The Lord now tells us as to who are fit to receive this universal
message. He says that one should not reveal this great secret to people who do
not perform austerities, who are not devotees, who do not render service (in the
form of worship). Nor should this be ever told to one who despises the Lord (the
materialists). One who narrates this supreme secret to the devotees of God, with
great devotion and faith, will certainly realize the Supreme Being. There is no
one dearer to the God than the devotees and those who enjoy great pleasure in
narrating the Supreme teachings in the most devotional spirit. Tulsidas, the author of Ramcharitmanas in Hindi, the exploits of
Lord Rama, was a great example of
such a devotee. Narada, the divine
sage, is the goal of all devotees as he travels across the three worlds,
reciting the Lord’s name to all his devotees, and is thus eternally favorite
with the Lord. One who studies this entire conversation between Arjuna
and Krishna, would have worshipped the Lord through the path of jnana or wisdom, i.e. will gain wisdom
in the process. Anybody who listens to this discourse with devotional fervor,
they will also obtain great spiritual states, by the merit of mere
listening.
Sri Krishna
now asks Arjuna, as if to obtain a
feedback, “By listening to this, oh Arjuna, with rapt attention, have
your delusion and ignorance been destroyed?”
Arjuna
responds, “Delusion is gone, I have regained my composure, entirely on account
of Your grace, oh Achyuta. I am now
steady, my doubts are gone, I will now do as You tell me to do (i.e. I shall
fight).”
Finally Arjuna’s
delusion is gone. He now knows that he is an instrument. He also has the supreme
assurance from the God incarnate, that if he performs the work by renouncing
everything to the lotus feet of the Lord, he will incur no sin. Moreover all his
doubts and fears are unfounded as God himself is the architect of the Great War.
He is the eternal Time, coming down for the purpose of destruction of the
world.
Thus ends Gita.
However, a little portion in the end speaks of the viewpoints of
Sanjaya, who is narrating the story to Dhritarastra as it is. Sanjaya
says, “Thus, I have, Oh King, heard and narrated to you the great conversation
between Vasudeva (Krishna) and Arjuna. By the grace of Vyasa (the composer of Mahabharata who gave the vision to Sanjaya to see or remember the war as it
is for reporting to Dhritarastra) I
have been able to listen to this
supreme discourse on Yoga, from the mouth of the Lord of Yogas Himself, Sri Krishna. By
constantly remembering the discourse I am delighted again and again. Also by
remembering the greatest and grandest cosmic form of the Lord God, I am joyous
again and again. To my mind, where there is the Lord of Yoga Krishna, and Partha (Arjuna) the great archer,
united, there will be prosperity, victory, power, and eternal law, such is my
conviction.”
-------------Dedicated to Bhagavan Sri
Ramakrishna------------
Courtesy and Reference
- Bhagavat Gita (Bengali) by Swami Apoorvananda, published by Shivananda Ashrama (Ramakrishna Math), Barasat
- Bhagavat Gita (English Tr.) by Annie Besant
- Bhagavat Gita (English Tr.) by Swami Swaroopananda, Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati
- The Song Celestial, By Edwin Arnold
- Lectures on Bhagavat Gita by Swami Samarpanananda, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Belur Math
- Essays on Gita by Sri Aurobindo
- Krishna Dwaipayan Vyasdeva, without whom we would be completely ignorant of these wonderful teachings
- Bhagavat Gita by Swami Tapasyanananda
- The Universe And Man by Swami Ramakrishnananda, published by Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore
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