Ramanisblog

Tag: Bhagavadgita

  • Srimad Bhagavad Gita-Never Happened?

    Lord Krishna and Bhishma.

    Devavrata, who was later bestowed the name of Bhishma( one who does the impossible), vowed that he would never marry to enable his father Santanu to marry the woman he loved, thus ensuring that there would be no claimants to the throne for his step brothers and their progeny and carried out his vow.(he also vowed that he would never ascend the throne).

    After Duryodhana was mortally wounded and lay dying  he says to Lord Krishna,

    ‘You have sided with the Pandavas,resorted to tricks that are against Dharma which You preach, made Jayathratha die by obscuring the Sun,kept Sikandi before Bhishma, made him drop the weapons,blew Your Panchajanya at the critical moment and ensured the death of Drona, ensured Vidhura  from participating in the Mahabharata war, weakened Karna by engineering the disarming of him of his Makara,Kundala,his decision not to use Naagastra more than once,not to engage any of the Pandavas other than Arjuna in the war,deceitfully received the Punya of Karna in the guise of a Brahmin,made sure that Karna was kept off-balance by making Kunti to declare at a critical moment that she was his Mother….

    You talk of Dharma?

    Pandavas won because of your deceit.

    You should be ashamed of yourself’

    Vyasa writes,

    ‘ Krishna,The One who never bowed before any one ,averted Duryodhana’s eyes and looked down at the ground’.

    The Devas showered flower petals on Duryodhana and Blessed him that he would enter Swarga.

    Just before his last breath, Duryodhana apologies to Lord Krishna for his out burst and Govinda(the most sacred endearing name and the one Krishna likes most-one might notice that in Apara Karma,including Tharpana, Sankalpa, we say ‘Sri Govinda, Govinda,Adhya Sri Bhagavatha:’ never any other God’s Name for Govinda is the One who ensures Moksha;

    As Rajaji says ‘if  Sri Adi Sankaracaharya, who drank the ocean of Knowledge as one would from  one’s palm, calls out to Govinda’-the other name which is dear to Krishna – Vasudeva, Narayana)  and Lord Kesava Blesses him.

    Such was  the Culture of the people.

    We will now turn to external references to this Culture from the Greatest language along with Sanskrit,Tamil.

    ………………………………………………………………………………   to be continued

     

     

  • Wisdom Of Lord Krishna,Srimad Bhagavad Gita.Why? -2.

    I had gone through the vicissitudes of Life in full measure, more than what I thought  I could bear,be it losing wife at the age of 28,losing custody of the child,losing jobs,hunting for jobs, financial fiascos,seeing 12 deaths in the family in eight successive years,all very close ,separated from the family,reunited,being placed in a comfortable position now….

    through out,if it was one thing that sustained me was , it was The Bhagavad Gita.

    As I remarked earlier I was simply reading it with meanings explained by different Acharyas like Sankara,erudite scholars like Dr.Radha Krishnan,Professor.T.M.P.Mahadevan and others.

    If simple reading alone could help an individual to face problems of Life, nothing more can be said of the benefits that might accrue if one were to study the Bhagavad Gita.

    With the limited exposure I have of The Vedas,Six Systems of Indian Philosophy,Western Systems of Philosophy,Realism, Idealism,Solipsism,Pragmatism, Existentialism and Logical Positivism and the like,Modern Concepts in Physics,Astrophysics and most importantly my experiences in Life, I am now attempting to look at Gita from my stand point,more precisely the way it has affected me in the conduct of Life.

    This is by no means a commentary worth the name in its real sense for what more can one say than Adi Sankaracharya?

    There is bound to be mistakes  and I apologies in advance.

    Wherever my views or interpretations are at variance with established texts and commentaries, my views may be taken with a pinch of salt.

    Readers are welcome to share their views and comments.

    I welcome criticisms more.

    Srimad Bhagavad Gita  , may be looked at from different perspectives, even from an Atheist’s perspective.

    From Reason.

