Introduction to Bhagavad Gita by Pravrajika Divyanandaprana

Summary

This video series introduction delves into the Bhagavad-Gita's teachings, emphasizing karma yoga and the importance of performing actions with detachment and the right intentions. It discusses the Gita's significance as the essence of the Upanishads and its impact on historical figures like Gandhi and Vivekananda. The speaker highlights the Gita's relevance to modern life, touching on topics like meditation, duty, and the interconnectedness of life, suggesting that fulfilling one's swadharma can lead to spiritual realization.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The Bhagavad Gita is considered the essence of the Upanishads and is revered as the 'Bible of the Hindus'.
• 📜 It is an ancient text, believed to be over 5000 years old, and is part of the Mahabharata, specifically the Bhishma Parva.
• 🧘‍♂️ The Gita discusses profound topics such as karma yoga, bhakti yoga, meditation, and the nature of the human mind and soul.
• 🕉 The teachings are applicable to all aspects of life, emphasizing the importance of duty (dharma) over personal emotions.
• 🔍 The text advocates for selfless action, where the intention behind the action is more important than the action itself.
• 🌱 The concept of 'yagna', or the interconnectedness and renewal of life, is introduced as a key principle for performing karma yoga.
• 🌐 The Gita promotes the idea that all actions should be performed with the spirit of being part of universal life, thus not being bound by personal attachments.
• 📚 It has inspired many great minds, including Indian leaders like Gandhi, and global thinkers such as Emerson and Jung.
• 🌐 The Gita's teachings are universal and not exclusive to any particular denomination, making it relevant to the modern world.
• 🔑 The text emphasizes the importance of swadharma, or one's own duty in society, as a path to attain the highest realization.

Q & A

What is the Bhagavad-Gita and why is it significant?

The Bhagavad-Gita is a 5000-year-old scripture that is considered the essence of the Upanishads and part of the Mahabharata. It is revered as the 'Bible of the Hindus' and is significant because it contains profound teachings on life, duty, and spiritual realization.

What are the key topics discussed in the Bhagavad-Gita?

The Bhagavad-Gita covers a range of topics including karma yoga, the nature of detachment, bhakti-yoga, meditation, and the essence of human life and how to attain its highest goals.

How does the Bhagavad-Gita relate to the Mahabharata?

The Bhagavad-Gita is a part of the Mahabharata, specifically the Bhishma Parva, and it is presented as a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield, providing spiritual guidance at a critical moment before the war begins.

What is the importance of karma yoga as discussed in the Bhagavad-Gita?

Karma yoga is the path of performing actions without attachment to the results. It emphasizes the importance of duty, intention, and selfless service, and is presented as a means to spiritual realization and purification of the mind.

How does the Bhagavad-Gita define the nature of the human soul?

The Bhagavad-Gita defines the human soul as eternal and distinct from the body and mind. It teaches that true relationships and identity are not based on the physical but on the soul, which is the true self.

What is the concept of 'swadharma' as mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gita?

Swadharma refers to one's own duty or the role one has assumed in society. It is the duty that aligns with one's nature and inclinations. By fulfilling one's swadharma, one can attain the highest spiritual realization.

How does the Bhagavad-Gita inspire action in the right spirit?

The Bhagavad-Gita inspires action by teaching the performance of duties in the spirit of yagna, or selfless service, which is part of the interconnectedness of life. This approach to action leads to spiritual growth and detachment from personal motives.

What is the significance of the story of the young yogi and the crane in the context of karma yoga?

The story illustrates the principle that the intention behind an action is more important than the action itself. It shows that even through everyday actions performed with selflessness, one can attain spiritual realization, which is the essence of karma yoga.

How does the Bhagavad-Gita address the concept of duty in the context of a righteous war?

The Bhagavad-Gita addresses the concept of duty by differentiating between personal motives and righteous action. It teaches that fighting in a war to establish righteousness is a duty, not a personal ambition, and should be performed without attachment to the outcome.

What role do the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita play in the transformation of the mind?

The teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita play a transformative role in the mind by guiding individuals to perform actions with purity of intention, leading to inner strength, clarity, and ultimately, spiritual realization.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to the Bhagavad-Gita

The speaker warmly welcomes the audience to a new series on the Bhagavad-Gita, expressing enthusiasm due to numerous questions received on topics like karma yoga, detachment, and meditation. The Bhagavad-Gita is introduced as the essence of Upanishad literature and the glory of Vedic knowledge, with Lord Krishna as the divine teacher and Arjuna as the recipient. The Gita is described as a profound guide for human life, encompassing yoga, meditation, and the nature of the soul. Its antiquity, dating back over 5000 years, and its place within the Mahabharata are highlighted, emphasizing its enduring relevance and inspirational impact on historical figures like Gandhi and Vivekananda.

05:02

🌟 The Transformative Power of the Bhagavad-Gita

This paragraph delves into the transformative influence of the Bhagavad-Gita, noting its early translation into English in 1785 and its profound effect on thinkers like Emerson and Aldous Huxley. The Gita's teachings are presented as universally applicable, with its non-exclusivity and principle-oriented approach making it a harmonizing force across different yoga practices. The speaker encourages the audience to explore the Gita for its timeless wisdom, emphasizing its all-inclusive philosophy and the character of Arjuna as a relatable figure grappling with existential truths. The Gita is portrayed as a guide for righteous action, particularly in the context of Arjuna's moral dilemma on the eve of the Mahabharata war.

10:02

🛡 The Philosophy of Karma Yoga

The speaker discusses the concept of karma yoga, explaining that actions are not as significant as the intentions behind them. Using the story of a young yogi who developed special powers, the paragraph illustrates how noble intentions can lead to positive outcomes. The importance of performing actions without selfish motives is emphasized, suggesting that even the most menial tasks can lead to spiritual growth when approached with purity of heart. The speaker invites the audience to consider how they can apply these principles in their daily lives, aiming to achieve a state of mind that is conducive to spiritual realization.

15:04

🍲 The Parable of the Yogi and the Crane

In this paragraph, the speaker narrates a story about a yogi who, through his yogic powers, brings down a crane and becomes arrogant. When he goes to beg in a village, a housewife's delayed response due to her duties towards her family makes the yogi impatient and proud. However, the housewife reveals that she knows about his act with the crane, teaching him that service to others can yield the same spiritual insights as yoga practices. She directs him to a butcher, who further imparts wisdom on how selfless daily actions can lead to spiritual realization, emphasizing the message that the intention behind actions, not the actions themselves, determines their spiritual value.

20:05

🌱 The Interconnectedness of Life and the Principle of Yagna

The speaker introduces the concept of yagna, explaining it as the understanding of life as a unified whole where every action is interconnected. The Gita encourages actions performed in the spirit of yagna, which involves renewing and replenishing life. This approach to action, when understood and practiced, can lead to a state of being unbound by selfish attachments. The paragraph concludes with a call to recognize the universal life force and to act in a way that supports and rejuvenates it, reflecting the Gita's teachings on the importance of duty and the interconnectedness of all beings.

25:07

🧘‍♂️ The Path of Karma Yoga and Swadharma

The final paragraph focuses on the path of karma yoga and the concept of swadharma, which refers to one's inherent duty in life. The speaker emphasizes the importance of performing one's duties with a pure intention and without attachment to the results, suggesting that this approach can lead to spiritual realization. The Gita's teachings are summarized as a guide to converting everyday actions into a means for attaining the highest knowledge. The speaker concludes the introduction by promising further exploration of the Gita's philosophy in subsequent videos and encourages the audience to listen to the original Sanskrit verses for a deeper understanding.

Keywords

💡Bhagavad-Gita

The Bhagavad-Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It is considered the essence of the Upanishads and is central to understanding the philosophy of Vedanta. In the video, the Bhagavad-Gita is described as the 'milk' yielded by the 'cows' of the Upanishads, indicating its significance and purity of knowledge. It is the primary text from which the teachings are derived, focusing on themes like karma yoga, bhakti-yoga, and meditation.

💡Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is the path of selfless action, where one performs their duties without attachment to the results. It is one of the key concepts in the Bhagavad-Gita and is emphasized as a means to spiritual liberation. The video discusses how karma yoga involves performing actions with pure intentions and motives, detaching oneself from the outcomes, which is illustrated through the story of the young yogi and the housewife.

💡Bhakti-Yoga

Bhakti-Yoga is the path of devotion and love for the divine. It is one of the yogas mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gita and is about cultivating a deep, personal relationship with the Supreme Being. The video hints at the nature of bhakti-yoga, suggesting it as a way to connect with the divine through love and surrender, although it is not deeply explored in the provided transcript.

