V for Virtues

 

The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure trove of knowledge - all that you need to be is an inquisitive student, because only when the student is ready, the master appears! Join me this month in the 'April A to Z challenge,' as I take you through selected verses of this monumental scripture, and try to decipher the amazing lessons it has in store for us.       

Read U for Upliftment here.           

Translation

In this verse, Shri Krishna describes twenty-six virtues that befit a saintly person – fearlessness (abhayam), purity of mind (sattva), steadfastness in spiritual knowledge (jnana yoga), charity (dana), control of the senses (damah), sacrifice (yajna), study of the sacred books (svadhyaya) , austerity (tapah) , and straightforwardness (arjavam); non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satyam), absence of anger (akrodah), renunciation (tyagah), peacefulness (shantih), restraint from fault-finding (apaishunam), compassion toward all living beings (daya), absence of covetousness (aloloptvam), gentleness (mardavam), modesty (hrih), and lack of fickleness (achapalam); vigour (tejah), forgiveness (kshama), fortitude (dhritih), cleanliness (shaucham), bearing enmity toward none (adroham), and absence of vanity (atimanita).

Story of Daksh Prajapati, Sati and Lord Shiva

Once upon a time, all the prajapatis or leaders performed a great sacrifice. It was well attended by all the great sages, philosophers, demigods and fire-gods and their followers.

Dakṣha was the leader of the Prajapatis. When he entered that assembly, all the fire-gods and other participants in that great assembly, with the exception of Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, stood up in respect for Dakṣha. Since Lord Brahma was his father, Daksha offered respects to him and sat down. Daksha was quite offended to see Lord Shiva sitting and not showing him any respect.

Daksha’s virtues get overshadowed.

Daksha felt insulted. His pride told him that he was leader of all leaders, the son of Lord Brahma, and deserved to be respected. His ego told him that since Lord Shiva was married to his daughter Sati, he was expected to bow to Daksha, since the father-in-law is equal to a guru.

But he had forgotten that despite being his son-in-law, Lord Shiva was much higher in position. Full of ego and pride, Daksha insulted Lord Shiva, using vile words. He forbade Shiva from receiving any share in the oblations of sacrifice.

Lord Shiva, embodying the Gita’s teaching of absence of anger (akrodha) and inner calm (shanti), did not react. He simply withdrew.

 Sati faces humiliation.

Sometime later, Sati came to know of a ‘vajapeya yagna’ being held at her father’s house. Not knowing about her husband’s insult by her father, she insisted on going though they had not been invited. When Shiva did not accompany her, she marched off alone.

Once at her father’s palace, she not only felt unwelcome by him but also realised that he had not kept a share of the oblations of sacrifice for her husband. This insult was too much for her to bear. She was too embarrassed to go back to her husband, and after cursing her father, jumped into the sacrificial fire giving up her life.

While the divine virtues lead to harmony, forsaking them lead to chaos. Pride led to humiliation, which in turn led to suffering and lastly to destruction.

Lord Shiva unleashes Veerabhadra.

Lord Shiva did not mind his own humiliation, but when he came to know that his dear wife, Sati had also not been spared, he could bear it no more. He unleashed his own fearful form – Veerabhadra, on Daksha. Daksha finally paid for his mistake, when Veerabhadra severed off his head and threw it into the sacrificial fire. Later, all the gods prayed to Lord Shiva, and showing forgiveness (kshama) and compassion (daya), Lord Shiva gave Dakska the head of a goat.

Finding balance.

Daksha failed to show many of the virtues - purity of mind, control of his senses, absence of anger, vanity, restraint in finding fault, and bearing hostility towards Lord Shiva, the one who should have been worshipped. Lord Shiva on the other hand, did not get angry when humiliated, stayed calm and also forgave Daksha out of compassion.

 

Virtues bring about inner discipline.

This verse serves as a measure of our own spiritual growth. It is not easy to be perfect from the first moment itself, but with conscious practice and making Krishna our guide, it is not impossible either. These are the virtues that help us achieve inner peace and harmony. Turning away from them can bring conflict and discord.

 

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U for Upliftment

The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure trove of knowledge - all that you need to be is an inquisitive student, because only when the student is ready, the master appears! Join me this month in the 'April A to Z challenge,' as I take you through selected verses of this monumental scripture, and try to decipher the amazing lessons it has in store for us.              

Read T for Truth here.    

Translation

Even if a person has lived a very sinful life (su-duracharah), if they turn to the Divine with single-pointed devotion (ananya-bhak), they should be regarded as righteous (sadhuh), because their resolve is now rightly directed (samyak vyasvasthitah).

