|
|
|
Highest
knowledge in a simplified form
Bhagavad Gita is the scripture of Indian spirituality and
philosophy describing all aspects of life leading to liberation. It
was spoken by Lord Krishna to His dear devotee, Arjuna on the
battlefield of Kurukshetra, more than five thousand years ago. No
Indian thought is complete without this most sacred text, the
Bhagavad Gita. Describing the importance of hearing and reciting
Bhagavad Gita, Lord Siva narrates delightful stories to his consort,
Parvati Devi. The importance of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is
thus described in story format. These stories are found in the Padma
Purana. In this wonderful tales of wisdom from ancient India,
there are many colourful characters like talking parrots, giant
swans, lordly elephants as well as kings, saints and sinners, who
teach us how to get free from the endless cycle of birth and death,
simply by remembering the immortal words of Lord Krishna in the
Bhagavad Gita (song of God).
Glories of Gita through
Stories
(The Glories of Chapter One of the
Bhagavad Gita from the Padma Purana)
by Dr. R. Thiagarajan |
|
|
|
| |
Goddess Parvati said to Lord Shiva “My dear
husband, You know all the transcendental truths, and by your mercy I
have heard the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord
Krishna. Oh Lord, now I long to hear from You, the glories of the
Srimad Bhagavad Gita which was spoken by Lord Krishna; by hearing
which, one’s devotion to Lord Krishna increases”
Lord Shiva replied “That person, Whose body is like the
colour of a dark rain cloud, whose carrier is the king of birds,
Garuda, and Who is lying on Ananta-Sesha (the thousand headed
serpent), that Lord Vishnu, Whose glories have no limit, I am always
worshipping. My dear Parvati, once, after Lord Vishnu had killed the
demon Mura, He was resting peacefully on Ananta-Sesha, when the
bestower of all good fortune of the universe, Sri Lakshmi,
respectfully enquired Him, the following:”
“Bhagavan, You are the controller and maintainer of the whole
universe, but yet You are sleeping unhappily on this Ocean of Milk.
What is the reason?”
Lord Vishnu said, “My dear Lakshmi, I am not sleeping,
but I am watching how wonderfully My energy is working. It is by
this wonderful energy of Mine, by which I am controlling all things,
and yet remain separate. And it is by remembering these divine
activities of Mine, that the great devotees and yogis manage to free
themselves from the wheel of birth and death, and attain that
transcendental nature of Mine, which is eternal and free from all
qualities.”
Lakshmi said “O, controller of all things. You are the
goal of the meditation of great yogis. Nothing can go on without
You. And yet You are separate. You are the cause of creation,
maintenance and destruction of all the material universes. Kindly
inform me about the workings of Your wonderful energies, which are
so attractive, that even You are lying here, meditating upon them”
Lord Vishnu said “My dear Lakshmi, the workings of My
multi-fold energies, and how to become free from the bonds of birth
and death, and attain My eternal Nature, can only be understood by
one of pure intelligence, who has an inclination to render service
unto Me. This transcendental knowledge is fully explained in the
Srimad Bhagavad Gita”
Lakshmi inquired “My dear Lord, if you yourself are
amazed, by the workings of Your energies, and are ever trying to
fathom their limit, then how is it possible that the Bhagavad Gita
can describe those unlimited energies of Yours, and how to cross
over them, and attain the transcendental nature?”
Lord Vishnu said, “I Myself have manifested in the Form
of Bhagavad Gita. Please understand that the first five chapters are
My five heads, the next ten chapters are My ten Arms, and the
Sixteenth Chapter is My stomach. The last two chapters are My
lotus-feet. In this way you should understand the transcendental
Deity of the Bhagavad Gita. This Bhagavad Gita is the destroyer of
all sins. That intelligent man, who daily recites one chapter or
even one shloka, one half shloka, or at least one quarter shloka,
will attain the same position as Susharma had attained.”
