The Gita: A Guidebook to Life

        Among the classics such as the Iliad or the Odyssey comes a Hindu classic, called the Mahabharata. In this Sanskrit epic of ancient India, the Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse scripture that is part of the Hindi classic. The Bhagavad Gita is considered to be the primary holy scripture for Hinduism written around the second-century B.C.E. The author, Vyasa, is like how we would describe Homer, we don't know if either existed but their works were based on the events around them. But what was the reason for this epic? Vyasa believed that all mankind should achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus he compiled the Mahabharata and in it, the Bhagavad Gita. In the Gita, Vyasa wanted all humanity to understand the path of righteousness, therefore, he writes in a repetitious and dramatic narration but simple enough for all to read. In it tells the story of Krishna, the Supreme Hindu God, and Arjuna, a warrior and leader of an army which is about to face a war against evil. Arjuna, confused and scared about going into battle and killing families, friends, teachers, etc, gives up and tells Krisha to help him see the right path. Krishna, throughout the Gita, teaches Arjuna the ultimate goal and the path to righteousness. Ultimately, Krishna teaches Arjuna that to win on the field he must first win in his mind. And so do so comes the teachings of Hinduism. In the end, Arjuna sees his path of duty and has faith in Krishna, now confident to go into battle. Whether we are a follower of Hinduism or not, the influence of the Gita is powerful and the advice it gives can help us in our everyday lives. The Gita, and the translator Jack Hawley, gives us information on how we should live our lives as it states, “Desire for the fruits of one's actions brings worry about possible failure - the quivering mind I mentioned. When you are preoccupied with end results you pull yourself from the present into an imagined, usually fearful future. Then your anxiety robs your energy and, making matters worse, you lapse into inaction and laziness” (Hawley 20). Have we not all had this stress in life? Constant worrying about the future leads to an overwhelmed present and thus we do not accomplish what we had set out to do. It is through this advice that we are given in which, faithful or not, can influence us in ways to be a better person.

Krishna (left) talks to Arjuna (right). 
(unknown artist and date)

    The Gita contains the advice that we are taught early on but tend to forget about during adulthood. We are taught that materialistic things should not be sought after in life. We should not chase after that which is worldly items. To get more satisfaction through money and the items that we can buy with it, or to get more satisfaction about the luxuries of life than to get satisfaction from selfless actions are wrong. For we are selfish when we go after worldly things. We care not for others but only the things that we can enjoy for a short period of time. This fixation on our outside appearance leaves no room to fixate on our inner selves. And with no care for our inner selves come no growth and a sad life trying to fill our emptiness. But if we look inside and focus on selfless actions, we are at peace. The Gita states, “But when you can move about in a world that surrounds you with sense attractions, and yet be free of either attachment or aversion to them, tranquility comes and sits in your heart - and you are absorbed in the peace and wisdom of the Self within” (Hawley 25). A majority of us look for this peace within ourselves. But some tend to think that it is through being happy with worldly items that we then become happy with ourselves. However, this is not true and the Gita repeats this over and over. When we focus on helping others through selfless actions, we ourselves are filled with peace. And when we are able to find happiness through our actions for others instead of the money we spend on ourselves and worldly attractions, we are not focused on sense attractions and therefore, come to peace and tranquility within ourselves. With this advice comes many others. Krishna repeats over and over again how to reach the path of righteousness, how to make union with the Divine.

Krishna in all forms.
(unknown artist and date)

    

    Most of us, if not all, tend to look for meaning in our lives. We ask ourselves what our duty, dharma, is. What is our purpose? What are our goals? The Gita highlights just this. It lays out the path to become our most enlightened selves. And in comes the religious aspect of it. Many find that they look towards a Divine being to worship. Either for their own personal gain or rarely, to help others than ourselves. It is through love, or bhakti, that true devotion takes place. Krishna tells this to Arjuna as he states, “Through this intense devotion and self-surrender your mistakes and sins will be absolved and you will merge with Me, the Supreme, forever liberated from the cares and grief of worldly existence” (Hawley 166). The Gita is all about surrendering oneself to the Divine. In doing so, we become one with the Divine and after death get to go to heaven. We all have heard of Gandi. This man followed the Gita in his life and he was the most influential and inspiring man of his time, and beyond. This book in its entirety, from the life lessons Krishna gives to the doubt and fear that Arjuna feels, as does every man, is a guide to heaven. It is a way to make union with the Lord and get out of the cycle of death and rebirth. Even if we do not believe in the pantheon of Hindu gods, the advice we receive is that which should not be forgotten and a book that should always be at our disposal. If you want more information, here's a video that explains further the significance of the Gita.

