Srimad Bhagavad Gita, A way of Life.

References abound in World Literature . I have referred to some points .

Those who wish to study further, may check  the web and refer to Google Books as further digression my part shall be beyond the scope of this series.

One might also refer to You Tube for Videos.

On the Archaeological front , evidence is mounting on the existence of Dwaraka (you may see Videos  on this in my blogs, and also in You Tube).

Sites relating to Mahabharata have been unearthed. Suffice to say that there is enough scientific  evidence to conclude that The Mahabharata is a fact and not fiction.

But to  those who are skeptical, I would say read the message of The Gita. One need not bother about who wrote it. What is said is important.

Krishna.

Lord Krishna says to Arjuna, after delivering the discourse that he need to examine what has been explained to him and asks him to take his decision! (Chapter 18)

Bhagavad Gita is a view and way of Life. Bhagavad Gita is  one of the Ratna Trayas of Indian Philosophy.

The other two are, The Vedas and The Brahma Sutras . Srimad Bhagavad Gita is the very essence of the Vedas.

It contains not only the vedic Thoughts but thoughts of other Systems of Indian Philosophy as well.

Evolution and Gunas Theory of The Sankhya,Atomic Theory of The Vaisesika ,Logical System of Nyaya, Yoga of Patanjali, Karma Theory of Mimamsa( with modifications) and of course The Advaita,Visitadvaita and Dwaita are all discussed in The Gita.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita is not a Religious Sermon.

It was born of practical necessity at the time of war, when Arjuna was confused as to the course of action he needs to take.

It is to fight to depression at the immediate level and to overcome some questions that shall arise at some point of time in one’s Life.

Spirituality makes Children Happy-Study.

The quest for The Unknown and Contentment makes one happy.

Science and Religion belong to the category of trying  to make Absolute statements, though those who propound these know these to be untrue, do not make one happy.

The inner yearning to feel one’s  Self until that is realized, no one is happy.

Indian Philosophy,realizing this, does not propound  Dogma.

It  encourages self-analysis ans Skepticism until one is satisfied.

Therein lies the Greatness of Indian Philosophy.

The link between spirituality and happiness is pretty well-established for teens and adults. More spirituality brings more happiness. Now a study has reached into the younger set, finding the same link in “tweens” and in kids in middle childhood.

Specifically, the study shows that children who feel that their lives have meaning and value and who develop deep, quality relationships — both measures of spirituality, the researchers claim — are happier.

Personal aspects of spirituality (meaning and value in one’s own life) and communal aspects (quality and depth of inter-personal relationships) were both strong predictors of children’s happiness, said study leader Mark Holder from the University of British Columbia in Canada and his colleagues Ben Coleman and Judi Wallace.

http://www.livescience.com/3198-spirituality-religion-kids-happy.html

 

Bhagavad Gita -Tamil King Fed Mahabharata Armies!

Image via Wikipedia

Reference to Lord Krishna  is found in Tholkaapiyam ,Agaththiyam, the oldest works of Tamil Literature.

While designating the geographical patterns of the Land of the Tamils( this is a Unique feature of Tamil,where the land is differentiated into five regions,Kurinji(Hilly),Mullai (the wooded land between the High Lands and Low lands,Marudam (the lower course of Rivers), Neydal(the Littoral Tract and Palai and (the Dry Water less Region),Gods  who were  worshiped are recorded.

Lord Krishna is the Deity of Mullai-’Maayon’.

 

Remember Lord Krishna is reported to have lived in wood lands between Hills and the lower lands,recollect his managing the cowherd.

The Sangam Literature ‘Pura Nannooru’ speaks of the first Sera Monarch, Udiyancheralaathan who is addressed as the Cheralaathan of The Big Feed(Peruncotruudiyan Neduncheralaathan).

He was given the epithet,’Perunchotru’, because he is reported to have fed both the armies of the Kauravas and Pandavas in the Mahabharata battle.(udiyan is a Sanskrit word from Udagam,’Stomach’-note the words-Saha udarar,Sahodarar)

Mahabharata Battle.

