Thoughts on Geetaa

The Bhagawad Geetaa or the song of the Lord, brings the Vaidik truths from the caves of Himaalaya into the active fields of political life in Mahaabhaarat and into the tensions of an imminent war between cousins. On the eve of the war, Arjun was under the stress of delusion and got shattered in his mental balance and seemed to have lost his capacity to act with right discrimination. Lord Krishn took in hand the despondent mind of Arjun for treatment with Vaidik Truths. The Lord declared the new message of the Geetaa, which is nothing but a reinterpretation of the ancient wisdom of the Upanishad, with proper emphasis upon vital concepts which had got distorted. If the Upanishad are the text book of the philosophical principles discussing man (Jeev), world (Prapanch) and God (Eeshwar), the Bhagwad Geetaa, is a handbook of instructions as to how every human being can live the subtle philosophical principles of Vedaant in his day-to-day world and be a true citizen of the nation.

The Geetaa is not addressed to the physical entity in Arjun but to the mental and intellectual constitution of that heroic prince. Geetaa is not just a message of action but a message of living. And Geetaa is not a book for casual reading or appreciation. One of the several assertions of the Lord in the Geetaa is that Nish-Kaamya Karm (desireless activity) without egoism would purify man's inner nature and help him to evolve more and more to the status of a God-man. If we try to digest properly the implications of the Geetaa's advice in the light of the Vaidik lore, it becomes amply clear how actions performed without ego-centric desires purge the mind of its Vaasanaa (deep-seated impressions) and make it increasingly subtle and pure in its Saadhanaa for attaining the Infinite.