Bhagavad Gita: The Divine Song

The Bhagavad Gita is a short Hindu scripture which has long fascinated humanity. Virtually every verse is infused with infinite significance and contemplation on the verses of the Gita can inspire an individual to fulfil their destiny against all odds.
Indeed, The Gita has inspired many of the greatest minds of all time. The spirituality and knowledge contained within it is eternal, with immense importance and practical relevance to our lives. But how do we use this knowledge to mould our actions? How does the Gita affect us? When one first reads the Gita, one will see many great teachings in it, but it is unlikely that the reader would even scratch the surface of the full meaning or derive the real living benefits of the Gita. This is inevitable because the context of the Gita is between Lord Krishna and the greatest warrior of the time (Arjuna) in an era long past. Hindu teachings recognise that for us to immediately understand the depth and meanings of the Gita can be difficult because It has several layers of knowledge and requires progression through each stage in an ascending manner. A good commentary is usually an essential first step. Over time by studying and meditating on the teachings of the Gita, more and more of the meanings of the Gita can be grasped, and you would be astounded by the distance between what is initially understood from a surface reading of the Gita and the fathomless ocean of knowledge contained therein.

Shakti Marg is currently developing a “Gita resource” on our website, which will attempt to provide brief yet meaningful glimpses of the teachings of the Gita and their application to everyday life for all. Included will be articles on the advice that the teachings of the Gita can give on a wide variety of subjects from career planning to the governance of a country to human relationships and social upliftment. Already we have several articles present on this subject. Be sure to check it out on our website: www.shaktimarg.com.

Quotes from the Gita:

Weapons do not cut this Spirit (Atma), fire does not burn it, water does not make it wet, and the wind does not make it dry. Atma cannot be cut, burned, wet, or dried. It is eternal, all-pervading, unchanging, immovable, and primeval. (2.23-24)

They are dominated by material desires, and consider the attainment of heaven as the highest goal of life. They engage in specific rites for the sake of prosperity and enjoyment. Rebirth is the result of their action. (2.43)

The following are the comments of some eminent personalities regarding the Gita:

Sri Aurobindo

“The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race, a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization.”

Albert Einstein

“When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous”

Adi Shankara

“From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures.”

Carl Jung

“The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have been current in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus in which it states ... ‘behold we are not an earthly but a heavenly plant.’ This correlation can be discerned by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita.”

Ramanuja

“The Bhagavad-Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal the science of devotion to God which is the essence of all spiritual knowledge. The Supreme Lord Krishna's primary purpose for descending and incarnating is to relieve the world of any demoniac and negative, undesirable influences that are opposed to spiritual development, yet simultaneously it is His incomparable intention to be perpetually within reach of all humanity.”

Aldous Huxley

”The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity.”

Dr. Albert Schweitzer

“The Bhagavad-gita has a profound influence on the spirit of mankind by its devotion to God which is manifested by actions.”