💡Meditation

Meditation, as discussed in the video, refers to the art of quieting the mind and focusing one's consciousness, as taught in the Bhagavad-Gita. It is part of the broader path to self-realization and is closely related to the practice of yoga. The video suggests that the Bhagavad-Gita contains teachings on meditation that can help individuals achieve a state of inner peace and clarity.

💡Yagna

Yagna is a Vedic ritual but, in the context of the Bhagavad-Gita, it symbolizes the interconnectedness of life and the idea of contributing to the whole. The video explains that performing actions in the spirit of yagna means to act selflessly for the benefit of the whole, which aligns with the principle of karma yoga. It is about understanding our role in the universal cycle of giving and receiving.

💡Svadharma

Svadharma refers to one's own duty or the moral and ethical responsibilities one is born with or chooses to follow in life. In the video, it is mentioned as a crucial concept where individuals are encouraged to follow their own dharma or duty, which is in line with their nature and role in society. By fulfilling one's svadharma, one can attain the highest realization, as indicated in the Bhagavad-Gita.

💡Dharma

Dharma, a central concept in Hindu philosophy, refers to duty, morality, and the principles that govern conduct and the universe. In the video, dharma is discussed in the context of righteous action and the duties that individuals must perform without being swayed by personal emotions or attachments. It is exemplified through Arjuna's dilemma and Krishna's guidance on performing his duty in the war.

💡Aristotelian

Although not explicitly mentioned in the script, the term 'Aristotelian' refers to the philosophical ideas of Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher. The video might imply a comparison between the systematic and logical approach to life's duties as suggested by Aristotle and the concept of svadharma in the Bhagavad-Gita, indicating a universality in the pursuit of ethical living.

💡Swadharma

Swadharma, as mentioned in the video, is the specific duty or role that one is meant to fulfill in life, based on their nature and societal position. It is emphasized that by adhering to one's swadharma, which is self-determined and aligned with one's inherent qualities, one can achieve spiritual success and contribute positively to the world.

💡Yoga

Yoga, in the context of the Bhagavad-Gita, encompasses a variety of paths or practices aimed at uniting the individual soul with the divine. The video discusses different types of yoga, including karma yoga, as means to achieve spiritual enlightenment and self-realization. Yoga is presented as a holistic practice that integrates physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines.

Highlights

Introduction to a new series on the Bhagavad-Gita, focusing on topics like karma yoga, detachment, bhakti-yoga, meditation, and others.

The Bhagavad-Gita is considered the essence of the Upanishads and is revered as the 'Bible of the Hindus'.

The Bhagavad-Gita is believed to be over 5000 years old and is part of the Mahabharata epic.

The Gita is a compilation of profound ideas on yoga, meditation, and the nature of the human mind.

The Bhagavad-Gita has inspired luminaries like Gandhi, Vivekananda, and has been praised by global thinkers.

The Gita's teachings are relevant to modern times and offer guidance on righteous living.

The story of Arjuna's confusion and Krishna's guidance sets the stage for the Gita's teachings.

The concept of duty (dharma) is central to the Gita, emphasizing action driven by righteousness rather than personal gain.

The importance of intention and attitude in performing actions is discussed, highlighting the difference between personal and righteous action.

The Gita teaches that one's true nature is the soul, not the body or mind, and this understanding should guide our actions.

The transformative power of the Bhagavad-Gita is emphasized, noting its ability to change minds and lives.

The philosophy of karma yoga is introduced, explaining how actions performed with the right intention can lead to spiritual growth.

The story of a young yogi and a householder illustrates the principle that actions, not the person, determine spiritual progress.

The concept of yagna is introduced as a way of living that acknowledges the interconnectedness of life and the duty to replenish what one takes from it.

The Gita encourages performing actions in the spirit of yagna to maintain a cycle of giving back to life.

The importance of swadharma, or one's duty in life, is discussed as a path to attaining the highest realization.

The Bhagavad-Gita's teachings are summarized as a guide to living a righteous life through the performance of one's duty.

The series aims to explore the Gita's teachings in depth, providing practical applications for modern life.

