The Bhagavad Gita teaches us how to live in this world, do our duty and yet remain like lotus leaves amidst water. The world in which we live is said to be a world of illusion. Out of ignorance and egoism we bind ourselves to this world through our desires and our actions, not knowing our true nature and true purpose. We remain chained to the cycle of births and deaths and to the forces of nature.
The Bhagavad gita teaches how to escape from this predicament, not by mere escape from the burdens of the worldly life, or avoidance of responsibilities, but by remaining amidst the humdrum of life and facing them squarely with a sense of fearlessness, detachment and stability of mind accepting God as the Doer.
According to the Bhagavad gita, salvation is not possible for those who want to escape from life and activity. Those who remain amidst society, unafraid of the burdens of life, and live a life of sacrifice fully surrendering to God are in fact more qualified for it.
Those who are prepared to go through the battles of life, through self-discipline, stability of mind, detachment, surrendering to God with full devotion, wisdom , right discrimination and knowledge, are qualified to attain liberation and union with the Supreme.
The Bhagavad gita is the story of Arjuna, who was suddenly overcome by sorrow in the middle of battle field and stood confused and withdrawn. Lord Krishna, who was his charioteer in the battle field, teaches him, out of extreme compassion and love, the paths of right action, right knowledge and right devotion.
The following points have been selected carefully from the Bhagavad gita so as to reflect the central theme of Lord Krishna's teachings. For a complete understanding of the Bhagavad gita please refer to the section on complete translation.
Summary of the Bhagavad gita
The body is unreal. It is like a garment worn by the self. The self is real and permanent. It is not subject to death or destruction. It is an aspect of the Supreme Self.
A man with unstable mind is not fit for salvation. Instability of the mind is due to attachment and desire for sense objects. The mind is kept restless by the wandering senses.
Through self-discipline a devotee can control the activity of the senses, develop detachment from the sense objects and achieve tranquility of the mind.
With the attainment of tranquility of mind all his sorrows would come to an end. He can then easily establish his mind in God and achieve union with Him.
But mere restraining of the senses and control of the mind would not lead to salvation unless one, restraining his senses by his mind, unattached , understands the nature of activity and engages in right action.
Surely none can escape from activity or remain inactive even for a moment. whoever is born on earth is helplessly driven to action by his in-born qualities.
Therefore a man should perform his allotted duty, for action is superior to inaction. But while performing actions he should not think that he is the doer nor he should have any attachment for the work he is doing.
The ignorant man acts with attachment thinking that "I am the doer." But the wise person acts without attachment, desiring the welfare of the world-order. For him there is no interest in what is done and what is not to be done, nor has he to depend upon anyone for anything.
Actions do not taint God, even though He engages in actions, for He has no desire for the fruit of actions. A wise man has complete knowledge of action. He knows the various methods through which sacrifices are performed. Knowing thus, through knowledge, he becomes free from the bondage of action. His actions are burnt up in the fire of wisdom. Through knowledge he attains peace.
Better than renunciation of action with knowledge is renunciation of action through renouncing the sense of doership. The knower of truth while performing actions knows that he does nothing at all. He acts offering all actions to God, without any attachment. He remains untouched by sin as the lotus-leaf by water.
The Karmayogi performs actions only with his senses, mind, intellect and body, giving up all attachment for his inner purification, offering the fruit of his actions to God. Mentally renouncing all actions and self-controlled, he lives in his body happily, neither acting nor making others act. Offering the fruit of actions to God, he attains peace in the form of Self-realization. He becomes one with God and attains liberation.
He is a true sanyasi who has ceased to have any attachment either for the sense-objects or for actions and who has renounced all thoughts of the world. He conquers his lower self by his higher self. He becomes established in god. He remains the same amidst heat and cold, pleasure and pain, honor and dishonor. For him a clod of earth or a piece of gold is the same. He is equal minded among friends and foes, among the neutral and impartial, among the saints and sinners alike.
God dwells in the body as Adhidaiva, as the inner witness. At the time of death he who remembers God alone, attains Him without any doubt. Therefore one should remember Him at all times, with mind and intellect absorbed in Him. By constant practice of yoga, his mind without thinking anything else, constantly meditating on Him, he attains the Supreme Divine.
The Whole universe is permeated by God. All beings exist in him. At the beginning of every cycle of creation, He creates multitude of beings and keeps them under the influence of Prakriti, His Lower Nature. These works do not bind Him, for he is unattached and indifferent to these actions.
Fools do not recognize His greatness and disregard Him. But the wise know His true nature and worship Him with unwavering devotion.
Those devotees who worship Him only, always thinking of Him only, and ever united, God takes care of their wants and needs and looks after their welfare. Even those who worship other gods also in a way worship Him because He is the Lord of all offerings.
Those who worship gods go to the gods. But those who worship the Supreme attain the Supreme. Whatever that is offered to the Supreme Lord with love and in pure devotion is accepted by Him.
So whatever we do, whatever we eat, whatever we offer as oblation to the sacred fire, whatever we give as a gift, whatever we do as an act of penance, we should offer it all to Him only.
Through pure devotion, by constantly thinking of Him and worshipping him, doing actions for His sake, taking refuge in him and renouncing all fruits of actions, with self-conquered, with no expectations, steady of mind, a devotee can easily attain God. Such a devotee is very dearer to God and He takes care of such devotees in every possible way.
The body is the field of activity and God dwells in the body as the Knower of the Field. The body is made up of five great elements, the intellect, the unmanifest nature, the ten senses, the mind and the five objects of the senses. It is also the seat of all desires, feelings, emotions and mental energy. The knower of the body is the Supreme Brahman who resides in the body as the indwelling soul.
The body is an aspect of Prakriti. The knower of the body is Purusha. All actions are performed by Prakriti while the Purusha, the witness, the Guide, the Non-doer. Purusha seated in Prakriti enjoys the qualities of Prakriti. Attachment of the Purusha to these qualities is the cause of bondage.
Sattva, rajas and tamas are the three gunas born of Prakriti which bind the imperishable soul to the body through attachment. Sattva is pure and luminous and it binds the soul through attachment of happiness and knowledge. Rajas is born of passion and binds the soul through attachment to the fruits of actions. Tamas is the quality born of the dark ignorance and indolence and it binds the soul through negligence, sloth and sleep. These three gunas bind the soul to the illusion and chain of births and deaths.
A devotee , through the grace of God, can overcome these three gunas and attain salvation.
In summary according to the Bhagavad gita a man should not renounce action or performance of his duty. He should do his works, but with a sense of detachment, with a steady mind and with self-discipline, casting away egoism and all other negative qualities, without any desire for the fruits of his actions, with a sense of sacrifice, completely surrendering to God and fully devoted to Him, offering the fruit of his actions to Him and partaking the remains of the nectar in the form of sacrifice.
Actions performed in this manner do not bind men. Always engaged in some action, taking shelter in Him, by His grace, he attains the eternal, imperishable Abode.
This should never be spoken to one who is not austere, who is without devotion, who desires not to listen and who speaks ill of God. But whoever with supreme adoration to Him teaches this to His devotees, he will attain Him without any doubt.
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