Contributed by Dr T Hegde
Recap.....
LAW OF KARMA
•"Karma" is both action and the consequence of that action
•"What you sow is what you reap”
•Good actions cause Punya, Bad actions cause Paapa
•Explain disparity and suffering.
adhibhūtaṃ kṣarō bhāvaḥ puruṣaścādhidaivatam |
adhiyajñō'hamēvātra dēhē dēhabhṛtāṃ vara || 8.4 ||
Accept and make the most of Prarabdha
Fate/ Free Will
•Take responsibility.
•Don’t complain.
•Use for spiritual growth.
•All shall be well.
•Lower Self. No real solution
•Higher Self. No problem.
Gita Dhyana Shloka - 5
Contributed By Mamatha Shankar
vasudēvasutaṃ dēvaṃ kaṃsacāṇūramardanam|
dēvakīparamānandaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vandē jagadgurum||5||
I salute Lord Krishna, the world teacher, the son of VasuDēva, the destroyer of Kamsa and Chanura, the supreme bliss of Dēvaki.
Greatness of Krishna in 3 levels
1.To the family
2. the society around us
3. as a teacher, the Jagat Guru, the guru of all gurus
vasudēvasutaṃdēvakīparamānandaṃ
kaṃsacāṇūramardanam
This illustrates level 2, that is Lord Krishna’s responsibility to the society. Further emphasised in Gita 4.8
•kṛṣṇaṃ vandē jagadgurum
In level3 the shloka highlights Krishna as Jagadguru.
Greatness of Gita – An Overview
Mookam karoti vaachaalam ,
Pangum lankayathe girim
Yath krupa thaham vandhe
Paramananda Madhavam.
Greatness of the Gita
•The Vedas are voluminous.
•Lord Krishna has condensed the Vedas into Gita in 700 verses.
• Adi Shankara study of the Gita, is study of the Vedas.
•Iti Srimad Bhagavadgeetaasu Upanishatsu
•Brahma Vidyaayaam Yogashaastre
•Sri Krishnaarjuna Samvaade
Gita a seekers stop
•Soon I realised that no book or no author I had studied so far had such a transformative impact on me.
•Each time I study the Gita the same verses now have a much deeper impact than before.
Gita is a Scripture, Gospel, Testament, Shraddha
•Krishna says this Gita knowledge should be given to one who fulfils the four conditions (tapa, bhakti, shushruya, anasuya)
•It should not be given to those who do not deserve
•We are the blessed ones.
idaṃ tē nātapaskāya nābhaktāya kadācana |
na cāśuśrūṣavē vācyaṃ na ca māṃ yō'bhyasūyati || 18.67 ||
This (teaching given) to you should never be imparted to the one who is
without austerity, nor to the one who is not a devotee, nor to the one who is not
desirous of hearing, nor to the one who criticises ME.
The Gita
•The Gita is 700 verses in Sanskrit divided into 18 chapters.
•Each verse has to be studied under the guidance of a qualified teacher.
•Gita is in verse form which can be sung.
Bhagavad Gita is a part of Mahabharatha,
Composed by Vyasacharya.
•It is in the form of a dialogue between Lord Krishna & Arjuna.
•Just as Democracy is of the people, for the people and by the people.
•The Gita is written by a house holder ( grihastha ), Vyasacharya for a house holder Arjuna and delivered by a house holder Lord Krishna.
•This is a user’s manual for a man steeped in worldly issues.
Adi Shankaracharya’s commentary on the Gita
•The Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all the vedas
•Therefore a thorough study of the Bhagavad Gita is as good as studying the entire traditional scriptural literature
Adi Shankara in the Bhaja Govindam
Bhagavad Gita Kinchitha Theerthaa Gangaa Jalalapi Kanikaa Peetha
Sakruthapi Yaena Muraari Samarchaa Kriyathe Thasya Yamenana Charcha
If a person reads a little from Bhagavad Geeta, Drinks a sip of water from Ganges. Worships Murari (Krishna) for a little moment, for them there is no arguments with Yama, [the lord of death].
Gita deals with several topics. Gita is moksha shastra.
There are several other topics like karma yoga, bhakti yoga, dhyana yoga, and ethical values .
Adi Shankaracharya clearly points out that the central theme / tatparyam of the Bhagavad Gita is
Self Knowledge as a means of Liberation.
