By Dr. N. GOPALAKRISHNAN, Ph.D., D.Litt. Scientist, (CSIR)
Hon. Director Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage
Lord Krishna is a god for those who consider him a god with Eeswara bhakti. He gives blessings and atmopadesa just like he has done to Uddhava and Arjuna.
Lord Krishna is a lover for those who approach him with great affection with prema bhakti,. He gives the love and affection to them and teaches others how to submit yourself to the devotees and friends .
Lord Krishna was like a son to Kunti and Gandhari . Even while advocating Arjuna for fighting the war, he kept that status of a son, with them. They always showed the vatsalya bhakti.
Lord Krishna is a psychologist, for those who are mentally/ psychologically disturbed due to tension and worries in their life. He advised them : ‘ Do not get depressed when you are facing the unhappy experience and do not get excited, when you are facing a joyous experiences. Keep a stabilized mind’.
Lord Krishna is a sociologist, who gave the warning that the society follows the foot steps of the great men. Great men should always be careful when they do/ tell/ comment about anything or about anybody.
Lord Krishna is a social reformer, who gave the status of Rajapatnee ( Just like Mao Tse Tung, in China gave national women status for the women prisoners when he released them from Chinese jail) for thousands (16000) of women prisoners who were in the jail of Narakasura.
Lord Krishna is a physicist who said that energy and matter can neither be created nor be destroyed, if one form of energy and matter changes, it will appear in another form.
Lord Krishna is a philosopher who said that successes and failures are part of everyone’s life. One has to face them philosophically.
Lord Krishna was a king maker , but never became a king even in Dwaraka. That was obvious in his performance even after Kurukshetra war.
Lord Krishna consoled everyone using applied philosophy and by taking their pain and also by giving a rational explanation of cause and effect theory for the misery in their life.
Lord Krishna kept his words of impartiality, by giving his own soldiers (Yadava sena) to Kouravas and standing himself with the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war.
Lord Krishna kept the universal truth that none is enemy or friend to a divine power/god . He proved that everyone is equal to the almighty (god) by not taking a weapon (by himself) against Kouravas. He never treated those who are standing with Kouravas were his enemies.
Lord Krishna proved himself that even the Avataras -incarnation of gods- cannot keep themselves away from performing the dharma entrusted upon them. If they do not perform their dharma, the rule of the nature will collapse.
Lord Krishna showed the viswaroopa in Kurukshetra for informing Arujuna and others, that what has told as the message of Bhagavath Geetha is the rule of the nature bestowed upon each and every individual.
Lord Krishna showed the viswaroopa to Duryodhana to warn him that he (Krishna) is unconquerable by any force or power when adharma is performed.
Lord Krishna showed the viswa roopa to Bhishma on the banks of river Ganga to inform the world that he is approachable to anyone who wishes to reach him through devotion , Bhakti, for getting the blessings, wherever they are .
Lord Krishna showed that he can bow his head before anyone and can even go ‘down to earth’ and demonstrate the level of patience by listening to everyone and to any type of defaming words , even that of Sisupala .
Lord Krishna showed the world that , whoever is on the path of adharma, need not be tolerated. Hence Krishna even did not hesitate to kill his own uncle who was literally following adharma every minute of his life. Thus Krishna protected dharma.
Lord Krishna showed the world that if Adharmic forces are powerful in a war, use the adharmic force of the same coin , to annihilate adharma, because dharma has to survive for the welfare of the society .
Lord Krishna advised Arjuna, even though, Bhishma and Drona are the men with name and fame, who know all the principles of dharma and should be respected with all honor, they were in the side of adharma . Hence one need not pardon them nor respect them while fighting in the battle field. The battle field is the place where the test for the success of dharma and failure of adharma are aimed at.
Lord Krishna showed the far sightedness by putting the idol of Bhima to Drutharashtra, when the latter tried to embrace and insult the former .
Lord Krishna was a Dharmacharya, who advised Dharmaputra, that he will not incur any sin by killing Drona or Bhishma, or any of the relatives or gurus, because the war was for protecting the dharma and protecting the country is the duty of the Kashatriya.
Lord Krishna was a great mediator and advocate of peace to one and all, all over the Bharata varsha and world.
