He says that wherever and whenever the mind wanders, due to its flickering and unsteady nature, we must bring it back under the control of the self bhagavadgita, 6. The bhagavad gita is a scripture that many people want to read, but dont have the time. On the list of the greatest spiritual books of all time, the bhagavad gita resides permanently in the top echelon. Bhagavad gita is one of the earliest texts in any tradition to emphasize that it is important not just to do ones duty, but to do it in a certain kind of way. Eliot to bede griffiths, many a christian thinker has found in the bhagavad gita a source of genuine spiritual insight and inspiration. The bhagavadgita talks about relationships in two contexts. Part of book 6 of the great epic mahabharatha, it is in the form of a dialogue between lord krishna and prince arjuna, set in a timeless moment on the battlefield of kurushetra. Squashed and nicely abridged books the bhagavadgita. The yogas understandings of the bhagavad gita, book 63 of the mahabharat, are a central text of hinduism, and deeply influenced the creation of the sikh and buddhist traditions. By detaching the mind from activities not devoted to the lord, one can very easily learn vairagya. The bhagavad gita recommends developing our detachment muscles by working.
The bhagavadgita recommends working with detachment because obsession with the shortterm material results of work can deprive us of the longterm spiritual results. Kriyananda has in his lifetime lectured, taught, and written over one hundred books based on yoganandas teachings. Well this booksimilar to the nonattachment idea hit hard the concepts of. O mightyarmed son of kunti, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by constant practice and by detachment. This essay is about the concept of attachment according to the bhagavadgita and spiritual solutions to the problem of attraction and aversion. Oct 02, 2018 the bhagavad gita, which is surely the basic text on the practice of detachment, is wonderfully explicit on this point. The gita is both specific and poetic about detachment. Both these books powerfully proclaim the principle of lovebhakti as the basis of spiritual development of man. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the bhagavad gita, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Actually, detachment is not hardheartedness, it is levelheadedness. Detachment and dharma theme in the bhagavad gita litcharts. Robert oppenheimer, american physicist and director of the manhattan project, learned sanskrit in 1933 and read the bhagavad gita in the original, citing it later as one of the most influential books to shape his philosophy of life. This kind of submissive hearing is the primary requirement for advancement in spiritual life.
The bhagavad gita forms part of the sixth book of the mahabharata, an ancient sanskrit epic that recounts a war between two sides of the bharata family the pandavas and kauravas over their kingdom of hastinapura. Thebhagavadgitarecommends working with detachment because obsession with the shortterm material results of work can deprive us of the longterm spiritual results. The bhagavad gita is considered by eastern and western scholars alike to be among the greatest spiritual books the world has ever known. Purport the difficulty of controlling the obstinate mind, as expressed by arjuna, is accepted by the personality of godhead. What does the gita say about attachment, detachment and. The sage chanakhya wrote, there is no misery like attachment. It is for levelheadedness and choosing and nourishing relationships properly. Aug 02, 2010 kriyananda has in his lifetime lectured, taught, and written over one hundred books based on yoganandas teachings. Why does the gita recommend working with detachment. The bhagavad gita states,yoga is perfect evenness of mind. Chapter 6, verse 35 bhagavad gita, the song of god swami.
An introduction to the bhagavad gita along with study resources can also be found here. So detachment which is talked about in the bhagavadgita is not meant for hardheartedness in relationships. You might even want to take a few learnings from here and stick some bhagavad gita quotes on your desk or put them on a bookmark. The bhagavad gita and the holy bible are among the worlds most holy scriptures.
Instead, you set an intention then relinquish your attachment to the outcome. The theme of detachment and dharma in the bhagavad gita from. Aug, 2019 bhagavad gita is one of the earliest texts in any tradition to emphasize that it is important not just to do ones duty, but to do it in a certain kind of way. The bhagavad gita is found in the 11th chapter of the indian epic, the mahabharata. Its long, complicated, and can be extremely difficult to understand. Detachment, also expressed as nonattachment, is a state in which a person overcomes their attachment to desire for things, people or concepts of the world and thus attains a heightened perspective. Lord krishna says in the bhagavad gita that the mind can be controlled by constant practice and detachment. The bhagavadgita has been an essential text of hindu culture in india since the time of its composition in the first century a. The gifts of letting goin the vedic tradition, the path to freedom and happiness lies in letting go of attachment. It is considered a wise virtue and is promoted in various eastern religions, such as jainism, taoism and buddhism. Bhattathiri mind is very restless, forceful and strong, o krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind arjuna to sri krishna introduction. The gita is the sixth book of the mahabharata, one of indias most famous epic poems. The bhagavad gita is a great philosophical work that played the same role in the history of india, as the new testament did in the history of the countries of the european culture.
Its unclear exactly when the gita was composedestimates vary widely, but a number of scholars suggest it was completed around 200 ce and then inserted into the larger work. Learn what detachment really is, plus how to let go in five stages. This doesnt mean renouncing your desires or living the life of an ascetic. In a very clear and wonderful way the supreme lord krishna describes the science of selfrealization and the exact process by which a human being can establish their eternal relationship with god. It speaks about humanity, reality and our place in that reality. It is considered a wise virtue and is promoted in various eastern religions, such as jainism. The bhagavad gita also presents us with a complete. Lord krishna in bhagavad gita also recommends the path of. Explain the importance of detachment in general and how it applies to public services it boosts a public servant capability to stay away from unintended emotions and. As christians continue to explore the text in a spirit of dialogue, new points of theological interest are discovered and new insights gained into the meaning and importance of the text for christian thought and practice. The event takes place in a state of suspended animation.