Works Cited:

Editor, The. “Bhagavad Gita 1.1.” The Bhagavad Gita with Commentaries of Ramanuja, Madhva, Shankara and Others, 8 Aug. 2020, www.bhagavad-gita.us/bhagavad-gita-1-1/. 

https://www.bhagavad-gita.us/bhagavad-gita-1-1/

Hawley, Jack. The Bhagavad Gita: a Walkthrough for Westerners. New World Library, 2011. 

“Philosophy for a Brighter Life: Sivananda Yoga Yoga Ranch.” Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch, 28 July 2018, sivanandayogaranch.org/event/philosophy-for-a-brighter-life-lessons-from-the-bhagavad-gita/. 

https://sivanandayogaranch.org/event/philosophy-for-a-brighter-life-lessons-from-the-bhagavad-gita

The Indus Civilization: The Brahmin

    As we explore the cradles of civilization, we come across the Indus Valley in which the ancient Indus people had settled and cultivated the land, creating cities with elaborate aqueducts and languages in which were undecipherable pictographs. In the book Awakening by Patrick S. Bresnan, Chapter 1: India Before the Vedas consists of the beginnings and the before. It talks of the land of India before civilization, of South Asia before the Vedic Age, of migration theories, and the caste system of the early settlers. However, a different focus on the land of India is portrayed in the video Indus: The Unvoiced Civilization. In this, the main focus is on that of the Indus Valley Civilization. It focuses on the people, the language, and the aqueducts. These two sources on the Indus Valley and its Civilization both share similarities and differences in the information they present which will be discussed here. 

The region of the Indus Valley in early times

    In early civilizations, it is not uncommon for the people to worship a god or gods. And to do this worshipping, the role of a priest, a shaman, must step in. In the book, the mention of Brahmin caste differs in how the video mentions a priest. In the book, it states, “...the Brahmins were the priests. They were man’s link to the gods, and the entire society depended on them” (Bresnan 17). The book goes into fine detail about the Brahmin caste, which is the highest social class that falls right below the gods. We learn why the people worshipped them in the first place, their role in society, and their role in communicating with the gods. In the video, however, no mention of this caste is present. Instead, we see an excavation of an artifact and learn about what it represents. The video states, “This statue found in Mohenjo-Daro is called the Priest-King. From the trifoliate pattern on his clothing and his headdress, the statute appears to represent someone of high standing” (Indus 7:37). Its appearance resembles someone of high standing because it has robes and decorations of that of a priest. It shows us how they would have looked and given us insight into what they wore, unlike the book. The book does, however, give us information about the priests and their role whereas the video does not. 

"Priest-King," artifact found at Mohenjo-Daro

    While the book talks about priests, the video shows us. The topic of the Brahmin, the priests, is portrayed differently in each source. “... the Brahmins would make the all-important contact with the gods, and, if correctly performed, persuade the gods… to exercise their powers on the community’s behalf” (Bresnan 20). In the book, there is a specific section in the chapter which tells us all we need to know about the Brahmin caste. It focuses on the origin of these people and why they are held in such high importance. However, the video treats the topic of the Brahmin caste, the priests, as a mystery, as only a few artifacts have been dug up. It states, “The statute is one of the few clues we have about the people of the Indus” (Indus 7:57). The artifact gives clues on who the people held in such high regard. People of low status would not usually get a statue made out of them. This honor would only be bestowed upon those with high importance. The video treats this artifact of a priest as a window into the world of the Indus people. Both of these sources give us different information on the topic presented, but it is through both that we learn more about the Brahmin and the Indus people.

Image Links:

https://www.ancient.eu/Indus_Valley_Civilization/

https://www.harappa.com/slide/priest-king-mohenjo-daro

Works Cited:

Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: an Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, Taylor &                 Francis Group, 2018.

“Indus: The Unvoiced Civilization.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2000,                                             fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=237206&xtid=11655. Accessed 6 Feb. 2021.

Kenoyer, Jonathan Mark. Harappa, www.harappa.com/slide/priest-king-mohenjo-daro.

Mark, Joshua J. “Indus Valley Civilization.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History                                 Encyclopedia, 1 Feb. 2021, www.ancient.eu/Indus_Valley_Civilization/.