Under study circle we will be discussing Bhagavad Gita.
Some initial thoughts:
1. What is the need for Chapter 1?
Is it just to build up the scene or has some other purpose?
o Why should we take up Bhagavad Gita?
o What do expect to learn from it?
o What is the attitude with which we read Bhagavad Gita?
o Why Gitopadesh was for to Arjuna, why not Yudhishtra or Bheeshma or Bheema?
o Why did Bhagavan teach the Gita to Arjuna at the war-zone, why not somewhere else?
o Who else participated in Bhagavad Gita? Significance of Dhrutarashtra (blind) and Samjaya (divine gift).
o Veda-vyasa, the organizer of Vedas and the author of Brahmasutra is also considered by many as the actual composer of Gita....
- Arjuna as a qualified disciple
- Arjuna as one with forethought
- Arjuna the warrior - action oriented - means what he says
- Arjuna has trikarna-shuddhi
2. What shlokas characterize the chapter?
5 comments:
These are really thought-provoking questions, and I have just a couple of thoughts to share.
Regarding the significance of the first chapter, I think it describes the mental scenario of any person out there, faced with dilemmas (dharma sankatam) where escaping the situation seems to be the easiest way out. The first chapter makes us realize that we all are in such a situation every now and then, and we do need guidance that will enable us to hold on to dharma in every dharma sankatam. Also, there is a saying "when the disciple is ready the guru will appear", and I think the first chapter proves that.
On the whole, I think the study of the gita is a little different from that of other scriptures. Each question asked by Arjun brings up similar questions (with relevance to our own lives) and each answer given by Lord Krishna only triggers more questions in my mind!! This would lead to more reasoning, discussion and understanding of how to hold on to dharma in every situation in life, however unique it may be.
As I offer these comments, please know that the Gita it is the only Hindu scripture that I have read. I welcome clarification or correction if I have misinterpreted the roles of any of the characters in the story due to a lack of knowlege of other scriptures.
Bhagavad Gita: Initial Thoughts
What is the need for Chapter 1? Is it just to build up the scene or does it have some other purpose?
To be honest, in the past I have skimmed over chapter 1, intimidated by lengthy names I couldn’t pronounce, much less understand the significance of. I have since read some background and have tried to organize the stream of names into something meaningful.
Kuru
The family into which all fighting were born into by birth.
(The Kingdom of Hastinapura)
Pandavas:
Pandu(Once King of Hastinapura,
died young while on spiritual retreat)
Yudhishthira (Pandu’s son and rightful heir)(Arujuna’s older brother)
Arujuna, Bhima, Sahadeva, Nakula
(Yudhishthira’s Brothers, Pandu’s sons)
Sons of Kuru(or those fighting on their side):
Dritarashtra (Pandu’s blind brother who took over the kindom because Yudhishthira was too young to rule when Pandu died)
Duryodhana (Dritarashtra’s son who wants to be the next hier of the throne. Dritarashtra is attacted to this idea as well.)
Bhishma (respected elder and advisor to Dritarashtra – not “the grandfather” but tries to proctect king from wrongdoing)
Drona (born a brahmin, but in search of wealth became a master of arms and taught both “sides” of family the skills of war)
Sanjaya (Given “divine sight” by the sage Vyasa so that even though he is not on the battlefield he can report all to Dritarashtra)
Thoughts to share:
Chapter 1 is setting a “timeless stage” (meaning applicable 5000 years ago and applicable today) of the gross struggles we experience externally as individuals and as a part of the world; the battles we face in relationship with others including family and friends as well the battlefields we share with other countries. When given the perspective to “see” (something that Dritarashtra lacks both physically and spiritually) that brothers and cousins are fighting each other, the senselessness of it all becomes clearly apparent. If Krishna/Christ/Buddha resides in everyone, then doing harm to any other being results in self-injury. Of interesting note is the Biblical scripture Matthew 23:30-36 (Christ condemns the Pharisees, the Hebrew priests) He refers to the Pharisees verse after verse as “blind” men and guides. In 23:13 he says to them, “you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets,’ and consequently you bear witness against yourselves….therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets; some of them you will kill and crucify…”
Chapter 1 is also an analogy for the mind and the internal battles we face from moment to moment and lifetime to lifetime. Dritarashtra symbolizes the ego, driven by attachment. Pandu symbolizes the opposite side of attachment, the life of the ascetic, but whose inaction has resulted the in battle about to ensue. It is taught here in the Gita, as well as in the teachings of Buddha and Christ, that the path to “enlightenment” is through action/karma (without attachment to the fruits of that action). I remember my recent experience of spending a month at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and health in Massachusetts. The atmosphere there made loving others very easy. But opportunities to “practice” are much more obviously presented in the “battles” of regular daily life. It is easy to love “humans” from a distance and difficult to love human-beings that you have close interaction with, especially those that bring potential physical or emotional harm. This includes learning to love yourself and accepting your own divine potential despite whatever “flaws” you may be working on. And then, to extend that love out to ALL…as Christ said (Matt. 22:37-40) “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest a foremost commandment. The second is like it. You shall love others as you love yourself.” The mind is constantly presenting us with “judgments” (thoughts) of ourselves and others, often full of “self-cherishing” and “attachment” rather than a mind of “cherishing others.” (Buddha) Learning to see the presence of God in EVERYONE is what I believe to be one of the great lessons of the Gita.
