Who is Entitled to be Called Gita Gyani
The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is a Hindu scripture containing 700 verses. These verses were sung over 5,000 years ago, by the supreme Lord Shri Krishna to Arjun in the battlefield of Mahabharat. Hence the compilation of these verses is called the “Bhagavad Gita” which means Divine lyric.
This scripture has since been translated in over 100 languages across the world. It is amongst the most widely read and highly acclaimed Hindu scriptures. It is characterized by -
- The simplicity of the language, easily understandable by an average Hindi speaker.
- Its ability to provide answers to all questions that may arise in the minds of people struggling to attain peace of mind in this material world. Since those answers are provided by the Supreme God Himself, no-one can question or doubt the authenticity of the answers.
Who is a knower of Gita ?
Lord Krishna selected Arjun to be the recipient of this great knowledge. He had already realized God in his past life of rishi Nara.
For the benefit of mankind, Lord Krishna concealed Arjun’s true knowledge with His personal power of Yogmaya and secretly placed him at the mental disposition of an ignorant being. Overcome by ignorance, Arjun started asking questions like ordinary material beings.
Shri Krishna imparted the knowledge. Arjun, was the original recipient of this knowledge. He fully assimilated. That is why he is referred to as Gita-Gyani (the knower of Gita).
Even today many people can read Sanskrit. With the help of literal translation of the verses, they deliver discourses on Gita. However, personally they do not follow the teachings of the Gita. There are also others, who recite the verses of the Gita every day. There are children who recite the verses to win numerous Gita recitation contests in schools.
Can all the contemporary orators also be called Gita-Gyani?
Let us reflect on what 'knowing the Gita' means?
The backdrop
Arjun was a valiant warrior. He went to the battlefield of Mahabharata to protect dharma. All Kauravas, Lord Krishna and all the Pandavas blew their conch shells to indicate the start of the war.
After that Arjun asked Shri Krishna to drive the chariot to be in the middle of the battlefield. From there he saw all the opponents and developed cold feet.
Arjun got scared of the consequences of killing his family members along with all the other respectable warriors. Such was his anguish that after the war was declared Arjun refused to fight the battle. Arjun even ignored Lord Krishna’s direct order to fight.
Lord Krishna was stunned to hear about his decision to not fight the battle, as the victory of the Pandavas relied heavily on Arjun.
At the beginning of the Gita, Shri Krishna scolded Arjun lovingly saying -
क्लैव्यं मास्म गमः पार्थ ! विषमे समुपस्थिते
klaivyaṁ māsma gamaḥ pārtha ! viṣamē samupasthitē
"Arjun! Don’t talk like an impotent in this crucial situation".
But Arjun found himself totally incapable of fighting the battle. He started counting every negative consequence of fighting the battle. He contemplated that he wanted to fight for he had a hidden selfish motive of wanting to be the ruler of the kingdom. He believed that due to this selfishness he would go down in history as the greatest sinner.
Now the stage was set for the teachings of the Gita in the holy land of Kurukshetra. The most important life lessons were conveyed by Lord Krishna to the world using Arjun as the means. For ease of understanding The Gita was revealed in a Question-Answer writing form.
The teachings of Gita
Lord Krishna explained to Arjun, the immortal nature of the divine jeev and transience of the material body. He further explained to Arjun the theory of Karma, Gyan, Yog and Bhakti and their characteristics and benefits. He also showed Arjun His ultimate divine form.
While Shri Krishna explained the essence of all scriptures, Arjun kept agreeing and refusing to fight.
Eventually Shri Krishna stated the one and only way to attain eternal happiness i.e.
सर्वधर्मान परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं ब्रज । गीता १८.६६
sarvadharmāna parityajya māmēkaṁ śaraṇaṁ braja ।
gītā 18.66
“Abandon all other material duties, as they ultimately result in sufferings. Surrender yourself unto Me (Supreme Lord, the personified form of unlimited divine bliss) alone”.
