Day 1 Lecture Bhagavad Gita’s Importance

I have been listening to Sad guru Sri Chalapati Rao garu discourse of Bhagavad Gita. I found a person whose lectures and discourses are profound to me and it’s been wonderful just absorbing information rather than working tirelessly entirely on my own and doing work that might not be accurate.

This notes is from Day 1 of his Bhagavad Gita discourse and on importance of Bhagavad Gita. The lectures are in my native language of Telugu, I did my best with understanding, translating and writing his message/discourse in English.

Day 1

http://www.srichalapathirao.com/discourses?category=gita_c1&subject=1.Arjuna%20Vishada%20Yogam

Radhe Govindam Bhajo Radhe Gopal…Radhe Govindham Bhajo Radhe Gopal

Shyama Sundara Madana Mohana Radhe Gopal
Radhe Govindam Bhajo Radhe Gopal…Radhe Govindham Bhajo Radhe Gopal

Shankha Chakra Gadhadhara Radhe Gopal
Radhe Govindam Bhajo Radhe Gopal…Radhe Govindham Bhajo Radhe Gopal

Murali Manohara Radhe Gopal..Radhe Govidham Bhajo Radhe Gopal
Radhe Govindam Bhajo Radhe Gopal…Radhe Govindham Bhajo Radhe Gopal

Krishna Krishna Govinda Radhe Gopal
Radhe Govindam Bhajo Radhe Gopal
Neela Megha Shyama Krishna Radhe Gopal..Radhe Govindham Radhe Gopal

Radhe Govindam Bhajo Radhe Gopal…Radhe Govindham Bhajo Radhe Gopal

Om

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwara
Guru Sakshat Param Brahma
Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah

Meditation verse on Gita

Om Parthaya prati bodhitam bhagavata narayanena svayam, 
Vyasaena grathitam Purana munina madhye Mahabharatam, 
Advaitamrta varsinim bhagavatim ashta dasa dhyayinim, 
Amba tvam anusandadhami bhagavad-gite bhavadvesinim.

Om Parthaya prati bodhitam — the reason for it is parthaya (arjuna), that do everyday the philosophical knowledge explained given to us

Bhagavata narayanena svayam — by lord god Narayana himself for the entire

Vyasaena grathitam purana munina madhye Mahabharatam — even though it was vyasa who wrote the book, the muni from the past in the middle of Mahabharata katha

Advaitamrta varsinim bhagavatim ashta dasa dyayinim —- the immortal nectar of the advaita, by showering us with, Gods words given to us in the form of, 18 chapters to meditate upon

Amba tvam anusandadhami bhagavad-gite bhavadvesinim – And unto the mother, I meditate upon recite the Bhagavad Gita, the destroyer of the house or dwelling of samsara.

(My own translation of the mediation verse, knowing what I know of Telugu)

Day 1

Bhagavad Gita visisthata and pradhanyatha

The greatness endowed with and particular importance of Bhagavad Gita (visishthata), and its supremacy (pradhanyatha).

In this world every being, everyone only seeks happiness, even lesser intelligent beings also do not wish for unhappiness. Even though we do not wish for unhappiness, what was done in the past, the papa (sin) karmas is what is to come, and has to come in the form of unhappiness in this life anyway.

Man attempts many times to avoid unhappiness to leave behind the sorrow to receive happiness he earns, buys, seeks others, changes jobs, changes business, makes friendships with more important people. Even though man attempts at happiness he will not attain happiness that is for forever. No matter the attempts and or change in situations we are not able to attain that permanent happiness or eternal happiness. Why? What we want is permanent happiness but what we are holding onto is not permanent.

The God is our creator, he is the only one that is permanent and eternal and reason for our existence. We must know him, realize him, make journey toward him and become one with God. In this life we must strive for to be one with God, our permanent home. There is end to everything in this world, this body, belongings we earned, our house and even this world.

