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. 

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.    

 

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.  

 

 

C for Compassion

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 B for Balance here. 

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Translation 

In this verse, Krishna says that those who are free of hatred (advesta) for fellow living beings (sarva bhutanam) , those who treat everyone with friendship (maitri) and compassion (karuna) , are the ones dear to him.

Compassion is a rare quality. 

It is not easy to feel the pain and suffering of others as one’s own. We may sympathise with the suffering of others. But compassion is not just sympathy where we feel sorry for someone. We may sometimes understand or feel the pain of others too. But merely showing empathy is not enough. The third step is the most important - putting our willingness to help in action. Unless we take action, it cannot be called compassion.

One may or may not find time to worship, or carry out elaborate rituals. However, if one is compassionate towards fellow living beings, they are already dear to Krishna. It is the true way to show one’s love for God.  

                   

A story from the Mahabharata.

In the Mahabharata we find a story of King Rantideva. He was born in the lineage of King Bharata. He was known for his immense generosity and kindness. He did not believe in hoarding wealth and gradually emptied his coffers helping people in need.

Reduced to abject poverty, he and his family had been starving for 48 days.  On the 49^th day, he received a small quantity of porridge and some water. Just as they were about to eat, three hungry guests, knocked at his door one by one, asking for food. Seeing someone hungrier than him, Rantideva was overcome with compassion and gave them each a share of the food. Later a chandala came crying of thirst and Rantideva parted with the little water that he had.  

Though Rantideva hadn’t eaten or drunk water in days, he happily parted with his food and water out of compassion for the living beings.   

The three guests were none other than the divinities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in disguise, testing his courage in adversity. Amply blessed by the gods, Rantideva attained liberation.

                                                                             

Unconditional compassion.

The essence of the story is that compassion should be unconditional. One cannot choose whom to be kind to. Giving only when we have had our fill, is not being charitable. Giving even when one has little, is true charity.   

           Read D for Determination, Discipline and Devotion here.           

 

   

 

 

B for Balance

 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 A for Attachment here. 

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Translation

In this verse, Krishna asks us to stay equipoised or balanced in every situation in life. Having a balanced approach in happiness (sukha) and grief (dukha), pleasant (priya) and unpleasant (apriya) situations, praise (stuthi) and criticism (ninda) , honour (maana) and dishonour (apamana), and treating friend (mitr) and foe (ari) alike,  helps us rise above the agitation of the mind.

                                                                            

Have you observed how the human mind reacts to situations and circumstances? 

When we are happy, or in a favourable situation, or when we are rewarded, or appreciated, we cannot contain our excitement. But if we are in an unfavourable situation, or we are criticised or in grief, our world comes crashing down. Our mood swings from one extreme to the other influenced by our environment.

Everything is cyclic in nature.

Krishna tells us that loss and gain, happiness and grief, praise and criticism and such dualities are sides of the same coin. They are also cyclic in nature, meaning they follow one after another – nothing lasts forever. Happiness does not last forever, neither does grief.

Imagine, if we were served only sweet dishes at lunch, we’d not only tire of it soon but would also not be able to appreciate the taste of sweetness. Just like a good balance of sweet and savoury makes for a fulfilling meal, a healthy balance of good and bad makes for a fulfilling life.   

                                                                              

A story from the Ramayana.

In the Ramayana, Shri Rama shows by his own example how one can maintain a balance in our emotions.

The entire city of Ayodhya had been buzzing with festivities. King Dasharatha had just announced the coronation of his eldest son, Rama, and the subjects could not wait to see him as their new King. The beating of all kinds of drums, blowing of conches and playing of cymbals added to the festive mood. The entire city was decked up like a bride – fresh flowers, mango leaves toran and colourful rangolis lined the streets.

The happiness around, however, did not affect Rama at all. He continued to be his calm self, situated in his yogic state. He was merely carrying out his duties as a son, and sharing his father’s responsibilities. While the excited subjects could not sleep a wink waiting for the night to pass, it was like any other night to Rama.

The next morning dawned soon but brought a news that left the entire city grief-stricken. Rama had been banished to the forest for fourteen years by his stepmother. He had been ordered to leave immediately. The calm on Rama’s face remained as it was the previous day. The news of banishment did not agitate him at all. He bore no ill-will towards his stepmother. All around him, he saw people drowning in a sea of grief, but to Rama, it was just another duty – an order that had to be carried.

Neither happiness nor grief affected Rama. He neither let the joy of coronation affect him nor the grief of banishment.

                                                                              

Is it possible to stay balanced?  

Rama's example shows us how nothing can affect the one who is balanced in his mind. Finding this delicate balance is difficult, though not impossible. What do you think?   

                                                                                          

Read C for Compassion here.

A for Attachment

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.  

