Sunday, February 28, 2016

Greatness of Chapter Two of Bhagwat Gita

Reading of Bhagwat Gita is considered a great pure Karma & all the sinful results are destroyed by reading to it. Here it is discussed about Chapter Two of Bhagwat Gita & the virtues related to reading this Second chapter. Here below is a Story which describes the Greatness of reading or Listening to the Chapter Two of Bhagwat Gita.

“In the olden times there was an intelligent Brahmin with the name of Devasharma who made demigods happy with his devotion to them. Though he has everything but he always remained unhappy as he wanted to know about the knowledge of the Supreme God. To have this Absolute knowledge he discussed it with many learned men, saints & did a great service to them. During this time he met a great Godly man who used to meditate daily on God & he had full knowledge of the Supreme God. That Godly man asked Devasharma to go to the Forest area of Asau-pura & meet the Goat-heard named Mitravan and ask from him about this knowledge of God realization.

After paying his respect to the Godly man, Devasharma went to the woods to find Mitravan. When Devasharma reached at Asau-pura, he found Mitravan in a beautiful forest, beside a small river, sealed atop some rocks. Mitravan looked very calm, peaceful, and his goats moved here and there fearlessly. Some goats even sat next to tigers over there and other ferocious animals. At this beautiful place, Devasharma also became calm, peaceful. After paying obeisance's to the Mitravan, he inquired from him about devotion to Lord Krishna.

On request of Devasharma, the learned man Mitravan, narrated him the following story: “My dear Devasharma, once when I was in this forest herding goats by the bank of this river, a tiger attacked all of us. On seeing the ferocious tiger, goats & myself ran away. Then from a distance I saw one goat being chased by the tiger. But suddenly a strange wonderful thing happened: the tiger lost its anger and no longer desired to eat the goat.” Mitravan described that both the tiger and goat were confused by this sudden peacefulness and so they approached him to ask what had happened. Mitravan in turn, inquired from a monkey who told him the story of Sukama, a learned sage.

Sukama had once pleased another sage by feeding him sumptuously and speaking pleasant words. The pleased sage gave Sukama the second chapter of the Bhagavat-Gita written on stone. The sage left after giving Sukama an instruction to recite this second chapter of the Bhagavat-Gita daily. Because Sukama followed this instruction, he quickly attained complete knowledge of Absolute, knowledge of Lord Krishna. And because of his devoted austerities, performed at the very place where Mitravan and the monkey were standing, anyone who came there, no longer felt the pangs of hunger and thirst and at once attained complete peace.

Afterwards, Mitravan told Devasharma that he and the tiger and goat had later found the stone in a temple and had begun reciting the Second chapter of the Bhagavat-Gita daily. In this way they had quickly attained to peace & devotion to Lord Krishna. Devasharma decided to carefully follow Mitravan’s example, and thereafter, in the village where Devasharma lived, visitors would recite with him the second chapter of the Bhagavat-Gita. In this way Devasharma attained to the divine mercy of Lord and the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.”

Chapter Two of Bhagwat Gita is entitled "Sankhyayoga or the Yoga of Knowledge."

On the battle field of Kurukshetra, when Arjuna, the disciple of Lord Krishna got infatuated & forgot his duty to fight, then Lord Krishna reminded Arjuna of his duty to fight a lawful, justful war & gave him the teachings of Bhagwat Gita. Arjuna after having been taught in the path of knowledge by Lord Krishna came back to his path of duty & fought a lawful battle against the Kauravas (his enemies) & won the battle with the grace of Lord Krishna.

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two (2) is entitled "Sankhyayoga or the Yoga of Knowledge." This Chapter has a total of 72 verses.

Verses 1 to 10 are about the discussion of Lord Krishna & Arjuna relating to Arjuna's faint-heartedness.

Verses 11 to 30 are about the "Sankhyayoga" & this Yoga of Knowledge is described herein.

Verses 31 to 38 are about the Kshtriya's duty to engage himself in fight.

Verses 39 to 53 are about the " Karmayoga" (the Yoga of Selfless Action).

Verses 54 to 72 are about the marks of the man of stable mind and glories of such a man are described herein.

To read complete chapter Two (2) Verse by Verse in Original Sanskrit Language Text & its English Translation......Click here to read...........Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two (Chapter-2)

Below are some verses from Bhagwat Gita, Chapter Two:

"avinasi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idam tatam
vinasam avyayasyasya
na kascit kartum arhati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Know that to be imperishable & indestructible, by which all this is pervaded; for none can bring about the destruction of this indestructible substance, the imperishable soul."

"antavanta ime deha
nityasyoktah saririnah
anasino ’prameyasya
tasmad yudhyasva bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 18)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, All these bodies pertaining to the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity / soul are spoken of as perishable; therefore, fight, Arjuna."

