IMPACT OF SRIMADBHAGAVADGITA

• CHAPTER : 1 : SOURCE OF TREMENDOUS MOTIVATION 

In a single line, Gita makes a person fearless of failure.

There have been times I've been knocked down hard in life and had lost hope since I didn't get the result I "thought" I deserved.

I'm sure many people would resonate with this. We've all failed big at some points in our lives.

Now when I look back I see the dots connecting, and how every negative situation helped me in some way I couldn't comprehend at that time. I can't deny that I've been extremely lucky on multiple important occasions where too much could've gone wrong.

• Quoting Gita,

"You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.

This is a very simple statement but it is difficult to first understand what it truly means and even more challenging to apply it in real life.

For instance, let's imagine you’re preparing for an exam that is going to happen in 5 months. Now, this exam is extremely important to you and you "believe" your whole life depends on it. You start the preparation realizing what is at stake. You now "desire" to excel in this competition., thinking about what all will happen if you do great in it. And at the same time what will happen if it didn't go as expected.

What will your parents/friends/society think of you? "That even after preparing for so long you failed?"

The exam is still 5 months away but you’ve already started building your life around the results it will yield. And where the desire comes in the picture, a deadly fear of failing creeps in. The mind so much possessed with these many thoughts can never put in 100 percent in the present.

If we look at it from another lens and ask just one question, how can I put my best foot forward, and irrespective of whether I fail or succeed I'll leave nothing short in giving it my best try.

What will happen? Or a better question to ask is what's the worst that can happen? We'll fail. So what? I was already not desiring to succeed. I was always working for 5 months trying to give my best, which I did. No one can take that satisfaction away from me. I didn't do it for anyone except for me. Now is the time I'll introspect and see what all I could've done differently to make me a better person. There will come plenty of opportunities and I'll have to be patient for my time.

As I mentioned it's an extremely difficult way to approach life, but with practice, we realize it all makes sense. We can never classify an outcome as a success or failure. Maybe I failed because I was destined to achieve something bigger in life?So keep yourself humble, work hard, and keep the results at bay. What is meant for you will be yours .

Amazingly Gita has answers to all our problems depending on the context with which it is read.

• CHAPTER : 5 : THE END 

THE END IS THE BEGINNING 

In the end, I want to state that Gita is much more than a religious text. It is a guide to living a happy and content life. It is a timeless knowledge that was true at the time of Mahabharata, is true today, and will be in the future too.

• CHAPTER : 2 : FATE

When i was a kid our financial condition was not very strong so relatives and others used to say it's all written in fate whatever is in your fate you will get is a all it is not there you will not get no matter how hard you work...

I used to ponder how can this be possible and used to ask my grandmother even if i will put my 100% we can't be rich (Can lead a good life)? She used to say the same if it is there in your fate you will get, but while reading Bhagavad gita i came across many quotes which i took seriously and work towards to attain a better life, below are some of the quotes which gave me immense power and somewhere my intuition told me to hold on and work harder to fulfill yours and others dreams-

No one who does good work will ever come to a bad end, either here or in the world to come”

"Just believe in your Karma"

"You are the creator of your own life"

“Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward.”

There are many more which i wanted to share, and believe me it has actually given me power to belive on myself and on my dreams.

I can tell you what led me to Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

After I graduated, I chose to take a break while I apply for my masters and prepare for tests like GRE, TOEFL. This period was the toughest I have ever endured. My plan was to utilize this time to build my research skills. I suffered a few setbacks and was emotionally challenged. I started questioning my decision making skills. hated the decisions I have made so far. Sitting at home, variety of thoughts led me to a state of depression. At times, I could not control my mind at all. It was an unleashed beast.

That’s when I decided to read Gita. I found out that I am Arjuna. Arjuna, despite being the greatest warrior, was depressed and could not fight. This led to his ‘Vishada’ meaning depression. The first chapter discusses this. In the following chapters, methods to uplift your mind and save it from random thoughts that might lead to depression is detailed. It says that we all have one kind of problem or the other. But instead of pondering over it again and again, we should train ourselves to shift our thoughts through meditation and yoga.

Now, I find myself at peace. I have realized that everyone in this world has their own unique abilities within them. Until they realize their potential, they remain depressed. They feel that they are lost, they are inferior to others. They start blaming themselves or others for their own mistakes. This ultimately lead to depressed state of mind. All I have to do is perform my duties. Results will appear in due time. I have no control over that.

• CHAPTER : 3 : Why do we read Geeta, ????

      This is beautiful story:

An old Farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson.

Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bhagavat Gita. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavat Gita just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bhagavat Gita do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied,

"Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house.

The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless ?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bhagavat Geeta. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Krishna in our lives."

Even if skeptics say Mahabharta was just an imagination then it's the best imagination and Lord Krishna is the best character ever.

• CHAPTER : 4 : LIFE LESSONS 

1)Krishna drew up his chariort in the midst so that Arjuna can look closely the objects of his attachments.

Similarly Krishna will drew up our chariot time again close to our attachments. Purpose is to test us, to check the level of our faith and surrender for Krishna.

2) The moment Arjuna saw his relatives his heart became weak out of attachment, he forgot his prime duty.

Similarly when we face our attachments, weakness overpowers us. Immediately we forget our contitutional position as a devotee. We forget our spiritual duties when allured by our attachments.

3) Arjuna began to say, “ Shall I renounce? Shall I give up the fight?”

Similarly thoughts come in our mind, “Shall I leave devotee association to enjoy the facilities offered in the world? Shall I miss morning program today? Shall I skip class?

4) Krishna said, “ No Arjuna, You should fight.”

Similarly Krishna wants all of us to continue fighting against the onslught of maya by being in association of devotees, by chanting sincerely and prayfully.

5) Arjuna said, “ I am confused. Please guide me. I am your disciple.”

In unfavourable situation we should not look for any other option rather we should take the shelter of Krishna or his bonafide representative.

6) Arjuna heard from Krishna and decided to fight against Kaurava’s.

Similarly we are attached to different things. To wealth, wine, beauty etc..list is long. But like Arjuna we have to fight against our own impurities, against our own mind, against our own unfavourable attachments. This mind is exactly like Duryodhana who was closely related to Pandavas but highly dangerous to them.

7) Eventually he won the Battle of Mahabharat.

Those, whose faith is upon Krishna will always remain undefeated. Those, whose shelter is the lotus feet of Krishna will never sink in the ocean of nescience.

Implimentation: War of Mahabharat is still going on with in my heart. Few enemies(Anarthas) are dead by the weapon of devotee association and chanting hare krishna, rest of them will also die sooner or later.

• CHAPTER : 5 : THE

END END IS THE BEGINNING

In the end, I want to state that Gita is much more than a religious text. It is a guide to living a happy and content life. It is a timeless knowledge that was true at the time of Mahabharata, is true today, and will be in the future too.