Greatness of Gita.

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Scriptures are indispensable to all religions.They save religions from mutaion and from extinction.That faith which has no gospel for its guidance gets lost in a series of transformations.Finally it disintegrates and loses its individuality.

But a faith that draws sanction and inspiration from a sacred book is able to hold its own.It has in such a holy document authoritative statements to encounter the opposition and meet the attacks of heterodox.That the Bible is the scripture of the Christians is well known.So too Quaran for the followers of Islam.But the cae of the Hindus is different.He alone is bewildered in regard to this question.He does not know which book he may term as his scripture.If a mention is made to the Vedas he admits he has no idea,let alone the contents of the same.Many a Hindu may with hesitancy mentions this or that as his sacred scripture from which he draws inspiration and guidance.This dilemma is due to the immensity of the Hindu scriptures.The popular conviction is that Vedas are the direct or indirect sources of all the sacred books but the fact is that several portions of Vedas is lost due to the efflex of time.But the cream of the Vedas is the Upanishads and these have been piously

guarded both against extinction and mutilation.A synopsis and classification of the contents of the Upanishads goes by the name of the Brahma Sutras.These Sutras are aphorisms elucidating the Vedanta Philosophy.These aphorisms are somewhat abtruse and unintelligible.Without a commentary it is rather difficult to follow them.Here comes the role of Bhagawat Gita which is the essence of Upanishads,not in the sense that it is all condensed into terse form,but in the sense that the Vedanta Philosophy is made easy of understanding.When the Upanishads are compared to cows,Gita can be compared to milk.One who has studied and understood the Gita may be said to hv caught the cardinal teachings of the Upanishads.

Among modern scholars there are those who hold that the Gita is an interpolation in the Mahabharata.But the internal evidence does not bear any testimony to this contention.Both in diction and in development of the subject there is homegeneity running all through.The philosophy of Gita explained and expanded becomes the Mahabharata.Conversely,Mahabharata condensed into philosophy becomes Gita.So an attemt to trace a separate origin to the Song

Celestial serves no purpose.Among the saviours of mankind there is an exemplary trait which is common to all.Their life embodies the message they bring to mankind.Their precept is primarily thru their personal life.Their conduct is the core of their teaching.There is a belif that Sri Krishna's case does not come under this rule.The sponsors of this view contend that humanity will do well to emulate Sri Rama and Sri Krishna in two different ways.Imitate the life of the former but imbibe the instructions of the latter,dare not imitate the actions of Sri Krishna.This revolves mainly due to the killig of the wicked people and Krishna's play with the Gopis.This comes out of impure mind set up becoz of misunderstanding of the purport.Incarnations take place for certain purposes and that go beyond human comprehension.Sri Krishna teaches to go above body consciousness to be in perfect bliss.This was the lesson the boy Krishna had taught the Gopis.All thru his earthly career Sri Krishna

was delivering this message poised in divinity.Even in the midst of battle field He was ever established in His Supreme Self. This is the greatest teaching He has delivered to the mankind.Of course all His teachings made in the battle front can't be applied now but most of them have got the stamp of approval.In this way Gita shines above all scriptures that Hinduism has got.Whether Hinduism is a religion or a way of life is a debatable point.But the general belief is those who follow Hindu scriptures and Hindus can be dubbed as belong to Hinduism if not otherwise expressely provided anywhere.

 

Hare Krishna.

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