Avatar in the Saptashati & Bhagwad Gita
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| Avatar in the Saptashati and Bhagwad Gita *Dr Chaman Lal Raina |
| Gita Jayanti was on the 28th of November, 2009 on the Marga Shirsha Shukla Ekadashi. It was on this day that the Sanjaya narrated to the blind King Dritrashtra the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, and thus made the universal teachings of the Lord available to the world, for all times to come. I recollect the year 1955, when on the same day, I also entered in the Gita Recitation competition, held at Shri Sanatan Dharma Pratap Sabha Lal Chowk,Srinagar. There wewre at least 30 contestants, all from the High School or college. I was from the Ist year College student then. I was asked to recite any Shloka from the Bhagwadgita very dear to me. I recited the 41st Shloka of the 11th chapter,which runs as: |
| सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति। अजानता महिमानं तवेदं मया प्रमादत्प्रणयेन वापि॥ |
| sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yaduktaṁ he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti| ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ mayā pramādatpraṇayena vāpi|| |
| Later, I was asked to give its translation in Hindi,which I did to the satisfaction of the committee, sponsoring the Gita Jayanti program,then. This program would continue in that Sabha till late seventies. Since this Shloka is very interesting, written in simple words, easily understandable , but this in essence is the Bija Mantra of the Gita, as I understand it now.This Mantrik Shloka is in close proximity with the Karma Yoga, as Arjuna learnt from the Yogiraja Krishna, in the battle field of Kurukshetra. Before realizing the Avatiirana--descent of Lord Krishna, Arjuna as usual would address Him as sakha/friend, Krishna or yaadava, in his right of being his friend and brother-in-law,unaware of the fact of His descent to uphold Dharma. All these names were said out of pramada/negligence or may be through pranaya/fondness. These are the words of the aspirant Arjuna,after seeing his Vishwarupa Darshana/universal form,through his intuitive eyes, and there is no hiding, nothing secret, when there is Shradha/devotion and Vishwas/faith.Through that intutive visualization of the cosmic form of the Divine in Descent,Arjuna made a humble submission to the Lord for expressing many informal gestures. The Lord is always with us ,only we need to recognize his descent, feel his presence and visualize his radiance. Shri Krishna refers to the "Maatri-Tattva"--motherhood og God as under, which needs to be studied in the light of the Durga Sapta Shati,though there is no direct reference to Durga in his Vishwarupa Darsghan, but Lord Krishna says : कीर्तिः श्रीर्वाक्च नारीणां स्मृतिर्मेधा धृतिः क्षमा kīrtiḥ śrīrvākca nārīṇāṁ smṛtirmedhā dhṛtiḥ kṣamā Bhagwadgita Chaper 10 Shloka34 Among the womanhood, I am to be seen in their कीर्तिः/fame,श्री/fortune,र्वाक्च/fine speech, स्मृति/memory, र्मेधा/intelligence, धृतिः/steadfastness and क्षमा/patience, forbearance ,forgiveness. |
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| Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glaanir Bhavati Bharata Abhut-tthanam Adharmasya Tadaatmaanam Srijaamiham Paritraanaaya Saadhunaam Vinaashaya Cha Dushkritaam Dharama Sanasthaapnaarthaaya Sambhavaami Yuge Yuge (Bhagvadgita Chapter 4, Shloka 7-8) Bhagawaan Shri Krishna declares of his designated Descent, known as AVATARA of the Absolute Reaqlity in the battle-field of Kurukshetra. Shantaakaaram Bujanga Shayanam Padma Naabham Suresham I bow to Vishnu, who is supremely serene.His coach is Ananta—the serpent king. Brahma rests on his lotus navel. He is the fountain head of this universe, and is infinite in his innate nature. His hue is like that of the clouds in the sky. He is the consort of Shri Laksmi. His eyes resemble that of a lotus. He is being meditated upon by the Yogis. He alone is the Lord of this Universe. It is he, who destroys all the evils in the world. |
Concept of Om - Painting by Dr Chamanlal Raina |
| The concept of SerialTime starts,from the birth of Lord Brahma,otherwise allwhich is infinite and beginningless is Eternal Time--the Anaant Kaala. Sa Shankha Chakram Sakirit Kundalam, The same Vishnu got incarnated as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva in the prison cell of MATHURA, ruled by the Evil Kansa . Kansa, who was none else but Madhu Rakshasa, born in the Dwapar Yuga some six thousand and more years ago. He was the Maternal uncle to Krishna,. He wanted to kill that BABY KRISHNA, as being the 8th offspring of Devaki and Vasudeva. Born at the ROHINI Nakshatra at the time of moon rise on the 7th Tithi of the dark fortnight of Badarpada, Lord descended, to relieve the masses from great suffering , atrocities, humiliation to the womanhood at the hands of Kauravas. Lord Krishna is revered by the cross section of humanity for being rational in his outlook, as is evident from the translations of the Bhagwad Gita in the major languages of the world. The best translation in Urdu poetry has been authored by Professor DIL MOHMAD, of the then Lahore College. His DIL KI GITA has been transliterated in the Devanagri script as well. Best Persian translation has been made by Abul Fazal at the time of Akbar. GITA RAHASYA by Loka Manya Bal Gangadhar Tilak is considered as the master peice reference book on the political thought of Shri Krishna on the basis of Spirituality. This book was authored by Tilak ji, in the KALAPANI Jail. Commentaries on Bhagwadgita are innumerable. Sri Aurobindo's work on Gita is based on the integral yoga. Iqbal was also in praise of Shri Krishna. He considers him as the most intellectual personality of India, this is documented in his preface to his Persian work ASRARI -KHUDI. Dr. Radhakrishnan has also annotated and translated the Bhagwadgita in English. Prabhupad has written extensively on the Bhagwadgita. To conclude, Bhagwadgita given by Shri Krishna belongs to the world, Shri Krishna belongs to those who want to know the beauty of NISH KAMA KARMA YOGA, STHITA PRAJNA stateof mind.This iswhat the Avatara teaches ,when the Transcebdental Brahman/Reality descends for establishing Dharma. Therefore the concluding Shloka of the Bhagwadgita suggets:-- "YATRA YOGESHVARAH KRISHNO YATRA PARTHO DHANURDHARA Wherever there is God incarnate Krishna, being the very Sovereign Master of Yoga; wherever there is Arjuna-the wielder of the bow..., there will be Shri/auspiciousness, Vijaya/victory. This is the verdict, as said by Sanjaya--the impartial and independent witness to the dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjuna. |
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*Dr. Chaman Lal Raina did Masters in Hindi & English. Ph.D. in Hindi & Iqbaliat at the University of Kashmir. Worked on the research project at the Iqbal Institute for writing monographs on Indology as Research Associate. Worked as lecturer to teach research methodology in Iqbal Institute, University of Kashmir. Dr. Raina's first love is for the Vedas and the Shakti Tradition of India. To his credit goes some ten books on Indology. He was awarded Nagmani Fellowship, Buddhist Fellowship etc. from various Institutions. Presently Dr. Raina is associated with the Yoga Studies, religion and sanskrit at Florida International University, USA. |
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