I was asked to write an article that would introduce SrimadBhagavadgita to College going students. Here is the article that Swamy made me write. This was for 2023 Gita Jayanti.
SrimadBhagavadGita, loosely translated as (The Song of God) has inspired millions of people worldwide. While the seekers of spirituality were always amazed by the insights the book gave them, many thinkers, scientists, astronauts, physicists, entrepreneurs, business tycoons, musicians, actors, military generals, philosophers, and many other innovators were inspired by the teachings of this conversation between Sri Krishna and Arjuna. Many of them laud this book for showing them direction in their troubled times.
On the auspicious occasion of Gita Jayanti, let us look at some of the teachings of SrimadBhagavadGita that can help us shape our lives better.
Bhagavadgita starts with Arjuna’s Vishaada(lamentation). We need to understand the fact that the Pandavas were forced to enter the battlefield as Kauravas not only went back on their word but also refused all pro-peace overtures and proposals of the Pandavas. Arjuna himself vows to kill all Kaurava warriors in 18 days when all proposals for peace fail. However, once he enters the battlefield, Arjuna is overcome by emotions. Instead of seeing Kauravas as his opponents, he sees them as relatives and laments that he should not kill them. He forgets that Kauravas stood on the side of Adharma, and to establish Dharma, he has to fight them and, if needed, kill them. He pours out all his worries in the first chapter of BhagavadGita , saying he would not fight in the battlefield as it might harm his relatives and his clan. He prefers to retire and maintain the status quo.
Lord Sri Krishna wouldn’t have any of this. He starts with the words
klaibyam ma sma gamah partha naitat tvayyupapadyate
kshudram hridaya-daurbalyam tyaktvottishtha parantapa ||2:3||
Here, Sri Krishna compares inaction with impotence.
He says, “Yield to no impotence, it does not befit you. Cast off the weakness of heart and stand up for the right thing, O scorcher of forces, O Arjuna.”
In our daily lives, we encounter several situations where we know what is right and what is wrong; many times, our emotions get the better of us, pushing us into inaction and silence. We think we are doing the right thing by running away from a battle that we ought to fight; we somehow expect things to get better without us doing much about it. We worship our emotions till they wreck us, and once they shatter us and tear us apart, we start hating our very existence. Somewhere in the cycle, self-pity takes over, and we grow weaker and weaker.
Krishna calls this weakness of the heart as kshudram (petty) and wants us to leave it at once. “Leave your self-pity, stop being inactive, own up to your actions, and stand up for good.” This is the first message that Bhagavad Gita gives us.
Okay, I shall leave inaction and work, but what should I do? What if I fail? These are some of the voices in our heads, right?
Sri Krishna gives us the answer, he says
nehabhikrama-nasho ’sti pratyavayo na vidyate
svalpam apyasya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat||2:40||
When you work with your heart and soul for the common good, for the betterment of people (dharma), there is no loss or adverse result; even a small act of Dharma would protect you from grave dangers. As students adults work with heart and soul in the job given to you (might be studying too), do the right thing, always have common good in your mind and this will save you from grave dangers in life.
I am working hard, but I am not always successful; these failures are taking me down and are killing my motivation. This is a familiar feeling for most of us. Sri Krishna addresses it in the following verses.
karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi
yoga-sthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva samatvam yoga uchyate
Here is what SriKrishna is prescribing to us.
- Do your duty. (Studying, appearing for the interview, working towards your aspiration,doing the assigned work in office, running your business, innovating, doing household activity etc. )
- Do not be attached to the outcome. It is common that we have a vision for the outcome; having a vision for the outcome is different than having an attachment with the outcome. Having a vision for the outcome enables you to compare the results in the end, but when you attach yourself with the outcome, you start attaching yourself with factors out of your control.
Actually, a number of factors determine the results of an activity. The ability of the doer, the efforts put in by the doer, destiny (effects of our past karmas), the destiny of the people involved, the place where the activity is being done and the situations under which this is done, and above all, the Will of Paramatma. Given this scenario, isn’t it foolish for the doers to attach themselves with the result? Hence, Krishna is saying you do not attach yourself to the outcome. Give up concern for the results and instead focus solely on doing a good job. We can focus entirely on our effort when we are not concerned about the results. Consequently, the result/outcome is often even better than before.
Hence , be focussed and steadfast while performing your duties, don’t worry about success or failure, don’t be attached to the success or failure, this equanimity is called yoga or oneness with God. SriKrishna says “Samatvam yoga uchyate” .
Again , never move towards inaction; from the day we are born, we have to work. There is no escape from this. So, never move towards Nishkriyata. Work with equanimity and develop your skills in the work you do. In the 50th Sloka of the second chapter Bhagawan SriKrishna says
“Yogah karmasu kaushlam ” one interpretation of this that developing dexterity i.e. skill in the work that you are doing and doing that work with equanimity is itself the union with the supreme. That itself is Yoga.
To conclude,
- Never have self pity and emotions misguide you into inaction.
- Work for the common good(dharma)
- Even the smallest of the dharmic activities can save you from great dangers.
- Remember, your work is in your hands, but the results depend on many factors.
- Learn to work with equanimity.
- Develop skills in the work that you are doing , and make this a daily practice.
- Dexterity and equanimity at work is yoga or the union with Paramatma.
- Never move towards inaction or nishkriyata
All we did was that we saw a few slokas in BhagavadGita and we saw how it teaches us great things on how to lead our lives, this is a very basic interpretation of the text. There are multiple interpretations that would open our eyes to mountains of wisdom and enrich our lives. I humbly request that all the readers to read at least a verse of this great book and enjoy the transformation in their lives.