Lord Krishna was a great, colleague who could give the help and support at the time of crisis in life as seen in the life of Sudhama/ Kuchela.
Lord Krishna did not allow Balarama to stay where dharma based war was taking place, without participating in the side of dharma. He informed Balarama that every avatara has to protect the dharma, if not possible keep away from the place where the action for protecting the dharma is taking place. He said ‘Oh Balarama, you may better go to pilgrimage….if you cannot stand with dharma’
Lord Krishna did not prevent even the self annihilation of his own people ( Vrushni vamsa) as he knew that they are leading themselves the worst quality life. They can ruin the society with all negative qualities. Better themselves killed, than the society affected by their misbehaviors.. said Krishna
Lord Krishna took the hunter with him, who became the cause of Krishna’s death and he never cursed the hunter.
Lord Krishna is the protector of all. He never took the sins of others on his shoulders, but he corrected the people to become sinless and lead the dharma based life.
Lord Krishna did not die for sinners, but lived for making sinners non sinners and for guiding them to the sinless pathway.
Lord Krishna never cursed anyone in his life, but blessed everyone, including those who cursed him (Gandhari, Uttanga, and so on).
He never cried and begged to god to protect him, when the hunter sent the arrows, resulted in the dehatyaga of lord Krishna.
Lord Krishna was a leader of the soldiers of dharma and not a shepherd for innocent people .
Wherever Krishna was present, he was the leader, protector, guide, friend and advisor. He always advised everyone to depend on their own courage and strength. The divine power is within and not in the sky….
Lord Krishna never ‘get himself in the trap of Satans’, or cried for the mercy of ‘gods in the sky’.
Lord Krishna never cursed anyone or anything even the so called enemies, or even those who defamed him in many occasions. He acted as a model for others even under very crucial situations.
Lord Krishna never said take my body or drink my blood for removing the sin of the devotees. The sin of the people is to be removed by those who committed the sin by dharmic actions. Gods or avataras cannot become the wholesale dealers of the sin of the sinners.
Lord Krishna could see the friends and foes within and outside and could do the needful, so that none could jump from one side to the other for money or power as it is told in the stories of other religion.
Lord Krishna was a great mediator for all issues in the society just like he was for Pandavas.
Lord Krishna’s Bhagavath Geetha is a subject of curriculum in hundreds of modern Universities world over, due exclusively to the merits of the messages, not because of the ‘fear of the god’.
It is said that in hundreds of schools in the developed countries Bhagavath Geeta is chanted with the morning prayers.
It is said that Pope has given an instruction that Christian priests also should learn Bhagavath Geeta.
Lord Krishna’s approach of management is the part of modern integrated management curriculum, which even the western, developed society has adopted as a part of their life style.
Now let us go through the messages of Lord Krishna……
1. Since peace and happiness are assured by performing the duty as a yajna to god/divine power/ omnipotent omnipresent universal power, do the duty as a dharma for attaining supreme peace – (18-62)
2. Always remember that everyone with whom you are connected for your work, is also the embodiment of the divine power. This will not give you the feeling of animosity towards them. (18 –62)
3. No duty should be there, which you feel you cannot perform. If you feel so it is due to your ignorance only. Over come this attitude and perform your duty (18 –61)
4. Many a times due to ignorance , if you are not doing your duty, you may be compelled by the circumstances/environment to do the same duty or even a worse duty than the original one. Hence do your dharmic duty whenever it is to be performed. (18- 59)
5. Even with minor negatives present in your dharma, do not give up your duty/ dharma. Refine your dharma and perform it with full devotion.
