Bhagavad Gita contains Krishna's instructions to His devotees

February 20, 2005

Hare Krishna. Pranam to all Vaishnavas ,

Bhagavad Gita contains Krishna's instructions to His devotee

When a needy person approaches another for help, generally he receives ``advice''. Can this be true in the case of a man who seeks help from Bhagavan Krishna as seen in the Bhagavad Gita? The devotee (Arjuna) knelt before Sri Krishna begging for a decree when he remained dejected at the tragedy of a war, and Krishna rendered the divine sermon ‘Gita’ to him on the battlefield itself. A devotee is at liberty to get guidance from his Bhagavan whenever he is in distress but should not expect reciprocal response. The devotee will receive guidance in the nature of making him realise his limitations and what he should do to achieve what he wants.

Man's prayers presuppose that what he had decided in mind should be sanctioned by Krishna, thus reducing Him merely as the ``executor'' of his demands. But scriptural truth is otherwise. It is Bhagavan Krishna who decides and it is man who should uphold it. If this be His will, it may be asked, what is man's role? The Lord makes man realise that he is entitled only to ``activity''. Sri Krishna does not deny him the decision-making ability but his duty is to act. Krishna asked Arjuna to cease sobbing and to fight. This imperative has a far-reaching significance and there is great power in it. Bhagavan Krishna's teachings can be summed up as a call to everyone to do one's duty in a spirit of dedication as an offering to Him. Whatever a devotee does (be it sweeping the road or performing a surgery) is a service for Krishna. The Gita enjoys the status of an eternal, universal, distinctive and self- complete scripture embodying an integral philosophy of life.

Before the commencement of the Kurukshetra battle, Yudhishtira took up an extraordinary step of going to Bheeshma, the commander-in-chief of his opponent's army, and sought his blessings. ``You will win because where there is virtue, Bhagavan Krishna will be present and where Bhagavan Krishna stands by, there will be success'' were the grandfather's reply. Bhagavan has spelt out the path of duty that, it is necessary for everyone devoted to SriKrishna not to give up his duties as laid down in the scriptures. Some question the rationale behind such divine directives. Does a man going in a plane seek to know the mechanism of the aircraft, or when he sits for lunch, analyse where the rice was grown and wherefrom the vegetables arrived or how they are cooked? Or when he goes in a car, if the need arises to apply the brake, he cannot resort to the step to know how the same operates. If a man carries out scriptural duties and obeys His instructions given in Gita , Bhagavan Krishna will enable him to prosper.

Bhagavan Krishna says in Gita, Chapter 18, Sloka 68-70 :

ya imam paramam guhyam / mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyatibhaktim mayi param krtva / mam evaisyaty asamsayahna ca tasman manusyesu / kascin me priya-krttamahbhavita na ca me tasmad / anyah priyataro bhuvi

adhyesyate ca ya imam / dharmyam samvadam avayohjnana-yajnena tenaham / istah syam iti me matih

( He who instructs this most confidential knowledge of Gita-sastra to My bhaktas will attain para bhakti unto Me, and becoming free from all doubts, he will finally attain Me.There is no one in human society who performs a more pleasing service to Me than one who explains this message of the Gita to others. Nor will there be anyone in the entire world more dear to Me than him.I shall be worshipped by those who study this sacred dialogue between us, through jnana-yajna, the principle of true

knowledge. This is My opinion.)

OM NAMO BHAAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA!!!

SriKrishnaDasa Rajeev

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