Bhagavad Gita

There is one earth, one sky. One Supreme Being, one Nature. Then why is it that some are happy while others are sorrowful? The answer to this question lies in Krishna’s song — the Gita, the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

Krishna says that the difference between happiness and sorrow arises from the difference in one’s own vision. The world is one and the same. It neither gives happiness nor sorrow to anyone. The one whose vision, that is, the lens over his eyes, is clear and pure, for him this very world becomes a source of happiness. Conversely, one whose vision is tainted and impure, for him this very world appears filled with sorrow. Thus, it is absolutely clear that it is not the world that needs changing. The world, as it is, is the manifested form of the Supreme. What needs to be changed is only our vision, the lens over our eyes; it needs to be cleansed and purified; the way of seeing must change. This is the fundamental essence of the Gita.

Based on this essence, Krishna, using Arjuna as an instrument, is presenting to all of us this important truth — that our own ignorance (the sense of "I" and "mine") clouds our vision. Therefore, to cleanse and purify our vision, it is necessary, inevitable, and indispensable to dive into knowledge.

If our vision is tainted and dark, then whatever we see will also appear tainted and dark. Light will not be visible; only darkness will be seen. In such a state, it will be natural for the person to be fearful and to want to flee from that darkness. Krishna says, where will such a person even run? If one’s own vision remains impure and dark, then wherever he runs, he will carry that very vision along, and there too, everything will appear impure and dark. Therefore, fleeing is not the solution. The only solution is to cleanse and wipe one's own vision. If the vision becomes clear and pure, there will be no need to flee, for wherever one stands, there will be light all around.

The purpose of Krishna's song — this Gita — is simply that a person should remain wherever he is, continue performing all tasks appropriately, and only purify his vision through the means of knowledge. A person who acts naturally with pure vision moves joyfully through this very world, and eventually attains the ultimate goal of life — the Supreme Reality.

What is this knowledge? How can it be attained? The knowledge expounded by Krishna is presented in a new form within my newest book - Secrets of Gita (available on English or Hindi Amazon). Therefore, reading this book would be useful to understand the knowledge of the Gita in the simplest way.

Whatever has been said in this book, in whatever form, it has all been for the joy of the Self alone, for while studying the Bhagavad Gita, wherever I personally felt difficulty, I have tried to simplify it. For example — the style of the Bhagavad Gita, the manner of presentation, is extremely ancient. Within a single chapter, not just one subject is discussed, but many different topics are interwoven. Therefore, for ease of understanding, I have separated the verses of different topics and organized them under separate headings.

Similarly, the Bhagavad Gita uses many terms that are new and rarely found elsewhere. For example — words like divine birth (divya janma), divine action (divya karma), divine vision (divya chakshu), impulse to action (karmachodana), and collection of actions (karmasangraha) are some such terms. This book tries to clearly explain all such terms.

There are many places in the Gita where there is a lack of sequential continuity among the topics. To make understanding easier, I have rearranged the sequence — bringing later verses forward and earlier verses later, wherever needed.

Most of the mythological symbols used in the Bhagavad Gita have so far remained untouched. In this book, an attempt has been made to understand those symbols properly and to reveal the deeper meanings hidden within them.

The below talks and English transcripts thereof, are a collection of a series of talks delivered to a group of fellow seekers, which runs weekly by the name of “Chintan Mandal” online. They will go a long way in helping clarify and simplify some of the material presented in my book and can be heard independently as well.

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