Srimad Bhagavad Gita: A Pathway to Inner Awakening
This article on Srimad Bhagavad Gita has been written by Premanjana Das (Pranjal Joshi)
Premanjana Das (Pranjal Joshi) is a writer, blogger, healer, spiritualist, software engineer and a management graduate who has been writing for more than two decades in various magazines, websites, newspapers, and forums.
I have read several books in my life. Each one of them had a message to give and a purpose to serve, since words have immense power to re-direction a person's thought process and reshape his personality.
It was in the year 2004, while I was truly searching for inner awakening and finding out the true purpose of life, I first read Bhagavad Gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, as a college student. I never knew that my life would follow a different trajectory thereafter.
'I am soul not this body. I am eternal. I am part and parcel of Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead', were my key takeaways from this scripture. These were the transcendental teachings that not only gave me a reason to re-live and re-shape my life but redefined my outlook drastically. The more a person believes in the Gita and adheres to it, the more he is purified, and polished in his vision.
This Divine knowledge which was given by Lord Krishna to his friend and disciple Arjuna more than 5000 years ago is still highly relevant, contextual, and relatable. The Gita is not just a 'Hindu sacred book', but a sacred scripture meant for people of all ages, beliefs and nations. It has been establishing a unique bond between clueless humanity and Divinity since ages and has been read, relished, and admired by many great men in human history. Its power to transform, motivate and lead humanity to the path of righteousness is beyond comprehension. All our notions, beliefs and ego are rattled away when we come across these Divine instructions.
Isvara (God), Jiva (living entity), Kala (time), Prakriti (nature) and Karma (action) are the five main topics of the Gita and they have been explained in detail throughout the book comprising 700 verses and 18 chapters.
When I first read the Gita, I was wondering about Lord Krishna for many days. The feeling I had was intense and hard to explain. It was an 'encounter' with the 'Absolute Truth' and a conversation with the 'Almighty.' All my beliefs about Shri Krishna were re-structured as I went through this ancient text. Krishna's instructions, might, greatness, power and authority made me feel empowered and valued. A much-needed spiritual strength and energy for which I(Soul) had been craving for countless lifetimes were being provided to it. My love for Krishna was re-kindled and my identity as a 'soul' was clearer to me. I was a more spiritualized identity, who was closer to God, then I ever thought of.
Anyone who has ever read the Gita, has been surely reminded of his lost connection with Lord Parthasarathi. Kishna and Pandavas were not mythological characters, they were great historical personalities whose glories will always exist and continue to purify countless souls. 'Gita- the Divine song of God' is more luminous even than the Sun as it will continue to save and serve mankind in its darkest hour.
When I hear the word 'empowerment', I immediately get connected to the Supreme Spiritual Being, who is the source of all strength for all sentient beings. Every living entity including plants, animals and insects have been created by God, and a realized soul can sense Divinity in every aspect of life. I have been blessed by many saints and gurus, who guided me towards the path of enlightenment and devotion. A journey of ascension is always aimed at the purification of mind and the growth of consciousness.
My life taught me a lot of things, but firmly believing in ancient wisdom has been the major learning of my life. Ancient scriptures written by sages and saints, which have not been given enough importance by contemporary society; are nevertheless a treasure for me. I believe that the sacredness of the words of ancient texts have the power to uplift the consciousness of humankind.
Lord Krishna and Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra
Countless books have been written on topics like yoga, meditation, spirituality, truth of life and self-help, but the timeless wisdom of the Gita makes it unique and special. In my life, I got plenty of chances to spiritualize myself and help the ignorant to walk on the path of transcendence. My greatest success in life has been my service in connecting people to God and help them grow spiritually, as I personally feel that a soul's relationship with God is eternal and the soul's love for God is the purest form of love.
Even the great western philosophers mention different realms of existence in their realizations. A benefactor of mankind can change the heart of people by sharing the verses of The Gita with them, which will help them in understanding the deeper meaning of life carrying them to higher realms of existence, which is very different from what we are made to believe through multiple materialistic channels of information.
The human form of life is rare and precious. Every moment wasted can never be gained back and every moment spent serving the message of Gita provides nourishment and satisfaction to the soul. I realized the importance of time and time management from the Gita. It is highly profound and deep, and it can elevate us in magical ways. People have been blessed by abundance, support, material desires as well as liberation, as they tasted these 'drops of nectar'.
I personally feel that the best time spent is the time spent reading a good book. I would urge the readers to have a copy of Gita with them to act as a friend, philosopher, and guide and thereby make life more worthwhile.
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Pranjal Joshi
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