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Religious Texts

Religious Texts

Prof. Dr. Shashi Tiwari

Prof. Dr. Shashi Tiwari is an eminent Vedic and Sanskrit scholar. She has served University of Delhi for 38 years as Professor of Sanskrit at Maitreyi College. She has been associated with Hindu University of America as ‘Visiting Professor’ in Orlando, USA. Currently she is serving as the President, WAVES (Wider Association for Vedic Studies), India.

Information and insights about the various religious scriptures have been provided by Dr. Shashi Tiwari.

She has authored about 36 books and is honoured with 22 academic awards including the most prestigious ‘Rastrapati Samman’ in 2015.

Dr. Tiwari’s latest literary book titled “History of Vedic Literature (A Brief Survey and Study) ” published in January 2021 is available on Amazon.in for detailed study of the subject.

We are grateful that Dr. Tiwari has shared her knowledge on the voluntary basis representing the meaning of education stated by the Vedic seers.

We feel fortunate that her knowledge will enlighten our young minds, craving to know something about the world’s oldest religion and culture.

Sanatan Dharma, Hindu Dharma also commonly known as Hinduism

Sanatan Dharma, Hindu Dharma also commonly known as Hinduism

  The religion that has come to be known as Hinduism is certainly the oldest and the most varied of all the great religions of the world. The word ‘Hinduism’ itself is a geographical term based upon the Sanskrit name for the great river that runs across the northern boundaries of India, known as the Sindhu. For those living on the other side of the river, the entire region to the south-east of the Sindhu, which the Greeks called the Indus, came to be known as the land of the Hindus, and the vast spectrum of the faiths that flourished here acquired the generic name Hinduism. In fact, Hinduism calls itself the Sanatana Dharma, the eternal faith, because it is based not upon the teachings of a single preceptor, or on any one text but on the collective wisdom and inspiration of great seers and sages from the very dawn of Indian civilization.

           The Hindu religion, as it developed through the centuries incorporated ideas of different orders. A variety of beliefs, customs, rites and philosophies have amalgamated here to evolve an organic system. From the very beginning, India has witnessed conflicting civilizations. Each has contributed its own share to the common storehouse of Hinduism. 

Key Principles of Hinduism:

  • Hinduism’s core belief is Truth is Eternal. Brahman is the Ultimate Truth and  Reality. It is based on living an ethical, moral and self-governing life.  
  • Hinduism believes in One God. Here the concept of Trinity exists which comprises of Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the preserver; and the Shiva or Mahesh, the destroyer.
  • Hinduism believes in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect).
  • One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is Atman, or the belief in soul, spirit or Consciousness.  All living creatures have a soul, and they are all part of the supreme soul. 
  • The moksha (salvation) ends the cycle of rebirths to become part of the absolute soul. The theory of Karma is a fundamental principle. According to that person’s actions and thoughts directly determine his current life and future lives.
  • Hinduism strives to achieve dharma which emphasizes good conduct and morality.

Hindu View of Life: 

          In Hindu view human life is divided into four asramas or stages- Brahmacarya, Garhasthya, Vanaprastha and Samnyasa. As the ideal life-span of the Hindus was a hundred years, each of these stages consists of twenty-five year period. According to Hindu thought, four goals of life are dharma, artha, kama and moksa. Everyone should do their Karmas to strive to achieve Dharma (Righteousness, moral Values), Artha (Prosperity, Economic Values) and Kama ( Pleasure, Love) and lastly Moksha ( Liberation  through spiritual enrichment).  Dharma is the first of the four goals because it is the most comprehensive and is valid throughout the life of a human being. It implies not only the religious and philosophical framework but a total world-view, including the scheme of right conduct under various circumstances. In the broadest sense it is used for the universal laws of nature that uphold the cosmos. It also implies such concepts as justice, virtue, morality, righteousness, law and duty. Hinduism seeks to look after the welfare of the entire humanity, particularly the weak and the neglected

Hindu Religious Scriptures:

