mahabharata and gita synopsis
DESCRIPTION
The Essense of Mahabharat and The GitaTRANSCRIPT
THE EPIC MAHABHARAT
AND
THE BHAGVAD GITA
A
SYNOPSIS
AND
ESSENSE
THE MAHABHARAT
The Mahabharata, written by sage Vyasa, is an epic story of the conflict between
the five Pandava brothers, and their one hundred cousins, the Kauravas. The
story drives home, as nothing else does, the futility and sad outcomes of anger,
ambition, hatred and vengeance. "Revenge" at all levels is the central core of this
epic story.
It is also a romantic story telling the tales of heroic men and women and some
"realized" beings. It is a literary thesis containing a code of life, a philosophy of
social and ethical relations, and an observation of human frailties that continue to
recur through the centuries.
The conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas ultimately brings them to the The conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas ultimately brings them to the
battlefield at “Kurukshetra” and a war is fought that practically destroys a whole battlefield at “Kurukshetra” and a war is fought that practically destroys a whole
generation. Incorporated in this melodrama of human events, is embedded the generation. Incorporated in this melodrama of human events, is embedded the
jewel, "The Bhagvad Gita."jewel, "The Bhagvad Gita."
BHAGVAD GITA
At the onset of the battle, Krishna preached the Bhagvad-Gita to Arjun.
In this dialogue Lord Krishna touches on every aspect of life and in great detail maps out four paths that could lead one to "moksha“.
– JYANA YOGA: The path of Knowledge.
– BHAKTI YOGA: The path of Devotion and love.
– KARMA YOGA: The path of Action or Work.
– DHYANA YOGA: The path of Meditation.
The Gita consists of eighteen chapters of seven hundred stanzas and
each chapter has a specific message.
The first chapter deals with Arjun’s dilemma about the war.
The second chapter outlines the art of blending work, knowledge, devotion, and meditation into a way of life.
The third chapter is entirely devoted to "Karma Yoga".
The sixth chapter explains meditation as a way of life in great detail.
The tenth chapter elaborates on the presence of God in everything
in the Universe.
The twelfth chapter deals with "Bhakti Yoga”
The fourteenth chapter has a magnificent explanation of the three "GUNAS" or
modes of living.
• "SATTVIC," is the enlightened or pure way.
• "RAJASIC," is a life of passion, desire and attachment
• "TAMASIC" is a lazy, ignorant existence.
The fifteenth chapter gains insight into the nature of the Supreme Being.
The eighteenth chapter is a beautiful summary of the entire Gita plus a final word on how to completely "surrender" to God to attain "moksha".
Essence from the Gita
1. Work without attachment. Relinquish the fruit of your labor to Me. "Karma Fala Tyaga."
2. Follow any one of these paths, it will bring you to Me.
"Jyana Yoga",
"Bhakti Yoga"
"Karma Yoga",
“Dhyana Yoga,”
3. Perform all action (karma) keeping the body and mind centered and poised, “Stithapradyna”
4. See Me in everything and strive continuously to attain the “Sattvic” way of life.
References:
Stephen P. Huyler: Meeting God, 1995.
Alain Danielou, The Gods of India, Hindu Polytheism, 1985,
Ram Dass: The Only Dance There Is, 1974
Frijtof Capra: The Tao of Physics, 1975
Radhakrishnan: The Hindu View of Life, 1954
Pramod Chandra The Sculpture of India, 3000B.C.-1300 A.D. 1985
Prasad Gokhale: Chronology and Antiquity of Indian History, 1994
Wendy O’Flaherty: The Rig Veda, 1981Ernest G. McClain: The Myth of Invariance
Sanderson Beck: Hindu Philosophy, Ethics and Chronology 2001Robert Hume: The Upanishads, Ways of Mysticism, 2000
Cornelia Dimmitt and J.A.B. van Buitenen: Classical Hindu Mythology 1977