    Question is whether one would have had the time to explain 700 Slokas  in the midst the armies that were arrayed in the battlefield of Kurukshetra in The Mahabharata and whether the sworn enemies would have waited till Lord Krishna completed his exposition.

    It just looks to be beyond reason.

    Before jumping to any conclusion, let us look at some of the facts that speak of the highest cultural practices narrated in The Mahabharata,described by Veda Vyasa.

    Draupadi was being stripped in open court.

    While every one was keeping quiet,including Bhisma,Krupa and Drona, Duryodana‘s brother takes him to task and Duryodana allows him to have his say.

    When Kunti asks Karna to abandon Duryadana and join forces with Yudhistra,his brother, he replies that he would never  contemplate such an action for it was Duryodana who sustained him and saved him from the ignominy of being thrown out as an out cast.

    Still he promises not to attack/engage any one other than Arjuna in the War;that he would not use Nagastra( a type of Astra) more than once on Arjuna.

    He gave away his protective Armour,Kavacha and Kundala, though he knew it was Indra who came asking for them to protect His son Arjuna.

    In the battlefield, he gave away the Punyaas( Good results that accrue because of good deeds performed, including  his present deed), to Lord Krishna who sought for it ,appearing in the form of a poor Brahmin, despite knowing it was Lord Krishna.

    Bhima hits Duryodana, at the fag end of the war, below the waist, in Wrestling( which was not correct practice) and wounds him mortally.

    Krishna’s elder brother Balarama chides Krishna for ordering Bhima to attack Duryodana thus, and leavea for Kasi( Varanasi) for atonement.

    Duryadana lies dying.

    Aswaththaama, son of Dronachaarya, angered at the way Duryodana was felled and the way Dronacharaya was killed by Yudhistra declaring’Aswathtaama,killed,an Elephant while Krishna blew His Conch, The Panchchjanya at the precise moment when ‘elephant’ was pronounced,( which made Drona drop his Bow and Arjuna killed him), vows to wipe out the Pandava Dynasty and sends an Astra in the form of a ‘Dharpa'( a reed used by Brahmins for performing their daily rites) and it kills every one except the Panadavas( who were whisked to Safety by Lord Krishna).

    It killed the offspring of every one in the Pandava dynasty(except Parikshit, who was saved in the womb by , who else, Lord Krishna).

    Aswaththaama brags about this to Duryodhana that he has wiped out Pandavas, Duryodhana, furious, shouts at him” Do you know what you have done? Pandavas are my brothers.I have issues with them.What have the children to do with this? They as much my children and belong to my dynasty as they are to Pandavas.

    You are not a Brahmin,why, you are not even a human being.Get lost .I do not want to look at you any more”

    Aswaththaama leaves in penitence for Holy Pilgrimage.

    This is not all.

    Let us see some more examples of the Culture  practiced even by the sworn enemies.

    …………to be continued..

  • Wisdom Of Lord Krishna,Srimad Bhagavad Gita.Why? -1

    Bhagavad Gita. The first Russian translation.
    Image via Wikipedia

    I am sixty now.

    I have been thinking of writing on The Gita for about five years now.

    I have been reading,not studying The Bhagavad Gita for the past 30 years.

    But recently I found out, due to certain instances in my Life, to my shock, that I have been deceiving myself that I have read The Gita and that I am prepared to face things in Life as mentioned by The Lord of Enlightenment.

    It had not gone into my heart.

    It had  appealed to my reason alone.

    I have never felt it with my heart.

    However much one reads,studies these Great Sayings, so long as one grasps it with Reason, the ‘Sayings’ remain just ‘Sayings’

    When one is hit by Realities of Life where one can turn to none for solutions nor can solve, The Gita comes to the rescue.

    It tells you that things are what they are and it is your ability and ”vairaggaya’-determination, that can help you sail through.

    I am not a Scholar.

    I, who was more an Atheist/Agnostic by Reasoning(so I thought) ,have been exposed to the Vedas by the Acharya of Sringeri, Sri Abhinava Vidya Theertha at the age of 29,.

