Full Video: The Gita is Super Special for you. This is why || Acharya Prashant, with MMMUT (2023)
Link: https://youtu.be/0tbQvTtiWec
Video Information: 11.02.23, MMMUT Gorakhpur (Online), Greater Noida
Context:
How did Krishna teach Arjun?
What is the essence of Bhagwad Gita?
Bhagwad Gita hold a very special place in Spirituality.
What makes Bhagwad Gita so special?
The real meaning of Gita
How to understand Bhagwad Gita?
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~~~
Link: https://youtu.be/0tbQvTtiWec
Video Information: 11.02.23, MMMUT Gorakhpur (Online), Greater Noida
Context:
How did Krishna teach Arjun?
What is the essence of Bhagwad Gita?
Bhagwad Gita hold a very special place in Spirituality.
What makes Bhagwad Gita so special?
The real meaning of Gita
How to understand Bhagwad Gita?
Music Credits: Milind Date
~~~~~
Category
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LearningTranscript
00:00This video is brought to you by the National Anthem of the National Anthem.
01:00In the Bhagavad Gita, the recipient of the discourse is not very willing.
01:19In fact, he is quite resistant.
01:22He is resistant to the point that at a couple of places he almost accuses the teacher, Krishna,
01:33of misguiding him.
01:37And that is understandable because a lot is at stake for Arjun.
01:44He is fighting and he is being told to actually kill his brothers, friends, relatives, teacher.
02:09All the people he has been very closely related to.
02:21Right?
02:22So this is something that the common man can more easily identify with.
02:34On one hand, there is wisdom and knowledge in the form of Krishna.
02:38On the other hand, there is attachment, there is fear and a lot of social conditioning.
02:50If you look at Arjun, how is it, using what kind of arguments, does he resist Krishna?
03:05It is quite interesting.
03:08In the first chapter itself, he says, if I fight, then there will be trouble related to caste.
03:21That is one of the first arguments that Arjun presents.
03:28Also, it appears Arjun does not think too highly of women.
03:37He says women will go astray and will get corrupted if all the menfolk perish.
03:48So Arjun is talking of caste.
03:51Arjun is talking condescendingly of women.
03:57And Arjun appears quite superstitious too.
04:04He says if out of Pratilom meeting, you have people being born, then they will not be able to
04:33to partake in certain rituals that offer peace to the souls of the dead ancestors.
04:48And Krishna has to fight all of this.
04:54So if you see, who is it that Arjun is representing?
05:01Arjun is representing the common man.
05:04The common man not only of those times, but the common man of today actually.
05:11The common man who is superstitious.
05:18And also another thing that Arjun is quite worried of, his reputation.
05:26He says what will happen to me?
05:32What will people think of me?
05:34What will people think of me?
05:37So Arjun is the common man who is in knots of familial attachment.
05:47Who values blood relations a lot?
05:54Who has a certain attitude towards women?
06:00Who has a certain attitude towards caste?
06:05Right?
06:06Who is superstitious?
06:08So that's the tough nut Krishna is dealing with.
06:14Because Arjun represents the common man of today, therefore all the things that Krishna tells Arjun
06:27are applicable to and useful for the common man of today.
06:33That's why I say that the Gita is a more useful scripture than the others we have even in Vedanta.
06:48Are you getting it?
06:50These are the problems that people face today, right?
06:55So the problems of Arjun, the mindset of Arjun, the situation and the attitude of Arjun
07:02is the attitude of today.
07:04Arjun is attached.
07:05Yes, sir.
07:06Who is not?
07:08Hmm?
07:09Arjun does not know what to do.
07:13And that kind of dilemma is ubiquitous.
07:19Yes, sir.
07:20Who is not torn between choices?
07:23We all are.
07:24Right?
07:25Yes, sir.
07:26So we all are Arjuns.
07:27Yes, sir.
07:28And Arjun has been deeply socially conditioned.
07:33Oh, so we all are.
07:35Yes, sir.
07:37Right?
07:38Arjun carries a certain attitude towards the various castes and the other gender.
07:50So do we all.
07:51Hmm?
07:52So the problems that Arjun is representing are problems of this age as well.
08:05That's why the solution that Krishna offers in the form of Gita is a solution to this age as well.
08:15Are you getting it?
08:16Arjun is not talking of problems that existed then and do not exist today.
08:28All the problems that Arjun has are problems of today as well.
08:34Are they not?
08:36So that's the reason why the message of the Gita is so timeless.
08:47Right?
08:48As long as there is the mind, the mind will create distinctions, boundaries, needless separations
08:57in the form of caste, in the form of religious denominations.
09:04Gender is an all-time thing we all know.
09:10And obviously the first separation is my family versus the rest of the world.
09:20So also Arjun is thinking of all those things.
09:24And even when you talk of your family, there is the core inner family and then the extended family.
09:33So on one hand Arjun has to think of his wife and the way she was ridiculed and humiliated.
09:45So he cannot let go of that memory, that scarring memory.
09:58On the other hand, he also has fond memories related to Bhishampitama, who brought him up,
10:10the grand grand-grand-daddy, who would play with Arjun the kid, and Dron, the teacher.
10:28And Arjun was a little boy when he was sent to Acharya Dron.
10:37And Arjun does not know, look at him.
10:40He has the agonies and sufferings that his brothers went through.
10:49Lakshagra is something he cannot forget.