 If there is ever an iota of doubt in our mind, whether we are eligible for Krishna’s bhakti or not, on account of us having committed sins in the past, Krishna removes those misgivings in this verse. He says that if a devotee has turned towards him, and is on the path of dharma and unwavering bhakti now, Krishna considers him a sadhu – a righteous person, irrespective of what his past has been.

 

The story of Ajamila from the Srimad Bhagavatham.

Ajamila was once a virtuous and disciplined Brahmin, devoted to righteous living. He lived his life with discipline and integrity, following dharma as expected of him.

However, he became infatuated with a woman of questionable character. His mind wavered and he abandoned both his family, and his morals and principles.  To support his new life and growing family, he began to earn money through dishonest means. He engaged in cheating and deceit, stealing and exploiting others, gambling and manipulation and lived life without any regard for truth or dharma. Losing all spiritual awareness, he became attached to worldly pleasures.

The Turning Point

Ajamila begot ten sons, the youngest of whom was called Narayana. He was very fond of his youngest son. As Ajamila lay on his death bed, he saw the Yamadutas – the order carriers of Yamaraja – had come to take his soul for punishment. He was terrified and seeing his youngest son nearby, called out to him, ‘Narayana, Narayana!’

Though he was calling his son, the name he uttered was that of Maha Vishnu. The moment he called the divine name, he suddenly remembered Lord Narayana whom he had long forgotten.

Immediately, the messengers of Vishnu arrived there and stopped the Yamadutas. They declared that anyone who utters the Lord’s name is freed from their sins, not just of this life but of several past lives. Hence he should not be punished by Yamaraja.

Simply by once chanting the holy name of Narayana, Ajamila became free from his sins.

The Upliftment

Ajamila understood how fortunate he had been to have chanted the holy name of Narayana at the end of his life. He lamented very much for leading a sinful life and he condemned himself again and again. He regained his awareness, gave up everything and went to Haridwar and devoted himself to devotional service of the Lord. Over time, he purified his mind and when his life came to an end, the Vishnudutas took him to Vaikunta and he attained liberation.

 

The thoughts at the end of life.

In the Gita, Krishna says, 'Whatever one remembers while giving up the body at the time of death, he attains that state.'

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6)

Jada Bharata died thinking of the deer, and attained the body of a deer in his next life. Ajamila, on the other hand, called out for Narayana. Though he called his son and did not actually think of Lord Narayana out of devotion, he still attained liberation. Since everyone has sinned at some point in life, Ajamila's story give us hope that all is not lost. We just have to realise our sins, repent for it with a pure heart and turn towards him in devotion. 

Simply chanting Krishna’s name can uplift us. Since we don’t know when our end is written, Krishna tells us to keep remembering him every moment of our life.

 Read V for Virtues here.

 

T for Truth

 

The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure trove of knowledge - all that you need to be is an inquisitive student, because only when the student is ready, the master appears! Join me this month in the 'April A to Z challenge,' as I take you through selected verses of this monumental scripture, and try to decipher the amazing lessons it has in store for us.         

Read S for Surrender here.    

Translation

Words that do not cause distress (anudvegakaram), are truthful (satyam), inoffensive (priya), and beneficial (beneficial), as well as regular recitation of the Vedic scriptures (swadhyaya abhyasa) —these are declared as austerity (tapa) of speech (vangmayam).

The tongue is one of the most important sense organs. Spoken words are like arrows; they cannot be taken back. They can either cause distress or are pleasing to the listener. Words spoken should be truthful and pleasing – but is it possible to be both?

How should truth be spoken?

The Manusmriti (4.138) says,

satyaṁ brūyāt priyaṁ brūyān na brūyāt satyam apriyam
priyaṁ cha nānṛitaṁ brūyād eṣha dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

Speak the truth in such a way that it is pleasing to others. Do not speak the truth in a manner injurious to others. Never speak untruth, though it may be pleasant. This is the eternal path of morality and dharma.

The story of Yudhishthira and the Half-Truth

During the great war of Kurukshetra, Guru Dronacharya was nearly impossible to defeat. He would only lay down his weapons if he believed his son, Ashwatthama, had died.

A plan was devised. An elephant named Ashwatthama was killed, and then Yudhishthira was asked to announce that Ashwatthama was dead. Since Yudhishthira never spoke untruth, Drona would believe him.

When the others brought Drona the news of Ashwatthama’s death, he could not believe them. So he asked Yudhishthira.

Yudhishthira slowly spoke the words:  अश्वत्थामा हतो हतः, नरो वा कुञ्जरो वा ।
‘Ashwatthama is dead…’ and then quietly added, ‘whether man or elephant.’