( despite the Dharma being practiced in the period of the Mahabharata, the custom of both the armies eating ,after the war is over for the Day, along,they were practical enough to ensure that the Food served to them is not poisoned in favor of one army or the other)

He is also reported to have performed the Srardha for those who died in the Mahabharata battle in Chera Kingdom as well!

“மண்டிலந்த நிலனும்

 நிலனேந்திய   விசும்பும் 

விசும்புதைவரு விளியும்

…

ஈரைம்பதின்மரும் பொருதுகளத்தொழிய”

Puram .2.

……………………………………………………………………………. to be continued.

Bhagavad Gita Happened-External Evidence.

Image via Wikipedia

Before getting into evidence in Tamil  Literature, a few words on the probability of Srimad Bhagavad Gita having happened.

The Mahabharata has many versions in all the languages of India (in about 23 languages, apart from about 1230 dialects , where The Mahabharata is passed by word of mouth).

The language of people from different parts of the country is different,literature is different.

Yet the basics of The Mahabharata  is the same in all versions.

One has to remember that India has not been a Unified Country then ; there was no central authority to control the educational system.

Every one has the freedom to write what they believed in.

Yet Mahabharata essentials remain the same.

Also note that there are Jain and Buddhist versions as well, the Religions which do not believe in authority of the Vedas.

They also agree on the basics of The Mahabharata.

How is it possible?

Have the people of different periods, languages and beliefs suddenly decided to spin a yarn?

It does not stand to reason.

Only reason that appears is that the Mahabharata is true, so by extension The Gita.

I am reminded of ‘Cho‘ ,who pertinently asked in a serial in Tamil ‘Enge Brahmanan?’_Where is the Brahmin?, where he says ‘ we have not seen our great grand father, can we deny his existence?

We can go further deep into this, but it will lead to Hindu Epistemology, which is not in the scope of this blog.

Suffice to say that this is common sense.

Now let us examine what Tamil has to say on this.

Evidence of a Pandya King being present in Swamvara is found in  Mahabharata

(i-189.7020)

There are innumerable references in The Mahabharata to Tamils and vice versa.

…………to be continued.

 

Srimad Bhagavad Gita-Never Happened?

Lord Krishna and Bhishma.

Devavrata, who was later bestowed the name of Bhishma( one who does the impossible), vowed that he would never marry to enable his father Santanu to marry the woman he loved, thus ensuring that there would be no claimants to the throne for his step brothers and their progeny and carried out his vow.(he also vowed that he would never ascend the throne).

After Duryodhana was mortally wounded and lay dying  he says to Lord Krishna,

‘You have sided with the Pandavas,resorted to tricks that are against Dharma which You preach, made Jayathratha die by obscuring the Sun,kept Sikandi before Bhishma, made him drop the weapons,blew Your Panchajanya at the critical moment and ensured the death of Drona, ensured Vidhura  from participating in the Mahabharata war, weakened Karna by engineering the disarming of him of his Makara,Kundala,his decision not to use Naagastra more than once,not to engage any of the Pandavas other than Arjuna in the war,deceitfully received the Punya of Karna in the guise of a Brahmin,made sure that Karna was kept off-balance by making Kunti to declare at a critical moment that she was his Mother….

You talk of Dharma?

Pandavas won because of your deceit.

You should be ashamed of yourself’

Vyasa writes,

‘ Krishna,The One who never bowed before any one ,averted Duryodhana’s eyes and looked down at the ground’.

The Devas showered flower petals on Duryodhana and Blessed him that he would enter Swarga.

Just before his last breath, Duryodhana apologies to Lord Krishna for his out burst and Govinda(the most sacred endearing name and the one Krishna likes most-one might notice that in Apara Karma,including Tharpana, Sankalpa, we say ‘Sri Govinda, Govinda,Adhya Sri Bhagavatha:’ never any other God’s Name for Govinda is the One who ensures Moksha;

As Rajaji says ‘if  Sri Adi Sankaracaharya, who drank the ocean of Knowledge as one would from  one’s palm, calls out to Govinda’-the other name which is dear to Krishna – Vasudeva, Narayana)  and Lord Kesava Blesses him.

Such was  the Culture of the people.

We will now turn to external references to this Culture from the Greatest language along with Sanskrit,Tamil.

………………………………………………………………………………   to be continued