Lakshmi inquired, “Who was Susharma? What class did he
belong to? And what destination did he attain?”
Lord Vishnu narrated the following: Susharma was a very
wicked and a most sinful man. Although he was born in a Brahmin
family, his family had no Vedic knowledge. And he only took pleasure
from hurting others. He never engaged in the chanting of My names,
in giving charity, or receiving guests. In fact, he never performed
any pious activities. For his livelihood, he collected leaves, and
sold them in the bazaar. He especially enjoyed drinking wine, and
eating flesh. In this way he passed his life. One day that foolish
Susharma had gone to the garden of one sage for collecting leaves,
when a snake came and bit him, and he died. After his death, he was
cast into many hells, where he suffered for a long time. After which
he attained the body of a bull. That bull was purchased by a
crippled man, who engaged him in his service. For about seven or
eight years, he was carrying extremely heavy loads. One day, that
crippled man had piled a very heavy load onto the back of his bull.
Very quickly he was forcing that bull along, when suddenly the bull
fell over and became unconscious. Many persons gathered there, to
see what was happening, feeling sorry for that bull. One pious man
bestowed upon that bull the results of some of his pious activities
(punyas). Seeing that, other persons standing there started
remembering their pious activities, and offered the results of some
of those punyas to that bull. In that crowd, there was also one
prostitute who did not know, if she had ever performed any pious
activities, but seeing everyone else offering their pious credits to
that bull, she also offered the results of any pious activities she
might have performed. After that, the bull died, and was taken to
the abode of Yamaraja, the God of Death.
There, Yamaraja informed him, “You are now free from the
reactions of all your previous sinful deeds, due to the pious
credits given to you by that prostitute.” Then he took
birth in a Brahmin family. In that birth, he was able to remember
his past lives. After many days, he decided to search out that
prostitute, who had been the cause of freeing him from hell.
After he had found and introduced himself to that lady, he enquired
her “What were the pious activities performed by you, the
fruits of which freed me from hell?” The prostitute replied to
him, “My dear sir, in that cage is one parrot, which recites
something everyday. Hearing that recitation, my heart has become
completely pure. The results of hearing that recitation I had given
to you.” Thereafter, they both enquired that parrot about
that recitation. That parrot, remembering his previous life, started
to narrate his history. “Previously, I had been a very
learned Vedic Pandit. But due to my pride, I used to insult other
learned persons. I was also extremely jealous. After I died, I was
cast into many hells, and after a long time of suffering, I achieved
this body of a parrot. Due to my past sinful activities, my mother
and father died, while I was a baby. One day, while I was lying on
the hot sands, with no protection, some rishis saw me, and took me
to their ashram, and put me in a cage. At that same place, the
children of those rishis were learning the recitation of the First
Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Hearing them repeat those
Shlokas, I also, started repeating those shlokas along with them.
Shortly after, one thief stole me from that place and sold me to
this pious lady.”
Lord Vishnu continued: By reciting the First Chapter of the
Bhagavad Gita that parrot had become completely pure. And by hearing
that recitation, that prostitute also became completely pure. And by
receiving some of the pious results of hearing that recitation,
Susharma also became completely pure. After discussing for some time
the glories of the first chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Susharma returned
to his home, and the three of them individually engaged in reciting
the First Chapter of Srimad
Bhagavad Gita, and very quickly attained the supreme destination,
Vaikuntha.
Anyone
who recites, who hears, or studies the First Chapter of Bhagavad
Gita, will very easily cross over the ocean of material miseries,
and attain the service of the Lotus-feet of Lord Krishna.
|
| |
| |
 |
*
The online payment is for overseases customers only |
| |
In India:
EXPRESS STARTELLER
The Manager
Express Estates, Club House Rd.,
Mount Road, Chennai - 600002
Phone : +(91)-(44)-28460245
+(91)-(44)-28460245 / 28460517
E-mail :
stars@starteller.com |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
