172 – Conclusion of Gita | Swami Tattwamayananda

Bhagavad Gita | The Essence of Vedanta

Gita is the most celebrated spiritual text of Hinduism and Vedanta. Shankaracharya immortalized Gita with his commentary.
Many of Buddha’s teachings were taken from Gita. The 26th chapter of Dhammapada is repetition of the characteristics of a “stitha-prajna” (wise man) described in the 2nd chapter of Gita. The concept of moderation discussed in the 17th verse of the 6th chapter of Gita was also adopted by Buddha.
73rd verse: Arjuna says: “Now, I have listened to you carefully. I have overcome my doubts. I have regained my wisdom. I shall act according to your instructions.”
Gita begins with Arjuna’s dilemma. It was taught to an ordinary man of action, because it has a realistic approach to life, interpreting spirituality as common sense. In essence, it says that when we face a crisis in life, we should not know that it is transient. We should also know that happiness and unhappiness are two sides of the same coin, and we have to transcend both to find peace and happiness.
Arjuna thought of himself as a physical body. Once he learnt the spiritual truth of his own true nature and a common-sense approach to life in this world, his delusions were gone.
Gita is not just a book of action. According to Shankaracharya, the central theme of Gita is not action alone but the importance of spiritual knowledge.
There is an epilogue to Gita called Uttara Gita. There Arjuna asks Lord Krishna to explain his teachings again, as he forgot the teachings. At that point, Lord Krishna scolds him. The implication of this story in modern times is that when we listen to something, we may emotionally connect with it, but we may not be able to implement the spiritual wisdom. We have to struggle hard to translate our intellectual understanding to our emotional system.
After the 73rd verse, the scene shifts in Gita. In the next several verses, Sanjaya, who was blessed with divine vision by Vyasa says: “I still recall again and again in my mind the dialog between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. It fills my heart with joy.”
Sanjaya was able to listen, enjoy and recall this great dialog because his mind was ready for it. We do not remember what we are not interested in. Sanjaya was a spiritual seeker and had the right spiritual attitude.
Gita ends with the 78th verse: “Wherever there is a blending of Yogeshwara (man of spiritual wisdom) and Dhanurdhara (man of action), there will be fortune, prosperity, victory, welfare, righteousness and justice.”