Arjun assimilated the philosophy of all the 18 chapters of Gita now and finally said to Lord Krishna,
नष्टो मोहः स्मृतिर्लब्धा
naṣṭō mōhaḥ smr̥tirlabdhā
“Now all my doubts are removed. I have attained knowledge.”
How did he attain the knowledge? He said,
त्वत्प्रसादान्मयाऽच्युत
tvatprasādānmayā'cyuta
“O Achyut! It happened only by your grace.”
When a devotee surrenders himself solely unto God, only then does God remove the veil of Maya and the individual soul can see God. At that very moment, God bestows all His Divine powers on the individual soul.
This is the end of Gita. In other words Arjun heard, assimilated and reached a conclusion. Thus, his life was totally changed and he attained the ultimate goal of life.
The essence of the philosophy of Gita is
सर्वधर्मान परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं ब्रज । गीता १८.६६
sarvadharmāna parityajya māmēkaṁ śaraṇaṁ braja ।
gītā 18.66
"Abandon all kinds of dharma and surrender yourself unto Me alone. I shall deliver you from the results of all sinful actions committed in the past. Do not fear".
Lord Krishna also explained how to do that.
यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत् ।
यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरूष्व मदर्पणम् ॥ गीता ९.२७
yatkarōṣi yadaśnāsi yajjuhōṣi dadāsi yat ।
yattapasyasi kauntēya tatkurūṣva madarpaṇam ॥
gītā 9.27
"Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform - do that, as an offering only to Me - Shri Krishna".
The real meaning of Gita
In a nutshell, knowing the Gita means following the teachings of Gita in day to day life. Arjun heard it and immediately put it into action.
If we were to recite the same verse,
सर्वधर्मान परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं ब्रज । गीता १८.६६
sarvadharmāna parityajya māmēkaṁ śaraṇaṁ braja ।
gītā 18.66
yet lead the same material life and not even try to surrender our mind to Lord Krishna, then what is the point of repeating these words every day?
Lord Krishna had said these words to Arjun. When we recite the verses of the Gita every day, who are we saying this to? There should be a purpose behind every action of a rational person. We are supposed to read the verse once or twice, then contemplate on what Lord Krishna is saying in that verse and then practice to do it.
During Mahaprabhu Chiatanya’s time, there was a devotee, who did not know how to read and pronounce Sanskrit words properly. Yet, he used to read the Gita every day. One day another devotee informed Mahaprabhu Ji that a man, who has no knowledge of Sanskrit, mutilates God’s words said in the Gita.
Mahaprabhu Ji called him and asked, “Do you know Sanskrit”?
He said “no”.
Mahaprabhu Ji further asked, “then what do you do while reading”?
He said, "I visualize Lord Shri Krishna sitting on his chariot and giving a lecture to Arjun who is sitting reverently at His lotus feet and listening to those words".
Mahaprabhu Ji was delighted upon hearing this and embraced that devotee. He said this is exactly what Gita says "Remember God". This man has understood the essence of Gita. Anybody who does not remember God constantly and claims to know the Gita and follow the teachings of Gita is an imposter.
So, the measure of one’s knowledge of the Gita is proportionate to the percentage of one’s surrender to God.
The percentage of surrender is directly proportional to one’s detachment from this world. Thus, a mere reader or orator of the Gita while being a servant of his own material desires is not “Gita-Gyani”.
A Gita-Gyani is one who loves Shri Krishna wholeheartedly and whose mind remains constantly absorbed in the thoughts of Lord Shri Krishna and all his actions are for pleasing only Him. Thus, a mere reader or orator of Gita, being a servant of his own material desires is not Gita-Gyani.
A Gita-Gyani is one who loves Shri Krishna wholeheartedly and whose mind remains constantly absorbed in the thoughts of Lord Shri Krishna and all his actions are for pleasing only Him.