The Importance of the Bhagavadgita - 1.Swami Krishnananda

Chinmaya Mission: 

Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development, Raleigh hosted its annual CORD Colour 5K RUN to raise funds for CORDUSA’s initiatives. 

The vibrant event attracted over 150 participants, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters. Attendees enjoyed a lively atmosphere with henna art, face painting, Boba tea served by youth volunteers, delicious food, and upbeat music. 

The event successfully fostered community spirit and raised over $20,000 to support CORDUSA’s impactful programs. 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to making this year’s run such a memorable and fun-filled experience, ensuring the success of our cause through their generous participation and enthusiasm.

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Tuesday 01,  October  2024, 07:10.
Article
Scriptures
The Importance of the Bhagavadgita - 1.
Swami Krishnananda
(Gita Jayanti Message spoken on December 26, 1982.)

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The uttered word or the spoken language is essentially a vibration, and when words are spoken by the operation of the mechanism of speech in a properly conducted manner it sets up a power and a force which materialises itself into the effect, the intention behind the word or the speech. There is an old saying of Bhavabhuti, the great poet, that in the case of ordinary people, speech follows existent things; in the case of great Masters, things follow their speech.

We cannot speak things which are contrary to observable facts. We follow the course of nature in the utterance of words. We are conditioned by an external atmosphere and a mandate, and accordingly we utter words or express ourselves. But in the case of the superior ones who are not ordinary persons, things have to obey their words. Whatever they utter will take place, whether or not it is really there at present. Such force of expression, power of speech, is possible only in the case of great Masters who are tuned up in their being with the will of God, the course of nature or the purpose of all existence, as it is called.

Our solemn observation, our worship, our austerity, our ceremony and sanctified behaviour during occasions of divine worship of some kind or the other is an acceptance into our own personal lives of the presence of such miraculous operations behind nature. The observance of Bhagavadgita Jayanti today as marking the holy event of a divine gospel coming into the midst of mankind is such an instance of our humble attempt to participate in something larger than the human realm of life and existence.

The Bhagavadgita was spoken by Bhagavan Sri Krishna. This is what we are told and what we read, and we have also some information about how it all came about some thousands of years ago. Its meaning has become a point of great concentration, study, analysis and research even today due to the self-transcending and intriguing meanings which seem to be hidden beneath its words because these words, recorded for us as the Bhagavadgita, are visible embodiments in the poetic language of Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa of some divine miracle which must have taken place at the commencement of that great historical event we call the Mahabharata war. It has to be considered a miracle because no one can say how Sri Krishna spoke, in what language, what words were used, and how much time he took. There are versions after versions about this mystery, all which do not touch even the fringe of the difficulty involved in understanding how it all came about and what exactly was the method adopted by Bhagavan Sri Krishna in thus speaking this gospel to Arjuna. Did he speak as we are speaking? In which language did he speak? And naturally he did not speak in verses, because these verses are compositions of the poet Vyasa. Nobody speaks in poems when giving instructions to people. There was some divine insurgence of power, and again we have to come to the word 'miracle' for want of better terms, which entered the personality of Arjuna and spoke as God would speak. How does God speak when He speaks to His devotees? What language does He use?

In religious lore and in mystical circles we hear of God giving darshan or vision to yogis, to disciples, to Gurus, to devotees, and to all those who look to Him for succour. In the Puranas we have instances galore of God giving vision to tapasvins, to devotees, and He speaks. How does He speak? In what language? He can give vision to any person in any country, speaking any language, and it does not mean that He will give vision only to people in India. But how does God speak? So this is the difficulty felt by human language or mortal tongue in actually deciphering the way of God in relation to man. This is the reason why commentators on the Gita each have their own viewpoints, interpretations and meanings read into the words of the Bhagavadgita.

Continued

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