It is a story about the discourse between arjuna, a prince, and lord krishna, who is an incarnation of the highest of all divinity, creator of the entire universe. Lord krishna states that one who contemplates sensual objects like form and touch develops in the mind attachment for them in the form of lust deluded into believing such objects to be the root cause of apparent happiness. The bhagavad gita, which means the song of the lord, is a part of the mahabharata. But with determination one must cut down this tree with the weapon of detachment. Comments on the bhagavad gita, synopsis of the mahabharata.
The bhagavad gita forms part of the sixth book of the mahabharata, an ancient sanskrit epic that recounts a war between two sides of the. I lost my briefcase recently, and although it was a relatively insignificant loss, i felt disappointed and thought about how painful it can be to lose things we value greatly. In addition to her meditation books and audio programs, you can find her. The bhagavad gita recommends working with detachment because obsession with the shortterm material results of work can deprive us of the longterm spiritual results. Once our mind is attached to god, it will naturally get detached from the world. The song of god, often referred to as the gita, is a 700 verse sanskrit scripture that is part of the hindu epic mahabharata chapters 2340 of bhishma parva. Detachment in the bhagavadgita when he, the virtuous person, renounces all desires and acts without craving, possessiveness, or individuality, he finds peace. Krishna tells arjuna that acting with detachment means doing the right thing for its own sake, because it needs to be done, without worrying about success or failure. Vairagya means detachment from matter and engagement of the. Bhagavad gita made very easy is different from anything else on the market. The bhagavad gitas emphasis on selfless service was a prime source of inspiration for mahatma gandhi. The relationships can be in this way harmonized, thats what the bhagavadgita primarily tells us. Thus detachment or nonattachment cannot be all about being physically detached, or being emotionless or being desireless.
The bhagavad gita is a mystical text that speaks about the nature of things. So doing, one must seek that place from which, having once gone, one never. Preface to the bhagavad gita the bhagavad gita is one of the worlds most important books indeed, one of the great books of human culture, eastern and western alike. This poem of patently indian genius sprouted an immense tree of devotional, artistic, and philosophical elaboration in the subcontinent. Shree krishna responds to arjuns comment by calling him mahabaho, which means mighty armed one. You have the right to work, but for the works sake only. One of the great classics of world literature, it has inspired such diverse thinkers as henry david thoreau, mahatma gandhi, and t. The bhagavadgita recommends detachment from the results of. As the pivotal moment in a colossal tragedy, it evokes the collective spiritual memory of indian civilization as embodied by the reflection and insight of sri krishna. Lord krishna tells arjuna, therefore without attachment, do thou always perform action which should be done. Desire for the fruits of work must never be your motive in working. One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the supreme lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water. Seek refuge in the attitude of detachment and you will amass the. The bhagavad gita coalesces drama and philosophy, poetry and religion.
Sometimes the notion becomes that detachment means hardheartedness, we dont feel any emotions towards anything. O mightyarmed son of kunti, what you say is correct. Gita wisdom outlines the sublime art that can transform our work in the temporary realm into a ladder for ascending to the eternal realm. The pandavas chose the former, and so krishna became a charioteer for prince arjuna.
It is still read and appreciated so there must be something real about it. Sep 21, 2015 so detachment which is talked about in the bhagavadgita is not meant for hardheartedness in relationships. The bhagavad gita warns every person against anger and greed as the motivators of their work since greed destroys judgment, and fools the wise and is an inherent part of every persons mind. Lord krishna says in the bhagavadgita that the mind can be controlled by constant practice and detachment. Jan 28, 2020 bhagavad gita was spoken over 5,000 years ago. See more ideas about gita quotes, bhagavad gita and krishna quotes. Attachment on the other hand there is an attachment and there is affection. Dec 12, 2014 the entire bhagavad gita is about krishnas desire to teach arjuna, and arjunas desire to learn from krishna. As soon as one surrenders unto krsna, he becomes detached automatically from this material extension. As arjuna set aside his bow and arrows, let us set aside any sense of confidence in our own abilities so that we may hear krishnas words with full heart and attention. The bhagavad gita has been an essential text of hindu culture in india since the time of its composition in the first century a. O scion of bharat, these are the saintly virtues of those endowed with a divine naturefearlessness, purity of mind, steadfastness in spiritual knowledge, charity, control of the senses, performance of sacrifice, study of the sacred books, austerity, and straightforwardness. He says that wherever and whenever the mind wanders, due to its flickering and unsteady nature, we must bring it back under the control of the self bhagavad gita, 6.
The entire bhagavad gita is about krishnas desire to teach arjuna, and arjunas desire to learn from krishna. The bhagavad gita, which is surely the basic text on the practice of detachment, is wonderfully explicit on this point. The bhagavad gita is the very quintessence of hindu philosophy. Take a look at some of these bhagavad gita lessons you can use to bring your life back on the right track. Gita journey is a straightforward, modern, contemporary, basic explanation and commentary of the bhagawat gita, with sanskrit to english word meanings. The essence of the bhagavad gita is available from crystal clarity publishers. And here you have to understand what exactly krishna want to tell.
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