Glory of Bhagawad Gita by Swami Sivananda

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The Srimad Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and

Arjuna, narrated in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata. It comprises

eighteen discourses of a total of 701 Sanskrit verses. A considerable

volume of material has been compressed within these verses. On the

battlefield of Kurukshetra, Sri Krishna, during the course of His most

instructive and interesting talk with Arjuna, revealed profound,

sublime and soul-stirring spiritual truths, and expounded the rare

secrets of Yoga, Vedanta, Bhakti and Karma.

 

All the teachings of Lord Krishna were subsequently recorded as the

Song Celestial or Srimad Bhagavad Gita by Bhagavan Vyasa for the

benefit of humanity at large. The world is under a great debt of

gratitude to Bhagavan Vyasa who presented this Song Celestial to

humanity for the guidance of their daily conduct of life, spiritual

upliftment and Self-realisation. Those who are self-controlled and who

are endowed with faith can reap the full benefit of the Gita, which is

the science of the Soul.

 

The Gita Jayanti (birthdate of the Gita) is celebrated throughout

India by the admirers and lovers of this unique book on the 11th day

(Ekadashi) of the bright half of the month of Margasirsha according to

the Hindu almanac. It was the day on which the scripture was revealed

to the world by Sanjaya.

 

In all the spiritual literature of the world there is no book so

elevating and inspiring as the Gita. It expounds very lucidly the

cardinal principles or the fundamentals of the Hindu religion and

Hindu Dharma. It is the source of all wisdom. It is your great guide.

It is your supreme teacher. It is an inexhaustible spiritual treasure.

It is a fountain of bliss. It is an ocean of knowledge. It is full of

divine splendour and grandeur.

 

The Gita is the cream of the Vedas. It is the essence of the

soul-elevating Upanishads. It is a universal scripture applicable to

people of all temperaments and for all times. It is a wonderful book

with sublime thoughts and practical instructions on Yoga, devotion,

Vedanta and action. It is a marvellous book, profound in thought and

sublime in heights of vision. It brings peace and solace to souls that

are afflicted by the three fires of mortal existence, namely,

afflictions caused by one’s own body, those caused by beings around

one, and those caused by the gods.

 

The Gita contains the divine nectar. It is the wish-fulfilling gem,

tree and cow. You can milk anything from it. It is a book for

eternity. It is not a catch-penny book, with life like that of a

mushroom. It can be one’s constant companion of life. It is a

vade-mecum for all. Peace, bliss, wisdom, Brahman, Nirvana, Param

Padam and Gita are all synonymous terms.

 

The Gita is a boundless ocean of nectar. It is the immortal celestial

fruit of the Upanishadic tree. In this unique book you will find an

unbiased exposition of the philosophy of action, devotion and

knowledge, together with a wonderfully woven synthesis of these three.

The Gita is a rare and splendid flower that wafts its sweet aroma

throughout the world.

 

If all the Upanishads should represent cows, Sri Krishna is their

milker. Arjuna is the calf who first tasted that milk of wisdom of the

Self, milked by the divine Cowherd for the benefit of all humanity.

This milk is the Bhagavad Gita. It solves not only Arjuna’s problems

and doubts, but also the world’s problems and those of every

individual. Glory to Krishna, the friend of the cowherds of Gokula,

the joy of Devaki! He who drinks the nectar of the Gita through

purification of the heart and regular meditation, attains immortality,

eternal bliss, everlasting peace and perennial joy. There is nothing

more to be attained beyond this.

 

Just as the dark unfathomed depths of the ocean contain most precious

pearls, so also the Bhagavad Gita contains spiritual gems of

incalculable value. You will have to dive deep into its depths with a

sincere attitude of reverence and faith. Only then will you be able to

collect its spiritual pearls and comprehend its infinitely profound

and subtle teachings.

 

The Bhagavad Gita is a unique book for all ages. It is one of the most

authoritative books of the Hindu religion. It is the immortal song of

the Soul, which bespeaks of the glory of life. The instructions given

by Sri Krishna are for the whole world. It is a standard book on Yoga

for all mankind. The language is as simple as could be. Even a man who

has an elementary knowledge of Sanskrit can go through the book.

 

There are numerous commentaries on the Gita at the present time. A

volume can be written on each verse. A busy man with an active

temperament will be greatly benefited by the commentary of Sri

Gangadhar Lokamanya Tilak, entitled Gita Rahasya. A man of devotional

temperament will be attracted by Sri Sridhara’s commentary, and a man

of reason by that of Sri Shankara.

 

The Gita is like an ocean. Sri Shankara, Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhava

dived into it and gave accounts of their interpretation and

established their own philosophy. Anyone can do the same and bring out

the most precious pearls of divine knowledge and give their own

interpretation. Glory to the Gita! Glory to the Lord of the Gita!

 

The teachings of the Gita are broad, universal and sublime. They do

not belong to any cult, sect, creed, age or country. They are meant

for the people of the whole world. Based on the soul-elevating

Upanishads†" the ancient wisdom of seers and saints†" the Gita prescribes

methods which are within the reach of all. It has a message of solace,

freedom, salvation, perfection and peace for all human beings.

 

This sacred scripture is like the great Manasarovar lake for monks,

renunciates and thirsting aspirants to sport in. It is the ocean of

bliss in which seekers of Truth swim with joy and ecstasy. If the

philosopher’s stone touches a piece of iron even at one point, the

whole of it is transformed into gold. Even so, if you live in the

spirit of even one verse of the Gita, you will doubtless be transmuted

into divinity. All your miseries will come to an end and you will

attain the highest goal of life†" immortality and eternal peace.

 

The study of the Gita alone is sufficient for daily Swadhyaya

(scriptural study). You will find here a solution for all your doubts.

The more you study it with devotion and faith, the more you will

acquire deeper knowledge, penetrative insight and clear, right thinking.

 

The Bhagavad Gita is a gospel for the whole world. It is meant for the

generality of mankind. It was given over five thousand years ago by

Lord Krishna to Arjuna.

 

None but the Lord Himself can bring out such a marvellous and

unprecedented book which gives peace to its readers, which helps and

guides them in the attainment of supreme bliss, and which has survived

up to the present time. This itself proves clearly that God exists,

that He is an embodiment of knowledge, and that one can attain

perfection or liberation only by realising God.

 

The world is one huge battlefield. The real Kurukshetra is within you.

The battle of the Mahabharata is still raging within. Ignorance is

Dhritarashtra; the individual soul is Arjuna; the indweller of your

heart is Lord Krishna, the charioteer; the body is the chariot; the

senses are the five horses; mind, egoism, mental impressions, senses,

cravings, likes and dislikes, lust, jealousy, greed, pride and

hypocrisy are your dire enemies.