           Hinduism’s long tradition has produced many scared works. The most ancient and authoritative are the revealed literature ‘Sruti’ , there are the Vedas that include the Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanisads. The four Vedas have been transmitted orally from generation to generation for more than five thousand years. They contain hymns, mantras, chants and prayers. Most of the Vedic hymns are addressed to deities as manifestations of cosmic power or truth. The spiritual insight was known as the Upanisads, they record the philosophical and mystical teachings given by the ancient seers. In addition to the Vedas and the Upanisads, Hinduism has a vast corpus of auxiliary scriptures including the two great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The Bhagvad-Gita is regarded as the essence Mahabharata. These epics have had a profound influence on all aspects of Hindu life and culture in India and throughout South-east Asia for thousand of years. Then there are eighteen Puranas, rich in myth and symbol of which the best known is the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

The Four Vedas

Vedas are the oldest scriptures of Hinduism from time unknown. The Vedas are the most important religious texts of the Hindu Sanatan Dharam, which is often referred to as Hinduism or “Eternal Order” or “Eternal Path”.

The term veda means “knowledge” in which contains the fundamental knowledge of one’s life. Vedas are written in Vedic Sanskrit. The Vedas were initially transmitted orally during the course of numerous generations before finally being archived in written form.

The Four Vedas, that exclusively reveal the essential knowledge of life are:

The Rig-Veda: The most important and, according to scholars, oldest of the Vedas. It is divided into ten books known as mandalas and has 1028 hymns in praise of various deities. These include Agni (Fire) , the Surya and Savitri (the Sun),  The Ushas, ( Dawn goddess), The Rudras (storms) and Indra ( the Rain God) and other Vedic gods such as Mitra( Friendship), Varuna (the ruler of Sky or Moral law), and Vacha (Goddess of speech). It also contains the famous Gayatri mantra and the prayer called the Purusha Shukta, the story of Primal Man.

The Yajur-Veda: Sacred formulas known as mantras were recited by the adhvaryu, the priest responsible for the sacrificial fire and for carrying out the ceremony. Those mantras and verses were drawn into the Samhita are known as the Yajurveda (“Knowledge of the Sacrifice”).In short this is a priestly handbook for use in the performance of yajnas or sacrificial fires.

Sama-Veda: This consists of chants and melodies to be sung during worship and the performance of yajna. A third group of priests, headed by the udgatri (“chanter”), performed melodic recitations linked to verses that were drawn almost entirely from the Rigveda but were arranged as a separate Samhita, commonly known as the Samaveda (“Knowledge of the Chants”).

Atharva-Veda: Contains hymns, mantras and incantations. This fourth collection of hymns, magic spells, and incantations is known as the Atharvaveda (“Knowledge of the Fire Priest”), which includes various local traditions and sometimes partly outside the Vedic sacrifice.

UPANISHADS

Now, we discuss to the concluding part of the Veda namely ‘the Upanishads. The Upanishads come towards the end of the Aranyakas. If the Samhita is likened to a tree, the Brahmanas are its flowers and the Aranyakas are its fruit yet not ripened, the Upanishads are the ripe fruits

Nature of Upanishads

The Vedas are generally considered to have two portions viz., Karma-Kanda (portion dealing with action or rituals) and Jnana-Kanda (portion dealing with knowledge). The Samhita and the Brahmanas represent mainly theKarma-Kanda or the ritual portion, while the Upanishads chiefly represent the Jnana-Kanda or the knowledge portion. The Upanishads, however, are included in the Shruti. They are at present, the most popular and extensively read Vedic texts.

The Upanishads are often called ‘Vedanta‘. Literally, Vedanta means the end of Veda, Vedasya antah, the conclusion (Anta) as well as the goal (Anta) of the Vedas. Chronologically they came at the end of the Vedic period. As Upanishads contain difficult discussions of ultimate philosophical problems, they were taught to the pupils at about the end of their course. The chief reason why the Upanishads are called the ‘end of the Veda’ is that they represent the central aim of the Veda and contain the highest and ultimate goal of the Veda as they deal with Moksha or Supreme Bliss.

