Gita Jayanti, also referred as “Bhagawad Geetha Jayanthi”, is the day when the Bhagvad Gita was rendered
by Sri Krishna to Arjuna in the Kurukshetra on the first day of the famous
18-day battle in the Mahabharata. Arjuna is forced into
a war with knowledge of good over evil.
Gita Jayanti is observed on the 11th day of the Shukla
Paksha (waxing phase of moon) of Margashirsh month as per traditional Hindu
calendar. Gita Jayanti 2015 date is December 21. It is believed that the
Bhagavad Gita was rendered by Lord Krishna to Arjuna on this day. Mokshada Ekadasi observed on the Gita Jayanti
day and therefore many Hindu devotees fast on the day.
In
the famous Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple in Kerala,
Gita Jayanti is observed on a different day. It is observed on the Guruvayur
Ekadashi day in the Malayalam month of Vrischikam (November –
December). The day is observed all around the world with the reading of
Bhagavad Gita, which is referred outside India as
the Bible of the Hindus. Discussions and seminars are organized on the day. All
Hindu temples, especially those dedicated to BhagvanVishnu and Sri Krishna,
conduct special pujas on the day. The
ideal way to celebrate Gita Jayanti is by reading at least a stanza from the
Bhagavad Gita.
The Bhagavad
Gita is the essence of the Vedas and Upanishads. It is a universal scripture
applicable to people of all temperaments, for all times. It is a book with
sublime thoughts and practical instructions on Yoga, Devotion, Vedanta and
Action. Two of the most significant passages of the Gita are Lord Krishna's
instructions to Arjuna on the nature of correct
action sand the role of God in
protecting his devotees. .
The greatest quality of
Bhagavad Gita is that it prompts you to think, it prompts you to take decision,
and it prompts you to look at life differently and refreshingly and all this
without surrendering your individuality. Several spiritual leaders helped
translate the teachings of the 700-verse scripture into simple tenets that
anyone can practice and imbibe into their daily lives.
Bhagavad Gita adapts to the present and discusses an issue by rooting
itself in the present. Every moment a confused Arjuna takes
the advice of Krishna. In addition, through the immortal Bhagavad Gita,
Lord Krishna has been discussing and finding solutions to the various problems
faced by the confused Arjunas means us for centuries and will continue to do
the same forever.
Tomorrow Bhagavad Gita will complete 5151 years.
Few
facts of Bhagavad Gita:
What
is the Bhagavad-Gita?
The Bhagavad-Gita is the eternal message of
spiritual wisdom from ancient India. The word Gita means song and the word
Bhagavad means God, often the Bhagavad-Gita is called the Song of God.
Why
is the Bhagavad-Gita called a song if it is spoken?
Because its rhyming meter is so beautifully
harmonic and melodious when spoken perfectly.
What
is the name of this rhyming meter?
It is called Anustup and contains 32
syllables in each verse.
Who
originally spoke the Bhagavad-Gita?
Lord Krishna originally spoke the
Bhagavad-Gita.
Where
was the Bhagavad-Gita originally spoken?
In India at the holy land of Kurukshetra.
Why
is the land of Kurukshetra so holy?
Because of benedictions given to King Kuru
by Brahma that anyone dying in Kurukshetra while performing penance or
while fighting in battle will be promoted directly to the heavenly planets.
Where
is the Bhagavad-Gita to be found?
In the monumental, historical epic
Mahabharata written by Veda Vyasa.
What
is the historical epic Mahabharata?
The Mahabharata is the most voluminous book
the world has ever known. The Mahabharata covers the history of the earth
from the time of creation in relation to India. Composed in 100,000 rhyming
quatrains couplets the Mahabharata is seven times the size of
the Iliad written by Homer.
Who
is Veda Vyasa?
Vedavyasa is the divine saint and
incarnation who authored the Srimad Bhagavatam, Vedanta Sutra, the 108
Puranas, composed and divided the Vedas into the Rik, Yajur, Artharva and Sama
Vedas, and wrote the the great historical treatise Mahabharata known as
the fifth Veda. His full name is Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa and he was the
son of sage Parasara and mother Satyavati.
Why
is the Mahabharata known as the fifth Veda?