"ya enam vetti hantaram
yas chainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 19)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, They are both ignorant, he who knows the soul to be capable of killing and he who takes it as killed; for verily the soul neither kills, nor is killed."

"na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The soul is never born nor dies at any time. Soul has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. Soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. Soul is not slain when the body is slain."

"vedavinasinam nityam
ya enam ajam avyayam
katham sa purushah Arjuna
kam ghatayati hanti kam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 21)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, how can a human being who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?"

"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: O Arjuna, 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."

"nainam chindanti shastrani
nainam dahati pavakah
na chainam kledayanty apo
na sosayati marutah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 23)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind."

"acchedyo ’yam adahyo ’yam
akledyo ’sosya eva cha
nityah sarva-gatah sthanur
achalo ’yam sanatanah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 24)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."

"avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam
avikaryo ’yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 25)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."

"atha chainam nitya-jatam
nityam va manyase mrtam
tathapi tvam maha-baho
nainam socitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 26)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, If, however, you think that the soul [or the symptoms of life] is always born and dies forever, you still have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed."

"jatasya hi dhruvo mrityur
dhruvam janma mrtasya cha
tasmad apariharye ’rthe
na tvam socitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 27)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna,One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament."

"avyaktadini bhutani
vyakta-madhyani bharata
avyakta-nidhanany eva
tatra ka paridevana" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 28)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?"

"ascharya-vat pasyati kascid enam
ascharya-vad vadati tathaiva chanyah
ascharya-vac chainam anyah srnoti
srutvapy enam veda na chaiva kascit" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 29)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all."

"dehi nityam avadhyo ’yam
dehe sarvasya bharata
tasmat sarvani bhutani
na tvam socitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 30)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, he who dwells in the body can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any living being."

Jai Shri Krishna

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Greatness of Chapter One of Bhagwat Gita

Bhagwat Gita is a very Pious Book. Reading to it is considered a great Pious Karma & all the sinful results of Past Lives & this life are destroyed if one reads to the Bhagwat Gita regularly. Even if one recites to a single verse of it, one attains great virtue due to that, what to talk of reading full chapters of it. Here it is discussed about Chapter one of Bhagwat Gita & the virtues related to reading this first chapter. Here below is a Story which describes the Greatness of reading or Listening to the Chapter one of Bhagwat Gita.

“In the olden days in India, there was a man named Susharma, who was born in a pious Brahmin family. When Susharma grew up he went into bad company & started doing sinful acts, He became a person full of wickedness & a man devoid of piety. He used to feel a pleasure while hurting others. For his livelihood he used to collect the dry leaves from a garden & used to sew these together to make plates and cups. One day Susharma entered the garden of a very pious sage to collect leaves, and a snake slithered in and killed him. Because of all his sins, he was cast into many hells and suffered there for quite a long-time.

Later on, he received the body of a bull. As a bull, he was purchased by a very crippled peasant and for many years he had to carry heavy loads. One day, when the bull was carrying very heavy load on his back, he fell unconscious. Bystanders felt very sorry for the bull and bestowed upon him some results of their pious acts. One prostitute was also standing there but she doubted if she had ever performed any pious acts which she could offer to the dying bull. So he just made a prayer in her mind & offered all the pious credits that she might have earned accidently in her life to the bull.

After the bull died and entered the abode of Yamaraja (Lord of death), the god of death, Yamaraja, informed him, “Now you are freed from the reactions to all your previous sinful deeds because a prostitute gave you her pious credits.”

In his next life Susharma again took birth as an elevated pious Brahmin, but this time he could remember his past lives. He decided to find the prostitute who had caused his liberation from hell in last birth. When he found her, he asked her what pious acts she had performed. The prostitute replied him that her pet parrot had daily recited verses from Bhagwat Gita that had completely purified her heart.

Thereafter the Parrot told them about the recitation of the verses of Bhagwat Gita. Parrot told them that in the previous life the parrot had been a proud and envious, yet very learned Brahmin who had insulted other learned persons. Due to his Insult of Learned people, he had now, therefore, received the body of a parrot. But as a parrot he had often heard certain sages reciting the First chapter of the Bhagavat-Gita, and he had also begun reciting it. So he had become purified due to that. After being sold to the prostitute, the parrot continued his recitations of Bhagavat-Gita and thus earned the prostitute pious credits.

Susharma eventually became completely pure, and within a short time he attained to the poise Planet of Lord, Vaikuntha,the supreme destination.”

On the Battle field of Kurukshetra, when Arjuna, the disciple of Lord Krishna got infatuated & forgot his duty to fight, then Lord Krishna reminded Arjuna of his duty to fight a lawful, justful war & gave him the teachings of Bhagwat Gita. Arjuna after having been taught in the path of knowledge by Lord Krishna came back to his path of duty & fought a lawful battle against the Kauravas (his enemies) & won the battle with the grace of Lord Krishna.

