H for Health

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 G for Gratitude here.         

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Translation

Sattvic foods increase the duration of life (ayuh), purify one’s existence (sattva) and give strength (bala), health (arogya), happiness (sukha) and satisfaction (priti vardhana). Foods which are juicy (rasya), made from healthy fats (snigdha), nourishing (sthira), and pleasing to the heart (hrdya) are healthy foods.

Why sattvic food?

Food is not merely something to fill our stomachs with. Krishna says that sattvic food has the power to not only nourish us but also purify our mind and body. Sattvic food shapes the way we think, speak, and act. It keeps us healthy, mentally and physically. If we remember that food has to be offered to Krishna before we eat, we will also be conscious of what we eat and how well we prepare it.

A story from the Mahabharata.

Bhishma pitamaha lay on the bed of arrows, watching the rest of the war unfold before his eyes. By the time the war came to an end, most of the blood had flowed out of his frail body. Yet, he looked on, waiting to be assured that his precious Hastinapur would be in safe hands. Having the boon of ‘ichha mrutyu’, he could choose the time of his death and so he had not yet given up his mortal body, waiting to see the Pandavas emerge victorious.

After the war, the Pandavas, stood around him, devastated by the sight of their great-grandfather lying in that state. Even as they shed tears, Bhishma was instructed by Krishna to impart wisdom on dharma to Yudhishthira and his brothers.

As Bhishma spoke with clarity about righteousness, duty, kingship, and ethics, a question arose, often attributed to Yudhishthira or to other members present at the scene –

‘You possess such deep understanding of dharma, but why did you remain silent when you saw injustice happening? Why did you not stop the humiliation of Draupadi in the court? Why did you not oppose the wrongful acts of Duryodhana?’

Bhishma smiled sadly.

‘During my years in Hastinapur, I lived under the protection and patronage of the Kauravas. I ate their food, was sustained by their wealth, and bound by loyalty to the throne of Hastinapura. Over time, this dependence clouded my judgment.’

Bhishma says that the food he consumed, earned through Duryodhana’s unjust rule, affected his clarity of mind. It dulled his ability to act decisively for dharma. Only now, after his body had been pierced and that ‘tainted blood’ had flowed out, did he regain full clarity and detachment to speak purely of righteousness.

Is it only about food?

This explanation is not merely about the food we eat. Whatever one accepts, materially or morally, shapes one’s thinking. To stay healthy mentally and physically, we must be careful not only about the food we put into our mouths but also the thoughts we feed into our minds, and the dependency we allow into our lives. 

   

 

G for Gratitude

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 F for Faith here.

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Translation 

In this verse, Krishna tells us to offer unto him first, whatever we consume. That way, it frees us from attachment and sin. It is only right to show gratitude to him for everything that he has given us.

Does Krishna need our offering?

 

This verse is not just about offering food to Krishna before we eat. Wouldn't it be like taking a glass of water from the ocean and offering it back to the ocean? When he is the provider, what is the point in offering it to him? Krishna himself says that he accepts anything that you offer with love - be it a leaf (patram), flower (pushpam), fruit (phalam) , or even water (toyam). So this is not just about offering, it is about love and gratitude. 

We are not independent entities. Our lives depend on several others and above all on Krishna himself as indicated in the subsequent verses. Showing gratitude keeps us grounded, and aware of this fact. 

The story of Sudama.

 

We read the story of Krishna and Sudama as an example of friendship, but it is also a story of gratitude and affection. 

Sudama and Krishna were the best of friends as students in the gurukul of Guru Sandipani. While Krishna went on become the king of Dwarka, Sudama lived a life of piety, worship, and unwavering devotion to Krishna. He found contentment in his poverty, offering whatever he had to Krishna before partaking it. Once, nudged by his wife to seek help from his wealthy friend, he went to Dwarka. Having nothing much to offer, Sudama carried a tiny bundle of flattened rice as an offering for his friend. 

