[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Glory of the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita

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The fourth chapter is called jnanakarmasannyasa yoga, which means that by renouncing all actions by knowledge one attsains release from bondage.In the story the celestial damsels have become trees where there is no karma for them but the propensity to do karma remained and it is burnt by listening to the fifth chapter. The sage Bharata was the realised master whom Krishna tells Arjuna to seek.' thadhviddhi praNipAthEna paripraSnEna sEvayA;upadhEkshyanthi thE jnanamjnAninah thathva dharsinah.'(BG.4-34) approach them, said Krishna, and ask them prostrating before tham with humility and through serving them. Then they will give you the knowledge.Here due to the contact with the thapasvin, the damsels acquired punya to get the knowledge from Bharata and the jnana like fire, burnt their past karma ,' jnAnAgnih sarvakarmANi basmasAth kuruthE thaTHA.'(BG.4-37) Krishna says 'api chedhasi pApEbhyahsarvEbhyah pApakrtthmah;sarvam jnAna plavEnaiva vrjinam

samtharishyathi.' Even if one is the worst sinner he crosses the river of sin by the k help of the boat of knowledge nd that is what happened to the two damsels in the story.Since one can do sadhana only in human life they were born as humans. saroja Ramanujamhparamu <param wrote: GLORY OF THE FOURTH CHAPTER OF THE BHAGAVAD GITAThe liberation of Badari TreesBy the banks of the holy Godavari, there lived a saint called Bharata. He used to do Gita Parayana at the

temple of Lord Viswanatha and he used to enthrall audiences with his simple but profound commentaries and enchanting voice. One day he decided to rest after his usual Gita parayana. He kept his head on the roots of one Badari tree and his legs on the roots of an adjacent Badari tree. He kept repeating the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita several times and then went to sleep.After a week, the leaves of both the trees started falling and the trees became completely barren. A few days later both the trees fell on their own. It was a mystery for the people of the village and they were not able to find the reason behind it.A few years later, the saint Bharata was standing in front of a house for alms in the holy city of Varanasi. He uttered – " Mother , please give me bhiksha ". Soon two small girl children came running at him – "Holy one, please bless us". He blessed them. They told him – " We are

eternally thankful to you for giving us this human form. Otherwise we would have spent rest of our life as trees bearing the hot sun, chilling cold and rains. Our pranams to you""Children, your are telling tales to me, please give me alms !""Come , holy one, please be seated, do not dismiss facts as tales. It is true that we were Badari trees in the premises of the temple of Lord Viswanatha""How can I believe that you were trees ! Please explain !""Holy one ! You recited the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita keeping your head in the roots of one Badari tree and feet in the other ! Probably you would have forgotten this. Because of the immense punya of hearing the fourth chapter recited, we shed our forms as trees and were born as human beings with awareness about our past birth !""How did you become trees ?"The children continued – " By the banks of Godavari, in the place called

Chinnapapa, there lived a saint called Sathyatapas who performed tapasya. When his tapasya became so intense, Indra, the king of Gods became panicky and wanted to interrupt his tapasya. He called all the celestial damsels and asked them to go and disturb the tapasya of the holy saint. None of the damsels were willing to take up this task. Then we, who were celestial damsels agreed to do this because of our arrogance. Indra wished us success and we reached the place where the saint was performing tapasya""We tried to seduce the saint in all possible ways. Yet he was so calm and composed and requested us to leave the place with all politeness. Still, we refused to leave and finally he cursed us that we become Badari trees. Stunned by the curse we fell at his feet and requested his pardon. Seeing our plight and tears, the saint told us that after a few years we will be freed from this curse when a holy saint called

Bharata reads the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita touching us. He also told us subsequently we will be born as human beings and also be given a chance to read the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. Later we will meet the saint Bharata and be given an opportunity to speak of your story. In course of time we are to shed your human form and reach Indra loka once again. Great one , this is our true story , believe us !"When the children finished telling this, the saint Bharata was astonished . He told them"Young ones, continue reading the Bhagavad Gita, the divine nectar from the mouth of Lord Padmanabha himself. When the time comes you will reach your original abode ".The saint left the place after blessing them.Hare Krishna Dr. Saroja Ramanujam, M.A., Ph.D, Siromani in sanskrit. web address: http://www.geocities.com/sarojram18 http://freewebs.com/gitaclass

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