    

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Translation

In this verse, Krishna says that the root of all miseries in life is 'sanga' or attachment.

 Attachment (sanga) leads to expectations/desires (kama) . 

Unfulfilled expectations (kama) lead to anger (krodha). 

When we act in anger, it leads to loss of discretion (smrti bhramsh) and regrettable decisions and our eventual downfall (pranasya). 

What are we attached to?

 We could be attached to our family, our job, even our house or our car. We expect that our family remains grateful to us for the things that we do for them, or our workplace appreciates the hard work that we put in, or people reciprocate our kindness with kindness. When we are attached to something or someone, we develop expectations from them. 

What happens when the desire is not met?

This desire or expectation could either be met or unmet. If the desire is met, it leads to greed for more, and if the desire is not met, it leads to anger. If our family acts in a favourable way, we hope they will keep doing so. If they do not, it makes us angry. 'How could my efforts be in vain?' 'How could someone else get promoted over me?' Am I being taken for granted?'

Anger leads to downfall.

When angry, we lose the discriminatory power between right and wrong and act in ways we might regret later. Anger can turn the best of men into beasts - nasty words, verbal or physical abuse, revengeful actions, you name it.  We might regret our words and actions later, but sometimes there is no room for recovery. 

Stay detached, but how?

Krishna says, stay detached from your efforts.  Easier said than done, right?

Krishna shows us the way too. He tells us to think of everything we do, as an offering to him. When our services offered are to Krishna, there is no expectations from anyone because the recipient was Him. The efforts that we put in tending to our work, family, or friends are purely out of love for him not for any individual person. This completely eliminates the cycle that starts with being attached.  

                                                                                              

A story from the Srimad Bhagavatam.

The Bhagavatam narrates an interesting story of King Bharata who got attached to a fawn.

King Bharata, the son of Rishabhdeva, was a pious man. His responsibilities as a King and family man had been fulfilled satisfactorily. He handed over his kingdom to his sons and retired to the forest. He hoped to spend the rest of his life meditating near the Gandaki river with a goal to attain liberation.

One day, as usual, he stood meditating in the river, when he was awakened by the roar of a lion. The lion was chasing a pregnant deer and the deer leaped across the river to save herself. As she jumped in fear, her foetus was delivered in the river, even as she drowned to her death.   

Seeing this heartrending scene Bharata took pity on the poor, orphaned fawn, rescued it and started looking after it like his own offspring. He gradually got very attached to the fawn, giving up on his meditation and worship. He would get agitated if the fawn went out of his sight, worried if a lion or tiger has caught it. Like a madman, he would look for it in the shadow of the moon. He would lose sleep if it did not eat well or was sick.  Even when death came calling, he could think of nothing but the fawn and how it would live without him.

Instead of attaining liberation, he was reborn as a deer in his next life,. All the penance he had undertaken in his life came to a naught. Being overly attached to the fawn, he forgot the very reason he had forsaken his kingdom and family, and retired to the forest.

We might wonder if it was wrong to care for an orphaned fawn? No, that was dharma. Getting ‘attached’ to it was the cause of his downfall. Had he tended to it for some time and let go of it as soon as it grew stronger, he would have gone back to his penance and attained his goal.

That is the trap of attachment that Krishna cautions us against.  

       

What do you think? 

The story teaches us to love all creatures alike yet we must consciously stay detached. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.                                                 

Read B for Balance here.

A Blank Page

A blank page
and I begin writing, with a quill. 

My fingers and nails stained in cobalt blue. 

A blue that has bled deep into my fingertips. 

My fingers move, forming shapes and curves, dots and dashes...

forming words, spoken by the heart.

 

Once in a while the quill stops. 

To dip in and write again. 

And then, there is a blotch of blue. 

A blotch that spreads into several pores of the paper, 

washing over a word or two on separate lines. 

The blotch makes a couple of lines seem meaningless. 

Or perhaps, they didn't have much meaning earlier either. 

But all I had done, was followed the dictates of my heart. 

My fingers dance across the page,

A tango, full of drama,

And on and on I write.

In my mind I had written reams, 

while, in reality, I had barely filled a solitary sheet. 

I dip the quill again. 

This time the pot of ink spills over. 

On all the words I had written. 

The paper is soaked. 

Little by little, I see my words and the intervals of ivory turning into a brilliant cobalt blue. 

I watch, 

while the ink carries my words along, dripping on to the hard ground below. 

A short journey that was, 

from paper to the floor. 

My words now rest in peace. 

So many of them. Or maybe, not so many. 

Completely contained in a few drops of cobalt blue, as they were before. 

More so now. 

And like a scar the stain will remain, 

containing and reminding me of words that once were, 

neatly arranged, 

on a piece of paper.