Why Krishna (Bhagavan) teaches the Gita to Arjuna at the war-zone?
Arjuna has been trained and is highly knowledgeable in the skills of War. It is at this time, when Arjuna is put onto the battlefield, fighting members of his own family, that he is primed for the teachings of the Gita. I assume his previous experiences in War have not provided the realization that we are ALL part of the same “family.” Seeing the battlefield full of grandfathers, fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, teachers and friends, provides Arjuna with a direct experience of the senselessness of War.
Overcome with sorrow and overwhelmed by the situation, we see Arjuna’s initial surrender to Krishna. (In Chapter 2 he asks/begs to become Krishna’s desciple.) Is this an example of Ishvara-Pranidhana, surrender to the will of God?
This sounds interesting. I am very eager to join. I am curious as to whether the discussions are held in English, Hindi or Gujarati?
Neetuji,
The discussions are in English. At the begining we learn to chant a few shloka - 2-3 in Sanskrit and start the discussions, which lasts about half an hour.
Regards,
Gopal
Why should we take up the Gita? I am glad that we have decided to study this, while the Ramayana is a cornerstone of Hinduism, the Gita is more inspiring as a forum for discussion within the satsang. Ideally, I have read that the Gita should be studied in 3 forms -- from the point of view of the individual, from the point of view of Arjuna and from the point of view of Krishna. While it has been said that we should not take the view of Arjuna (as a gruop, because there are too many diversities of perception), we should also be studying this personally during this time (approximately 2 years). In our personal study we should look at our surface self (physical body, manas, buddhi and ahamkara), our self as can be identified with Arjuna (one who has begun a search for Realization) and our True Self which is the hardest to identify with while we live in Maya but Who is at hte same time the very Krishna who spoke to Arjuna. Regardless though, of our personal approach to the Gita, we as a group have to listen to each other's reflections openly and add as much input as possible each week at temple as well as here on the blog, in order that we may be not just reading to learn intellectually but also to consider each word of the Gita from within. Even if it takes five years to finish it should not matter because what will be done when we finish but to take up more divine scripture and grow more. the beauty in the format we have taken up (open discussion) is that we can't take up a certain viewpoint even if we want to bacuse we are dealing with unity in diversuty. So, as Gopal said, all of this will work itself into place as we go along. the important thing to understand as a group is that in the end our perception doesn't matter unless it leads to the perception that we are All One.
Secondly, the Gita is Krishna Himself, expounding on the importance of Dharma. But the Dharma Krishna is speaking of is not social, though dharma cannot be followed antisocially, but rather the Dharma of one seeking Truth. It has been said that the only true Dharma is the struggle for Self-Realization and although we can take the Gita from a literal point of view -- a battlefield and a lesson of dutiful action -- we must never stray from the Spiritual Analogy -- this battlefield is present in each of us. Krishna is our Self and Arjuna is our self and though we don't want to fight our beloved indriyas, they must be subdued in order for us ever find our True Being, which is Sat-Chit-Ananda. So Krishna is telling us all to follow our dharma presently, because it is His Will for us to realize our Freedom. Our bondage is dear to us like Arjuna's enemies that he loved, but the time came for him to fight and our time has come to fight as well -- that is why the Divine Mother has chosen this time for us to take up the Gita...Namaste.
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