But at that very moment, loud noises drowned out the last part. Dronacharya heard only the first sentence. Trusting Yudhishthira, who had never lied, he was overcome with grief and laid down his arms. He was then defeated.

The Moral Weight of Truth

Although Yudhishthira technically did not lie, this half-truth had consequences. It is said that until that moment, his chariot floated slightly above the ground due to his perfect virtue. After this incident, it touched the earth.

This story tells us that truth is not just about words being factually correct, but also about intent, clarity, and moral responsibility.

A story from the Chandogya Upanishad – The Boy Who Chose Truth Over Shame.

Satyakama was a young boy who wished to study spiritual knowledge. In those days, a student had to approach a teacher and state his lineage. So he went to his mother, Jabala, and asked:

‘Mother, what is my family lineage?’

She replied with complete honesty, ‘I served in many places when I was young, and I do not know who your father is. My name is Jabala, and you are Satyakama. So, you should call yourself Satyakama Jabala.’

This was not an easy truth to carry. In that society, lineage mattered deeply. Yet Satyakama accepted it without hesitation.

The Test of Truth

He went to the sage Gautama Rishi and asked to become his student.

The sage asked, ‘What is your lineage?’

Satyakama replied exactly as his mother had told him, without hiding or softening anything.

The sage was deeply moved. He said, ‘Only a true Brahmana can speak such fearless truth. Bring the firewood, my child. I accept you as my student.’

Satyakama was not judged by birth, but by truthfulness. His honesty itself revealed his inner worth.

 

Truth may not always be comfortable, but it is liberating; it makes one fearless. A person who is honest reveals more about his character than any background can. Finally, spiritual growth begins with only with truthfulness.

S for Surrender

The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure trove of knowledge - all that you need to be is an inquisitive student, because only when the student is ready, the master appears! Join me this month in the 'April A to Z challenge,' as I take you through selected verses of this monumental scripture, and try to decipher the amazing lessons it has in store for us.   

Read R for Resilience here.               

Translation

This is the grand finale of the Gita. After advising the entire Gita to Arjuna, Krishna asks him to surrender to him completely.

In this verse, Krishna says, ‘Abandon (partityajya) all dharma (sarva dharman) and just surrender (sharanam vraja) unto Me alone (mam ekam). I shall deliver you (moksha ish yami) from all sins (papebhyo). Do not fear (ma shuchah).’

What is surrender or sharanagathi?

In the simplest terms, it means not having a plan B and having complete trust in Krishna, irrespective of the results. The results may not always be what we desired, but if have surrendered unto him then we should have complete trust that what he does is for our best.

Krishna begins advising the Gita to Arjuna only after he surrenders completely – śhiṣhyaste ’haṁ śhādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam  (BG 2.7) - 'I am Your disciple, and I surrender to You. Please instruct me for certain what is best for me.'

If we desire to experience Krishna's grace, surrendering to Him is the only way.

The story of Gajendra from Srimad Bhagavatam.

Indradyumna was a pious and noble king. Once, while he was meditating, Sage Agastya came to see him but the king was lost in meditation and did not welcome the sage. Angered by this, Agastya cursed him to be reborn as an elephant that instant.

Indradyumna was reborn as Gajendra, a powerful elephant king who lived in the lush Trikuta forest with his wife, children and herd. One day, while enjoying a bath in a lake with his herd, a crocodile suddenly caught his leg.

Gajendra tried for several hundred years to free himself. He first used all his strength, then his family tried to help, but nothing worked. Eventually, he was exhausted and helpless. Gajendra realized that his own power was not enough.

In that moment of total surrender, he turned inward and prayed deeply to Vishnu, calling out with complete faith. He offered a lotus with his trunk and cried for divine help.

Moved by his sincere surrender, Vishnu immediately appeared, riding the Garuda. He swiftly defeated the crocodile and freed Gajendra. The crocodile was also a cursed Gandharva king name Huhu, who was liberated when the Sudarshana chakra severed his head. Gajendra too attained spiritual liberation through his devotion.

 

The Story of Draupadi’s Vastraharan.

The evil Dushasana gleefully pulled Draupadi’s robes even as she pleaded for help in the court of King Dhridharashtra. She first begged the king to stop his son. When that failed, she pleaded with the court elders like Bheeshma, Guru Dronacharya and Kripacharya. They pleaded their inability to help her. Then she turned towards her husbands, but they were bound by Duryodhana’s wicked rules. Helpless from all quarters, she used the strength in her hands to hold her robe, and finally clutched at her robe with her teeth. That is when she realised that, her own power could not hold on for long.

