A Talk on Gita and Bhaagavat

A Talk on Gita and Bhaagavat

Initial Chant

ॐ अज्ञान तिमिरान्धस्य .. ..

हे कृष्ण हे करुणासिंधू  .. ..

वांछा कल्पतरुभ्यास् च .. ..

Why should we talk on Gita and Bhaagavat on Janmastami?

Balkrishna bhakti is wonderful, but we also need to know what Krishna tells us in Gita. Without knowing Krishna’s message and the spiritual science given in Gita we cannot live per Dharma correctly.  So, please congratulate the temple leadership and Rajubhai for adding a talk on Gita in Janmastami celebration the first time.

Dharma is only one, the Sanaatan Dharma, or Vedic Dharma, or Hindu Dharma is all inclusive.

Islaam is a majhab, and Christianity is a religion; and they are exclusive and dogmatic.

Today I am tasked to talk on Gita as well as Srimad Bhagavat. I will share with you some information that you might already know, but it is good to repeat, especially for the new generation who have the responsibility to carry forward our Vedic dharma and culture.

Gita is a chapter in Mahabharat written by Vyasdev, and it is also known as Gitopanishad.

Bhagavat is one of the 18 Puranas (Vedic history books) also written by Vyasdev.

Gita has 700 verses that provide the summary of the 20,000 Veda mantras.

Bhagavat contains 12 Books, 382 chapters, and 18,000 verses.

The 10^th book is full of Krishna Lilas (divine pastimes.)

In Gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna informs us, the mankind, about Himself.

In Bhagavat many Devas, Devis, rishis, and great spiritual personalities talk about Krishna.

Gita and Bhagavat both provide the same message of the Veda.

Gita provides the Veda’s message philosophically,

and the Bhagavat provides the same message, but in story forms.

Gita, Bhagavat, and the Veda are not mythology. These scriptures inform us, in one way or other, about the Absolute Truth, which is an aspect Krishna, the Supreme God. So, to say that Puranas, or the Vedic scriptures, are mythology is a serious insult to the Hindus; and anyone who says so, or believes so, cannot derive any benefit from the Vedic scriptures.

A Dharma practicing Hindu should never listen about dharma from a non-Hindu or one who hates Hindu dharma. The authentic sources for knowing Dharma are three:

• A dharma-guru, or a Vedic Aachaarya, in a bona fide Vedic guru-shisya paramparaa
• Saadu (one who seriously lives per dharma)
• Shaastra (translated by one under the direction of his/her Vedic guru.)

Krishna first spoke Gita to the Sun god, who then spoke to Manu the father of mankind, who spoke to King Ikshvaahu. Over time the knowledge became almost lost, so Krishna spoke Gita last to Arjun 5123 years ago. (-Gita 4.1)

Brahmaa’s first sons, the four Sanat Kumaras, spoke Bhagavat to the Brahmaa’s youngest son Naarad.  There is a story why Naarad spoke Bhagavat to Vyasdev.

From Vyasdev his mahaa-vairaagi son Sukasev Goasami heard Bhagavtam. Sukadev Goswami was totally dethatched from the worldly attractions and desires.

There is a story why Sukadev spoke Bhagavat to Maharaaja Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu, and grandson of Arjun.  Suta Goswami heard Bhagavat the same time and place from Sukadev.

The last time the Bhagavat was spoken was in the Naimishaaranya forest by Suta Goswami.

There in the forest a great mass of sages had gathered under the leadership of Shaunak to perform a 1000-year yagna/satsanga to pacify the bad effects of Kaliyug that just had started.

Shaunak had invited Suta Goswami to do Bhagavat kathaa for the assembly.

Why Krishna spoke Gita to Arjun?

The story. 

               

.. ..  युद्धाय कृत निश्चय॥ So, fighting and winning over the asuras is a part of Dharma.

अहिंसा परमो धर्मः। धर्म हिंसा तथिव च ॥

The Buddhists Burma had to fight against the asuras; and they have taken away the asuras’ voting rights. Buddhism and Jainism are good to practice only till there is peace in the nation and vicinity.

Dalai Lama lost Tibet to China because of non-violence principle. 98,000 Kashmiri Hindus lost everything in 1990. The asuras expelled them out of Kashmir overnight.

 

Why fight?

