-attachment is the axe to cut down the

tree of Samsara, seeking refuge in the eternal cosmic spirit. 70. What are the

seven excellences (Sthree) of women as mentioned in the Vibhuthi Yoga? The

excellences in a women are: Fame, fortune, speech, memory, intelligence,

consistency and endurance. 71. How does Swami explain the eternal longing of

man"I want peace" and how can one attain peace? "I want peace": Remove the I

which is the Ego, remove also Want which is Desire and what remains is Peace.

72. Complete these quotations of Swami: a. Death is the dress of life.b. Death

is sweeter than the blindness of ignorance.c. As you sow, so you reap. d. The

sloka's of the Gîtâ will banish the soka in our hearts.e. Mind is the puppet of

the food we take. 73. What is the significance of the following similies: a.

Goods wagon: Just as on the goods wagon the date of its return is written, so

too man is sent into the world with his death date already fixed.b. Fan with

three

blades: The three blades stand for the three Guna's. When these three Guna's

(Satva (harmony), Rajas (passion) and Thamas (passivity)) are in union and

when there is balance, the individual is happy, just as the fan gives good

breeze when the three blades move in one direction only.c. Match box: If we

want to light fire, we need not strike all the matchsticks in the box, one or

two would do. Similarly if we want to attain Jnana (wisdom, knowledge), we need

not memorize all the verses in the Gîtâ. It is enough if we learn one or two and

practise them in daily life. 74. The following quotations of Swami throws light

on certain teachings of the Gîtâ-explain. a. Less luggage more comfort make

travel a pleasure:It means, the less desires you have, the more comfortable

will be your journey of life. Then the life will be full of joy. b. Be in the

world but let not the world enter you:You may live in the world but should not

allow the worldly tendencies to bind you. You must develop detachment

(Vairâgya). c. Food - Head - God:As the food so is the head. As the head so is

the mind. As is the mind, so is the conduct. As is the conduct so is God's

grace. d. Man minus desire is God:A man without desire can realize God. e. What

matters is renunciation in action and not renunciation of action:This is the sum

and substance of Karma yoga. One should not

desist from doing work. One must do work without desire for the fruits. 75. What

are the two verses that serve as two banks of the river of life? [bG 4:39]

"sraddhâvân labhathe jnânam": One who has steadfastness and sincerity can

obtain wisdom. [bG 4:40] "samsayâtmâ vinasyati": One who doubts will come to

ruin. 76. What is the significance of the verse: [bG 9:26]"patram puspam

phalam toyamyo me bhaktyâ prayacchatitad aham bhakty-upahrtamasnâmi

prayatâtmanah" This verse means that God will accept anything you offer with

love and devotion, be it a leaf, a flower or water. But Swami says that body

should be the leaf, the flower is the heart and the water is tears of joy. We

have to offer only these three. "Whoever offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit,

and water with devotion, that offer brought from the heart by a soul of good

habits I accept". 77. How can a lazy fellow interpret the verse: [bG:

18-66]sarva-dharmân parityajyamâm ekam saranam vrajaaham tvâm

sarva-pâpebhyomoksayisyâmi mâ sucah A lazy fellow who does not work will quote

the verse and justify his laziness "Has

not the Lord said: Give up all dharma and seek my refuge, I shall grant Moksa

(liberation from the cycle of birth and dead)". "Go, leave the variety of

religions behind for surrendering to Me only; I will deliver you from all the

consequences of sin, don't worry!" 78. Mention at least three verses that point

out the immanent divinity. [bG 7:10] bîjam mâm sarva-bhûtânâm[viddhi pârtha

sanâtanambuddhir buddhimatâm asmitejas tejasvinâm aham] I am present as the

seed in all the living beings.Know Me as the eternal seed of all beings. [bG

15:7]mamaivâmso

jîva-lokejîva-bhûtah sanâtanah[manah-sasthânîndriyâniprakrti sthâni karsati] An

eternal portion of myself having become the Jîva. [bG 18:61] îsvarah

sarva-bhûtânâm[hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthatibhrâmayan sarva-bhûtâniyantrârûdhâni