Meaning of the word ‘Upanishad’

The word ‘Upanishad’ has been derived from the root Sad (to sit), to which are added two prefixes: Upa and Ni. The prefix Upa denotes nearness and Ni totality. Thus, this word means ‘sitting near by devotedly’. This no doubt refers to the pupil’s sitting down near his teacher at the time of instruction. The word in course of time gathered round it the sense of secret teaching or secret doctrine (Rahasya) which was imparted at such sittings. Upanishads are frequently spoken of as Rahasya (secret) or Guhya (mystery) also. We find in Upanishads, that due to secrecy and mystery of the teachings, a teacher refuses to impart instruction to a pupil who has not proved his worthiness to receive the instruction. Through another definition, the word primarily signifies knowledge, yet by implication it also refers to the book that contains that knowledge.

Number of the Upanishads

There is a good deal of speculation concerning the number of Upanishads. Traditionally, the old Upanishads had their place in the Brahmanas and Aranyakas. There is only one instance of a Samhita containing Upanishad – the Vajasaneyi Samhita comprises the Ishavasya Upanishad forming the 40th Book.

In later times, the Upanishads obtained a more independent position but still they professed to belong more particularly to one or the other of the four Vedas.

It is difficult to ascertain the exact number that should be regarded as authentic Upanishads. A religious system is considered valid in India only when it is supported by Shruti, hence the founders of religious sects have sometimes written books and called them Upanishads in order to give their views scriptural authority. The AllahUpanishad, for instance was composed in the sixteenth century, at the time of emperor Akbar.

Different estimates of their number have been given by scholars and they have been put by some scholars at as many as 200.

One hundred and eight Upanishads are enumerated in the Muktikopanishad and a popular edition contains them. However, among these Upanishads, ten Upanishads, the names of which have been mentioned in the Muktikopanishad, are considered the most important Upanishads from the point of view of Vedantic Philosophy.

Ten Principal Upanishads known as ‘Dashopanishad’ are :Isha, Kena, Katha , Prashna , Munda , Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka.

Besides, Shvetashvatara, Kaushitaki and Maitrayaniya Upanishads are often listed in old Upanishads.

Division of the Upanishads

According to the Muktikopanishad 108 Upanishads are divided according to four Vedas are as follows:

  1.   10 Upanishads from the Rigveda
  2.   19 Upanishads from the Shukla-Yajurveda
  3.   32 Upanishads from the Krishna-Yajurveda
  4.   16 Upanishads from the Samaveda and
  5.   31 Upanishads from the Atharvaveda.

The Principal thirteen Upanishads, related to the Vedas are:

(A) Upanishads of the Rigveda :

  1. (1) Aitareya Upanishad,
  2. (2) Kaushitaki Upanishad

(B) Upanishads of the Shukla-Yajurveda:

  1. (3) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad,
  2. (4) Isha Upanishad

(C) Upanishads of the Krishna-Yajurveda:

  1. (5) Taittiriya Upanishad,
  2. (6) Katha Upanishad,
  3. (7) Shvetashvatara Upanishad,
  4. (8) Maitrayaniya Upanishad

(D) Upanishads of the Samaveda:

  1. (9) Chandogya Upanishad,
  2. (10) Kena Upanishad

(E) Upanishads of the Atharvaveda:

  1. (11) MundakaUpanishad,
  2. (12) MandukyaUpanishad,
  3. (13) Prashna Upanishad.

Major Theme of the Upanishads

The Upanishads are religious and philosophical treatises. They constitute the last phase of the Vedic revelation. They represent the knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-Vidya). What is this world? Who am I? What becomes of me after death? – Such questions are asked and answered in these Upanishads. The essential theme of the Upanshads is the nature of the world and God. Already in the hymns of the Rigveda, we notice here and there a shift of emphasis from the innumerable gods to the one Infinite as in the famous passage. ‘Ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti ‘. This becomes more pronounced in the Upanishads and is very well illustrated here. The doctrine of true knowledge and salvation are major subjects of the Upanishadic philosophy. These treatises mark the culmination of the earlier line of investigation into the nature of ultimate reality.