When Krishna saw his childhood friend, he ran towards him and embraced him warmly, treating him like a king. Though Sudama felt ashamed of his humble offering, Krishna accepted it with deep joy, seeing the love behind it. Sudama could not bring himself to ask for his help, and returned home with the bliss of having met Krishna. When he returned, his hut had transformed into a palace filled with everything one could think of. Krishna had given him everything without asking for it.  Sudama was filled with gratitude—for true friendship that gives without being asked and remembers without being reminded. 

     

Let's be grateful.

 Bearing a sense of gratitude to everyone who makes life here possible for us, makes our hearts lighter and happier. Who/What are you grateful to/for?

 

 

F for Faith

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 E for Ephemeral nature of life here.        

 

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Translation

Krishna says, a person is made of their faith (sraddha); whatever one’s faith is, that they become. 

One’s faith depends on their nature, not on the environment they are in. An inherent sattvic nature brings about faith in the mode of goodness. A rajasic nature brings out faith in the mode of passion. A tamasic nature brings about faith in the mode of darkness, and illusion.

 The story of Prahalada.

The story of Hiranyakasyapu and Prahalada emphasises how complete faith in the Supreme protects us from all dangers and evil.

Hirayakasyapu was a demon king, egocentric, pompous, powerful and wicked. He hated Maha Vishnu and considered him his enemy. His subjects were forced to chant his name and sing his praise and forbidden from worshipping Vishnu. When his son Prahalada was born, he became a devotee of Vishnu, singing his praise and chanting his name at all times, by the grace of sage Narada.

Hiranyakshayapu was angry.

Hiranyakasyapu ordered Prahalada’s death, unbothered by the child’s tender age. He tried poisoning him, getting him trampled under wild elephants, throwing him from the mountains, and finally burning him in a pyre. So strong was Prahalada’s faith in Vishnu that he chanted Vishnu’s name as he went through the ordeals and escaped unscathed each time.

Hiranyakashyapu was invincible.

He was seething with anger. He was sure he could not be defeated by Vishnu for he had the most unlikely boon that he had obtained from Lord Brahma.  He could not be killed by any man or animal. He could not be killed during the day nor at night. He could not be killed by any weapon. He could not be killed either outside or inside the house. If the gods declared war, he was invincible. 

Hiranyakashyapu demanded to know where Vishnu was.

Prahalada with folded palms said, 'Father, Bhagavan Vishnu is all pervading. He is everywhere. There is no place where he is not present.'

‘Is he in this pillar?’ he thundered. 'If he is there, let him come out before I sever your head from your body.'

‘He is, father. He is everywhere, he is in this pillar too,’ said little Prahalada, with complete faith in Vishnu and unafraid of the demon king. 

Hiranyakasyapu broke open the pillar with a strike of his mace and Maha Vishnu sprang out of it – in a form no one had seen before. 

Vishnu did not let his little devotee down.

Lord Vishnu broke out of the pillar, appearing as Narasimha, with the face of a terrifying lion and body of a man. Lord Brahma's boon no longer could protect the demon. Lord Narasimha was neither a man nor an animal, yet he was half man and half animal.  He growled fiercely as walked up to the demon, and all the fourteen worlds shook with his roar. Thunder and lightening struck the entire universe. 

The sun had not yet set. It was dusk, the time opportune, it was neither day nor night. The Lord carried the demon king to the threshold of the house. The demon was now neither inside nor outside the house. He placed the demon on his lap and with the slightest touch of his sharp nails – needing no weapon – tore open his belly, killing him instantly.

Prahalada’s faith in Maha Vishnu did not dwindle even for a fraction of a second. Shri Vishnu did not break his little’s devotee’s faith either.

                                                                 

How strong is your faith in the Supreme?

Our belief and faith are conditioned by the nature of our soul. If our faith in the Supreme is strong, we can be sure that the one we trust will never let us down.    

 Read G for Gratitude here.

E for Ephemeral nature of life

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 D for Determination, Discipline and Devotion here. 

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Translation 

In this verse, Krishna talks about the ephemeral nature of life. Nothing that is born, lives forever. Just like we discard (vihaya) the worn clothes (jirna vasam/vastra) and wear new ones (navani ghrna), the soul takes on a new body (navam deha) after discarding (vihaya) the old one (jirna). 

