Is Gita not relevant today? || Acharya Prashant

Acharya Prashant

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  ~~~~~

Transcript

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.

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