In the Upanishads, we get an intelligible body of verified and verifiable spiritual insights mixed with a mass of myths and legends and cosmological speculations relating to the nature and origin of universe. Besides, Brahman and His creation, are also discussed in these texts.. The principal contents of the Upanishads are philosophical speculations. The spirit of their contents is anti-ritualistic. Although the subject-matter of most of the Upanishads is almost the same, yet each Upanishad has its own unique idea or ideas and its own method of enquiry.

Importance of the Upanishads

  1. The Upanishads occupy a unique place in the development of Indian philosophical thought. They contain the highest authority on which the various systems of philosophy in India rest. So, Vedanta Philosophy is directly related to the Upanishads. Not only the Vedanta philosopher professes his faith in the ends and objects of the Veda, but the Sankhya, the Vaisheshika, the Nyaya and Yoga philosophers, all pretend to find in the Upanishads some warranty for their tenets.
  2. The Upanishads are associated with the Vedas and make the entire range of Vedic knowledge as complete. ‘The Upanishads generally mention the Vedas and their study with respect. Certain verses from the Vedas, such as the Gayatri, form the subject of meditation here.
  3. Brahmavidya or the knowledge of Brahman, the Supreme Reality is the great kingdom of the principal Upanishads. They give importance to ‘Knowledge’ alone. Anyone having knowledge may be Guru or Acarya. Even kings approached to them for the attainment of knowledge. The story of Satyakama Jabala, who though unable to give his father’s name, was yet initiated into spiritual life, shows this fact. In the Chandogya Upanishad (4.1-3) Raikva a Brahmana not by caste but by his knowledge, instructed king Janashruti. In the same Upanishad (5.3), the king Pravahana instructed the Brahmana Gautama in the new doctrine of transmigration. This story together with the one in which king Ashvapati kaikeya instructed five Brahmanas in the doctrine of Atman (Chan. Up. 5.11) shows that for Upanishads knowledgeable person is the most important and not the Brahmana, Kshatriya or anyone else.
  4. Each of the Vedas has many Mahavakyas or great sayings. But four Mahavakyas found in the Upanishads related to four Vedas are very important, thought-provoking and powerful. These spells out the non-duality of the Jiva and the Brahman-Prajnanam Brahma- –RigvedaAham Brahmasm – YajurvedaTattvamasi –- SamvedaAyamatma Brahma –Aharvaveda
  5. Without understanding the Upanishads, it is impossible to get an insight into Indian history and culture. Every subsequent development of philosophy and religion in India has drawn heavily on the Upanishads.

By Dr.Shashi Tiwari (Retd.), Sanskrit Department, Delhi University. Courtsey of http://vedicheritage.gov.in/upanishads

 

The 18 Mahapuranas

  In Indian literature,the Puranas occupy a unique position. They may be regarded as the popular Veda of popular Hinduism.The Puranas are distinct type of 18 epic works which are closely connected with the Mahabharata. These are didactic in character and sectarian in purpose. The term ‘Purana’ is already found in theBrahmana texts designating cosmogonic enquiries generally. It is also used in the Mahabharata where it means legendary lore.

                 Beside Cosmogony, they deal with mythical description of the earth, the doctrine of the cosmic ages, the exploits of ancient gods, saints and heroes,the accounts of the Avataras of Vishnu, the genealogies of solar and lunar race of kings and enumerations of the thousand names of Vishnu or Shiva.They also contain rules about the worship of the God by means of prayers,fasting, festivals and pilgrimages.Generally Puranas are considered as the texts which deal with these five topics: creation, secondary creation, genealogies of gods and patriarchs, reigns of various Manus, and history of the old dynasties of kings.

