The Relevance of the Bhagavadgita to Humanity 5-2. - Swami Krishnananda
Swami Chinmayananda:
Understanding the deeper truths of life requires a refined intellect and a pure heart.
One must exert effort and not dismiss Vedanta, Philosophy or God if it seems difficult to grasp, as profound truths are not immediately apparent.
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Monday 17, June 2024 07:00.
The Relevance of the Bhagavadgita to Humanity
The First Six Chapters of the Bhagavadgita:
Chapter 5: The Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata-2.
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This particular book, the Udyoga Parva, is a classic in a very important sense. There is high literary beauty in the style of writing, and the poet's outlook rises to its pinnacle of perception, as it were, because it is the aim of a crucial action that is contemplated and is to take place. The mind is up in arms before the body is active. The mind has already started doing what the body has yet to do. That is the psychological background of the great battle to be narrated in several books which follow the Udyoga Parva.
The descriptions are breathtaking. Every kind of dramatis personae is brought into the picture of this description, God included. However, we shall not, in the light of what we are interested in considering, go into details of the literary aspect of the dramatic grandeur of presentation of this book of the Mahabharata.
Everything is ready. We have only to utter the words 'one, two, three', and one bursts into action. One is just in the field of activity, not merely preparing to do something. The field is displayed before our mind in the Bhishma Parva, which is the Sixth Book of the Mahabharata, in which the Bhagavadgita occurs.
It is difficult to fully appreciate the interesting and complicated background of the context of the Bhagavadgita gospel unless we know the whole background of the Mahabharata epic because, as I mentioned, it looks as if the whole Mahabharata is the body, of which the Bhagavadgita is the soul. The Bhagavadgita is the theory; the Mahabharata is the theory put into action. Being and doing seem to be the forte of the Bhagavadgita and the Mahabharata narration.
We are basically persons occupied with a notion that the salvation of the soul is the goal of life. Liberation is our main objective in living in this world. Freedom it is that we really seek. We have to work hard for this great attainment, and everything necessary for the realisation of this ultimate objective is to be done as early as possible. We know what it is all about, and what things are necessary as a preparation for this contemplated achievement. Now, the crux of the matter is that we have already a clear plan, and know what is necessary for the fulfilment of this aspiration. These backgrounds of our premeditation, prior to our actual engagement in this task, are important enough.
Chinmaya Mission Mumbai:
Hari om.
We celebrated the 8th Anniversary of Chinmaya Pradeep in Sandeepany Sadhanalaya today with a paduka pooja and an online satsang.
We thank everyone involved in the functioning of Chinmaya Pradeep and encourage more and more people to visit, learn, share about about Poojya Gurudev’s life, vision and work.
Recordings are enclosed below.
Highlights of 7th Year of Chinmaya Pradeep programmes from June 2023-May 2024
https://youtu.be/1590MywZguI
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There is a personality called Arjuna in the history of the Mahabharata battle, and we know what this name signifies – a brilliant person, a youthful, well-balanced personality, highly educated, mighty in the execution of deeds, capable in every sense of the term, with power and knowledge combined, and with enthusiasm motivating every contemplation. He was an ideal man, to say the least, a blend of every virtuous character, with a coming together of properties which contribute to make the human personality a logical perfection. We do not have such perfect human beings easily available in the world. There is something lacking in everybody. But here is the poet's presentation of an ideal human being before us. Arjuna lacked nothing politically, socially, economically, intellectually, and in every sense which we in the world may regard as significant or meaningful. So he was the chief spokesman, we may say, in the context of the great battle of the Mahabharata.
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Continued
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