Omkar Dattatray
The relevance of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita in the modern times cannot be exaggerated. It is a spiritual treasure which guides us and shows us how to live a life of contentment. It is a nectar coming from the lips of the Lord Krishna and everyone of us should partake this nectar meaning thereby that we should read and study the treasure kept by the Lord in this book. This scripture has got universal applicability and it is cosmopolitan in nature. Its significance and importance cannot be denied in present world. This spiritual treasure is especially relevant in the modern greed-torn world where everything is weighed on the touchstone of gain or loss. In these days of the materialistic world, where there is mad race for money ,name and fame this treasure helps us to lead a contented life and the book shows us as to how the purposeful life and meaningful life can be lived in this materialistic world. The world celebrates Gita Jayanti on December 14 with great fervor and enthusiasm and on the occasion of the Gita Mahatsava, Gita recitation was done and the importance of this scripture was brought home to the people by the learned men who had mastery over Gita. It was also brought fore to the people that the habit of reading and studying of the Gita is very useful especially in the modern times were there is greed and cunningness in the world and in such a situation the significance of this treasure is next to none. Bhagavad Gita is a philosophy and it is shows a way of life to the universe. In fact the study of this scripture helps the mankind to lead a balanced life and it guides us towards the supreme and ultimate truth. The Gita is the sum total and essence of Upanishads and one who reads Gita is said to have understood Upnishads also. The greatness of the Gita is this that it is a guide for the practical life and it shows us how to live a life in the world and live a life, like a lotus away from the worldly mud and filth. Gita teaches us renunciation not from the world but renunciation from the wrong and selfish activities. Thus it teaches us to renounce the bad actions and live a selfless life. It never teaches us to renounce the world but to renounce all the negative thoughts and actions in the world. This scripture teaches us to live a saintly life away from the materialism and greed but it in no way exhorts us to leave the world. It teaches the mankind to leave the sense pleasures and live a life of contentment and a meaningful life away from the madness of the world. The Gita teaches us the highest philosophy of Karamyoga and exhorts us to perform the allotted works and duties in a selfless manner and leave the results of the actions in the hands of the Almighty. It teaches us as to how we will perform our duties and works without attachment while remaining in the world. Therefore it teaches us to work incessantly without bothering about the fruit of our actions. So it teaches us detachment from the materialistic pleasures and the Gita ordains us to perform our duties and works without caring for the results of our Karmas. Thus the philosophy of Karamyoga is the greatest philosophy to lead a life of purpose and teaches the people how to work and perform duties in a detached manner. Therefore selfless service and the service to mankind is borne home to the people through Bhagavad Gita and the reading and its practice makes us noble individuals so that we work and perform duties with selfless devotion. It teaches and helps us to work and live in the world like a saint. Therefore, Gita exhorts us to live a detached life while performing our allotted duties and works. It says that work is your right and the fruit of the work should not bind you to the worldly pleasures. So it teaches the people not to renounce the duties and works but to renounce the selfishness while working and living in the world. Gita in fact is an empirical and scientific knowledge and thus it guides us in the practical world. It is the Chapter third of the Gita which teaches the people the philosophy of Karamyoga. Thus this chapter of the Gita teaches us to live a life of a Karmyogi and work without caring and bothering about the fruits of your activities. Gita also teaches the humanity the yoga of knowledge as well as the Bhakti yoga which is total surrender and love for the God. It is said of the Kaliyuga that the surrender and the love of the almighty is the simplest way to reach and attain the God and thus the philosophy of the Baktiyoga is the only simple way to know the Supreme Being. In fact the philosophy of love and devotion is the sure way to attain God in this universe. It is the chapter eleventh of the Bhagavad Gita which is dedicated to Baktiyoga meaning yoga of devotion. It says that total devotion and love for the God is the simplest way to reach the almighty in this Kaliyuga. Thus the people observe total devotion and love for the almighty to reach to the ultimate goal and attain God. Thus the Lord Krishna exhorts the humanity to perform total devotion and practice the devotion and love for the God and in this way we can attain the supreme Lord. Thus we should do total devotion to the God and surrender to Him and in this way we can reach to God and so yoga of devotion is a simple way to attain the supreme being and therefore we should perform devotion to God so that we will be successful in this Kaliyuga and reach the ultimate truth. So the Karmyoga and Baktiyoga are the two ways to realize the god and their description is given in Gita along with other forms and systems of yoga. Gita is the complete text of philosophy and shows us how to lead a life in this materialistic world were greed reigns supreme and thus Gita is the practical guide to lead a happy and contented life in this world. Since Gita is the essence of Upanishads because the Vadanta Philosophy is made easy for understanding through it. When the Upanishads are compared to cows, the Gita takes the position of milk. When one has plenty of milk at disposal one need not undergo laborious task of maintaining cows. One who has studied and understood Bhagavad Gita may be said to have caught the cardinal teachings of the Upanishads. The importance and relevance of Gita cannot be exaggerated in the modern world as it has much practical value and relevance for the mankind. Let us all read and study the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita in order to be successful in the world. When the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi was facing any problem in life he was seeking the solution in the Gita. The significance of Gita can be rightly be summand in the words of Ashborun who has said, “Burn all libraries of the world for their essence is in Bhagavad Gita”.
(The author is a Retired Education Officer and Columnist).