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेस्मिन् दैव आसुर एव च। – Gita 16.6

In the current times there are many asuric forces within and without Hindustan who are unitedly working against the Hindus and Hindu culture in pre-planned ways. In the last 1000 years the Hindus and Hindustan are suffering immensely from the forcibly invaded foreign majhab. You should see the documentary movie – The Kashmir Files. We the Hindus tolerated it so longtime in the false hope that if we be good to them, they will be good to us also, and the false thinking that all religions are same. Now we and the world are awakening.

.. .. अशांतस्य कुतः सुखन्॥ – Gita 2.66

One cannot accomplish anything if one does not feel shaanti / peace.

The asuras constantly destroy our peace in many ways. The Gazva-e-Hind jihad war by the asuras / mlechchhas is imposed on the Hindus and Hindustan since a few centuries. Innocent Hindus are being killed almost every day by their best asur friends or customers.

So, then we need to fight first to establish peace before we can do any dharma-saadhnaa or yog.

शरीरम् आद्यम् खलु धर्म साधमन् ॥ So, we need to maintain our body, mind, and intelligence healthy. You cannot do any dharma-saadhna or yog when “the house is on fire,” that is when you are terrified.”  Therefore, we first need to establish peace sequentially within ourselves, in our family, neighborhood, city, state, nation, and finally in the world. If peace is lost at any level, we need capability to re-establish it.

अधिष्ठानम् तथा कर्ता .. ..  (-Gita 18.14) To do any saadhnaa (dharma practice/yog) a secure place is required.

How to prepare for winning over the asuras in a variety of situations?

Each of the four Vedic varNa need to fight asuras per its own varna-dharma.

All the varnas need to stay united respectfully supporting each other, and act with unity to win.

संघे शक्ति कलौ॥

धर्मः रक्षितः रक्षति॥

In some situations, one needs to act per to another varna’s dharma temporarily. That dharma-karma then is called one’s aapad-dharma. E.g., A brahmin Parashuram became a Kshatriya who single handedly killed most of the Kshatriyas of the world who were not living per their kshatriya-dharma and had become asuric. ChaaNakya is another example.

You know that most of the Vedic deva devis keep arms. So, we should begin keeping arms, and get well-trained to use arms; and know well when to use arms and when not. We have the right to keep arms for self-protection. Police cannot reach in time to protect most of the individuals. So, each person is responsible to stay prepared for self-protection.

First preparation is the mental preparation, without it no arms can help. So, the Hindus groups need to do some chosen activities periodically for mental preparation.

What information is in Bhagavat?

A Bhagavat-chapter describes fully what is in a PuraaN.

Many times, it has stories within stories.

In the 12^th Book, it tells the number of verses in each of the 18 Puranas.

Information about God

Many incarnations of God and their deeds

Stories of many Vedic king who ruled over the world per dharma

Genecology of kings and god’s avataaras

Information about Bhakti yog, Gyan yog, Karma yog, Kriyaa yog, etc.

Space travel and its effect on time

Pastimes of Krishna

How God created the universe

Information about the four varna-dharmas

Prediction of the incarnation of Buddha and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,

and Kalki avatar that has not happened yet

Predicted symptoms and effects of Kali yug, that we see are coming true

Information about the 9^th incarnation of Vishnu as Rishabh Dev, the aadi Tirthankar of Jainism.

Characteristics and length of the four yugas (satyug, tretaayug, dwaaparyug, and kaliyug)

Dharma is described as a bull with four legs:

• satya (the truth)
• tap (penance or austerity)
• dayaa (mercy or compassion,) and
• pavitrataa (cleanliness of environment, body, and mind)

Gyan and Vairagya are described as two sons of Bhakti.

As time moves from 1^st Satyug (the best) to 4^th Kaliyug (the worst), one leg is lost. In Kaliyug only the satya stays and gradually keeps diminishing.

That means no accomplishment in Kali if no promise is truthfully kept.

Bhagavat is very dear scripture to the VishNu or Krishna Bhaktas.

All kind of yogis love Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavat describes how to plan and execute Bhagavat Saptaah (7-day Bhagavat kathaa program.)

Rich Vaishnavas do saptaah program in grand way, giving joy to the whole attending community.

So, when you are invited to attend Bhagavat saptaah, attend it joyfully.

Usually, such programs are open to all.

Hindus (any human) should read Gita, even for 5-10 minutes or more, everyday regularly.

One should listen Bhagavat kathaa at least once life,

and should also do pilgrimage to Vrindavan once in life.

 

Thanks for listening.

Jaya sri Krishna!