She let go of her robes and raised her hands in surrender to Krishna. At that very moment, a miracle occurred. As Dushasana pulled at her robes, it became endless. No matter how much he tried, the cloth kept extending infinitely, protecting her dignity. Exhausted, he finally collapsed, unable to disrobe her.

The essence of both the stories is simple yet thought-provoking: when our ego and self-reliance give way to surrender with complete faith, divine grace responds.

Does it mean we should give up our efforts?

Not at all. Gita urges us to do our work with complete dedication – śhreyān swa-dharmo – BG 3.35; satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samāchara – BG 3.19; karmaṇy-evādhikāras te – BG 2.47

The simple learning from this most important verse is that Krishna asks us to work hard, but give up the fruits of our efforts and surrender to him completely trusting that he knows what we deserve.

Why surrender?

Surrender, because He knows best.

If we look at a simple worldly example, when we are unwell and we go to the doctor, we don’t tell him what to prescribe, neither do we instruct the doctor to give us tablets instead of an IV. We may not like to be pricked with a needle, but the doctor knows it is best for us at that given time. We leave it to him because we trust that he knows best. If we can surrender our life to a mortal, can we not surrender to Krishna? Even if the results are not what we expected, we must still trust that he knows what's best for us at that given time. 

Surrender, because He’ll never let go of us.

To give another example, when a father throws the child high up in the air, the child laughs, enjoying the thrill of flying up. She is not worried whether her father will catch her or let her fall to the ground as she comes down. The father can still make a mistake and drop the child, but Krishna will never let go. He’ll catch us the minute we call for him.

 Read T for Truth here.

R for Resilience

The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure trove of knowledge - all that you need to be is an inquisitive student, because only when the student is ready, the master appears! Join me this month in the 'April A to Z challenge,' as I take you through selected verses of this monumental scripture, and try to decipher the amazing lessons it has in store for us.      

Read Q for Quietude here.            

Translation.

In this verse, Krishna says that just like winter (shita) and summer (ushna) come in succession, happiness (sukha) and distress (dukkha) also follow one another. Both come (agama) and go (apayinah) and are non-permanent (anityas) and they are merely a reflection of our senses (matra sparsha) perceiving them. One must learn to be resilient (titishashva) and tolerate them without being disturbed.

Kunti’s story of resilience from the Mahabharata/ Srimad Bhagavatam.

The story of Kunti from the Mahabharata also appears in the Bhagavatam. Her resilience is unmatched in the face of repeated suffering: widowhood, exile, danger to her sons, and constant uncertainty.

Abandonment in childhood.

Kunti was born as Princess Pritha, but was given away by her father to King Kuntibhoj to be raised thus losing her birth family early. As a young girl, she unknowingly invoked a divine mantra and gave birth to a son, whom she had to abandon out of fear of social disgrace.

Tumultuous marriage.

She married Pandu, only to learn he was cursed and could not father children. To preserve the royal lineage, she bore sons through divine intervention, sharing the mantra with the co-wife Madri, carrying both duty and secrecy.

After Pandu’s death, she became a widow in the forest, responsible for raising five young sons alone.

Danger at every step.

Returning to the royal court, she had to protect her sons from constant hostility and plots by the Kauravas – Duryodhana poisoning Bheema, Lakshagriha and repeated attempts to sideline the Pandavas politically, denying them their rightful share of the kingdom.

Grief manifold.

Karna never accepted her as his mother. She had to live with the anguish of not knowing which of her sons would survive in the battle of Kurukshetra. Finally, she had to bear the grief of Karna’s death.

An epitome of resilience.

After the war was over and Krishna was preparing to return to Dwarka, he told her, 'I shall grant you a boon. What do you want?' 

 Despite all the difficulties she had to endure all her life she prayed to Krishna,  'Give me more difficulties, Krishna.'

 Krishna was surprised at this uncanny request. 'People ask for happiness when they seek a boon, and you are asking for difficulties?'

She replied, 'Whenever times were tough, Krishna, you were always beside us, protecting us. And now when the peace has returned, you are going away, leaving us alone. The tough times did come, but they did not last. They were immediately followed by good times due to your grace. I would not mind tolerating more difficulties because that way, I will always remember you and be blessed with your presence and grace.'

 

Kunti's story is inspiring and also teaches us a few valuable lessons. Neither tough times nor good times last forever. With Krishna by our side, it makes us strong enough to be tolerant during difficult times and be humble during happy times. May we be blessed with the resilience of Kunti. 

Read S for Surrender here.