Transcripts

namaste everyone

and welcome to this new series on the

bhagavad-gita

we are going to discuss the

bhagavad-gita for a long series of

videos now

because i have a plenty of questions on

these

these topics especially on karma yoga

the the nature of the detachment which

you find in

bhagavad-gita

which is recommended for all of us

and then the nature of bhakti-yoga

then the art of meditation according to

the bhagavad-gita

and a whole lot of other topics like

yagna swadharma so since there is a lot

of interest in all this we have decided

to make this series

and every video will give you some

knowledge on some particular subject in

the bhagavad-gita

so initially this is an introductory

video where i will introduce the

bhagavad-gita to you

what is the importance of the

bhagavad-gita it is

the very essence of the upanishad

literature this is the glory of the

bhagavad-gita see we consider the

upanishads to be the essence of the

vedas

and the essence of the upanishads is the

bhagavad-gita

so this is very beautifully

put in the

bhagavad-gita itself

which means if you think that the

upanishads are like the

cows which yield milk

then

the milk which they yield is the

bhagavad-gita

and who is the milker of this

it is lord krishna himself the supreme

godhead he is giving us this knowledge

of the bhagavad-gita

and

who's the drinker of this milk arjun and

all of us who are interested in the

bhagavad-gita

you should remember the bhagavad-gita

is are the words of the lord himself

sri krishna himself it is not

bhagavad-gita it is not about the lord

it is of the lord they are the words of

the lord so they have potent very great

power

and that is why the bhagavad-gita has

inspired

so many minds over the ages

bhagavad-gita is very old as you know

more than 5000 years back in fact indian

scholars place it at 3139 bc

and it is part of the mahabharat the

great epic

it is part of the bhishma parva of the

mahabharata which

constitutes the chapters 25 to 42

and it is the very essence of the

upanishads you know there is not a

single thing in the gita which is

outside the context or

not up to the

uh up to

the mark you can say there's nothing

else but the sheer glory of the four

yogas

and the goal of human life how to attain

it the nature of bhakti the nature of

nyan the nature of the human mind how to

transcend it the art of meditation it is

full of all these wonderful topics

so whenever we talk of the bhagavad-gita

you should remember it is like the bible

of the hindus

and hindus across any denomination will

always revere the bhagavad-gita

if you have not

gone deep into the bhagavad-gita you

have actually lost something in life

because

it is a the most profound book i have

come across

only speaking of yoga and bhakti and

nyan and

and the words of the lord on all these

so it is very inspiring and it is

although it is an ancient text

it is

so very relevant to our times

it has inspired all the luminous minds

of india

gandhi vivekananda

raj gopalachari all of them were

inspired by the bhagavad-gita

and not just indian minds all over the

world

thinkers have showered their praises on

the bhagavad-gita starting from the

american transcendentalists like emerson

thorium

so many of them in fact i can keep on

naming

to the german romantics and to the

english orientals

the the gita was considered the real

treasure of the human race

so there are very profound ideas here

to the extent we are able to draw we

will be benefited

please remember this that gita was the

first book to be translated into english

in 1785

by sir charles wilkins and published by

the then british east india company

so the very first governor general of

india

sir warren hastings he was a gita

enthusiast

and

it has

transformed the bhagavad-gita has

transformed so many minds

emerson aldus huxley thorium

jung karl jung also was a great follower

of the gita

and of course gandhiji balganga

darthilak vivekananda all of them you

find that's why you find such wonderful

commentaries on the gita and to what

extent gita can be applied to our

practical life

this we can actually see in those

commentaries

and you have the enormous shankar bashir

on the bhagavad-gita there are so many

other commentators like sridhar swami

who

his commentary also is masterly on the

bhagavad-gita

and it has been translated by a number

of

saints and sages

over time and today we have excellent

translations of the bhagavad-gita in

english

so

i would request you to just dive a

little into this book to understand how

relevant it is for our times

and the beauty is there is no

exclusivism in the gita

it is for the developed the cultured

human mind

and it harmonizes all the yogas

it speaks a scientific language it is

principle oriented and it shows us the

highest goals of human life and the

means to attain it this harmony of the

yogas is the unique characteristic of

the bhagavad-gita so it's an

all-inclusive integrated philosophy of

life

and arjun represents the accomplished

young person who is asking about the

existential truths of life

so he is the

uh

he's typical of the modern uh young man

who's

well established accomplished and yet

asks for the highest transcendental

truths of life

so that is that makes gita very very

relevant to the present age

let us go into the initial first chapter

a bit

you see the very first doubts which

uh

arjuna has in his mind the confusion

created

the the you know the variable the

backdrop of the bhagavad-gita is the

mahabharata war

so

during the war arjuna suddenly realized

not during the war just before the war