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter One (1) is entitled "The Yoga of Dejection of Arjuna." This Chapter One has a total of 46 verses.

Verses 1 to 11 are about the Description of the Principal warriors on both sides (Kauravas & Pandavas) with their fighting qualities.

Verses 12 to 19 are about the Blowing of conches by the warriors on both the sides.

Verses 20 to 27 are about; when the Arjuna observes the warriors drawn up for the battle.

Verses 28 to 46 are about; when the Arjuna is overwhelmed by the Infatuation & when Arjuna gives expression to his faint-heartedness, tenderness & grief.

To read complete chapter one (1) Verse by Verse in Original Sanskrit Language Text & its English Translation......Click here to read...........Bhagwat Gita: Chapter One (Chapter-1)

Jai Shri Krishna

Sunday, February 07, 2016

Kaliyuga & Benefits of Chanting the Names of God

“Once the four Pandavas (except Yudhishthira who was not present) asked Krishna:

"What is Kaliyuga and what will happen during Kaliyuga?"

Krishna smiled and said "Let me demonstrate to you, the situation of Kaliyuga." He took a bow and four arrows and shot them in four directions and ordered the four Pandavas to go and bring them back.

Each of the four Pandavas went in the four different directions to search for the arrows.

When Arjuna picked an arrow, he heard a very sweet voice. He turned around and saw a cuckoo singing in a spellbinding voice but was also eating flesh of a live rabbit which was in great pain. Arjuna was very surprised to see such a gory act by such a divine bird he left the place immediately.

Bhima picked arrow from a place, where five wells were situated. The four wells were surrounding a single well. The four wells were overflowing with very sweet water as if they were not able to hold water and surprisingly the well in the middle of these four overflowing wells was completely empty. Bhima was also puzzled at this sight.

Nakula was returning to the place after picking up the arrow. He stopped at a place where a cow was about to give birth. After giving birth the cow started licking the calf but continued to lick it even after the calf was clean. With great difficulty people were able to separate them and by that time the calf was injured badly. Nakula was puzzled by the behaviour of such a calm animal.

Sahadeva picked arrow which fell near a mountain and saw a big boulder falling. The boulder was crushing the rocks and big trees on its way down, but the same boulder was stopped by a small plant. Sahadeva was also amazed at this sight.

All the Pandavas asked the meaning of these incidents. Krishna smiled and started explaining...

"In Kaliyuga, the priests will have very sweet voice and will also have great knowledge but they will exploit devotees the same way cuckoo was doing with rabbit.

In Kaliyuga poor will live among rich, those rich will have enormous amount of wealth which will actually overflow but they will not offer a single penny to the poor same as the four wells didn't have a single drop of water for the empty well.

In Kaliyuga parents will love their children so much that their love will actually spoil them and will destroy their lives similar to the love shown by cow to her new-born calf.

In Kaliyuga people will fall in terms of character like the boulder from the mountain and they will not be stopped by anyone at the end only the name of God will be able to hold them from doom like the little plant held the boulder from further fall."

~ Uddhava Gita, Srimad Bhaagawatam.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is situated in everyone's heart. He is also within your hearts. Therefore chant the glories of the Lord and always meditate upon Him continuously.

"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly."

A devotee should be very much careful to see whether his time is being spent unnecessarily. He should ask himself, "Am I now engaged in maya's service or Krsna's service?" This is a symptom of an advanced devotee. Nama−gane sada rucih: such a devotee is never tired of chanting, singing, or dancing. The word sada means "always," and ruci means "taste." A devotee always has a taste for chanting Hare Krsna: "Oh, very nice.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

" This is taste. Of course, this taste takes time to awaken, but when Rupa Gosvami was chanting he was thinking, "I have only one tongue and two ears. What can I appreciate of chanting? If I could have millions of tongues and trillions of ears, then I could relish something by chanting and hearing."

"'Krsna is the origin of Lord Visnu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the sastras should be the servants of these two principles.'"

– Sri Caitanya caritamrta Madhya lila 22.113

Even if in the beginning one chants the Hare Krsna mantra with offenses, one will become free from such offenses by chanting again and again. Papa−ksayas ca bhavati smaratam tam ahar−nisam: one becomes free from all sinful reactions if one chants day and night, following the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 6.3.24

In "Bhagwat Gita" also Lord Krishna is saying to Arjuna:

"satatam kirtayanto mam
yatantas cha drdha-vratah
namasyantas cha mam bhaktya
nitya-yukta upasate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: Always chanting My glories, endeavouring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion."

Jai Shri Krishna