We must not hold onto imperishable things in life. The question that arises is are we holding on to them or it is holding on to us? When we want is eternal we must not hold on to what causes us sorrow, and is temporary in this life. One must also be blessed with purva jnama sukrutam. A Good deed done in the past and benefactor of knowledge in this life. Without freedom from passion or worldly attachments (viaragym) one cannot take a step or walk towards God. The question is how does one get away from worldly attachments, a person with wife and kids, and wishes to make money and seeks other desires?  How does one break the cycle of samsara? One will realize the worldly matters are not the reason for our existence in our human form. It is to reach and be one with God.

Too often we forget this and we think we are here to enjoy everything around us, food, money and happiness. Or continuing to experience happiness and sadness in this life goes on and then into another life. We wonder when we will stop this cycle of samsara, the cycle of birth and death. How do we let go break the cycle and karmanas with worldly attachments? And turn to God? How will we know God? How do we leave the worldly matters? How do we receive him, God? When our goal is to be one with God or reach God, the yoga sastra (knowledge, equation) to know for this is Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavad Gita is said to be achanthika dukha nimruti sasvata ananda prapthi. If you participate and observe Bhagavad Gita it is possible to leave sorrow behind, no longer experience it and there is a possibility for happiness. Gandhji once said when we live in an environment where there is sorrow, knowing Bhagavad Gita removed him from touching worldly sorrows (Jna bandaram, Ananda sagaram).  Bhagavada Gita is a book for moksha sastra, meaning the book that helps attain God and it speaks for all religions, sutras, dharmas in all of this earth. Bhagavad Gita is described as viswa mata grantham, meaning this particular book is not just for Hindu religion, this book has been received by all people around the world, its meaning is useful for this world’s prosperity among people. So many swami ji’s also have immersed in Bhagavad Gita and have distributed its knowledge or jewel to people. And in the form of yoga, 6 chapters on each of these topics (karma, Bhakti, and Jna yoga). To help us understand the different stages of human exis{tence. It is what transforms man into chief principled man (from manava to madhava), a human being to having God like qualities (narudu to Narayana), and living being to understanding God (jiva to devuni). Bhagavad Gita helps shape the human form, one example from an Acharya is how a mother’s milk is useful to the infant, in the same way it is useful to one’s buddhi or intellect, knowing better, or being able to distinguish (or tell the difference between) right or wrong, right from wrong in this world. Great many people have taken interest in Gita and feel blessed in their life, Gita is described by Vivekananda as perfectly placed flowers of garland from the garden of Upanishads.

As Hindus we have many books, vedas, Upanishads, brahma sutras, itihasas, and sometimes ridiculed for this reason for not following from just one book alone. For Christians the book is bible and person showing them the way, God is Christ. For Muslims the book is koran and the person showing them the way is Mohammad. Hindus dwell in and observe what they choose to. I always thought and believed our culture and religion is a way of life and its beauty is knowing the Sanskrit philosophy and a higher form of realization every stage of life. However, if a book were to be considered equivalent to books of other religions it is Bhagavad Gita. It is sarva saastra saram, entire knowledge arrow into other sastras as well. Also Bhagavad Gita’s adarsha purushudu is Sri Krishna. Our looking glass or mirror is Sri Krishna, the Supreme Being personality of this world, god of gods. The chief principled man among men.  One has to be able to grasp these words, Gita is told by Krishna, presented to us by Krishna, and written by Krishna and when one wonders how that is possible one will come to understand his universal form. He says, in other Sanskrit verses I am dhananjaya (arjuna) among padavas, and among muni’s I am Vyasa.

Bhagavad Gita has been compared to Ganga where as the Ganga flows from Vishnu’s feet, and taking a dip in it washes away our sins. Similarly Gita, the words of Gita come from Vishnu’s face and following those words and understanding it will help one reach moksha, and happiness as large as our bodies of water. And as once Gopis enjoyed the melody of Krishna’s melody we now have Gita ganam. Listening to it all people in this world, all religions, people of all walks in this world can forgo and turn away from wordly matters and towards the melody of Gita. When one takes time to comprehend and know Gita, one will see how God himself walks us step by step holding our hand to explain this world and one will quickly see its usefulness and transformation in their lives.