Gita

Bhagavad Gita 2.70 - Attitude Towards Desires

What should be our attitude towards desires? 

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमाप: प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् | 

तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ||

 

āpūryamāṇam achala-pratiṣhṭhaṁ samudram āpaḥ praviśhanti yadvat 

tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśhanti sarve sa śhāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī

 

Bhagavad Gita 16.21 - Three gates to hell

Hell is not a place one goes to one day some day. Hell comes to us through three gates. 

 

त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मन: | 

काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् || 

 

tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśhanam ātmanaḥ 

kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet 

Bhagavad Gita 2.38 - Optimal State of Mind for Performing Activity

 What is the optimal state of mind when engaging in activity? 

 

Our skills are an important factor when we perform any activity. But equally important is what is our state of mind when we are doing it. 

 

 #BhagvadGita gives guidance. 

 

सुखदु:खे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ | 

ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि || 

 

sukha-duḥkhe same kṛitvā lābhālābhau jayājayau 

tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi

 

Bhagavad Gita 2.47 - How to Perform Actions

"A flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does." 

 

Source: Wikipedia on Flow (Mihály Csíkszentmihályi) 

 

The #BhagavadGita gives guidance on how to engage in activity. 

 

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन | 

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि || 

 

karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana 

mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi

 

Bhagavad Gita 2.7 - Unlocking the Flow of Guidance and Wisdom

When we behave like a know it all, life remains silent. 

But when we do what Arjuna did - help & guidance arrives. 

 

कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभाव: पृच्छामि त्वां धर्मसम्मूढचेता: | 

यच्छ्रेय: स्यान्निश्चितं ब्रूहि तन्मे शिष्यस्तेऽहं शाधि मां त्वां प्रपन्नम् || 

 

kārpaṇya-doṣhopahata-svabhāvaḥ pṛichchhāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-chetāḥ 

yach-chhreyaḥ syānniśhchitaṁ brūhi tanme śhiṣhyaste’haṁ śhādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam 

Bhagavad Gita 4.33 - Offering of Knowledge is the Greatest

"Give a man fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Maimonides 

 

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." 

Mahatma Gandhi 

 

Here is some guidance from the Gita on sharing and receiving knowledge and learning. 

 

श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञ: परन्तप | 

सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते || 

 

śhreyān dravya-mayād yajñāj jñāna-yajñaḥ parantapa 

sarvaṁ karmākhilaṁ pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate

Bhagavad Gita 3.27 - Nature Does All Works

If you feel puffed up with pride for what you have done or regretful for what you didn't do, hear what Gita has to say. We function as an integral and inextricable part of the functioning of nature. Thinking of our self as a standalone/disconnected entity is unwise. 

 

प्रकृते: क्रियमाणानि गुणै: कर्माणि सर्वश: | 

अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते || 

 

prakṛiteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśhaḥ 

ahankāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate

 

Bhagavad Gita 3.35 - Being True To Your Self

"The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves!" 

Swami Vivekananda 

 

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् | 

स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह: || 

 

śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt 

swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

 

Bhagavad Gita 16.23 - Importance Of Reading And Following The Manual

Smart people take the time to read a manual before operating an equipment. The Gita explains why one should read the manual (RTM) and follow the manual (FTM). 

 

य: शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारत: | 

न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् || 

 

yaḥ śhāstra-vidhim utsṛijya vartate kāma-kārataḥ 

na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim 

Bhagavad Gita 3.21 - How Should A Leader Be?

The Bhagavad Gita has some guidance for how leaders should be. It's relevant regardless of the type of organization because human nature and behavior is essentially the same. As a leader you do what you want others to follow. 

 

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जन: | 

स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते || 

 

yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ

sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate

 

 

Bhagavad Gita 6.5 - Who Is Your Friend And Who Is Your Enemy

We have heard the adage "Penny wise and pound foolish." How does this apply to having friends and enemies? The Bhagavad Gita gives guidance. 

 

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् | 

आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: || 

 

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet 

ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

 

Bhagavad Gita 4.34 - How To Learn From A Wise Master

The Bhagavad Gita has practical guidance for many situations commonly encountered in life. Here is some advice from Gita for how to approach a learned/wise person for getting knowledge. The advice is in the context of a realized master imparting the highest knowledge/truth of the SELF but works pretty well for other kinds of knowledge and people as well. 

 

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया | 

उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: || 

 

tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā

upadekṣhyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ
 

 

 Reflections on Bhagavad Gita - Part 1