The Gita: Srimadbhagwadgita: श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता : Chapter 1:1

अथ प्रथमोSध्यायः

अर्जुनविषादयोगः

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः|

मामकाः पांडवाश्चैव किम अकुर्वत संजय||

Beloved Soul,

 

All the dialogues start from a person who is ignorant, the one who is blind, someone who can not see and understand, the one who is still in the dark. So if Gita begins with the first word from Dhritaraashtra it should not surprise you.  In fact someone who is reading Gita for the first time in life and knows a little about it… probably some introduction of it he has that it is the voice of Supreme Godhead Lord Shre Krishna he would be surprised to see that it is beginning with words of Dhritrashtra. For him Dhritaraahtra would seem irrelevant and completely misplaced here.. after all this is Gita and should begin with the words of Krishna but it does not happen so! It can never happen because The wise, The one who can see, the one who knows has no purpose in speaking.. the one who understands it completely would know the futility of words and for him as such there are no questions as well so why would he ask? Why would he speak.. Yes! He would definitely respond and shower is grace but only if asked. Wise don’t speak much for they know it. And those who are chattering about God, Brahmn, Soul, Enlightenment? For sure they still don’t know. They are yet to understand it and probably to expand their understanding they are engaging in some kind of dialogue with you.. even that dialogue can be with self also. It may be a mental chatter.. Soliloquy and that’s why so many people talking and discussing about God and spirituality and what not!

 Second thing to understand is that the one who answers such blind people should also have a broader vision and ability to put across things in right perspective. Sanjaya qualifies here as an unbiased observer. Remember Sanjay gets this power of special vision for he is totally unbiased and without any prejudice. He doesn’t has his own view about things, he is not engaged in any kind of logic and imagination.. what he is doing is unbiased, witnessing. He is not giving color of his imagination to situation. He has the capacity of Tele-Vision and I tell you it is not a very special power to have.. All you need is a calm, unprejudiced and totally unbiased frame of mind; Free from any critical judgment of the reality. If you want to acquire such power it is really easy. It is a very simple and you can do it albeit it would require regular practice of meditation to develop such a witnessing frame of mind…

Take a note of Dritarashtra’s question.. He asks “Maamkaah Pandavaachaiva..” the first thing in his mind comes Maamkaah… that means mine (मेरे) and then continues asking about sons of his real brother Pandu. This is the state of every person who is blind.. blind not in literal sense but ignorance is the state I am referring to, it is worse than blindness. This question of Dritarashtra defines his character of at once.. But it is not so that only Dritarashtra is blind the whole humanity is blind.. Every person you meet, deal with, all so called normal persons you come across are blind for they are interested in only three things .. “me, my and mine” and nothing else. i am not saying so as a guess Psychologists have found out that in the conversations the most used word is “I”.. They also discovered that even in normal conversations people don’t listen to others. They are keenly interested in telling what they themselves feel and think. No wonder in this world so much confusion prevails, the relationships don’t work for no one understands the other, Reason? You never listen to other at all! All the while the other is speaking you are preparing an answer within or worse holding yourself back from not snatching the mike from the one who is speaking..

Psychologists recognized this attitude and they suggested a cosmetic solution. They thought people can be trained not to be blind. That people can be trained not to be blind.. to be courteous and empathetic. That is how need for acquired courtesy.. training in etiquette. But that doesn’t change it a bit people are still not sensitive and how they can be? People are exposed in their day to day behaviour.. Look at the official mails you receive..  they will write something like “Myself, Ms. so and so and Mr. so and so will attend this meeting”.. Here you see a Dritarashtra?  Blindness requires a surgery. There is no way you can stop being blind unless you go through that inner surgery and realize your true self.. and once you are able to rise to that level there is no need for training anymore.. the other comes first.  Corporates have to yell at their meets “Customer First”, “Employees First” and need for such an emphatic statement is just to cover the underline statement “Company’s profit first”, “Me first”. I say so with conviction that all they can do is pretend not to be blind, they can get artificial, plastic eyes fitted but despite all this deep down they would still  stay the same… ignorant, self-centered and ignorant. A self realized person is always courteous, all humble, humane and compassionate.. he doesn’t require a training in etiquette. He is the source of inspiration, love and light to all.

Remember, Gita is about you.. Gita is about Dhritarashtra in you.. I say wake up, open your eyes. I know there would still be darkness of selfishness around but then don’t panic, try burning the lamp of service and sacrifice and slowly there will be light. You would see the reality as it exists.. experience it in all its shades, colors and appreciate its magnificence.

Enough for today

– Acharya Agyaatadarshan Anand Nath

 

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