6. Performing the duty obtained by one’s own nature, one need not attain sin and he will not loose his name or fame. (18 –47)
7. Do the duty undertaken by you with full devotion and also as a worship towards the god. Doing your duty, let it be a pushpanjali . (18 –45)
8. Remember ! Some people’s nature may provide them, valor, fearlessness, firmness, cleverness, and steadfastedness even in a battle. This nature is due to the environment in which he was borne and brought up. (18 –43)
9. Some people may have a subjugation of mind and senses, enduring hardships for the discharge of one’s sacred duty, eternal and internal purity, forgiving the faults of others, straightness of mind, senses and behaviors, trust and faith in the opinion of the scholars. This is their nature. Hence remember different people have different nature and temperament . (18 –42)
10. There are three types of qualities in each and every individual and also each and every aspect of life. These three qualities are called Satwika, Rajasika and Tamasika (from various stanzas of chapter 17 & 18)
11. The nature of people, the food, the work, the result of the work, the route of the work, the aim of the work, the mentality of the persons, the happiness/ or enjoyment, the decisions all can belong to any one of these three classes saatwika, rajasika or tamasika. Hence while doing your duty remember that, there can be any one of the three types/or mixed nature/quality, can be in your pathway (various messages from chapters 17 & 18)
12. The saatwika qualities of different items are : Food that promote longevity, intelligence, vigor, health, happiness, and cheerfulness, and which are sweet, bland, substantial, and naturally agreeable are satwika food (17-8).
Doing the sacrifice expecting no return is satwika sacrifice (17-12) worshiping the divine power, respecting elders and wise men, keeping purity, straightforwardness, continence, and harmlessness and the bodily satwika thapasya (penance) ( 18 –15).
Doing our duty as dharma without attachment is known as satwika karma (18-9). The action which is ordained as per the dharma which is not accompanied by the feeling of doership, and has been done without any partiality or prejudice and it is done without seeking the return or reward is the satwika action (18-23)
One who does that action free from attachment, endowed with firmness and vigor, unswayed by success and failures, is the satwika doer (18 –26).
The satwika intellect is the one which determines the paths of activity and renunciation, what should be done and what should not be done, what is fear and what is fearlessness, and what is bondage and what is liberation .
(18 –32 the unwavering firmness in making a decision for a positive mission is the satwika firmness (18 –33).
Try to get yourself elevated from the rajasika level or thamasika level to satwika level in all the above !
13. Desire, anger and greed should be reduced to the level of nil . They are called the doors to hell (16 –21)
14. You are always dragged towards the senses of hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell as well they influence your mind . Control the desire and the senses (15- 9)
15. Both the cause and instrument are the products of the nature. Hence things are happening due to the fact that nature has decided that it should happen . Hence analyze the situation before reacting (13 –20)
16. Get yourself elevated into the these qualifications: absence of pride, freedom from hypocrisy, non violence, forbearance, straightness of body, speech and mind, devout service of the preceptor, internal and external purity, steadfastness of mind and control of body , mind and senses, dispassion towards the object of enjoyment of this world and the next and also absence of egotism, pondering again and again on the pain and evils inherent in birth, death , old age and diseases, absence of over attachment, equipoise of mind towards both favorable and unfavorable circumstances, unflinching devotion towards the divine power ( 13 / 7 –11)
17. He who is alike to friends and foes, as well as to honor and ignominy, who remains balanced in heat and cold, pleasure and pain, and all other contrary experiences in the life and is free from over attachment, and he who takes the praise and reproach alike and is given to contemplation and contentment with any means of subsistence whatsoever entertaining no sense of ownership and attachment in respect of what is said to be ‘mine’ and full devotion in dharma, he is the ideal manager (12 –19)
18. He who never rejoices or hates, nor grieves, nor desires and who renounces both good and even action and is full of devotions on dharma is the best person considered to manage the situation (12 –17)
19. He who is malice towards other, friendly and compassionate, rid of the feeling that “ I am” and “ mine”, balanced in joy and sorrow forgiving by nature, ever contented and mentally united with the dharma, and surrendered the mind to the ultimate truth and dharma, is an ideal person (12 - 13 &14)
20. These are the divine qualities required for peace in life: reasons for doing the things, right knowledge, unclouded understanding, forbearance, veracity, control over the senses and mind, joy and sorrow, evolution and dissolution, fear and fearlessness, non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, and obloquy (10 -4 &5)
