The main subject matter of ‘Bhagavad Gita’ is self knowledge or spiritual wisdom. What is contained in Bhagavad Gita is borrowed from the original scriptures known as Vedas. Gita contains the extracted wisdom from the Vedas; especially from the final portion of Vedas. Vedas is known by two names. They are Veda Antaga (‘Vedanta’) which occurs at the end part of Veda. The other name is ‘Upanishad’. Upa means Self or Atma, the real self. Body/Mind is not the real ‘I’. They are the instruments and the medium. The real ‘I’ is different from the body medium. That real ‘I’ is called “Atma” in Tatva Bodha. ‘Ni’ means clear knowledge. ‘Shad’ refers to the function/ benefit of self knowledge. The removal of ‘Samsara’ is given in the Upanishads.
Samsara is defined as that which constantly and repeatedly occurs and gives a sense of helplessness of various degrees. Helplessness leads to anger; anger leads to frustration; frustration leads to depression. A person’s attitude to the Life changes when the problem of Samsara happens repeatedly. One starts to look upon life as a liability or a burden. Due to this negative attitude towards life he starts praying to god that he should never be born again. If one looks upon life as a wonderful thing why should he pray to God? Acquiring self knowledge will remove one’s negative attitude towards life. You will start to look upon life as a blessing. Upanishad teaches us Self knowledge. If the teaching is not received properly it will not bless a person or it may become unproductive or counterproductive. Vedas declare that this teaching should be received only from a Guru and not a self taught one. Upanishads declare that Lord Krishna also declares the same. This teaching should come to a sishya from a Guru. It is called guru - sishya Samvadaga.
Before actual teaching starts, a story is narrated. The story by itself doesn’t have a value of its own. For example you can see in Katopanishad a story consisting of several slokas. In the 1st Chapter of Bhagavad Gita is given the story of Mahabaratha. One should not probe into the story and ask whether it is Historical or fictitious. We require only a qualified student and a qualified teacher. We should not have misplaced curiosity. We should not ask irrelevant questions. One of the qualifications of a spiritual student is to avoid misplaced curiosity. Throughout the scriptural study we should know what questions to ask and questions that we shouldn’t ask. Otherwise you lose the importance of spiritual wisdom.
Arjuna discovers the problem of Samsara in the battlefield. He was immobilized and not able to move forward in his life.
First Chapter has got 5 topics.
1st Topic is from verse 1 to verse 20
We get the description of the battlefield of Khurukshetra and the preparations for the Mahabharata war. Kauravas are the representatives of Adharma. Pandavas represent Dharma. They both go to war. Dharmayuddham was necessitated. Therefore they assembled in the Mahabharata battlefield. Dhirdharastra was physically and spiritually blind. Sanjaya reports to Dhirdharastra through telepathy about the war going on in the battlefield.
Duryodhana is diffident and goes to Dhrona and tells him that their army is weak and Pandavas are stronger. He adds that they should take Bhisma with them. Thereafter Bhisma blows the Conch indicating the start signal and the beginning of the war.
2nd Topic is from Verse 21 to verse 25
There was a sudden transformation in the mind of Arjuna. He feels like looking at Kauravas in close quarters. They were his relatives. Due to some play of destiny he instructs Krishna the charioteer to bring the chariot to the middle of the battlefield between the two armies, to look at the scene from close quarters.
Duryodhana is adharmic and has committed pancha maha papam. He is an athathayi and deserved capital punishment during the time of Mahabharata. He has dhurbhuddi. Arjuna knows that Mahabharata war was a Dharmayuddham. Lord Krishna has endorsed that and becomes a charioteer of Arjuna. Arjuna’s Bhuddhi was clear after coming to the middle of the battlefield.
3rd Topic is from verse 26 to verse 28
The three portions of samsara are Raga (Attachment), Soga (Grief) and Moga (Delusion). Arjuna is no more a unique character. Arjuna becomes the representation of a human being and the problem he faced is a human problem. Arjuna is a representation for humanity. Bhagavad gita is a teaching for the humanity and is valid even in the 21st century AD. Raga is a philosophical proof and emotional attachment to any external factor in the form of situations, objects or people and getting them emotionally attached is called raga. Arjuna’s problem is the emotional attachment to certain people like Bhisma and Drona.