mâyayâ] The Lord dwells in all beings. 79. What are the three types of

Saranâgati (absolute self-surrender) They are:1. "tavaivâham" meaning 'I am

Thine'.2. "mamaiva tvam" meaning 'You are mine'.3. "tvame vâham" meaning 'Thou

art I'. 80. What is the meaning of total surrender? Total surrender means

surrendering to the Lord with body, mind and heart - with a feeling "nothing is

mine". Everything is Yours. Thy will shall prevail. 81. What is the key to gain

spiritual wisdom? The key is: sense control. 82. How does Lord Krishna describe

Âtmâ? Âtmâ can not be cut by any weapon, cannot be burnt by fire, cannot be

wetted by water and cannot be dried. It is immutable, all pervading, stable and

firm. [bG 2:23]nainam chindanti sastrâninainam dahati pâvakahna cainam

kledayanty âpona sosayati mârutah Never can this soul (Âtmâ) be cut to pieces,

be burnt by fire; nor can it drown in water or wither in the wind. 83. What is

the meaning given by Swami to MAN? MAN means Mâyâ removed, Âtmâ seen and

Nirvana attained. 84. What is the foundation for the mansion of the Gîtâ?

Arjuna Vishâdha Yoga or the Yoga of Arjuna's despondency is the foundation of

the Gîtâ. 85. How should one regard and revere the Gîtâ, the song and word of

God? The Gîtâ is not a text to be worshipped with flowers, nor is it a text the

verses of which should be committed to memory. It is the Song of the Lord, the

Word of God, so the Word should be obeyed and put into

practice. 86. "Dharmaksetre Kuruksetre" is the line with which the Gîtâ starts:

what is the meaning of these terms? Dharmaksetre and Kuruksetre means: Man, when

he is born as a child, his heart is pure and is a dharmaksetra; as he grows it

becomes Kuruksetra, a battle ground. Kuru means to do. Hence by being good and

doing good, kuruksetra can be transformed into dharmaksetra. 87. Âtmâ is

described as free and independent, then what is the meaning of Âtma-samyamana

Yoga? In this context Âtmâ means mind. So it stands for mind control

(Dhyânam). 88. What is meditation? Meditation is concentration on God to the

exclusion of everything else. In meditation Dhyâta, one who meditates and

Dhyânam the process of meditation, Dheya the object of meditation, all the

three should merge. The person who meditates should become one with the object

of meditation. 89. How can we say that the Gîtâ is the Universal Scripture? The

Gîtâ is a text book on the conduct of life, what man should do to be happy and

peaceful. It is a practical guide to the art and science of life in the secular

world and spiritual world. Its message is for the entire mankind. 90. How could

Arjuna rise to the occasion and fight? Arjuna said "karisye vacanam tava" [bG

18:73]: I shall act according to your word. He fought and won. 91. What is the

symbolical significance of the Kuruksetre battle? The two armies pitted

against one another; the Pandava army and the Kaurava army stand for the

eternal struggle between good end evil forces within man. 92. What is Akshara

Parabrahma Yoga? Akshara Parabrahma Yoga means attainment of yoga through the

contemplation of AUM (Omkâra) the imperishable. Akshara means that which is

imperishable. 93. Krishna says that He had first taught the Gîtâ to the Sungod

[Vivasvan] and the Sungod to the father of mankind [Vaisvata Manu] who in his

turn spoke it to Iksvaku [founder of the dynasty where Râma descended in] as He

is teaching it to Arjuna. What is the meaning? [bG 4:1]srî bhagavân

uvâcaimam vivasvate yogamproktavân aham avyayamvivasvân manave prâhamanur

iksvâkave 'bravît It means: "Arjuna, I am unborn, I am infinite, I am

omniscient and omnipresent. I have neither beginning nor an end". He is the

eternal Sarathi (charioteer) of

mankind. 94. How can ignorance or Ajnâna be removed? By using the sword of

Jnaan, by using the fire of Jnâna, Ajnana can be cut off and burnt. 95. What is

the verse that says "nothing is greater than self-discipline"? [bG 18:9]kâryam

ity eva yat karmaniyatam kriyate 'rjunasangam tyaktvâ phalam caivasa tyâgah

sâttviko matah Without the observance of discipline, no good can be accrued.

