starting afresh....

Come Jan 1st, Holy day like today, Vijayadasami....

Many like me make a vow.

Like the law of diminishing returns, the initial euphoria withers down as one progresses.

Yes nothing great is achieved if one loses constancy of purpose as Benjamin Disroeli says,"The secret of success is constancy of purpose".

The quote spurs me and my 10 year old niece Sivakami this Vijayadasami day to carry on our study of Bhagavadgita.  Our vow is to read a minimum of 2 slogans a day and the goal is to complete all chapters by next Vijaydasami day.  She agreed that we can't complete the study all at one go.  We believe in what Vincent Van Gogh says, "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together".

Day 1....it's great success.

Sloga 1 : The blind King Dratharashtra asks his minister Sanjay to narrate what happens at the battlefield of Kurukshetra as his son and his nephews with their respective army together gathered to fight each other.

Sanjaya is blessed with the unique ability to visualize things happening elsewhere and narrate what happens exactly as it is. He was not biased.

Sloga 2 : Though Duryodana came determined to fight the battle, the sheer look at the opponent side with none other than Lord Krsna Himself riding the chariot for Arjuna gives jitters to Duryodana. In his shiver, he approaches his Acharya Drona to speak to..

Hope we would be able to sustain our grit till the finish.

Girivalam July, 2010

It's on July, 25, 2010

One’s End begins………….

pasyaitam pandu-putranamacarya mahatim camum
vyudham drupada-putrenatava sisyena dhimata

- Slogan 3, Chapter 1, Arjuna vishadayoga


When studying at college, we used to write one memorable quote a day on the black board with the idea of spreading noble thoughts. One such quote was,

“Conscience is a watchdog that barks at sin”.

Here the covetous Duryodana usurped the legitimate kingdom of Pandavas and refused to give back after the latter’s period of exile was over. His conscience started pricking him.

To the blurred eyes of Duryodana, even the well-knit but limited army of Pandavas seemed monstrous. There is a saying in Tamil,

“…Arandavan kannukku irundathellaam pey…”.


He scolds his preceptor Drona and says, “ have a look at the great army of the sons of Pandu marshaled by your talented disciple and son of Drupada”.

When not so strong in one’s conviction and one is not fair and honest to one’s own self, it is the beginning of one’s end.

Brahadaranyak Upanishad:

“You are what your deep driving desire is;
As is your desire, so is your will;
As is your Will, so is your deed;
As is your deed, so is your destiny”

OMEN - GOOD OR EVIL

IT was about early 80s that I had the fortune to have my first conscious glimpse, - yes, just glimpse and not yet the viswarupa darshn-on the stupendous volume of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, the commentary  par excellence by Swami Chidbhavananda. Thanks to my uncle, a senior Chartered Accountant at Tiruchirapalli. My memory fails to recap the occasion precisely over which my uncle felt it needy to introduce me to this great treatise.

Perhaps, it might have been over my ignorant debate over right time, good, bad, omen - good or evil - to start over any good trial on auspicious note.

Well, talking about omen - good or evil, come on let us hear Lord Hrishikesa Himself:

na ca saknomy avasthatum
bhramativa ca me manah
nimittani ca pasyami
viparitani keshava

- Slogan 30, Adhyaya I ARJUNA VISHADA YOGA

The one dutiful, agile would go about doing one's duty for the sake of one's wont duty. That one has no time to seek guidance from omens. It is the weak and wavering who would dilly dally on the excuse of seeking guidance from omens.

At the outset...

The blog author is fully aware that he is not an authority on the subject.
Yet as one who loves to turn to Gita as often as is possible, the readers would find his perception and grasp of the subject. He takes every sincere care and uses best of his abilities to present his grasp in useful way.

GOSPEL

Hindus have enormous scriptures unlike others.

Christians can point to Bible;
Muslims to the Holy Quaran.

If a query is shot at a Hindu, he may get confused as to what one book he can with authority point to as his scripture. Saving grace is, despite enormous scriptures, Vedas serve as repository for all these scriptures to derive thier strength from.

The Upanishads carry the quintessence of the Vedas.
Bhagavad Gita capsules the succinct of the Upanishads.

Enjoy turning every leaf of Bhagavad Gita.

inviting.............

Welcome to gitadhyan.

As Bagavan Ramana Maharishi says, we are not just dying deh, man, buddhi [body, mind and intellect]. We are much more beyond all these. We are the eternal soul and spirit beyond what we identify or imprison our notion about ourselves to be.

I believe gita explodes these myths. When we have to live out of our body, mind and buddhi, at times of crises we grope. Gita is the powerful light-house showing safe direction to the tossing ships.

Hence this blog to share the guidance of Gita to live out life
blissfully,
skillfully,
dutifully,
responsibily.

In as simple a way as possible.

Enjoy life.