Why is Gita..................

[Guest guest]

what i don't understand is why is the bhagvad gita so

>important to many hindus when actually it's not the text of authority.

 

Gita is important to Hindu's for several reasons some of which are as under:

1. Unlike other religions where there is only one sacred text to be

followed without questioning (and hence authoratative), in Hindu's the

sacred texts are but dialogues between the teacher and the disciple. The

disciple is free to raise questions, doubts etc and the teacher clarifies

them. This is how the scriptures proceed (including Gita which is a

dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna). One is free to challange the version

given by the teacher and come out with alternative explanation (alternate

hypothesis). There are several such works (dialogues) which we call

Upanishads. One is free to follow any of the Upanishads that appeals. But

most people feel that Gita probably summarises the essential aspects of

Vedic philosophy the best and who has time these days to read all the

voluminous scriptures!! so people focus on Gita.

2. The beauty of Gita is it addresses the very core questions that arise in

our minds and leaves the rest. Gita is like an 'Executive Summary' of

Indian scriptures.

3. Stalwarts in all walks of life have found that even if one understands

Gita that is enough. For example, Gandhi once replied that if he was told

to carry only one book to the jail then that book will be Gita. He also

said that the inner peace that he can't find from the sermon on the mount he

finds it in Gita. Daag Hamurshould (the spelling could be wrong) former UN

Secretary General carried Gita with him always and when he was killed in

aircrash in his belongings was Gita. Goette (the famous French poet- again

forgive me if the spelling is wrong) when he read Gita started dancing with

joy. When such experiences are reported one naturally feels that one should

read the Gita.

4. Gita is a short scripture and can be memorised with effort.

5. In most Hindu rituals, slokas from the Gita are recited. For example,

when a body is creamated it is usual in the Hindu's to recite the Gita which

tells that death is just a change of clothes. It immensley comforts the

relatives of the departed.

6. There are other Hindu scriptures like 'Yoga Vasistha' which is a dialogue

between Rama and Vasistha which I found to be equally educative like the

Gita but it is voluminous.

I hope this explains why Hindu's consider Gita so sacred

 

 

Dr Milind Sathye

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

It is a wrong assumption that 'Gita is not authoritative'! It

is one of the three foundational scriptures ['prastaahna-trayii'] of

Vedic or Sanatana or Eternal Religion [called Hinduism by the Western

writers since the time of Alexander.[The other two are the Upanishads

and Brahmasutra].

 

Shankara wrote commentaries on all the three, because of its

importance. It is in fact counted as an 'upanishad', as stated at the

end of each chapter [giitaasu upanishhatsu].

 

In the courts of Law in India, Hindus can take an oath by

touching the Gita [like the Bible in Christian countries].

 

The importance also lies in the socio-cultural-metaphysical-

philosophical dimensions.

 

At the time Gita came to be written, it was a 'water-shed'

period in the history. With the departure of Krishna, the Iron Age

[Kali Yuga] was ushered. The polarisation of the Karma Kanda [Vedic

ritualism] and Jnana Kanda [sanyasa Marg] followers was foreseen by

Vyasa. The majority of the people were likely to be disinclined or

unfit for either path, but preservation of Dharma was critical.

 

The rituals involved elaborate and strict chanting of the Vedic

mantras. Jnana marg involved a total dedication to philosophical

pursuit. Women and non-'dvija's [sudras] were handicapped by their

exclusion in such studies.

 

Vyasa's great achievement was the 'synthesis' [samanvaya] of

Karma and Jnana, with the ease of practising them in the spirit of

yoga and bhakti.

 

No matter of what persuasion or faith one grows up in, Gita's

universality is such that at least some part of it can appeal to

everyone, to accept Dharma and Moksha as the summum bonum of a human

life, in harmony with every other aspect of human experience [artha

and kaama - material prosperity and legitimate desires].

 

It is a 'vade mecum' of Spiritual Life, an ambrosia for the

jaded heart or the arrogant intellect or the unruly mind.

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ramakrishna, " Sathye, Milind " <MilindS@m...> wrote:

> what i don't understand is why is the bhagvad gita so

> >important to many hindus when actually it's not the text of

authority.

>

> Gita is important to Hindu's for several reasons