Bhagavad Gita as you all knew is the religious scripture of Hindus. However, in my opinion, it can also be the “USER-MANUAL” for the human beings. Ya, it’s that easy & yet very important. Sharing my own stories-
Money or Study?
About a couple of years ago I was very confused in my life about choosing to learn or to work. Seriously, sometimes life gives you such a hard rock that with all your force you are not able to break it. I was in my first year of engineering & what I realized is there was nothing interesting in the field of engineering, for me to explore. I was extremely frustrated but then decided to learn on my own & start working and earning. Then the condition became worse as my mind tilted more towards money rather than learning. This was the time, I asked for help (I read Bhagavad Gita – whenever I feel down or need some help). I opened one page randomly from the book and read –
“yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 7)
“Sri Krishna said: Whenever and wherever there is a decline in virtue/religious practice, O Arjuna, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself, i.e. I manifest Myself as an embodied being.”
This verse served as a perfect metaphor for my situation, hence I concluded – “There’s a conflict in my mind & there’s a decline in my actual work (learning – as a student). Lord will manifest & will show me the way”. It’s strange but accepting this logic made my problem fade away. I got my way out, I got a new project in my work which was very difficult & was not my forte. Subsequently, I started learning & exploring again. This may be just an incident or coincidence for you, but for me, it was like history which repeated itself, over and over again, whenever I found myself in fix, Bhagavad Gita came as a savior for me.
Death of my Grand Father
It hurts a lot when someone very close to you passes away. I still remember the day when my Grand Father breathed his last, that day was one of the hardest days in my life. It was really hard for me to accept the fact that my Grand Father will not be with us anymore. I was shattered into pieces. I picked up the Bhagavad Gita & opened one page randomly – it read,
“vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 22)
“Sri Krishna said: As a human being puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”
How? How can this is even possible, that I get the perfect solution everytime I open this mysterious book. History repeated itself & this time it marked a big impression in my head that whatever might be the problem, whoever is in your way, come what may, there’s someone/something who is taking care of you – for me, it is “The Bhagavad Gita”.
Everytime I read it, all my problems, all my questions & worries are answered in the most beautiful and satisfactory way. But, there’s something more – initially, it was very difficult for me to understand this spiritual mystery & some of the “shlokas” (verses) are so deep, that it is almost impossible to feel the actual essence. Then again I asked for help, this time not from the mysterious book but from the divine master – Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. I attended one of his discourse on Bhagavad Gita in Bangalore in August 2015, where he explained this book utmost simplicity. Believe me, I have never found someone who can decode this highly encoded & deeply enchanted book – “The Bhagavad Gita”.
Love
Prasad Karwa
