గీతా సారం - The essence of Gita

By the grace of god, I was at the lotus feet of my Guru on this Gita Jayanti Day. A message from my Guru regarding Gita.

ESSENCE OF BHAGAVAD GITA

Srimad bhagavadgita occupies prominent place in the spiritual and religious literature of India, next only to Upanishads and is rapidly gaining worldwide popularity for several reasons. First, its language is simple easy enough to understand Second, it serves as a practical guide for religion and philosophy even to common man. Third, it contains essence of all religions and guides men in all walks of life - saints and sinner alike to the highest knowledge of Self. It is the store house of Knowledge Wisdom and Truth. It is in effect the essence of upanishads.

It is not enough just to recite and listen Gita. But its values have to be incorporated in our daily life. Then only the grace of God is fully bestowed.

Gita jayanti
28 – November – 2009

Swami Virajeshwara
“Hamsa”

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः।
कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत्।।16.21।।
Lust, anger and greed the three main gates of hell in which the condemned soul enters. They are the worst enemies of man that leads him to sin and thereby he enters the hell upon death. Therefore these should be abandoned purposefully.

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय
नवानि गृहणाति नरोऽपराणि।
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा-
न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही।।2.22।।
A man discards his worn out cloths and wears new ones, analogously atman changes worn out bodies with new one's. Change is the law of nature. Spring marks the birth of new life, in summer reaches full maturity, the autumn brings old age and the winter sees the death. Again new birth is seen in spring. This cycle of birth and death is incessant and man's life too follows the same pattern. There is no escape.

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ।।7.16।।
Arjuna, four kinds of men worship me; the seeker of worldly objects - wealth, fame, position; the sufferer and worried; seeker of real knowledge (jnana) and the man of wisdom.

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः।।9.26।।
Any devotee when offers a fruit, a flower or even water with full faith and devotion, I delightfully accept such offerings. (What is offered to God is not important, but the pure conviction, faith and devotion to Him is important)

मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः।।12.8।।
Fix your mind in Me and employ your buddhi(intellect) in Me alone. Then there is no doubt thay you will dwell in Me. When the mind and the buddhi become one in seeing Me, the ego which impresses the feeling of I and mine perishes.

मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु।
मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे।।18.65।।
Fix your mind on Me, be my devotee, worship Me with pure bhakti and enter into My Being. Because you are dear to Me, I promise that you shall attain Me alone.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः।।18.66।।
Without bothering too much about wrong & righteous deeds and their rewards, surrender all you activities to Me and without fear and worry take refuge in Me alone. I shall free you from all sins. Fear Not.

अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते .
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ।।9.22।।
I look after the needs and protection of those who constantly think of Me and remain absorbed in My thought with pure devotion and contentment.

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति।
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया।।18.61।।
The LORD is seated in the hearts of all beings who are like toys mounted on the giant wheel and He is causing them to move around in circles through his deluding potency (maya).

(God is everywhere, omnipresent and omniscient. Since the hearts of ignorant are covered by filth of desire and passion, they do not transmit the image of Lord. The heart of noble souls have been cleaned and purified, the veil of ignorance has been lifted and Lord reflects clearly as the Sun in the clean mirror)

-- స్వామి విరాజేశ్వర, గీతా జయంతి సందర్భంగా.
The above message is for daily reading and individual practice. The nine gems from the storehouse of wisdom - Srimad Bhagavad Gita.