I truly believe Bhagawad Gita is one of the most compete texts in the history of literature. This blog is my attempt so bring to you, the biggest, most important life lessons from Bhagawad Gita; especially for the young people. Because, it’s better to start early! Converging these lessons onto the ways; you live your life- shall bring ‘Spiritual & Material Magic’ in it. Sure — you shall enjoy; as the descriptions and examples are contemporary. While you read — you may see solutions to your ‘living well problems’. Jai Sri Krishna!!
Introducing Gita: which needs no introduction
Bhagwad gita means song of the Spirit, song of the Lord. With 18 chapters and 700 verses, it is the shortest and earliest, yet the most comprehensive literary work ever written in the history of mankind. Covering every aspect of human life, it ensures that it has answers for every philosophical question a man can raise. It is that book which makes my life as a Motivational Speaker, quite easy.
The superb life lessons from Bhagawad Gita can be experienced as a powerful catalyst for transformation. It has become a secret driving force behind the unfolding of one’s life. In the days of doubt this divine book supports all spiritual searches. For those who understand it, Gita contributes to reflecting on the self, developing finer feelings and deepening one’s inner process.
The Bhagwad Gita is a dialogue between Lord Krishna (Parmatma) and Arjuna(Jeeva). It was preached in the battle field of Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as counseling to do his duty while multitudes of men stood by waiting. Arjuna had become grief stricken and refused to fight his own family members. He believed it to be unrighteous to kill his elders, brothers, teachers, family members for the sake of glory. It was then that Lord Krishna enlightened him with the highest truths of life through the holy Gita.
There are many illustrations, narrations and versions of this mighty scripture. My favorite, which really goes into the depth of scientific inquiry and human make-up is God Talks With Arjuna by Sri Paramhansa Yogananda Ji. It’s a brilliant brilliant read for those who wish to go beyond the usual explanations. However, in this blog, I have tried to keep it very very simple. The second part of this article explores the most important lesson of Bhagawad Gita, the Karma Yoga, in much more detail. You can read it here: Bhagawad Gita and Karma Yoga, lessons for the Youth.
THE FIRST LESSON:
We may wonder, why the Gita was preached in a battlefield when it preaches peace. Gita represents the deeper conflicts within us, the war that rages inside every soul. We all have a Kurukshetra within us. Don’t we feel this Kurukshetra daily within us ? Sachin’s guru Satya Sai leaving this Earth on his birthday and he having to play the match for his team is what all of us saw recently.
The human psyche has a lower self (kauravas) and a higher self (arjuna and pandavas). Our ignorance (avidyaa) is King Dhritarashtra! The In-Dwellerdwelling in our heart is Lord Krishna, the charioteer! The body is our chariot! The senses (indriyaas) are the horses. Our ego, pride, greed, hypocrisy, lust, jealousy, likes & dislikes, etc. are our dire enemies! It is a war between virtue and vice, between right and easy.
Arjuna’s breakdown at the face of war, his bewilderment about right and wrong in the face of intractable perplexity- these are situations we face daily. How often we face these myriads of dilemmas! We are always at our wit’s end when it comes to the troubles in our life. It becomes so difficult to choose that we give up even before putting an honest effort.
Gita teaches us that, it is when we are hardest hit that we must not quit. Instead, we must gather ourselves, rise and shine by making the right choice and not the easy choice. Had Arjuna not fought that day and the Kauravas would have won. It was Arjun’s duty to fight for his Dharma, his beliefs and what he understood as the right thing to be done; even if it is family on the other side.
The choices that we have in life are never between right and wrong, but between right and easy. Doing the right is not always easy or pleasant. And by not choosing the right, we bring vice, not only upon ourselves, but others as well. And this is what Lord Krishna explained to Arjuna: “Partha! Fighting this battle, fighting your family members on the other side, is not unrighteousness. It is your karma, your kshatriya dharma, to fight injustice and restore peace and harmony. Be it anyone in front of you, you have to fight for truth and justice.”
THE BEST EXAMPLE:
Lord Krishna’s life itself has the perfect example of making a 
choice between right and easy; temptation and duty. The saga of love between Krishna and Radha is an epic in itself. It signifies the strongest temptation in man’s life in the form of insatiable desires. But we have to overcome them. Lord Krishna had to choose between Radha and Rukmini (his wife). Choosing Radha would have been so easy, and Rukmini so right. And he chose the right path, thereby setting an example for all of us. It is not just about choosing the right partner or choosing the right option. Rather, this philosophy pertains to choosing the right path.
The famous poem “The Road Not Taken” by the famous author Robert Frost has everything to do with this very important life lesson from the Gita. Those who have read it must have known: there will always be two roads diverging in a yellow wood. It is up to us; choosing the one less travelled by (the right one) or choosing the one with more footsteps to follow (the easy one).
Unfortunately everything around us is trying to make it ‘EASY’ & is asking us to do it from the heart. Movies , Advertisements, Society everything tells us to do that way e.g. A dialogue from the movie ‘Knock Out’ ; which I saw becoming the FACEBOOK status of many a youth – :
‘Jo bhi karna apne dil se karna kyunki dil waise left main hota hai lekin hamesha right hota hai’.
When most things / concepts around us train us to do the ‘EASY’; then why should we expect people around us to do the ‘RIGHT’ with us? Why & How ??? 🙂
It is OK to do it from the heart; if it is ‘Right’ else Heart in modern times usually says the ‘EASY STUFF’. Real power is in doing the ‘RIGHT’; not the ‘EASY’…. ‘EASY to har koi kar letaa hai’ . It is so easy to let ur mind do the ‘EASY’; the trick is to zabardasti develop a habit to zabardasti do ‘what is right’ & not ‘what is easy’. My favourite: what Spiderman said –
“Whatever comes our way, whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a choice. We can choose to be the best of ourselves. It’s the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what’s right.”
Isn’t this such a wonderfully important lesson, which is so relevant today even after millennia have passed since it was spoken of! If Indian philosophy and it’s impact on our lives is something that interests you more, you may want to check out:
Management Lessons from Chanakya Neeti: Part I & Part II
Rise & Shine !!
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