Nagpur :Krishna had imparted many life-transforming teachings through The Bhagavad Gita. While his words were recorded thousands of years ago during Mahabharat, his words still resonate with us, for they are beyond time and space. Often overlooked for its ancientness, perhaps his principles can serve as a template towards a successful life in the 21st century. And we shall look into some of them, a couple of Shloka at a time.

After witnessing the various peculiarities of society and the world, Arjun became very confused and uncertain about what his actions should be. Krishna told him a very simple way to overcome that uncertainty in The Bhagavad Gita’s 18th chapter through the 66th verse.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज | अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुच:

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śharaṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣhayiṣhyāmi mā śhuchaḥ

The mind is biased, a man often loses reality to his mental constructs. Krishna can teach a drifting mind only so many times. A man has to perform his rightful duties which asks him to become self-reliant and for that, he has to surrender to a higher energy.

Arjun, simply, has to surrender all of his duties, his ego, his sins and himself to Krishna, the infinite, the eternal, the all-knowing. Arjun, simply, has to take refuge in Krishna, listen to Krishna and do as he says. Arjun will become liberated of all his sins, his fear will go away, his drifting mind will become grounded and he will gain clarity and attain wisdom. Everything Arjun does will by default be the right thing and his actions will naturally be the most appropriate action, for, self-surrender is the fruit of all duties and hence the ultimate goal. All teachings of Sanatan Dharma; the Veda, The Puran, The Upanishad combined impart the ultimate lesson of self-surrender.

Let us look at an interesting story. There was once a man who starts worshipping the idol of Krishna after a friend advises him to. He would, every day, like a ritual, bathe the idol, decorate it, and offer fruits, garlands and incense. He recites many mantras and does a lot of Pooja. But as years pass by, he starts feeling disappointed as nothing he asks for gets fulfilled. So, the same friend then asks him to worship the idol of Kali instead. As he is about to offer garlands and incense to the idol, he thinks about how it can hurt Krishna’s idol and proceeds to blindfold the idol. As he is about to, Krishna’s hand stretches out and takes hold of the man’s hand. In shock at what unfolded in front of him, he asks Krishna “Why did you show yourself only when I am about to stop worshipping you?”. Krishna, very calmly, replies, “Because only now, you have considered me as a living entity. So far, you have been worshipping only a statue of me. The moment you saw me as someone who can hear you, smell you, see you, my state of being became alive for you”. Krishna is alive, for, he resides within us. Every individual is absolute. “अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि”

While Arjun was fighting a war in Kurushetra, today, a man is at war with himself. He wrestles his mind, fights his emotions and his senses but often loses. There is a lot of knowledge and there are a lot of teachers but how many want to learn? And of those who learn, how many implement the teachings? An uncultivated man with a devotion to his Guru will ultimately gain more wisdom than a knowledgeable person who disparages his Guru and his mother & father. Wisdom can come only after devotion which, itself, can come only from the surrender of the self……………………Radhe Radhe, Jai Shri Krishna

(Krishna Speaks article 01 is authored by Guest Columnist Acharya Shri Shriekantt Hazare, a renowned Asto-Numerologist & Palmist based in Nagpur)