The Life Changing Lesson

The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is one of Hinduism's most valuable and revered holy books. It is a 700-verse scripture based on the epic battle of Mahabharata that describes a discourse between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

Please accept my apologies in advance if I have offended your feelings or religious system in any way.

I grew up hearing Ramayana and Mahabharata myths and experiences. I bought the Bhagavad Gita from the Iskcon Temple in Vrindavan and tried to read it several times, but I couldn't because I was drowning in depression and needed help. I've always aspired to be a spiritual person 

My grandfather used to claim that the Bhagavad Gita is a single book that has all of the solutions to life's questions. I had so many questions about life that I really needed answers. And believe me, my father was correct. The Bhagavad Gita has all of the answers to every question a brain could ever ask about life, love, emotions, and relationships.

Believe me, reading the Bhagavad Gita completely transformed my life!

So, you're probably wondering how it affected my life.

"vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro 'parani tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany anyani samyati navani dehi" taught me about death and life.

"This means that, Just like a human person takes on new clothes while discarding old ones, the soul accepts new material bodies while discarding old and worthless ones."

"dehantar-praptir-adhiras tatra na muhyati dehino-asmin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvnam jara tatha dehantar-praptir-adhiras tatra na muhyati"

"Means: O Arjuna, just as the soul is attributed to boyhood, youth, and old age, and the embodied soul continuously passes through these cycles, the embodied soul passes into another body at death." The sensible man is neither deceived or perplexed by such a shift."

"na hanyate hanyamane sarire na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire"

"This means, Arjuna, that the soul is never born or dies. The soul has not come into being and will not come into being. The soul is unborn, eternal, everlasting, and primordial. When the body is dead, the soul is not slain."

Though nothing can justify the reason for losing my path in the journey of life but it is big enough to make me accept and agree with what happened, reading the Bhagavad Gita taught me about the ultimate reality of existence in such a way that I think of my parents as if they are constantly with me. 

"aapurya-manam achala-prathistham samudram apah pravishanti yadvat tadvat-kama yam pravishanti sarve sa shantim-apnoti na kama-kaami" I got more peaceful.

As water from several rivers joins the Great Ocean, which despite being filled on all sides remains undisturbed, similarly a person who is not distracted by the continual flow of desires- and not the guy who goes after these desires & attempts to satisfy such needs - can alone obtain serenity." What disturbs our mental peace? It is our wants - desires to learn, earn, acquire more, satisfy everyone, and become everyone's favourite. This is a proven fact. We can become peaceful if we don't let our desires take over our minds. It's fine to have aspirations and work for them, but we can't let those desires take away our peace of mind.

So I began to relax in all elements of my life - job, love, family, and life. Work solely for the same of work - 

"Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani, karanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, karanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana"  

You have the right to carry out your responsibilities without regard for the outcome. You will bear no responsibility for the outcome. I have no affinity for inactivity. It is really simple to grasp. Do the work because you want to DO that particular thing, because it brings you joy and peace of mind, and not for any other reason.

 For example, if you want to be a novelist, you do so because you have something to write about and share with others. Don't worry about how many books you'll sell. The emphasis should be on the karm (the task) before shifting to God. You will reap the best crops, and God will reward you accordingly.