विवेचन सारांश

Supreme Path to the Ultimate Bliss - Devotion

The session started with the lighting of the lamp and prayers to Śrī Bhagavān. This was followed by prayers to the Gurujans, saints expressing gratitude for their blessings. It is through their grace and perhaps some of our punya karma that we have been connected with Śrīmadbhagavadgītā. We have been handed the opportunity to learn and recite Bhagavadgītā with perfection, in spite of the fact that many of us may not be exposed to Hindi or Sanskrit. In the 18th chapter, Śrī Bhagavān proclaims that he who learns, teaches and spreads the knowledge of Gītā is His most favourite! We are blessed indeed.

The 12th Chapter of the Bhagavadgītā is about the Yoga of Bhakti - The Yoga of Devotion, and describes the various ways one can reach The Divine. The chapter also describes the various characteristics of a devotee (bhakta lakshana) that God would want his disciple to possess/ follow in order to reach Him.

As new entrants into Geeta Pariwār one might wonder why the recitation of Bhagavadgītā begins from the 12th chapter. The main reason is that this chapter is the shortest (with 20 shlokas) and once we learn to recite the slokas herein, it instills confidence and kindles the enthusiasm to surge forward. Contrary to this, the first chapter consists of 47 shlokas and as early learners, the lengthy challenge may dissuade us from moving on in our Gītā journey.

The vivechak then goes on to strengthen the background for the 12th chapter a bit further. To understand anything, one must understand its components in its entirety. To this end, it is important to understand the 3 major components of the Gītā before delving into it–

Arjuna – who comes across as someone in his late 30s, engulfed by stress and depression. This is the picture that we paint in our minds when we imagine Arjuna’s character. Well, it turns out that he is 84, mature, courageous, skillful; one who has fought many battles and has never lost. An individual who always follows Dharma and who has won over his sleep with great tapas. He is named Gudakesha for this. He won the heart of Bhagavān Śiva with his courage and received the Pashupatastra.

Gītā – This miniature book (grantha) has answers to all questions a person could possibly have. Many of the well-known leaders and scientists found the best in this grantha. God created Vedas, which are the main source of knowledge to mankind. The Upaniṣadas are the gist of the Vedas while Śrīmadbhagavadgītā, which is the voice of Śrī Bhagavān is the gist of the Upaniṣadas. Importantly, the crux of Gītā is surrendering to the Supreme (sharanagati).

Śrī Bhagavān believes that Arjuna possesses all the divine qualities that are required to create the awareness among people and hence God chooses Arjuna as His medium. If the same had been imparted to someone like Duryodhana, the world might have been deprived of Gītā.

Bhagavān Śrī Krishna – HE asked Agnidev for Arjuna’s love and was willing to be his charioteer. On Arjuna’s direction, HE rode the chariot and halted the same in between the armies. However, HE who had maneuvered the entire Mahābhārata, stopped the chariot in front of Bhīṣma, Drona and Krupacharya, knowing too well that this would create a conflict in Arjuna’s mind. This would in effect create the right context for imparting Śrīmadbhagavadgītā to mankind through Arjuna.

It must be understood at the outset that the portrayal of Arjuna’s confusion through Śrīmadbhagavadgītā is an indication of how the human mind works and the advice therein is to guide us in the right path.

In the first 10 chapters, Śrī Bhagavān explains about worshipping the Aksharabrahman and in the 55th sloka of the 11th chapter, HE talks about the worship of the manifest form of the Supreme (Saguna Sākar; with attributes, such as Bhagavān Śrī Rāma and Bhagavān Śrī Krṣṇa). The 12th chapter opens with Arjuna’s confusion about the unmanifested form of the Parabrahman (Nirguna Nirākāra Brahman; with no attributes or form) and Saguna Sākar Brahman.