    Though knowing that I was not fit enough to learn the Vedas, because of my Drinking habits then and being irregular in my performing ‘sandhya vandana ‘The Noble Soul told me that I had the urge to know, despite fact that I quarreled with him on a minor point in Sastra, considering myself to be learned because I had a degree in Philosophy and that he will teach me whenever he visited Bangalore.( My father’s elder cousin, who was a scholar in Vedas  and me had an argument over an interpretation of a point in The Smriti and I suggested that we refer this to The Swamiji who was then camping at Bangalore.

    When we went to meet him we were prevented from meeting him by those around him and were literally being pushed out.

    The Swamiji was near by.

    On hearing my raised voice he asked what the matter was.

    I explained him the argument I  have with my father’s Cousin,who was standing nearby.

    The Acharya replied that he has no time( namakku purusath illa)

    I retorted’ Hardly any people read the Vedas,that too at my age.

    You are the head of The mutt established by The Great Shankaracharya.

    You are supposed to live by Vedas and it is your Duty to clarify doubts on the Vedas.

    Yet you say ‘you have no time’

    I can only surmise that you do not know any thing about the Vedas to clarify my doubts.

    Or you do not want to.

    In either case you are unfit to occupy the Peetha of Sri Sankaracharya.’

    I walked out.

    After about two or three hours a man from the mutt came to my room in the same area(i do not know how they found out my room) and asked me to accompany him to meet The Acharya.

    I accompanied him with my Father’s Cousin with the apprehension that The Acharya was going to curse me.

    The Acharya made me sit down in His presence and made me repeat what I said.

    He  told me’ You are right. But at the same time you should also remember that I have to run this Mutt and by paying attention to people with money, though they are not pious, I  raise funds to enable me to perform Vedic karmas for World Welfare and help people who are needy and it helps me to perform Upanayana and marriage of the poor.

    But still what you said is true.

    I should not have allowed people around me to send you out.I am sorry.

    Now you tel me what you want and he solved the problem ‘Incidentally my interpretation of The Smriti was right .

    Then he told me that he wants to introduce me to The Vedas and that I should come to him whenever he is in Bangalore.

    I told him that I was not Religious in the real sense of the term   and that I drink.

    He told me not to Drink on the days I come to visit him and told me that I can leave and that I should come at 3 pm the next day.

    I went to him , whenever I was in Bangalore( I was in a touring job, for about Six years.

    Great men are just..what can one say…just Great!

    -to be continued…..

  • Don’t Force The Bhagavad Gita On People-Lord Krishna.

    There is a move by the Government of Karnataka to introduce  The Bhagavad Gita in Schools.

    Indian Philosophy is Highly personal.

    It is meant for people who are intent on Spiritual Elevation.

    Another point of note is that Indian Philosophy ( not Purana) never condemns one for not following its teaching nor does it declare that Hinduism is the ONLY path to Salvation.

    It is like a Doctor.

    You are sick,you go to a Doctor,he prescribes medicines that are tested.

    He does not force you to take the medicine.

    It is left to you..

    After teaching The Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna,on his request(note-on Arjuna’s request only), after delivering 632 Slokas of a Total of 700 Slokas,Lord Krishna states in the 63rd  Sloka ,Chapter 18

    ‘Thus hath been opened thee
    This Truth of Truths, the Mystery more hid
    Than any secret mystery. Meditate!
    And—as thou wilt—then act’!-Chapter 18. 63.(translation by Sir Edwin Arnold.

    He leaves the decision to the individual.

    He does not force him.

    Lord Krishna also lists  hose to whom the Gita must not be revealed.

    Idam te naatapaskaaya naabhaktaaya kadaachana; 
    Na chaashushrooshave vaachyam na cha maam yo’bhyasooyati.

    67. This is never to be spoken by thee to one who is devoid of austerities, to one who is not devoted, nor to one who does not render service, nor who does not desire to listen, nor to one who cavils at Me.-Chapter 18.67-Translation Swami Sivananda.

    Leave this attempt to force the Gita.

    It is not sanctioned by Lord Krishna.

    Do not create social tension.

    Hinduism does nor believe in forced teaching or conversion.