10:52He cannot forget the several years, more than a decade they spent in the forest,
10:59and then the year they spent in hiding, incognito.
11:02He cannot forget all those things.
11:04And he cannot forget the injustice he thinks the Kauravs are emitting out to him.
11:10He cannot forget all those things.
11:11And there are memories from the other side as well.
11:14And this is the de facto situation of every worldly man, right?
11:21Yes sir.
11:23Sometimes on one side there is the wife, on the other side there is the brother.
11:28That's a very common situation, is it not?
11:32Yes sir.
11:34Every household has this story, right?
11:38The wife versus the brother and the man in the middle is simply stuck or you could say torn.
11:51Yes sir.
11:53So, if you can understand the situation of Arjun, you will immediately say,
12:02Oh, that's not his situation, that's my situation.
12:08Not his, but mine.
12:12Arjun used to be very angry at Duryodhana and the rest of the Kauravs.
12:18And time and again he said, let the battle begin.
12:23I'll destroy them in a moment.
12:29And that was before the battle actually began.
12:31And now that the battle is about to begin,
12:35Arjun has cold feet.
12:41He tells Krishna, I cannot even lift the Gandiv, the bow.
12:49So that's the situation we all experience, right?
12:54Don't we?
12:56What appears very attractive one moment, very compelling one moment,
13:03becomes a horrible thing to do when the moment really comes.
13:12And so, even before you go into the solutions that Krishna is offering,
13:21you must go into the situation Arjun is in.
13:29The more you see your own predicament in Arjun,
13:39the more you see your own face in Arjun,
13:46the more useful the Bhagavad Gita will be to you.
13:54And I'll repeat, Arjun is very relatable.
14:00Very relatable.
14:02Though the irony has been that people talk of what Shri Krishna says,
14:10they do not talk of the one to whom Shri Krishna says all those things.
14:16And that's the reason why the message of Krishna often goes wasted upon most people.
14:26Unless you become the one to whom those words are addressed,
14:30how will those words ever reach you?
14:33And you don't have to actually become that one.
14:36You are that one. You are Arjun.
14:38The Gita is addressed to you.
14:41But people do not go through the right process when they are with the Gita.
14:49They start thinking that of utmost importance is Krishna's message.
14:56No. This will sound surprising.
15:00But even more important than Krishna's message is your honest admission that you are Arjun.
15:16If you are not Arjun, then Krishna might be lobbing gems and diamonds.
15:32But you will not be able to take them, lap them because they will not be for you.
15:39Right?
15:41Hmm?
15:43What's of more use to you?
15:49A random packet of diamonds?
15:59Or just one diamond in a packet with your name?
16:11Please tell me.
16:13Please tell me.
16:15Please tell me.
16:18What is of more value to you?
16:21An entire shop of jewelry?
16:25Or just one item?
16:31Huh?
16:34A simple ring?
16:36Or a chain?
16:38With your name on it?
16:43Please tell me.
16:45That entire shop of diamonds might have great value.
16:51But it has no value for you.
16:54Because great things.
16:59So what?
17:00You don't get anything from there.
17:02That's the reason why the world has failed Gita.
17:09The Gita is there but you are not Arjun.
17:12So the Gita does not come to you.
17:20A great packet of valuable diamonds has arrived.
17:26But it does not carry your name.
17:28So you get nothing from that.
17:30Or do you get anything?
17:31No?
17:32Nothing?
17:33First of all, ensure that you are Arjun.
17:37Yes sir.
17:38Writing your name is very important.
17:40One fellow actually flung the exams.
17:41I am talking to a student.
17:42So this example might be relevant.
17:43He wrote a great answer sheet for three hours.
17:45And then submitted it without mentioning his name or role number.
17:47That's what we do to the Gita as well.
17:48A great scripture but without your name is of no use to you.
17:49A great scripture but without your name is of no use to you.
17:50A great scripture but without your name is of no use to you.
17:56Again and again.
17:57Ask yourself.
17:58Again and again.
17:59Ask yourself.
18:00A great answer sheet for three hours.
18:01A great answer sheet for three hours.
18:02And then submitted it without mentioning his name or role number.
18:04That's what we do to the Gita as well.
18:09A great scripture but without your name is of no use to you.
18:25Again and again ask yourself.
18:28What is my problem?
18:31Why must I go to the Gita?
18:36Is the message of Krishna relevant to me at all?
18:43The process must be inside out.
18:48Gita is not a general purpose medicine.
19:00You must know your ailment a bit clearly.
19:09And then you will find Krishna talking to you in a very personal way.
19:22That's the reason I love the Gita.
19:25Its utility.
19:27Its relatability.
19:28Truth coming down to speak to you.
19:46Truth coming close to you to hold your hand.
19:51It's another matter that we still manage to evade the truth.
20:03But the Gita is such a moving document of the compassion the truth exhibits.
20:18The disciple is unwilling.
20:30Also probably not exactly competent.
20:43And yet the teacher in his compassion is continuously at the disciple.
20:55What is his dream of?
20:56He is a wonderful woman.
20:57It's a wonderful man.
20:58He is a good woman.
20:59The secret of the Gita.
21:00He can change the victory for her.
21:01He has a power back.
21:02I am not sure.
21:03The father saw her woman with his hand.
21:06His ear Why did they draw her?
21:07I am fine.
21:08I am fine.