Devotion to Bhagavad Gita

[R Gitananda]

Namaste

Several years ago I was browsing a bookstore and came across a little book which charmed me so much that I decided that I just had to devote myself to the practice described in each chapter. It was Lord Shiva's glorification of the Bhagavad Gita - The Gita Mahatmya of Padma Purana by Krishna-Dvaipayana-Vyasa. The book I read was in English, translated from the Hindi by Sandhya dasi. It consists of eighteen chapters, each one declaring the glory of the corresponding adhyayah of the Bhagavad Gita.

Each chapter tells the story of someone who has transcended the material world by devoting himself to the daily sadhana of chanting from the corresponding chapter of Bhagavad Gita.

Lord Visnu said, "I Myself have manifested in the Form of Bhagavad Gita. Please understand that the first five chapters are My five heads, the next ten chapters are My ten arms, and the Sixteenth Chapter is My stomach. The last two chapters are My lotus-feet. In this way you should understand the transcendental Deity of the Bhagavad Gita."

Now many years later I am taking steps towards realizing a long held vision of organizing a society of people who, in additon to any other sadhana or vow that they might be upholding - are devoted to the teachings of the Gita and to the daily chanting of It's Sanskrit text. I invite anyone who is interested in this to like us on Facebook or join the Google group. Also, any one who feels they want to help in any way with this endeavour, please message me directly and introduce yourself. Everything links from gitadharma.org
Thank you.

Aum Shanti

www.GitaDharma.org

[R Gitananda]

Lord Siva said "That person, Whose body is the color of a dark rain cloud, whose carrier is he king of birds, Garuda, and Who is lying on Ananta Sesa, the thousand headed serpent, that Lord Vishnu, Whose glories have no limit, I am always worshipping. My dear Parvati, once after Lord Visnu had killed the demon Mura, He was resting peacefully on Ananta Sesa, when the bestower of all good fortune of the universe Sri Lakshmi, respectfully inquired from Him. "Bhagavan, You are the controller and maintainer of the whole universe, but yet You are sleeping unhappily on this ocean of milk. What is the reason?" Lord Visnu said, "My dear Lakshmi, I am not sleeping, but I am watching how wonderfully My energy is working. It is by this wonderful energy of Mine, by which I am controlling all things, and yet remain separate. And it is by remembering these divine activities of Mine, that the great devotees and Yogis manage to free themselves from the wheel of birth and death, and attain that transcendental nature of Mine, which is eternal and free from all qualities."

from: Lord Shiva's glorification of the Bhagavad Gita - The Gita Mahatmya of Padma Purana by Krishna-Dvaipayana-Vyasa.

[smaranam]

Lord Siva said "My dear Parvati, once after Lord Visnu had killed the demon Mura, He was resting peacefully on Ananta Sesa, when the bestower of all good fortune of the universe Sri Lakshmi, respectfully inquired from Him "Bhagavan, You are the controller and maintainer of the whole universe, but yet You are sleeping unhappily on this ocean of milk. What is the reason?" ...

Namaste

Did you mean to write "happily" (as in peacefully) ? (and not unhappily) ?

Nice website. I think i had seen it earlier - when your signature was the link.

Jai Shri KRshNa
praNAm

[R Gitananda]

Namaste

Thank you for your observation. No, 'unhappily' is the translation as given by Sandhya dasi. Perhaps the word 'fitfully' would better convey the intended sense - that of someone tossing and turning while apparently having a very engaging dream. However Sri Vishnu goes on to say "I am not sleeping, but I am watching how wonderfully My energy is working." So it seems he is reclined on His serpent couch while watching his activities; perhaps in a similar way to how Sanjaya was watching the events on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Although the events on that battlefield were very unsettling - they were wonderful in the sense that meditating on such activities free the conditioned jivas from the wheel of birth and death.

Hari Aum Shanti
praNAm

Namaste

Did you mean to write "happily" (as in peacefully) ? Nice website. I think i had seen it earlier - when your signature was the link.

Jai Shri KRshNa

[uttam]

R Gitanandaji ,I don't think Gita has any separate entity. it is a part of Mahabharata and every sloka involves only sri krishna and Arjuna .it was spelt out by sri krishna only to encourage Arjuna for fighting against Kaurabs. the point i want to make is that Gita Mahatmya is not part of Gita because it was not conveyed by sri krishna to Arjuna that if you read this portion of Gita you will achieve this and that . Gita Mahatmya is Muni Bakyam Therefore Lord Shiva's glorification of the Bhagavad Gita - The Gita Mahatmya of Padma Purana by Krishna-Dvaipayana-Vyasa.is a false conception.we should follow Gita not its incentives like gita mahatmya.

[R Gitananda]

namaste

Uttam, I mentioned the Gita Mahatmya because many years ago that
happened to be what inspired me to begin the practice of chanting
the Gita. For me the goal is to be devoted to the 18 chapters of
Srimad Bhagavad Gita; however IMO anything that inspires that
devotion is good. However I agree that it is better to serve the
Bhagavad Gita without incentives.

Hari Aum

R Gitanandaji ,I don't think Gita has any separate entity. it is a part of Mahabharata and every sloka involves only sri krishna and Arjuna .it was spelt out by sri krishna only to encourage Arjuna for fighting against Kaurabs. the point i want to make is that Gita Mahatmya is not part of Gita because it was not conveyed by sri krishna to Arjuna that if you read this portion of Gita you will achieve this and that . Gita Mahatmya is Muni Bakyam Therefore Lord Shiva's glorification of the Bhagavad Gita - The Gita Mahatmya of Padma Purana by Krishna-Dvaipayana-Vyasa.is a false conception.we should follow Gita not its incentives like gita mahatmya.

[veeramani]

I am interested in the discourses on Bhagavat Gita(all chapters) by Shri Swami Parmanarthananda. Can anyone support me.