Greatness of Bhagawad Gita

The basis of Indian culture

Our culture i.e the Indian culture is based upon the Vedic scriptures; so we can look
upon our Indian culture Vedic culture. A lifestyle based on Vedic culture can never be
separated from religion i.e Vedic culture is God centered culture.

Our day begins with the remembrance of Iswara, not with bed coffee as in the western
culture. Through out the day everything is intimately connected with Iswara. Even when
we brush the teeth, we pray to the devata of the tree from which the twig for cleaning
the teeth was obtained. The meaning of the prayer for cleaning the teeth is asking
Iswara not only to clean the teeth from impurities but our mind also from impurities.

Even taking bath – snanam – is looked upon as performing abhishekam to Iswara.

Wearing clothes is associated with Iswara. Before going to bed we are supposed to
remember Iswara.

Our entire life from conception starts with the remembrance of Iswara. The conception of
the baby by the parents is done with prayers to Iswara so that a well refined and
cultured baby is conceived. The death is nothing but a ritual in which the body is offered
to the cremation fire as an offering. From conception to cremation – waking up to sleep
– is God centered life.

Our primary and permanent relationship is with Iswara alone

God is our creator and we are the created being – so in the form of cause and effect i.e
kaaranam and kaaryam we are related to God in every janma. All the other relationships
with the people around are all incidental and temporary – can last maximum for one life
only. So the scriptures have designed our life style such that we are constantly reminded
of our primary relationship with Iswara so that we can preserve and nourish this primary
relationship. Our Vedas give the warning, the moment you loose the fundamental
relationship with Iswara – your life become directionless.

Real prosperity is remembering all the time our primary relationship with Iswara. Even
richness will create problems if the original relationship with Iswara is forgotten.
Forgetting Iswara is the ultimate tragedy.

Any relationship can be maintained only when some time – quality time - is spent upon
the relationship. Therefore the Vedas prescribe that we should have quality and
exclusive time with Iswara and for that, varieties of religious practices are there which
are much more than any other religion.

Theory and Practice

We should know the theory and principle behind our religious practices – other wise it
will become mechanical – empty - meaningless ritual. Sooner or later such mechanical
practices will drop off from our life. So knowledge (theory) should precede practice – just
like learning the theory of music while practicing the same.

All the religious practices will be meaningful – purposeful when I understand the
principle behind such religious practices. So religion involves 1. Thorough study of the
principles – theory and 2. Practicing whatever theory I have leant. Both are important.

Therefore to know the theory of the various religious practices we have to study our
scriptures – it is called as swadhyaya and in the gurukulam all the students uniformly
studied the principles behind a religious life. When the student came out of the
gurukulam after studies and married – he was knowledgeable enough to know the
theory behind the religious practices and could also practice them. Married life is called
as Grihastha asrama since it was based God centered life-style.

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How to know the essence of our scriptures?

The thorough study of scriptures is very difficult since the list of our scriptures is indeed
very vast – including the 4 Vedas, there are 14 branches and each branch is indeed
huge. So if one can get the essence of our vast scriptures it will be a big help.

That essence of our scriptures has been given in the Bhagawad Gita by Lord Krishna.

People are busy and extrovert with materialistic desires – there is not much time which
can be devoted by an individual for the study of our entire scriptures. However, study of
Bhagawad Gita is enough to comprehensively understand our scriptures; what is a God
centric living and also understand the meaning behind various rituals.

Therefore every Hindu should strive to compulsorily study – thoroughly and

systematically - the Bhagawad Gita. Whether one is materialistic or spiritual, to
understand our Indian culture, to know about God centric life, a thorough study of
Bhagawad Gita is essential.

Without the study of Bhagawad Gita, our religious practices will become mechanical and
slowly they will be dropped. Once our religious culture goes away, India will become a
materialistic culture wherein the heart will be empty.

In a religious culture, materially one may be empty – i.e without much possessions and
gadgets - but the heart is happy – full. Materialism is maaya, maaya is mithya – it will
not give peace – security and happiness – it is ultimately worthless.

In the gurukulam there was an opportunity to study the scriptures, but now we don’t
have such an opportunity.

So one should voluntarily put some effort to study Bhagawad Gita. There are many
organization and outfits that are cropping-up but the emphasis on the thorough study of
Bhagawad Gita is lacking – every institution is trying to push its own methodology
without properly understanding that our Vedic culture emphasises God centric life and
for that one should study the essence of scriptures - Bhagawad Gita.

Bhagawad Gita is not for mere study but for alert living of your life itself.

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