21. The supreme spirit is rooted in the knowledge of the self controlled man whose mind is perfectluy serene in the midst of many contradictions like sorrow & joy, success & failures, heat and cold, happiness and unhappiness, etc. (6 –7)
22. One’s own self is the friend and one’s own self is his enemy also. Hence properly treat and give training your ‘self’ for facing the positives and negatives in the life ( 6 –6)
23. One should live oneself by one’s own efforts and should not degrade oneself, for one’s own self is one’s own friend and one’s own self is one’s own enemy (6– 5)
24. Remember that the wise look with same eye on a scholar, endowed with the learning and culture, a cow, an elephant a dog and a priah because all are the embodiment of the divine power (5 –18)
25. The light of the knowledge should kill darkness of the ignorance. The light of the knowledge is to be made brighter with that of supreme knowledge ( 5 – 16)
26. Once you have realized the ultimate truth of life, you can attain the level of a karma yogi who perform action only with their senses, intellect and body as well, withdrawing the feeling of mine in respect of the action and shaking off the attachment. (5-11)
27. Doing the duty as a part of the dharma, one will not incur the sin, whatever he has to do ( 5 –10)
28. One is a karma yogi or jnaana yogi, the ultimate truth remains the same that everyone has to perform the dharma as his duty . Both karma yogi and jnaana yogi ultimately reach the same point (5 – 4 )
29. Those who have doubts in everything, there is no life here or in any other world. Hence have faith in yourself, in others and also on what we are doing. (4 –40)
30. He who has mastered the senses and has purified himself with the knowledge of ultimate truth, and he who performs his dharma can attain supreme peace, wherever he is ( 4 –39)
31. There is no purifier as great as knowledge, he who has attained purity of heart through a prolonged practice of karmayoga / devotion in his work, he attains the ultimate happiness through peace ( 4 –38)
32. Get the correct knowledge or advice from those who has/have it. Then lead yourself through that correct pathway . ( 4-34)
33. Sacrifice through knowledge is superior to the sacrifice performed with material things. All actions without exception culminate in knowledge. The knowledge is the experience of that karma ( 4 –33)
34. Self discipline/ control is the greatest sacrifice one can follow through controlling our mind and senses ( 4 –26)
35. Get oneself, self disciplined in success and failures, joy and sorrow, etc. because they are part of the life. Controlling the mind to face these duals ( 4 – 22)
36. Wherever action is required perform it, wherever inaction is required follow that. In some places you will have to perform action, some other places action is to be performed through inaction (4 – 18)
37. The truth about action must be known and the truth about inaction also must be known. And also the truth about prohibited actions. Rationally analyse each and every aspect and then only act ( 4 – 17)
38. It is always to be remembered that nature will follow the path of righteousness. For the protection of virtuous, for the extirpation of evil-doers, and for establishing dharma on a firm footing, the nature will follow the correct pathwy whenever it is required. Nature performs ‘ its duty’ through noble people (4 –8)
39. Your ignorance should never cover the true knowledge that you are expected to have on all issues you are facing. Know about the truth through acquired knowledge then perform your duty ( 3 –38)
40. One’s own duty though devoid of merits, is preferable to the duty of another well performed, even death in the performance of one’s own duty brings blessedness. As each and every one is expected to perform their duty mixing of all the duties can lead to collapse of the society ( 3 – 35)
41. Attraction and repulsions, are rooted in senses, and one should never be allowed to sway himself by the senses, because they are the enemies standing in the way of redemption (3 –34)
42. You should always remember that for whatever a great man/leader does that very thing other men also will follow, whatever standard he sets up, the generality of men follow the same.
Hence do the right thing and set the right precedence/ model for others, always ( 3 –21)
43. Do all the duty with minimum attachment so that its success and failures will not drag you to sorrow. You can keep the stability of the mind ( 3 –19)
44. Every minute, everything/everyone in the universe ( whether it is an atom, the Sun, the wind or cloud, or tree, or animal) is doing its duty. Hence do your duty as it is expected from you. ( 3 –8)
45. Controlling the senses should be inwardly, merely showing that you are controlling the senses outwardly is of no use and he is called hypocrite. Never ‘act’ for show and never become a hypocrite ( 3 –6)
46. Remember that each and every living and non living being has to perform action/duty. None can exist without performing duty. Hence you also have to perform your duty (3 –5)
47. One cannot attain freedom from action without entering into action ( that is without acting – doing their duty) . Nor does he reach perfection merely by ceasing to act ( 3 –4) By becoming a sanaysi one cannot attain perfection, if that sanyasi, himself is not undertaking his mission.