Tat TwamAsi
•The message of the Gita is the same as the mahavakya in Chandogya Upanishad,
•Tat Twam Asi.
•Which means that the essential nature is divine.
•If we are already that why don’t we feel so.
18 chapters are divided into groups of 6
•1 to 6 Prathama Shatkam
•7 to 12 Madhyama Shatkam.
•13 to 18 Antima Shatkam.
• Prathama Shatkam Chapters 1 - 6
•Tvam – Karma Yoga - Effort
• Madhyama Shatkam. Chapters 7 - 12
•Tat - Upasana Yoga - Grace
• Antima Shatkam. Chapters 13 - 18
•Asi - Jnana Yoga - Values
Prathama Shatkam deals with Karma Yoga
•Proper action & Proper attitude.
•Proper action is selfless action.
•Proper attitude is Ishwara arpana bhava and prasada bhava.
•Karma yoga gives Jnana Yogyatha.
Prathama Shatkam also deals with proper effort.
•Success is dependent on – prayatna, daivam and kalam.
•The 2nd chapter is an excellent summary of the entire Gita.
•The 3rd chapter is an excellent manual on how to transform work into worship (karma yoga).
•The 6th chapter deals with all aspects of meditation (dhyana yoga) .
Chapters 7 to 12.MadhyamaShatkam.
Bhakti, Nature of God, Grace.
•In order to foster bhakthi, one must have a clear idea of God
•From the 7th chapter onwards ,
•A wonderful creation must have an intelligent creator.
• 1.God initially as with form (eka roopa),
• 2. God as the entire universe (vishwa roopa)
• 3. God as the infinite formless (aroopa)
•The importance of being able to obtain Grace.
Anthima Shatkam. On Values. Asi Gnana Yoga
•In order to assimilate the true teachings of the Gita we must be morally upright.
•Otherwise the Gita message is only information and not an emotional transformation.
•Asi . The essential nature of each of us and the essential nature of God is identical.
•Like water in a wave and water in the ocean.
Once we learn to claim our limitlessness, poornatvam
•We can look at our lives objectively
•Will be able to accept their limitation
•Thus accepting the limitedness of the body and claiming the limitlessness of the spirit or atma will free us from the sense of helplessness
•This is called Jeevan Mukthi, freedom while alive in this limited body mind complex
•Kar Natak
Gita Dhyana Shloka - 6
Comtributed By Dr Sandhya
Gita Dhyana Shloka - 7
Contributed By Aruna
Greatness of Gita & An Overview of Gita
Contributed By Dr T Hegde
Popular Verses
arjuna uvāca
atha kēna prayuktō'yaṃ pāpaṃ carati pūruṣaḥ|
anicchannapi vārṣṇēya balādiva niyōjitaḥ||3.36||
Arjuna asked: Oh Krishna! Then, prompted by what, does this person commit
sin, even though unwilling, as though he is forcibly persuaded?
śrībhagavānuvāca
prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha manōgatān |
ātmanyēva''tmanā tuṣṭaḥ sthitaprajñastadōcyatē || 2.55 ||
The Lord Answered – Oh Arjuna! satisfied in himself by himself, when one
gives up all the desires obtaining in the mind, then, he is said to be (a man) of
firm knowledge.
yō māmēvamasammūḍhō jānāti puruṣōttamam |
sa sarvavidbhajati māṃ sarvabhāvēna bhārata || 15.19 ||
Undeluded, he who thus knows me, the puruṣōttamaḥ, is the knower of all.
He worships Me wholeheartedly, Oh Arjuna!
iti guhyatamaṃ śāstramidamuktaṃ mayā'nagha |
ētat buddhvā buddhimān syāt kṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata || 15.20 ||
O Arjuna! Thus this most secret teaching has been imparted by Me. Having
known this, one becomes wise and fulfilled, Oh Arjuna!
ēṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha naināṃ prāpya vimuhyati |
sthitvā'syāmantakālē'pi brahmanirvāṇamṛcchati || 2.72 ||
Oh Arjuna! This is called brāhmī sthitiḥ. Having attained this one is not
deluded. Being established in this even at the time of death, he attains oneness
with Brahman.
Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam- Idam
Puurnnaat- Purnnam- Udacyate
PuurnnasyaPuurnnam-Aadaaya
Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||
Om ShaantihShaantihShaantih ||