                 The (1) GarunaPurana as well as the(2) Agni Purana practically constituted abstracts of the Mahabharata and the Harivansha. (3) The VayuPurana which is considered as one of the oldest,deals with the creation of the world. (4) The MatsyaPurana introduces the story of Manu and matsya(fish). (5) TheKurmaPurana gives genealogies of gods and kings.

                 (6) TheMarkandeyaPurana which recognises priority of the Mahabharata is so called because it is related to the sage Markandeya. (7) The extensive PadamaPurana contains many stories agreeing with those of the Mahabharata.It is Vishnuite in tone. It follows Ramayana and also refers Kalidasa’sRaghuvansha. (8) TheBrahma-vaivartaPurana is also strongly sectarian in favour of Vishnu.

                 (9)The Vishnu Purana, which often agrees with the Mahabharata in its subject-matter, corresponds most closely to the Indian definition of a Purana.(10) TheBhagvataPurana consists of about 18,000 shlokas and has derived its name from being dedicated to the glorification of Bhagavata or Vishnu. It exercises a more powerful influence in India than any other Purana.It’s most popular part is 10th book which narrates the history of Shri Krishna. Other Vishnuite Puranas are (11) the Brahma, (12) the Naradiya,(13) the Vamana,and (14) the Varaha.

                 ThePuranas which favour the cult of Shiva are (15) the Skanda, (16) the Shiva, (17) the Linga, and (18) the Bhavishya. Besides these 18 Mahapuranas,which are simply called Puranas, there are also an equal number of secondary works of the same class called Upa-puranas in which the epic matter has become entirely subordinate to the ritual element.
About the essence of Puranas there is a popular verse ;
Ashtadash-puraneshuvyasasyavacanamdvayam |
Paropkarahpunyaya papaya parapidnam||

                 The verse mentions- ‘In the 18Puranas, there are only two(important) narrations byVyasaMaharshi, first is that ‘welfare of others creates virtue’ and ‘hurting to others creates sin.’ This verse shows the importance of Puranas in Hindu culture for the teaching of moral and ethical values.

Prof. Shashi TiwariPresident, WAVES (India); Former Prof. of Sanskrit, University of Delhi Email: shashitiwari_2017@yahoo.com

The Ramayana of Valmiki

   Srimad Ramayana authored by Rishi Valmiki transcends time and space and is a piece of world literature today. This is regarded as the Adikavya, the first poem in ancient Sanskrit classical literature. It means that it is the first poetic composition in Sanskrit that depicts all the topics and characteristics expected for a grand work of art and poetry in India. Indians generally believe that Shri Rama lived in Treta-Yuga, and Rishi Valmiki was contemporary to him.

          Ramayana starts with the arrival of  sage Narada to great seer Valmiki in the forest. Valmiki respectfully submitted questions to sage Narada, “Among men in the world, who is the one crowned with every excellent Quality? Who is the man now living, who is righteous, grateful, honest, steady, moral, well-wisher of all, wise, efficient, charming, brilliant, free from jealousy etc.” In reply to the query, Narada said, “Rare indeed is the person endowed with the characteristics you have enumerated. But yet, there is one whom I know. He is known as Rama, a scion of the dynasty of the Ikshvakus.” Narada introduced Rama with nearly seventy rare good qualities. The characteristics speak highly of Rama’s wisdom, culture, refinements, physical charm, mental nobility and exemplary behavior with others whether friends or foes. Narada regaled Rama’s life-story in a nutshell to Valmiki who then saw the scenes of the Ramayana before his spiritual vision, and wrote the great epic Ramayana. Valmiki reveals now and then Rama’s supremacy among men saying him ‘Purusharishabha’. Men of great strength could enter into war with gods and demons.                                                                                                        

         The name ‘Ramayana’ is a combination of two words ‘Rama’ and ‘Ayana’. Ayana means path or journey. Thus the term denotes the meaning that this poem describes the path followed by Rama in his life and conduct. This epic poem narrates the journey of virtue to annihilate vice.  Secondly, the name indicates that Shri  Rama is the hero and his journey is illustrated here at length. Explaining differently, we may regard that Ramayana is not simply Rama’s story (Ramasya Ayanam), but also Sita’s story (Ramayah Ayanam). Sita and Rama are paragons of virtues, and character. 