Prescribed work then indeed

done out of discipline, o Arjuna, and in association with giving up on the

result - that renunciation is, in My view, of goodness. 96. What is the verse

that says "you shall raise self by your own self"? Let man raise himself by

his own self; let him not debase himself. For he is himself his friend, himself

his foe. [bG 6:5]uddhared âtmanâtmânamnâtmânam avasâdayetâtmaiva hy âtmano

bandhurâtmaiva ripur âtmanah One must free oneself by mindfulness and never put

oneself down, as surely that selfinterest is indeed as well the friend of the

soul as the self its enemy. 97. Who were the people other than Arjuna

who heard the Gîtâ? Hanuman [see: RRV : 12a] on the flag staff, Sanjaya and

Dhritarâstra. 98. Did Krishna teach the Gîtâ only to enlighten Arjuna? Krishna

Himself says: "Arjuna, you are just a pretext for the celestial song to emanate

from Me". 'nimitta-mâtram bhava savyasâcin', Sage Vyâsa with his poetic genius

describes that the Gîtâmrita is like the milk drawn from the Upanishadic cows,

having Arjuna as the calf by the cowherd Gopala for the benefit of men of

purified intellect. [bG 11:33]tasmât tvam uttistha yaso labhasvajitvâ satrûn

bhunksva râjyam samrddhammayaivaite nihatâh pûrvam evanimitta-mâtram bhava

savyasâcin Therefore You must get up and gain fame conquering the enemies and

enjoy the kingdom flourishing by Me; for sure all these were destined to be

killed, be merely the instrument of that, o left-handed one. 99. Give the

meaning of the last verse of the Gîtâ. The last verse means: Wherever there is

Krishna, the

'Yogesvarah', one who works for the welfare of the world, one who embodies

sacrifice with all divine attributes, where is Arjuna Dhanurdhara the wielder

of the bow, there will be prosperity, glory and felicity. [bG 18:78]yatra

yogesvarah krsnoyatra pârtho dhanur-dharahtatra srîr vijayo bhûtirdhruvâ nîtir

matir mama I am convinced that wherever there is the Lord of Yoga Krishna and

the son of Prthâ carrying the bow and arrows, that there opulence, victory,

great power and morality are assured." 100. What is the famous quotation of

Swami that portrays the greatness of the Gîtâ? Baba says: Gîtâ

is the universal Mother.Gîtâ is the messenger of God.Gîtâ is the lifeboat to

cross the ocean of life.Gîtâ is the staff and support for spiritual

seekers.Gîtâ is a casket of sacred mantra's.Gîtâ is a beautiful garden of

flowers.Gîtâ is the royal road to liberation.This is the word of Sai

Janedu Janedu Potta Nimpukona Chikkula NonduchuKoti Vidyalanu Punika Mira

NerchiParipurna Sukhammu Nonda LekaVi Manava Jathi Lokamuna Mraggaga NetikiSri

Parathprunv Dhyanamu Cheyu BhakthulakuDarini Chuppaka Unne Manava Manava

ManavaWhy do you suffer in this world of humansunable to satisfy

the belly(measuring up to one span) with the help of umpteen (very many) number

of skills. Will not the Supreme Lord show the wayif you but besought his refuge

O man? Links: Gîtâ Vahini by Bhagavân Sathya Sai BabaBhagavad Gîtâ of Order

by: Anand Aadhar Prabhu The Bhagavad Gîtâ As It Is by: Swami Bhaktivedânta

Prabhupâda. See also the Family Tree of the Kuru-Dynasty Original Text:

Quiz on the Bhagawath GeetaISBN: 81-7208-196-0Published in India by: The

Convenor, Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust, Prashanthi Nilayam,

India [Links and pictures by Vahini.org] dorisainews (AT) (DOT) es