How long do we want to live? 

Everyone wants to live forever. But every living creature - a blade of grass, a tiny bacterial cell, a bird, animal or a human being - has only a finite time on earth. Krishna tells us that the body is ephemeral, not the soul, for the soul never dies. It merely leaves one body and takes on another. He asks us not grieve for the body that is temporary and instead nourish our soul that lives on forever.  

A story from the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Srimad Bhagavatam narrates the story of Chitraketu, a King who ruled over Surasena near Mathura. Despite having several queens, he was childless. He desperately longed for an offspring and after conducting several rituals, his queen Krtyadyuti was finally blessed with a son. The king and queen doted on the child and were extremely attached to him. But the other queens were jealous of the prince and secretly poisoned him one day. 

The king and queen were devastated and could not get over the loss of their child, crying uncontrollably. Seeing their pitiable condition, Sage Narada decided to bring the soul of the dead child back to Chitraketu. The soul was given the permission to re-enter his body and continue his life as a prince. 

'Which body should I enter, oh, sage?' asked the soul. 'This is not my first birth, I have lived several lives before. I have had a mother, a father, friends and relatives in each birth. These relationships are temporary. They are only bound to the body. The soul has no such bond.' 

Hearing the soul speak thus, Chitraketu understood the eternal truth. He and the queen were able to let go of their attachment to their son and bid his body a farewell.  

Our lifespan is finite. 

This is the only truth, though it is bitter. When our time is spent, we will leave with nothing, neither our body, nor our wealth, nor our relationships. Yet we spend our lifetime acquiring exactly that, which will not accompany us. 

What is it that we should strive to accumulate then? What will we carry with us? Doesn't that make you ponder?   

Read F for Faith here.

 

D for Determination, Discipline and Devotion

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 C for Compassion here.

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Translation 

In this verse, Krishna says, that our mind and senses tend to waver all the time - control your mind and senses or they will control you.  An unwavering determination (dhriti) that comes from devotion enables a person to control his mind (manah), life (prana) and senses (indriya).

                     

Why goals don't work?

How often we set goals for ourselves - lose weight, study for a set time period everyday, go for a walk everyday, spend less time on social media, limit unnecessary spending, so on and so forth - but within few days of starting, we are back to square one. Have you ever wondered what went wrong? 

Being determined and disciplined.

The Gita says, unless one is rooted in firm determination and discipline, no goal can be achieved. Any sportsman will vouch for this. An athlete who ran a 100m race in 9.58 seconds and won the race, had practiced running consistently, for 3 hours everyday, six times a week! The mind might have asked him to rest, or have a cheat day, the limbs might have begged to be excused, but he did not let his mind or senses take control, and that showed in the results. We only see the 10 second run, but what we do not see is over 6500 hours of determined effort that went behind it.

                  

A Story from Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

Srimad Bhagavatham tells the story of young Dhruva, the son of King Uttanapada and his second wife, Suniti.  He was merely five-years old when he wished to sit on his father's lap like his step brother, Uttama. His step mother, Suruchi denied him this simple desire, mocking him to pray to Vishnu and be reborn as her son if he wanted to be adored by the King. 

Little Dhruva took her words to heart and set out to the forest to do penance. With great determination and discipline, he meditated on Shri Vishnu for five months, gradually giving up food, water and even restricting his breath. The first month, he ate fruits and berries once in every three days. In the second month, he ate dry leaves, once in every six days. In the third month, he drank only water once in every nine days. In the fourth month, he inhaled air once every twelve days, holding it in. By the fifth month, he had mastered the art of holding his breath completely, standing tall balancing on just the tip of his right toe. Pleased with these extreme austerities and seeing the determination of the young boy, Vishnu granted him the boon of immortality and a awarded him the position of a fixed star in the sky - the Dhruva Nakshatra or the Pole Star. 

                             

Can we be Dhruva? 

The example cannot and does not seek to be replicated. However, it shows us how immense the power of determination and discipline combined with devotion is. The mind may look for reasons to give up, the senses may wander, but with unwavering devotion in the supreme, anyone who can keep them under control, eventually succeeds.