Hari OM Yuva Kendra,

We started the class by asking a simple question "What makes us Hindu ?".  We got answers like birth. values, traditions, culture, heritage, parents teachings etc..  Being born a Hindu is not enough.  It is a start but just being born a Hindu does not make one a practicing Hindu.  Which means that other things like values, traditions, heritage, culture, teachings are all relevant.  However the obvious question is who or what establishes these traditions, values or culture.  We learn from people around us but what is the source.  If one goes deeper into this question one realizes that the source of these are our scriptures.  The scriptures are the final authority that determine the heritage, values, traditions.... 

The Vedas give us the scriptural foundations.  The Upanishads which are a part of the Vedas deals with the spiritual knowledge or the philosophy.  The study of the Vedas and Upanishads is long and difficult also by its very nature need an environment that is serene and idyllic, far away from the hustle bustle of our day to day life. So the what are we supposed to do ?. Here is where the Bhagawad Geeta comes in.  The Bhagawad Geeta brings to us the Upanishidic knowledge in a manner that people like us can appreciate, understand and emulate.  Bhagawad Geeta was related to a warrior by the Lord himself on a battlefield.

There is one more key issue that makes the Bhagawad Geeta so unique.  Any philosophy can be complete only when a clear well defined path is made available to practice the philosophy.  It is just like to design a car one not only need the understanding of the basic sciences of physics, chemistry and related mathematics  (thermodynamics, motion, fuel calorimetry  etc) one also needs a thorough understanding of the engineering and the technology that goes in to design a great automobile.  Similarly the Bhagawad Geeta not only gives is a very lucid understanding of the philosophy enshrined in the Upanishads, it also gives us the a path of how to live based on that philosophy.  It gives us both the basic science and the applied engineering.  This is what makes the Bhagawad Geeta so unique and has been a source of tremendous inspiration to so many great leaders in all walks of life.

Verse 1 of chapter 1 starts with the blind king Dritharashtra asking Sanyaya to tell him as to what are the Pandavas and Kauravas doing on the Kurukshetra battlefield.  The opening words are "Dhramashetra Kurukshetra" are full of meaning.  Dharma means righteousness.  Some where in Dhritarashtra's mind lurks the understanding that the war that is about to happen is not just any war but it is war between good and evil and the fact that the Kauravas are on the wrong side.  It is the desire to hide this understanding that he labels the battle field as a Battle field of righteousness. 

Verses 2 to 11 Duryodhana the Kaurava prince is seen to be berating the Kaurava commanders especially Dronacharya.  Full of arrogance Duryodhana is suspicious of Dronacharya's loyalty.  Dronacharya love for Arjuna as a student was no secret.  Bhishma sees what is going on and feels that this would be a bad beginning for the war.  And in verse 12 in an effort to bolster the morale of the Kaurava commanders he blows his conch thus signalling the beginning of the war, thus the Kaurava's start the war and are the aggressors.  

As both sides are now making last minute preparations for the start of the war that is now imminent, Arjuna asks Krishna to take his chariot to the middle of the battle field so that he may survey the opposing army.  Krishna takes the chariot to the middle of the battle field and in verse 25 says the only words that He utters in the first Chapter "Behold the Kurus gathered together"  The word "behold " is full of meaning...  Arjuna is an accomplished archer,  he is fully armed and is a prince...  However Krishna is not sure if Arjuna is mentally ready for the war.  The word Behold is like a wake up call to Arjuna to wake up and take notice of what is about to happen.

Krishna words hit home... Arjuna sees his cousins, uncles, family members, teachers like Dronacharya who he loves and respects, Bhishma whom he reveres. Arjuna resolve to fight is broken. He starts giving Krishna a series of seemingly very intelligent arguments on why he should not fight.  That it would be a sin to kill, what good is land that is won like this, that it would be better to retire to the Himalayas than fight.  He complains that his body is on fire that he trembles and finally his bow slips from his fingers and he sits down in the chariot refusing to fight. He just not prepared to fight his family and friends and in spite of all his training and expertise as a warrior he goes through a complete and total mental break down. 

All through Krishna looks on without a word smiling away letting Arjuna rant.

Think of this setting not just as a story but as how it relates to us on a day to day basis.  Our Krukshetra is in our own minds  we are constantly in  state of conflict between numerous negative thoughts and tendencies and positive thoughts and good choices.  How do we make the right choice...  when confronted with very difficult choices between what is convenient and what is right how do we choose.  We are just too scared to act we are scared of failure and freeze into inaction.  A blank out in a test situation ...The Bhagawad Geeta is the manual of life that gives us the answers.

Next class we will go deeper in to the common between

Barriers to Success..

Why happiness ends in sadness and

Arjuna's grief.

Have a great week...

Hari OM