          The Ramayana consists of 24,000 verses in seven books (kandas) and 500 cantos (sargas), and tells the main story of Rama whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. The Bala Kanda describes the birth of Rama, his childhood and marriage to Sita. The Ayodhya Kanda describes the preparations for Rama’s coronation and his exile into the forest. The Aranya Kanda, describes the forest life of Rama and the kidnapping of Sita by the demon king Ravana. The fourth book, Kishkindha Kanda, describes the meeting of Hanuman with Rama, the destruction of the vanara– king Vali and the coronation of his younger brother Sugriva to the throne of the kingdom of Kishkindha. The fifth book Sundara Kanda, narrates the heroism of Hanuman, his flight to Lanka and meeting with Sita. The sixth book, Yuddha Kanda, describes the battle between the armies of Rama and Ravana. The seventh book, Uttara Kanda, describes the birth of Lava and Kusha to Sita, their coronation to the throne of Ayodhya, and Rama’s final departure from the world. Generally, scholars consider Uttara Kanda as later addition and it is also conceded that some portions of Balakanda are not by Valmiki.

          Ramayana is a regarded as a Dharmashastra which exemplifies the Vedic Values. Valmiki lays great emphasis on Dharma or righteousness, the principle that upholds society and country. The epic combines Dharma and morality in such a way that it includes all spheres of life. Adi-kavya  Shrimad Ramayana of Valmiki has inspired many writers and poets, therefore, today we find a number of literary works and Ramayanas in Sanskrit, other Indian languages and foreign languages with slight variations and imaginations. It’s influence on the people of far-east could be well understood from the different versions, such as the Javanese, Thai and Kakawin Ramayanas found in the countries of far-east. 

         The contribution of the Ramayana is immense on Indian culture and intellectual traditions. It has set certain standards specially in reference to relations, morals and actions of human beings. Definitely this epic has enriched our cultural heritage.

The Mahabharata

   The  Mahabharata is known as the second epic of ancient Sanskrit Literary heritage. It is chief and oldest representative of the epic poetry called  Itihasa i.e. legend. It is recognised  as the fifth Veda on account of its moral teachings and high religious ideals which are not merely given as precepts but are depicted in the lives and actions of its heroes. The epic is vast and deep like an ocean. The  Mahabharata is not only a Kavya but a compendium teaching dharma, artha, kama and moksha, and also it is a Smriti expounding the whole duty of men. In short Mahabharata is all-inclusive Dharmashastra.

                 Great Rishi Vyasa is believed to have composed this great work. A popular legend states that God Ganesh constantly  wrote the script of Mahabharata while Vyasa dictated the same without a break. It is possibly, one of the longest work of its kind in the literature as the epic contains about 100,000  shlokas (verses) in eighteen books called parvas. Generally the name of the book indicates the main part or venue of the events held in that particular book. The  Mahabharata has a nineteenth book, the Harivamsha as a supplement. Each book is cut up into chapters called adhyayas. The names of these parvas are: 1. Adi ( beginning of epic),  2. Sabha ( assembly),  3. Aranyaka ( forest), 4. Virata (Virat kingdom), 5. Udyoga (the effort), 6. Bhishma, 7. Droda, 8. Karna, 9. Shalya, 10. Sauptika (sleeping warriors), 11.Stri (the women), 12. Shanti (peace), 13. Anushashana (instructions), 14. Ashvamedhika  (the house sacrifice), 15. Ashramavasika (the hermitage), 16. Mausala (the club), 17. Mahaprasthanika  (the great journey), 18. Svargarohana ( Ascent to heaven).

