Essentials for Peace - 1

Community Hall

CBD Belapur Navi Mumbai

Kalpatararu Co-operative Housing Society

Sector 8-B

July 03, 2010

Topic dealt herewith is Chapter 3 of the Bhagavat Gita. Text 1 of the Chapter goes…
Arjuna said: O Janardana, O Kesava, why do You urge me to engage in this ghastly
warfare, if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work? Arjuna in this verse
expresses his confusion to Sri Krishna. Even if the common man does not understand the
import the import of the second chapter, one is not alone, as even the great Arjuna is
totally confused after the second chapter. Krishna advises in the second chapter that one
needs to keep away from abominable actions and engage in buddhi yoga. In the same
lines Krishna also emphasizes that one needs to abandon all fruitive actions. Then why
should Krishna ask Arjuna to fight in the battle of Kurukshetra? considering the fact that
engaging in warfare is seemingly a fruitive action. Krishna advises Arjuna that he should
fight in any case. If Arjuna wins the war, he would be able to enjoy the kingdom of
Hastinapura and if he lost his life in the war, he would attain the abode of Heaven; hence
Arjuna should go ahead and fight in the war anyway.

People may find the teachings of the Bhagavat Gita seemingly confusing. However if one
is given an option to read about the complicated relationships of actors and actresses
and other gossips in film magazines, one jumps to the occasion and applies his or her
intelligence in understanding the filthy matter depicted in the magazines. This type of
attitude forebodes mind pollution and in turn such an activity binds one to the drudgery
of material existence. On the other hand, when one engages his intelligence in
understanding the Gita, the act in itself purifies one’s heart and seeing the desire of the
living entity, the Lord makes arrangements for the living entity to comprehend the
import of the Bhagavat Gita. The Gita gives us an ultra simplified solution to escape the
vicious cycle of birth and death.

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Strangely the Gita begins with the question of Dhritarashtra who is looked down upon by
one and all due to his assumed antagonistic position against the Panadavas.Even though
the journey to eternal wisdom is begun with the words of one of the most sinful
personalities of the Mahabharata; the literature is hailed as the greatest works in the
spiritual world. The reason being, all the statements issued in the Bhagavat Gita are in
connection with the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna .Hence, irrespective of the various
characters of Mahabharata rendering various verses in the Gita, all of the verses are as
sacred as the verses rendered by the Supreme Lord Himself! If we wish to experience
peace of any degree we should toil for the purification of the soul and the secret lies in
the realizations achieved out of the practical application of the instructions contained in
the pages of the Bhagavat Gita. We should enquire about these concepts from a bonafide
spiritual master or his representative. People who have taken up Krishna Consciousness
have a much more peaceful life than those who have not taken up to the devotional
service of the Lord. In a family, there are people with different ideologies and this leads
to resentment and conflicts of Interests, thereby adding to the stress levels. However if
one takes up to the process of Krishna Consciousness, the whole family would be
directed towards one thought and that is to serve Krishna.

Families that pray together stay together, is a saying of adage. This is very relevant in the
context of the Krishna Consciousness. In the context of disharmony in families there is a
famous joke. After the first year of marriage, the husband speaks, the wife listens. In the
second year after marriage, the wife speaks and the husband listens. After the second
year, both speak and the neighbors listen! To take advantage of the Bhagavat Gita, we
need to be patient and it is advisable to slowly absorb the principles and try to practice
its concepts. Even today people are quite confused in relation with the activities of
Krishna Consciousness. It is assumed that people practicing devotional service give up all
types of engagements and simply indulge in praying , chanting and other allied activities
.People generally assume that spiritual life generally means a life of recluse with no
activity. Even Arjuna also had the same misconception about spiritual life. Even after
millions of years people continue to eat the same bread and pulses. People’s life revolves
around eating, sleeping mating and defending. The nature of life does not change.

Srila Prabhupada has translated “Bhakti” as devotional service and not as devotion. Does
devotion have any meaning without service? Can a mother just claim love towards her
child by expressing her affection at a time when the child is crying? She needs to render
some tangible service to the child which will be truly indicative of her love for the child.
Similarly if we want to express our love for God, we need to do some service towards
that effect. There are quite a few pseudo devotees, who, when asked to take up some
service reply that they always think of the Lord heart of heart and chant in their “minds”

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“all the time”. This is a ridiculous claim and leads one nowhere in terms of spiritual
progress. It just means that such people have been adopting meandering ways of
admitting their atheistic tendencies. This sort of tendency is thereby condemned. One
needs to approach the spiritual master for directions. When we approach the spiritual
master one needs to give confidence to the spiritual master so that he is able to give one,
some devotional service by which one can elevate him in spiritual realization.

Instructions of Lord Krishna are taken on the head by even Brahma and Shiva so what to
talk about Arjuna. Next taken is verse 2 which goes … My intelligence is bewildered by
Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively what is most beneficial
for me. When one realizes that he is the spirit soul then where is the question of applying
the senses. This is the question of Arjuna. Krishna tells Arjuna that one needs to be
situated in Knowledge and for this one needs to have tremendous maturity. As for now
Krishna tells Arjuna that Knowledge is the second step only next to Action which is
preliminary. Arjuna is not yet established in Knowledge and hence he should only Act or
get engaged in his Karma which is sufficient. Arjuna needs to act according to his
Swadharma which is to act like a Kshatriya at all times. Only then Arjuna will be able to
come to the platform of Knowledge which will allow him to withdraw his senses. Before
this stage is reached it will be foolish to withdraw one’s senses by force. Therefore it is
advisable to perform Karma and fight in the process.

An example of Lotus stem is relevant in this respect. The stem is compared to Karm or
Action and the strands which go to construct the Lotus stem can be compared to
Knowledge or Gyaan. Hence it is always advisable to perform one’s swadharma. This in
turn will grant us Knowledge of our higher self.Srila Prabhupada says to his students, First
surrender, then ask questions and then render service. There was a certain grihastha
who approached Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati with some spiritual questions. To this
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati asked the grihastha to assist one of the inmates with the
dish washing activity after the evening Prasadam program. The queries would be
answered after the grihastha completed this activity. The grihastha promptly went and
extended a helping hand in washing the soiled utensils. When the grihastha returned
after a satisfactory performance of dish washing activity, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati
asked the grihastha to shoot his questions. The grihastha strangely had no questions to
pose and his heart was clear with no more doubts. This is a clear example which shows
that devotional service is impregnated with the seeds of knowledge, realization and
peace.

-----To be continued--------