begins arjun suddenly realizes

that it is his own kit and kin that he

will be killing as a result of the war

so then he is not an over ambitious

person why at all should he want to kill

his own in order to achieve these ends

and after all for a kingdom

and that is when

sri krishna so he takes refuge in the

lord krishna is his charioteer and he

points out to him that no no no you are

not killing for personal reasons

see when there is a man on the road

and if somebody kills that man that is

murder

but when there is a war

when a soldier kills another the enemy

soldier

it is considered dharma it is considered

a righteous act he is even awarded for

his bravery so what makes the difference

the act is the same the intention behind

the act is different

so the intention the will the attitude

makes all the difference the action can

be the same

but here your intention of arjuna is to

bring righteousness into this world

and for that whatever is required you

should do it so it is a dharma youth

it's a righteous war it's a war to bring

righteousness so then your entire

paradigm of duty changes

and you

can kill your own whom you consider your

own because arjuna the real nature of

the human being is not just body or mind

it is the soul

and as a result use this body and mind

as an instrument of that soul force

and i have already accomplished lord

krishna tells arjuna i have already

accomplished all that you seek to

accomplish you just become the

instrument in my hands and remember that

this war is to establish righteousness

and peace

in this country and not for personal

reasons so don't allow personal emotions

and attitudes to affect your action

duty is far above emotion

and to the extent we are duty conscious

to that that extent we will be able to

take the right decisions

so the message of the gita is tremendous

and it is

it applies to us even today

in so many ways and to the extent we can

internalize these thoughts we will

become stronger from within

the gita has the power to change

transform our minds

and that is why that is the power of the

gita which is available to us even today

let us go into the gita step by step

and

i don't want to rush through because so

many ideas are there such marvelous

ideas are there each video will give you

one important idea and we will

discuss it work around it and see how it

can be made applicable to our lives

so in this introductory talk

let me just

present to you

uh the initial confusion of arjuna and

how valid it is

nobody would like to kill their own

isn't it nobody will uh want to destroy

uh

arjuna was a very uh sensitive person

and he would definitely not want to

kill his own family

just for the sake of a kingdom

but what is it that makes krishna

tell him

that no it is your duty at this point of

time because

you must not think it is a war for

personal reasons it is the entire

paradigm of the war is impersonal it is

meant to establish a particular what is

called loka sangraha in the gita to

bring peace and good to the world

because if people like duryodhana rain

then only adharma will reign

and that is why

this war

so

keep only the big picture in your view

and don't think you are fighting for

personal reasons on personal grounds

remove that completely from you and that

is why the very second chapter of the

bhagavad gita is

sankhya yoga it is to do entirely with

knowledge with the real nature of man

that your own real nature krishna tells

arjuna is the immortal soul it is not

body and mind so body based

relationships mind based relationships

are secondary for you

just now it is only duty

based on what is the righteous thing to

be done

so you see the the beauty of the gita is

its setting

at that crucial moment when arjuna has

to pay play such a key role in the

battle between righteousness and

unrighteousness he falls into this kind

of a confusion and doubt

and the doubt is entirely cleared and

that is why the great message of the

bhagavad-gita karma nevada

you have only right to action

well thought out

completely decided action

conscious action deliberate action and

action

with a purpose but unselfish action

action is always purposeful but

it should be unselfish

and don't think of the consequences

because

the purpose of the action has been so

noble

the intention has been so noble the

result will be good

you have uh

you can only go into the action you have

right only towards the action and not to

the fruit thereof

that is the message so correctly we will

try to digest this what is being given

to arjun

uh

it immediately brings to my mind you see

the the

the beauty of action karma yoga nobody

can live without action actually

speaking either

physical or mental the nature of

prakriti is it is chanchal it is always

restless it is moving it is not stable

so there will be action of some kind or

the other please note that even thoughts

are mental actions

feelings are mental actions all of these

belong to the realm of karma

and so with these since you are

functioning through a body-mind complex

with this equipment how you can attain

to yoga

through karma how you attain to yoga is

karma yoga the path of karma yoga so

this is the equipment we have now its

nature is restless its nature is

activity so then how do i convert this

action into a yoga that is the whole

point actions never matter the

intentions behind the action are the

main thing which generates the karma

full

so if the intentions are noble

then

it will generate a positive karma fall

only the result of the action will be

good

this has been beautifully illustrated in