48. There are two types of action/karma in the world. Learning and teaching which is the philosophy known as sankhya yoga which is the first type of action and the second type of action is doing mechanical work which is the karma yoga. The work with intelligence and work with body are the karma ( 3 –3)
49. With the attainment of the placidity of mind, all the sorrows come to an end and the intellect of such a person of tranquil mind soon withdrawing itself from all sides becomes firmly established on the mission and duty that is dharma (2 –65)
50. The one who is continuously dwelling in the sense objects develops attachment for these materials , from the attachment springs up desire and from the desire of getting the material for the enjoyment ensures the anger ( when the fulfillment does not occur). From that anger arises infatuation from infatuation confusion of memory, from the confusion or the memory loss, the loss of rational thinking and from that arises the complete ruin of the total aim of life and loss of dharma. Hence one should reduce the attachment or over attachment towards anything ( 2 –62,63)
51. Whenever you are dragged towards an adharmic duty or whenever your senses are dragged towards a negative, follow the example of a tortoise. The tortoise draws its limbs from all direction, like that you have to withdraw the senses from the issues (2 –58)
52. The one who could attain placidity remains unperturbed amid sorrows, who remains unexcited over pleasures and who keeps minimum attachment, no anger, and no fear, he can attain everything ( 2 –57)
53. Remember your responsibility is in your doing the duty which you have undertaken by yourself, or the society has given to you. Do not worry very much whether the duty will culminate in success or failure whether the duty and result will lead to appreciation or criticisms (2 –47)
54. Keep the happy and unhappy experiences at a stabilized vision and mission level. Whether profit or loss, success or failure, pleasure or pain, hard or soft, happy or unhappy. Keep in memory that these pairs are part of every one’s life and go ahead in doing the dharmic duty undertaken by you (2 –38)
55. While doing the duty, if you are facing failures console by thinking that you have done your duty to the best of your capacity and if it is a success , enjoy the fruit of success (2 –37)
56. If you are not doing your duty, the society will say that you are a coward, and failing in doing the duty , others will use all the unbecoming bad words about you. For any self respecting persons, it will be a terrible experience, worse than death ( 2 – 35,36)
57. Infamy brought to a man enjoying popular esteem is worse than death. Hence do the dharmic duty everytime, everywhere and do not withdraw from the responsibility bestowed upon you by the society (2 –34)
58. Considering the duty as the utmost dharma for a person of your stature, do not keep away from performing that duty . A great person if keeps away from dharma, it will set for precedence. And people will quote that you have done that way ( 2 –31)
59. The life which is something cannot be defined and itself is something which cannot be clearly explained also. Before the birth and after the death what is the status of the jeevtama is unknown. But the known part is during the living process/ life you know you are living. Utilize it – the time, energy and all whatever is available for you- to the best possible level. ( 2 –26)
60. Look deep into various aspects of life. You can experience that many people see the total life as something wonderful, some talk the life as wonderful and some hear the wonderful experience about the life. But none knows exactly what is the ultimate reality/fact in life. But one thing is clear we have to do our duty in this life (2 –29)
61. All living being born will have to die one day . Before the last day of your life comes, the duty expected from you should be performed. Death is inevitable for all living beings. Hence do not worry much about the death also (2 – 27)
62. Human being is built with the soul in the material body. That soul is something which cannot be killed, or perished. That is the one existing forever. That is present everywhere at all times. Hence the universal energy expect you to perform your duty ( 2 –25)
63. Do not worry a much about anything, things will come and go. Think seriously and act cautiously. Great scholars will never feel sad about anything which inevitably is to be performed ( 2 – 11)
64. Wherever you are, consider it as kurukshetra (means working place). Perform your duty as though you are in dharma kshetra (means the place where dharma is to be performed) with utmost sincerity and devotion !
65. Whosoever you are, know deep about your dharma and perform your duty with utmost sincerity and devotion
66. Whatsoever you are keep the rules and guidance given by the dharma while doing your duty !
67. Do not worry very much about the success and failure, profit and loss, happy or unhappy, ups and owns, small or big, appreciation or criticism, difficult or easy, hot or cold, every aspect of these opposites or part of life. As long as you are on the surface of the globe earth keep yourself as a model for other karma yogis , to follow.
This is the essence of Bhagavath Geetha.
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