Because it is revealed in the Vedic
scripture Bhavishya Purana III.VII.II that the fifth Veda
written by Vedavyasa is called the Mahabharata.
What
are the special characteristics of the Mahabharata?
The Mahabharata has no restrictions of
qualification as to who can hear it or read it. Everyone regardless
of caste or social standing may hear or read at any time. Veda Vyasa wrote
it with the view not to exclude all the people in the worlds who are
outside of the Vedic culture. He himself has explained that the
Mahabharata contains the essence of all the purports of the Vedas. This we
see is true and it is also written in a very intriguing and dramatically
narrative form.
What
about the Aryan invasion theory being the source of the Bhagavad-Gita?
The Aryan invasion theory has been proven
in the 1990s not to have a shred of truth in it. Indologists the
world over have realized that the Aryans are the Hindus themselves.
What
is the size of the Bhagavad-Gita?
The Bhagavad-Gita is composed of 700 Sanskrit
verses contained within 18 chapters, divided into three sections, each
consisting of six chapters. They are Karma Yoga, the yoga of actions. Bhakti
Yoga, the yoga of devotion and Dhyana Yoga, the yoga of knowledge.
When
was the Bhagavad-Gita spoken?
The Mahabharata confirms that Lord Krishna
spoke the Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna at the Battle of Kurukshetra in 3137
B.C.According to specific Sanatan astrological references in the Vedic
scriptures, the year 3102 B.C. is the beginning of 'Kaliyuga' which began
35 years after the battle 5000 years ago. If calculated accurately, it goes to
5151 years from today.
What
is the opinion of western scholars from ancient times?
According to the writings of both, the
Greek and the Romans, such as Pliny, Arrian and Solinus as well
as Megasthenes who wrote a history of ancient India and who was
present as an eyewitness when Alexander the Great arrived in India in 326
B.C. was that before him were 154 kings who ruled back to 6777 B.C. This also
follows the Vedic understanding.
When
was the Bhagavad-Gita first translated into English?
The first English edition of the
Bhagavad-Gita was in 1785 by Charles Wilkins in London, England. This was only
174 years after the translation of the King James Bible in 1611.
Was
the Bhagavad-Gita also translated into other languages?
Yes. The Bhagavad-Gita was translated into
Latin in 1823 by Schlegel. It was translated into German in 1826 by
Von Humboldt. It was translated into French in 1846 by Lassens and
into Greek in 1848 by Galanos, to mention but a few.
What
was the original language of the Bhagavad-Gita?
The original language of the Bhagavad-Gita
was classical Sanskrit from India.
Why
is Srimad often written before the Bhagavad-Gita?
The word Srimad is a title of great respect.
This is given because the Bhagavad-Gita reveals the essence of all spiritual
knowledge.
Is
history aware of the greatness of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita?
Historically many very extraordinary people
such as Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Albert Schweitzer,
Herman Hesse, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Aldous Huxley, Rudolph Steiner and Nikola
Tesla, to name but a few, have read Srimad Bhagavad-Gita and were inspired by
its timeless wisdom.
What
can be learned by the study of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita?
Accurate, fundamental knowledge about God,
the ultimate truth, creation, birth and death, the results of actions, the
eternal soul, liberation and the purpose as well as the goal of human
existence.
Spiritual
leaders helped translate the teachings of the 700-verse scripture into simple
tenets that anyone can practice and imbibe into their daily lives.
“The Gita is a
manual to everyday life. Continue to do your duty, your work, but make the Gita
the guiding light that helps you make the right decisions in life. I myself
made the effort and, based on my personal experiences, I can tell you, you can
find a balance in life; just make the effort.“I have continuously drawn
inspiration, it allowed me see the light
in life, strength and peace from the Bhagvad Gita throughout my life,
Gita’s Karma philosophy and talked about how
he imbibes karma by the simple act of being focused. “There are people who
solve problems, who do karma, and there are people who sit and complain. I
believe in karma and consider myself a ‘karma yogi’.