a story which vivekananda used to give

us

it is there in swamiji's karma yoga

it is the story of a young yogi

who left all his

his family and everything and went to

the forest in order to perform great

austerity

and he he did perform a lot of austerity

and developed some yogic powers

due to which he could do certain things

which an ordinary man could not know

could not do like for example

once he saw a crow and a crane uh

fighting on a tree and he looked at the

crane

and it seems the the crane just fell

fell down

so he sort of burnt up the crane

now this was a special yogic power he

had developed he he

he was disturbed he was angry on the

bird and he just brought it down so now

he was very very arrogant and

very proud of himself

he thought well i have developed some

special abilities i am such a mighty

yogi who can do what to me

so then he went out into the village to

beg

and there he begged at a particular

house

in those days you see long back the only

way these anchorites sustained

themselves was through begging

and when he stood for biksha

the lady of the household she came and

told him please wait

i am serving someone i will come in a

short time

and she went back her tired husband had

returned home so she

washed his feet she fed him

and then she came and

gave food to this yogi

now this young yogi was already very

full of pride and he thought how dare

she make me wait

don't doesn't she know what how great a

man i am

and

well why did she make me wait so this

was going on in his mind when the lady

suddenly told him

sir please accept this food but please

remember i am not that crane which you

brought down

now he thought how did she know

that i did that act

and then he asked her mother tell me how

did you get this knowledge

and at once she said look my son that

which you get through your yoga

i get the same by my service

to my household to my husband to my

children to his parents

to my parents i get the same thing

then the yogi said

how do you get it mother

then she said i will direct you to a

butcher a vyadh and he will give you

knowledge of this

how through everyday action

without a sense of agentship without

selfishness you can get the same powers

of yoga which you have got through so

many years of tapasya

and then she sends him to a butcher just

imagine so all these were considered

lowly professions

i told you action

can be

of any kind but the intention behind the

action the motive behind the action that

is all that is going to matter

so all these people succeeded in making

their motive very spiritual very

selfless

and they attained the very

the highest fruits of tapasya just

through their everyday actions

so the the lady sent this anchor ride

to

a butcher

vyad

and he taught the yogi further the great

philosophy of karma yoga so there is a

actually a book on that also called

vyadha gita

and the

the yogi was initially very very

disturbed he thought what can a butcher

teach me i have led such a

glorious life and the way i live and the

way he lives and how what can he teach

me but that very butcher

who sustained himself by selling meat

uh by tearing apart animals he taught

him the highest philosophy of life he

said look

i do this as a form of

service to society so that i may also

serve my parents at home this is the way

i get money but i do it in a completely

selfless spirit

and that has given me the same knowledge

which you are gaining through your yoga

so you see then he gives out that the

message of the vyadhita that

action

will the result of any action is

determined by the intention and motive

behind the action

and actions don't matter that much

you may be doing the loneliest and the

most menial of jobs

but

it can purify you completely if your

intention and motive is very pure

so this great philosophy of karma yoga

has truly inspired

great people in the world

if we can bring a little bit of this try

to do it and see in your life for one

day

keeping the motive completely clear and

pure and performing any action as a

worship

of the

lord

in the person whom you are

serving

and you will see the effect of karma

yoga on your mind it is the best way to

change the nature of the mind to change

our sanskars for the better to modify

our thoughts and emotions to purify them

and to take us towards to bring that

utter clarity which the mind requires to

get the highest knowledge it this is the

direct way to do that and if karma yoga

is practiced over a few years

in fact this is recommended in sadhana

then it results in an utterly pure mind

which will take you directly to god

realization

so the magic of karma yogg it is to be

done to be known

and this is the philosophy which you

find in the bhagavad-gita this is the

philosophy of karma yoga

that action itself done with a

particular mindset can lead you to the

highest nothing else is required

see this lady in this

story she did not practice any austerity

as such

she was not a great intellectual or a

very learned woman

no she was a simple housewife who knew

how to serve

how to love and selflessly she would do

this and she attained the highest

through that

so

never consider any task to be small or

big

it is the purity of the intention behind

the task that alone matters

so understanding this we will

enter into the philosophy of the

bhagavad-gita

i would like to end this

video with one more important point

the bhagavad gita

gives us another very important idea for

the performance of karma yoga and that

is the idea of yagna we will have a

whole video on what yagna means

it actually means

understanding the nature of life