4th Topic is from verse 29 to verse 34
Attachment will invariably lead to grief without exception. We will be concerned about the object of attachment. We can see that the objects, people and situation continually changing. They are unpredictable and uncontrollable. They are unfavorable changes. Objects of attachment will become sources of sorrow. For example we can take a wrist watch. So long as it is inside the shop there is no worry and you are liberated. When the watch is with you then you become attached. You have empowered the watch and got attached to it. Raga or attachment makes me vulnerable. Arjuna becomes vulnerable because of his actions. Arjuna goes through intense grief because of imaginary death of the people. Intensity of grief or sorrow is directly proportional to the intensity of attachment. The object of attachment may vary but the problem of attachment is universal. The problem is called samsara.
5th Topic is from verse 35 to verse 47
When a person is emotionally disturbed internally, his rational intellect is suppressed or over powered. Intellect has the power to solve most of the problems in our life. Intellect can function only when you are balanced emotionally. In delusion (moga, incapacity to judge the situation properly and seeing something in the opposite way) state you don’t know what to do or what not to do. Arjuna goes through the same condition. Law of discrimination is called Viveka in Sanskrit. Arjuna was in a deluded state which is aviveka i.e., moga. In delusion state you don’t know what to do or what not to do. Arjuna goes through the same condition. The question arises as to whether the Mahabharata war is Dharma Yuddham or Adharma Yuddham. Dropping the war is a wrong decision. Going away from the war is also a wrong decision. Once the emotion overpowers the intellect, the intellect has the knack of justifying the emotional weakness. A liquor addict will justify the addiction. We can also see that once the flames become big, wind will start supporting the fire. Arjuna gives a long lecture to Lord Krishna. Yuddham is himsa and will cause adverse consequences at family level, social level and religious level. One should know that you can never educate anyone who doesn’t want to be educated. Arjuna Vishadha Yoga in the first Chapter of Gita deals with Arjuna’s grief. At this point of time both Arjuna and
We should know that Moga is a problem of samsara not only for Arjuna but for the entire humanity. Arjuna is a representation of human beings. This problem of samsara is manifested only at a moment. All the human beings have got this virus called samsara. Even suicidal thoughts will come as to what is the use of living in this world? When our psychological immunity is low Raga flares up in us. This disease is called samsara ragaga. This is extremely difficult to be cured but not impossible.
A materially successful human being will have a falter ego. I will never think of doing Namaskara to someone. One will not have the humility. Arjuna is a successful materialistic person and he does Saranagathi to Lord Krishna which is explained in the 2nd Chapter Verse 1 to Verse 10 of Bhagavad-Gita. Without humility or being egoless one will never get to know Vedanta.
Concluding Portion of 1st Chapter
OMTatSat will be explained in the 17th Chapter of Bhagavad-Gita. These are the three names that we utter at the end of every chapter and refer to the three names of the Lord.
Pratama adyaya refers to the 1st Chapter of Gita. Gita has 18 chapters. Every chapter is given a title based on the predominant content of the topic. 1st chapter is Arjuna vishadha yoga. It talks about Arjuna’s grief or Arjuna’s samsara.
Srimad Bhagavatgitasu refers to the scriptural text called srimad Bhagavad-Gita. Gita means a philosophical discourse like Uttava Gita, Bhagavad-Gita etc. This discourse is given by bhagavan Lord Krishna. The word Spiritual is that which deals with Spirit. Spirit means the ultimate reality or truth called Brahman. The Main theme of entire Gita is Brahma Vidya. It is the knowledge of reality, ultimate truth behind individual reality which is the truth of God.
Yogashashtrey means as follows: Unprepared mind cannot receive this knowledge because this subject is dry and boring. One should be mature enough for refining (preparing) his mind for receiving the knowledge. We should note that not only reception is important but also retention is important. All this disciplines put together is yoga sashtra. Without Bramha Vidya, yoga shastra is incomplete. The purpose is to get out of samsara consisting of helplessness, anger, frustration and depression which should go away from my life. The whole teaching is given in the form of a dialogue between a Guru and a Shisya.
Spiritual knowledge requires our effort and the guidance of an acharya. It cannot be gained independently. Acquiring Spiritual knowledge is a systematic education program. Here questions are raised by the shisya and his doubts are cleared. Dialogue will continue till the shisya attains spiritual knowledge.
S.Sekar
Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com
very nice and to the point explanation. thanks for providing the paraphrase, keep it up sir =)
ReplyDeleteDear Sir,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I will try to keep writing more and more in the days to come...
Best,
S.Sekar
Great. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeletevery nice, am in office and i cant stop reading this, bookmarked, :)
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