“Gita is not just a text which is related to
India only and narrated about 5,151 years back, but it represents all times and
all ages and all people. It’s the only text which has taken place on a
battlefield,” said Sri Shankaracharyaji Ji. “For many of us, life itself is a
battlefield; it is oftentimes a struggle. Take these three things from Gita,
and live them. Your struggles will not be struggles. Sincerity, selflessness
and humanity. Make sincerity a habit, and remember your only aim in life is to
do your duty to those around you. Don’t worry about results; you’ll be lost.
Try it, and see how it simplifies your life.”
“Most of us have
grown up hearing the Gita or at least about it, but it’s only when you get
older, see the ups and downs of life, face happiness and sorrow that you
realize how relevant these teachings are. I feel it was a mistake not having
paid enough attention to this earlier in life. Things would have been much simpler.
I try to tell this to my friends now, and hopefully they understand this.”
"You came empty handed, you will leave empty handed. What is yours today,
belonged to someone else yesterday, and will belong to someone else the day
after tomorrow. So, whatever you do, do it as a dedication to God! Why do you
worry without cause? Whom do you fear without reason? Who can kill you? The
soul is neither born, nor does it die.
Whatever happened,
happened for the good; whatever is happening, is happening for the good;
whatever will happen, will also happen for the good only. You need not have any
regrets for the past. You need not worry for the future. The present is
happening...
What did you lose
that you cry about? What did you bring with you, which you think you have lost?
What did you produce, which you think got destroyed? You did not bring anything
- whatever you have, you received from here. Whatever you have given, you have
given only here. Whatever you took, you took from God. Whatever you gave, you
gave to him. You came empty handed, you will leave empty handed. What is yours
today, belonged to someone else yesterday, and will belong to someone else the
day after tomorrow. You are mistakenly enjoying the thought that this is yours.
It is this false happiness that is the cause of your sorrows.
"Whatever you
took, you took from God. Whatever you gave, you gave to him. You came empty
handed, you will leave empty handed."
Change is the
law of the universe. What you think of as death, is indeed life. In one
instance you can be a millionaire, and in the other instance you can be steeped
in poverty. Yours and mine, big and small - erase these ideas from your mind.
Then everything is yours and you belong to everyone.
This body is not
yours, neither are you of the body. The body is made of fire, water, air, earth
and ether, and will disappear into these elements. But the soul is permanent -
so who are you?
Dedicate your
being to God. He is the one to be ultimately relied upon. Those who know of his
support are forever free from fear, worry and sorrow.
Whatever you do, do it as a dedication to God. This will bring
you the tremendous experience of joy and life-freedom forever.
Karmanye Vaadhika-raste,
Maa Phaleshu Kadachana;
Maa karma-phala-hetur-bhoorma,
MaTe sangostwakarmini.
कर्मणये वाधिकारस्ते मां फलेषु कदाचन ।
मां कर्मफलहेतुर्भू: मांते संङगोस्त्वकर्मणि ।।
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter II, Verse 47.Summary of the Bhagavad Gita
Your right is to work only,
But never to its fruits;
Let not the fruits of action be thy motive,
Nor let thy attachment be to inaction.
(This famous verse contains the essential principle of
disinterestedness or detachment. It cautions us that our natural tendency while
doing our work is to be deflected from disinterestedness -
particularly if we think of fame or fortune along the way. The will of God is supreme, and the fulfillment of that will is all that matters.
Success or failure does not depend on the individual, but on other factors as
well.)
Some quotes from famous personalities across the world on the
Bhagavad Gita:
Albert Einstein
"When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God
created this universe everything else seems so superfluous."
Aldous Huxley
"The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of
spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear
and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its
enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity."
Mahatma Gandhi
"When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the
face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita and
find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of
overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and
new meanings from it every day."
Henry David Thoreau
"In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and
cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, in comparison with which our modern
world and its literature seem puny and trivial."
Dr. Albert Schweitzer
"The Bhagavad-Gita has a profound influence on the spirit
of mankind by its devotion to God which is manifested by actions."
Carl Jung
"The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to
have been current in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided
by Plato in his Timaeus in which it states 'behold we are not an earthly but a
heavenly plant.' This correlation can be discerned by what Krishna expresses in
chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita."
Herman Hesse
"The marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful
revelation of life's wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into
religion."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was the
first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy,
but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in
another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions
which exercise us."