life is a single unity

expressing itself through various bodies

and minds

understanding the interconnectedness of

life

and understanding that we are part and

parcel of universal life

and hence it becomes our duty to renew

life to replenish whatever we draw from

life and to keep this cycle

of yagna going

the more you replenish the more you

rejuvenate life

the more you support life and universal

life will work for you this is

essentially the principle of yagna

so lord krishna tells arjuna in the

course of his

in in the bhagavad-gita that

work in the spirit of yagna and that

will become karma yoga

you are part and parcel of universal

life no man is an island isn't it how

many people have worked to bring a

single plate of food in front of you

and

what have we done to repay them

do we at least

thank them mentally

for for all the energy

for bringing that in front of us

everything in life if you actually live

in nature this will become very clear to

you everything in life supports

everything else it's a totally

interconnected ecosystem the entire

planet

and if the trees were not giving us

oxygen

we would not be breathing

isn't it so actually a part of us is in

the tree

life is like that it is interconnected

in every sense so to the extent we

acknowledge this

and understand i have to replenish what

i draw

from universal life and hence karma yoga

action for others should be natural it

is a way of life it is not another

philosophy to the extent we understand

this

we will

elevate our lives towards the highest

realization just through action through

because you see philosophy is not

translated into action it doesn't mean

anything

if it is not part and parcel of our life

so this is the

spirit behind the bhagavad gita

and i had thought of also giving you

some slokas

when we

make these discussions on the

bhagavad-gita because you must

hear the original sanskrit it is so

beautiful so melodious and satisfied is

such a rich language so one or two

shlokas i would like to present to you

in every video so that you hear the

actual words of the lord

you see this idea of yagna which i just

now told you

whenever you work with the spirit of

yagna

that action will not bind you

because you know

you are

part and parcel of universal life and

you are only renewing replenishing

rejuvenating life

that action will not bind you

so giving up all silly attachments

born only of body based relationships

mukta sanga means that

perform your action go ahead and perform

your action don't hesitate don't have

these doubts

action itself has a huge source within

you

and track that source is the source of

your action you are not acting see

especially the advice to arjuna is you

are not acting because that person is

your uncle that person is your

grandfather that is your guru no

you are acting because they are in the

on the enemy side and they are on the

unrighteous side that is why the war

so see it like that see the big picture

and don't tie it up to personal reasons

because the first person is not there

your own real nature is only the self

sankhya yog the second chapter goes

directly to this knowledge

you are the self functioning through

this body and mind so body based

relationships should only be secondary

in your life

your duty is primary your intention is

primary

your motive your value system is primary

and this should be above everything

this is the message of the bhagavad-gita

so action itself will lead you to the

highest knowledge

nothing more purifying than knowledge

and action itself will lead you there so

stick to your swadharma and you will

attain the highest

here let me also

introduce to you what swadharma means

here

why is it that this word is used so

commonly in the bhagavad-gita it means

that particular role which you have

assumed in society

in those days it was also determined by

guna karma and also by your birth

and that role which you have assumed

according to your identifications

you must the duty of that role you must

fulfill

any particular role we play in society

it's dharma if you honor it completely

if you play that role to perfection

if you your actions are entirely based

on that role then that that shows a

completely integrated righteous

personality

that amounts to the most honest work you

can do

so

according to your swadharma stick to

your swadharma and

and swadharma is greatly self-determined

please check this out and see we

inclined towards

particular roles

particular

dharma in life according to our inbuilt

tendencies according to our son's cars

so if when you stick to that

in the workplace as a

particular in a particular role in the

family in a particular role with friends

in a particular role when you honor that

then you attain the highest through that

itself this is the message see the

shloka which i have put there please

watch the slide it is

there in the bhagavad-gita 18th chapter

just through one's own duty one's own

work one swadharma one attains the

highest siddhi

and

arises that source factor prakriti

and that by which everything is pervaded

you can attain that highest you can

attain the knowledge of the purusa

through prakriti just by

total commitment to your everyday duties

by worshiping him with your duties

siddhim vindathi you attain the highest

so karma yoga is a tremendous path it is

a way to convert your everyday action

into a direct means towards the highest

realization

it can be known if you

acutely follow the method

so this is the introduction to the

bhagavad-gita which i wanted to give you

we will proceed further in the next

video

om shanti shanti shanti

you