Gita

Gita is the song of the Lord. It is Krishna's call to everyone to get back home. It seems that we have wandered far away from our home and like a shepherd guiding his sheep, Krishna is guiding us back to our home. So, it is a journey from forgetfulness to remembrance. Remembering who we are and where did we come from, and where we also need to return.

Krishna is saying to all of us - come to me. Maamekam sharanam vraj. 

Krishna is everywhere. He also resides in our hearts. We all came from him. We are a small part of Krishna and there is a small spark of his divinity inside all of us. He is asking us to go back to him, the source. He is our home. Going back home is going back to Krishna and that is going inside to the innermost layers of our beings, and connecting with the Krishna that is inside our hearts.

And how could we do that? What keeps us away from him and what lies between him and us? Why have we drifted away? We have many desires, and these desires pull us away. Our senses carry our minds away from Him towards the objects of the world like the winds carrying the sailboat. 

He is asking us to drop all our worldly desires. For this, we must control our minds and must not allow it to wander. It is like keeping a candle steady among the winds. He also says that this mind control is not easy, but this could be attained through constant practice and right discrimination.

He further says that one who has dedicated his mind and understanding to Him, shall undoubtedly go to Him. He says - manmana bhav i.e. let your mind be engrossed in me. And maam anusmara yudhya cha i.e fight or do your work remembering me.

He is asking us to be a yogi and get united with him, or to be a bhakta who always thinks only about him, or to be a gnani who knows him and knows that he is our ultimate goal, or to be a karmayogi who performs his actions with devotion and detachment, offering all fruits of actions to Him. These may seem like different paths available to us to reach Him but actually they are same, only appearing as different.

A yogi, bhakta or a gnani is he who is able to control his senses, whose heart is full of compassion towards all living beings, whose mind remains even and unperturbed under all circumstances and who is free of all hankerings and self-centered objectives. He remains united with the self in his innermost being, fully satisfied and living in complete peace. 

Our endeavour should be to be like Arjun who is always striving to stay on the path, and also always seeking guidance from Shri Krishna. He is at constant war with the distractions and negative tendencies of the mind, but never losing sight of the ultimate goal. We need to be like Arjun in this battle of life (dharmkshetre, kurukshetre) that we are in. And as Gita promises, victory is certain when there is a warrior like Arjun and a guide like Krishna.