Omkar Dattatray
The relevance of Shreemad Bhagavad Gita in the modern times cannot be exaggerated. It is a spiritual treasure which guides us and shows us how to live a life of contentment. It is nectar coming from the lips of the Lord Krishna and every one of us should partake this nectar meaning thereby that we should read and study the treasure kept by the Lord in this book. This scripture has got universal applicability and it is cosmopolitan in nature. Its significance and importance cannot be denied in today’s world. This spiritual treasure is specially relevant in the modern greed torn world where everything is weighed on the touchstone of gain or loss.In these days of the materialistic world were there is mad race for money, name and fame this treasure helps us to lead a contented life and the book shows us as to how the purposeful life and meaningful life can be lived in this materialistic world.
The world is going to celebrate the Gita Jayanti on 3rd of December 2022 with great fervor and enthusiasm and on the occasion of the Gita Mohatsava, Gita recitation will be done and the importance of this scripture will be brought home to the people by the learned men who have mastery over Gita. It will also be brought fore to the people that the habit of reading and studying of the Gita is very useful especially in the modern times. Bhagavad Gita is a philosophy and it is shows a way of life to the universe. In fact the study of this scripture helps the mankind to lead a balanced life and it guides us towards the supreme and ultimate truth.The Gita is the sum total and essence of the Upanishads and one who reads Gita is said to have understood the Upnishads also. .The greatness of the Gita is this that it is a guide for the practical life and it shows us how to live a life in the world and live a life like a lotus away from the worldly mud and filth.
Gita teaches us renunciation not from the world but renunciation from the wrong and selfish activities. Thus it teaches us to renounce the bad actions and live a selfless life. It never teaches us to renounce the world but to renounce all the negative thoughts and actions in the world. This scripture teaches us to live a saintly life away from the materialism and greed but it in no way exhorts us to leave the world. It teaches the mankind to leave the sense pleasures and live a life of contentment and a meaningful life away from the madness of the world.
The Gita teaches us the highest philosophy of Karam yoga and exhorts us to perform the allotted works and duties in a selfless manner and leave the results of the actions in the hands of the Almighty. It teaches us as to how we will perform our duties and works without attachment while remaining in the world. Therefore it teaches men to work incessantly without bothering about the fruit of their actions. So it teaches us detachment from the materialistic pleasures and the Gita ordains us to perform our duties and works without caring for the results of our Karmas.
Thus the philosophy of Karamyoga is the greatest philosophy to lead a life of purpose and teaches the people how to work and perform duties in a detached manner.Therefore selfless service and the service to the mankind is borne home to the people through Bhagavad Gita and the reading and its practice makes us noble individuals so that we work and perform duties with selfless devotion.It teaches and helps us to work and live in the world like a saint. Therefore the Gita exhorts us to live a detached life while performing our allotted duties and works.It says that work is your right and the fruit of the work should not bind you to the worldly pleasures.
So it teaches the people not to renounce the duties and works but to renounce the selfishness while working and living in the world.Gita in fact is an empirical and scientific knowledge and thus it guides us in the practical world. It is the Chapter third of the Gita which teaches the people the philosophy of Karamyoga. Thus this chapter of the Gita teaches us to live a life of a Karmyogi Gita also teaches the humanity the yoga of knowledge as well as the Bhakti yoga which is total surrender and love for God. It is said of the Kaliyuga that the surrender and the love of the Almighty is the simplest way to reach and attain God and thus the philosophy of the Baktiyoga is the only simple way to know the supreme being .In fact the philosophy of love and devotion is the sure way to attain God in this universe. It is the chapter eleventh of the BhagavadGita which is dedicated to Baktiyoga meaning yoga of devotion. It says that total devotion and love for the God is the simplest way to reach the almighty in this Kalayuga.
The importance and relevance of Gita cannot be exaggerated in the modern world as it has much practical value and relevance for the mankind. Let us all read and study the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita in order to be successful in the world.When the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi was facing any problem in life he was seeking the solution in the Gita. The significance of the Gita can rightly be summed up in the words of Ashborun who had said, “Burn all libraries of the world for their essence is in Bhagavd Gita”.
(The author is a retired education officer and columnist)
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