    Those who need Krishna , let them find him.

    Story:

    Karnataka’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has landed in a row over its support to teaching of Hindu holy book ‘Bhagvad Gita‘ in schools.

    The controversy took a new turn after Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishwanath Hegde Kageri said July 14 that those opposing the Gita teaching should quit India.

    Kageri said teaching the holy book was necessary to inculcate moral values in students. He made the comment at a function in Kolar, 65 km from Bangalore.

    On July 8, he had announced in Bangalore that the government was “open to making Bhagvad Gita teaching compulsory in schools”.

    But Higher Education Minister V.S. Acharya said the programme should not be seen as religious teaching.

    “There is no connection between Bhagavad Gita and religion. Gita has more to do with human values,” Acharya asserted.

    Not everyone is convinced.

    Many see it as an attempt to “communalise” education, and are opposing it on the ground that it was unconstitutional for the government to back such a programme.

    http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=108648

  • Srardha/Pitru Thrarpana-Why and How to do?-Hinduism.

    ‘How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child’-Shakespeare in King Lear.

    We are what we are because of our parents.

    Even those who talk of Free Will can never deny that one can not choose their parents,siblings and children.

    We have a duty to remember parents for what we are to day-we also become parents.

    Hinduism venerates parents.

    Hinduism places those to be worshiped in this order.

    Mother,Father,Teacher,Guest.

    Then comes even God.

    The Sastras declare’A woman may be of loose morals,but to her children she is God;a man may be a wastrel, to his children he is God.

    To remember ancestors  Hindus perform Srardha ceremony yearly to pay their Gratitude to parents.

    The Srardha is performed on the Moon‘s postion at the time of death, called Thithi.There are 15 Thithis.

    On the appointed Thithi, the Srardha is to be performed by the Son for his parents.

    A day has 60 Nazhikais.

    The Srardha is to be performed on the day when the balance Thithi is present.

    If a thithi is present in two days(they are in consecutive days)the Srardha should be performed not on the date that has maximum Nazhigai but on the succeeding day when the Thithi is present.

    The most cardinal principle in performing the Srardha is the involvement-Sradhdhai.

    ‘A srathdhaya hudham Dhatham Thapasthaptham kruthancha yath I

    Asathichyuchyathe Partha na cha thath prethya no iha II’

    Srimad Bhagavad Gita-17.28

    We find people doing it in a hurried manner because it has to be done.

    This should never be done.

    Better to skip Srardha rather than doing it mechanically with out involvement.

    When should it be done.

    Technically Srardha is to be performed Daily.

    We have diluted it.

    We should do it on Amavaasya,Newyear,Grahana kaala,Uththarayana, Dakshinayana and Mahalayam at least as Tharpana.

    There is a practice of people performing Mahalaya Tharppana on the Thithi,Maha Barani,Navami and Dasami.

    This is incorrect.

    Mahalaya tharpana should be performed on all days of Mahalaya Paksha, preceded by Brahama yagnam.

    Tharpana should also performed when one visits Kasi,Rameswaram,Prayag and Gaya.

    Also prior to any auspicious functions , like Upanayanam,Vivaham,Sreemantham and Gruhaprevesam, Srardham called Nandhi Srardham must be performed.

    Who are eligible to perform Srardha?

    Brahmanas ,Kshatriyas and Vaisyas.

    Sudras are excluded because they get the fruits of by serving the three mentioned above.

    Women are not sanctioned the right to perform Srardha on their own.

    It is enough if they hold the Dharpa touching their Husbands whoperforms Srardha.

    Point of note is that a man loses the Right to perform Srardha with out his wife.

    Nor are daughter’s children even if the parents have no male issues.

    One’s sons,grandsons through the son  are eligible to perform these ceremonies.

    All the sons are supposed to perform  if they live separately.

    No separate ‘Ulai’ non sense.

    If they live in the same house, the eldest can perform and the others should be by his side with their wives..

    When to do Srardha?

    Srardha should be done after noon and never before .

    Brahma yagnam must be perrfomed before Srardha and Tharppana. ……………………………….(to be continued)