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LORD KRISHNA SERMONIZES TO ARJUNA
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The Bhagavad Gita spells out the deepest of secrets, details the path to righteous living, answers some of the most intriguing questions of life and beyond, explains poetically the theory of Karma and much more. It forms the core of what can be loosely called as the 'Indian' way of life. It is a philosophy in itself, it is the bedrock of several philosophies.
The current post charts out Krishna's response to Arjuna's reluctance to fight his 'own'. It is a compilation of selected shlokas or verses from Chapter II of the epic.
न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपा:I
न चैव न भविष्याम: सर्वे वयमत: परम II 12 II
'It is not that I, or you, or these kings, did not exist before this. Nor is it that we won't exist in the future, all of us will be there.'
देहिनोsस्मिन यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा I
तथा देहांतर प्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति II 13 II
'The soul passes through childhood, youth and old age in this body, and likewise attains another body. The wise don't get bewildered by this.'
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु:खदा: I
आगमापयिनोsनित्यास्तांतिस्तितिक्षस्व भारत II 14 II
'O son of Kunti! Because of the contact between senses and objects, feelings of warmth and cold, pleasure and pain result. But these are transitory and fleeting. They are created and disappear. O descendant of Bharata! Therefore, endure them.'
यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ I
समदु:खसुखं धीरं सोsमृतत्वाय कल्पते II 15 II
'O best among men! The wise person who is not affected by these and looks upon pain and pleasure with equanimity, attains the right to immortality.'
अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ता: शरीरिण: I
अनाशिनोsप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत II 18 II
'All these bodies inhabited by the soul are capable of destruction. But the soul is eternal, incapable of being destroyed and incapable of being established through proof. Therefore, O descendant of Bharata! Fight.'
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानी गृहणाती नरोsपराणि I
तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयति नवानि देहि II 22 II
'Like a person discards worn-out clothes and adorns others that are new, like that, the soul discards worn-out bodies and attains others that are new.'
नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावक: I
न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुत: II 23 II
'Weapons cannot cut this. Fire cannot burn this. Nor can water wet this. And wind cannot dry this.'
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च I
तस्मादपरिहार्येsर्थे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि II 27 II
'Death is inevitable for one who is born and birth is inevitable for one who dies. You should not, therefore, grieve over the inevitable.'
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन I
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते संगोत्स्वकर्मणि II 47 II
'You have the right to action alone and never to the fruit thereof. Do not be motivated to act because of the fruit. But don't be motivated to not acting either.'
THE SYNDIAN FOOTNOTE
I came across The Bhagavad Gita, by accident. Somewhere in 2006 in search of second-hand books for my MBA, I along with a female friend was at Ber Sarai, New Delhi. My foot chanced upon something at a crowded and haphazard book-store. Upon scrutiny, I realized it was The Gita containing verse-by-verse translation in English. I had an immediate hunch to buy the copy. But soon I realized that I had run out of money.
"Will you borrow money from a girl?", "What will she think when she gets to know about your 'queer' and 'perverted' purchase?" These were the thought that occurred to me before I finally asked her for money. She obviously laughed at my choice.
I have not read it completely, far from grasping its import in totality. But The Gita has provided me the answers whenever I was puzzled. I do have at least three soft copies in PDF format, one of which also contains verse-by-verse translation in English. If you wish to keep it handy, let me know.
Banking today probably is little less stressful a job than the Armed Forces! 'Synd Spiritual Soup' is meant to feature food for mind and soul and aims at mitigating the stress. The Syndians are welcome to share their spiritual experiences or articles they may have come across and would like to share for the greater benefit of The Syndian Community.
Jai Hind! Jai Synd!
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