इत्यहं वासुदेवस्य पार्थस्य च महात्मनः ।
संवादमिममश्रौषमद्भुतं रोमहर्षणम् ॥ १८.७४ ॥
व्यासप्रसादाच्छ्रुतवानेतद्गुह्यमहं परम् ।
योगं योगेश्वरात्कृष्णात्साक्षात्कथयतः स्वयम् ॥ १८.७५ ॥

ity-aham vāsudevasya pārthasya ca mahātmana: |
samvādam-imam-aśrauṣam-adbhutam roma-harṣaṇam || 18.74 ||
vyāsa-prasādācchrutavān-etad-guhyam-aham param |
yogam yogeśvarāt-kṛṣṇāt-sākṣāt-kathayata: svayam || 18.75 ||

Audio-BG-18.74

Audio-BG-18.75

The status of Bhagavad Gita in Mahābhārata

Bhagavad Gita forms part of the great epic Mahābhārata, an autobiography of Sage Vyāsadeva. The epic discusses the decline and fall of the Kuru dynasty, under the leadership of Duryodhana. The Duryodhana brothers (the Kauravas born of the blind King Dhṛtarāshṭra) as well as the Pāṇḍava brothers (the sons of Pāṇḍu, who died before the children grew up) were reared by their grandfather, the great Bheeshma. Duryodhanas deliberately clung to greed, hatred and wickedness. Pāṇḍavas, on the other hand, were given to virtues and nobility. The difference grew so deep that it made them part their ways forever.

The Kauravas lived in Hastinapura while the Pāṇḍavas had to establish their kingdom in Indraprastha. The Hastinapura clan, led by Duryodhana, could not still rest content without snatching Indraprastha from their cousins. This relentless ambition led to a number of onslaughts, overt and covert. Though the Pāṇḍavas austerely withstood and survived all of them, they had to live in exile in the forest for 12 years. Completing that ordeal and the subsequent life of incognito for one year, they legitimately asked their kingdom or at least a village back, to live peacefully. Duryodhana’s hateful mind sternly refused even a minutest space of a ‘needle-point’ for the cousins!

That precipitated the fateful Kurukṣetra war, which involved the whole subcontinent, bringing together about 45 lakhs of warriors from all around. Virtually all the kings of the land had sent their armies to join either Duryodhana or Yudhiṣṭhira. Remarkably, those defending righteousness were only about a half of the contenders of unrighteousness, giving us a picture of the society and its dhārmic standards at the time. It also proves that humanity has always been an admixture of good and bad, the virtuous and the vicious, with an apparent tilt towards the vicious, just as in the modern era!

Vyāsadeva narrates the whole history, dealing with the subject more as an exposition of truthfulness pitted against untruthfulness, righteousness against unrighteousness, making the rendering relevant to all times. Such delineation naturally will imbibe the dimensions of an epic, the sole aim of which is to present the eternal values of human life and how they irresistibly lead the votaries to their destined goal and fulfillment.

Of all the ethical riddles the mind faces, the Kurukṣetra scene depicts the most trying and afflicting one, revealing clearly how the solution for everything lies in our own mind and intelligence. Thus, the war dialogue is a profound ethical treatise as well as the most authoritative spiritual and philosophical dissertation, dealing with the mind and its problems, intelligence and its quests, setting forth the conclusive solution for both. At the same time it throws ample light on the moral and religious aspects of social life.

The event that triggered Bhagavad Gita transpired in Kurukṣetra on the very first day of the battle. And Sañjaya narrated it to Dhṛtarāshṭra, the blind King, on the tenth day. Millennia have passed since these events took place. What we have before us is the narration of the events by the great Sage Vyāsadeva. By rendering it with epic dimension, the Sage has made the whole episode eternal. By the intrinsic worth such depiction derives, it has ever since remained the warp and woof of our society.

The role of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

This distinguished text of eternal relevance apparently remained eclipsed for a long period. The great Śaṅkara, at the bidding of his Teacher, Govindapāda, living on the banks of Narmadā river, took up the trying task of re-instituting the Vedantic message and practice, warranting the attention, regard and dedication they deserved.

Walking from one renowned place of learning to another, Śaṅkara faced the distinguished scholars of the time, who held contrary views on human life, its destined goal and the means to achieve it. Meeting the scholars, engaging them in faithful and cordial discussions, Śaṅkara upheld the supremacy of the Upanishadic wisdom, and the direct and conclusive message it held for all. The task was not easy, but he accomplished it with enviable majesty and splendour.

It was at this time that Śaṅkara, as part of his mission of dissemination, wrote the commentary on Bhagavad Gita, along with those on the ten Upanishads and Brahmasūtras. These together constitute the Prasthānatrayam, the three fundamental Texts of Indian spiritual philosophy and practice. This brought to light the greatness and relevance of Bhagavad Gita. The national scene changed abruptly and Bhagavad Gita began to inspire, guide, console and correct many a mind, intelligence and heart. Ever since, ascetic scholars have taken to the Text as an essential part of their spiritual life and pursuit towards wisdom and fulfillment.

Bhagavad Gita is no more an unknown Text. It is widely prevalent, studied, practised and disseminated by people from all walks of life. Listeners of Bhagavad Gita are far greater in number now than ever before.

I too took up writing on these essential concepts in Bhagavad Gita as part of my ascetic life of spiritual dissemination over the past fifty years. Vicharasetu, the monthly journal published by the Ashram, has been acting as the compulsion behind this presentation. The serial continued for 12 years, the first issue appearing in June 1996.

Sañjaya’s observations

After concluding the Arjuna-Krishna dialogue that transpired unexpectedly in Kurukṣetra, just before the actual war began, Sañjaya makes his own observations about the whole episode. Arjuna too spoke at the end. His was a direct revelation about the worth and utility of the gospel he heard from Krishna. Sañjaya’s is a statement from one who was in the scene, watching the whole event. It clearly tells us that Krishna’s exposition was not only relevant to Arjuna, to whom it was addressed, but also to all others in the world. An inter-personal conversation became a life-gospel of eternal worth and relevance!

Personal histories are the prevailing influence in humanity. Present events can only be an enactment of whatever has already taken place in the world. As are Nature and its constituents, so are the events and episodes that transpire within their realm. There can hardly be anything new. History repeats itself. The question is merely, in what duration. The cycle can be short or long.

Thus have I listened to this marvellous, inspiring and ecstatic dialogue between the great Soul, Sri Krishna and Arjuna. It is with the grace of Vyāsa that I could directly hear this most profound secret, the Yoga narrated verily by Krishna, the Master Yogin (Yogeśvara) himself.

Sañjaya says that he has heard the wonderful dialogue, delightful and thrilling throughout. He acknowledges that it has been possible for him to be present in the scene, solely due to the grace of Vyāsadeva, who blessed him with the divine power to move about freely, in an invisible form, in the battlefield and know what all transpired.