            The epic contains the extensive narrative of the ‘Great Battle’ of the Bharatas which went on eighteen days. On the one side was Duryodhana, leader of Kauravas and on the other side was Yudhishthira, chief of the Pandavas who were cousins, both descended from King Bharata. son of Shakuntala. Within this narrative frame  has come to be included a vast number of old legends about gods, kings and sages; accounts of cosmology and theology; disquisitions on philosophy, law, religion and the duties of the Kshatriyas.

              It is beyond doubt that when Mahabharata flourished, it was an age of a very advanced stage of Hindus society, of a very high standard of religious and spiritual upheaval. Svayamvara was considered to be the best form of marriage, in which free and full liberty was given to princess to choose her own husband. The marriage of Draupadi is the most contentious point in the Mahabharata. The ancient Hindu system of four stages of life was followed in practice. Change of caste and profession were permissible.

             The Mahabharata is not only a heroic poetry but is famous for the teaching of Gita which was given by Shri Krishna to Arjuna who was hesitant to fight against his kin on the first day of battle.

The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita

    The Shrimad-Bhagavad-Gita is a part of the great epic Mahabharata. The eighteen chapters of BhishmaParva are famous by the nameShrimad Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as ‘the Gita’ means ‘song’. This scripture is in 700 verses. ‘ArjunaVishada Yoga’ is the name of the first chapter (Adhyaya) of Gita. In the names of all chapters ‘Yoga’ term is used because Gita is a ‘Yoga Shastra’ which units worldly life with spiritual life, body with mind, mind with Atman, yoga with bhoga and so on. The technique of applying the science of spirituality in our lives is simply termed as ‘Yoga’. The author of Gita was himself a living illustration of what he taught.

                 The Bhagavad Gita is the Crown-jewel of India’s spiritual wisdom. It is also known as the world’s ancient wisdom spoken by Shri Krishna himself.It is considered most holy and practicalscripture of Hindu Dharma. Religious leaders and scholars interpret the Gita in a number of ways. This is a universal scripture applicable to all people and for all times.

                 The Gita is set in a narrative framework of a dialogue between Pandava prince Arjun and his guide and charioteer Shri Krishna, the Supreme Bhagvan. At the start of the battle called ‘Mahabharata’ which is depicted as Dharma Yuddha fought in the ‘field of Dharma’ called Kurukshetra between the sons of Pandu and Dhritashtra, Arjun was confused if he should renounce battle between his own relatives. He hesitated to advance and fight against his kith and kin. He asks for Krishna’s guidance and prays him. Finally Shri Krishna preaches him his duty. Arjuna’s doubts and metaphysical questions are answered by Lord Krishna.The whole discourse constitutes the Bhagavad Gita. It wasn’t only Arjuna who acquired the knowledge of Bhagavad Gita from Krishna, but later through Gita all human beings are told how to lead life in such situations . The setting of the Gita in a battlefield has been interpreted as an allegory for the ethical and moral struggles of human life.

                 The Krishna–Arjuna dialogues cover a broad range of spiritual topics, touching upon ethical dilemmas and philosophical issues. It is the essence of Vedas and Upanishads. The text teaches on knowledge, devotion and action and meditation.Numerous commentaries have been written on the Bhagavad Gita with widely differing views on the essentials. Its message for selfless action inspired many leaders like BalGangadharTilak and Mahatma Gandhi .

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्तेमाफलेषुकदाचन|
माकर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मातेसङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि|| Gita 2 / 47
karmaṇyevādhikārastemāphaleṣhukadāchana|
mā karma-phala-heturbhūrmātesaṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi||

                 It means: ‘You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.’This is one of the most famous verse of the Bhagavad-Gita. The verse gives four instructions regarding the science of work: 1) Do your duty, but do not concern yourself with the results. 2) The fruits of your actions are not for your enjoyment. 3) Even while working, give up the pride of doer ship. 4) Do not be attached to inaction.

Prof. Shashi Tiwari President, WAVES (India); Former Prof. of Sanskrit, University of Delhi Email: shashitiwari_2017@yahoo.com

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