GITA JAYANTI

Celebration : The Birth of Bhagwad Gita Known for : The Sacred Scripture Religion : Hindu In the month of : December - January

THE GITA Jayanthi or the birthday of the Bhagavad-Gita is celebrated throughout India by all admirers and lovers of this sacred scripture on the 11th day (Ekadashi) of the bright half of the month of Margaseersha (December-January) according to the Hindu almanac. That was the day on which Sanjaya narrated the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, to King Dhritarashtra, and thus made the glorious teachings of the Lord available to us, to all the people of the world, and for all time.

The Gita Jayanthi marks one of the greatest days in the history of mankind. Nearly six thousand years ago on that day a dazzling flash of brilliant lightning lit up the firmament of human civilization. That spiritual effulgence, that flash, was the message of the Bhagavad Gita, given by the Lord Himself on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Unlike ordinary dashes of lightning which die away after dashing for 'a split-second, this brilliant dash of that memorable day continued to shine through the centuries and even now illumines the path of humanity on its onward march to perfection.

The Gita is the most beautiful and only truly philosophical song. It contains sublime lessons on wisdom and philosophy. It is the "Song Celestial'. It is the universal gospel. It contains the message of life that appeals to all, irrespective of race, creed, age or religion.

The Gita was given to us about six thousand years ago through Arjuna, an Indian prince, by Sri Krishna, the Lord incarnate. The teachings are based on the Upanishads, the ancient, revealed metaphysical classics of India. The Gita shows a way to rise above the world of duality and the pairs of opposites and to attain eternal bliss and immortality. It is a gospel of action. It teaches the rigid performance of one's duty in society, the life of active struggle, keeping one's inner being untouched by outer surroundings and renouncing all fruits of actions as offerings unto the Lord.

The Gita is a source of power and wisdom. It strengthens you when you are weak and inspires you when you are feeble. It teaches you to embrace righteousness and resist unrighteousness. The Gita is not merely a book; it is not a mere scripture. It is a living voice carrying an eternally vital and indispensable message to mankind. Its verses embody words of wisdom, coming from the infinite ocean of knowledge, the Absolute Itself.

The voice of the Gita is the call of the Supreme. It is the divine sound explained. The mightiest primal source of all existence, all power, is the manifested sound, Om. This is the divine Word. It is the Nada Brahman whose unceasing can is: "Be ye all ever merged in the eternal unbroken continuous consciousness of the Supreme Truth". This is the sublime message that the great Gita elaborates and presents in all comprehensiveness and in a universally accepted form. It is verily this message of the Bhagavad Gita that I wish to recall and reproclaim with emphasis to you.

To be always conscious of the Divine, to ever feel the Divine presence, to live always in the awareness of the Supreme Being in the chambers of your heart and everywhere around you, is verily to live a life of fullness and divine perfection on earth itself Such constant remembrance of God and such attitude of mind will release you forever from the clutches of Maya and free you from all fear To forget the Supreme is to fall into Maya. To forget Him is to be assailed by fear To live in unbroken remembrance of the Supreme Truth is to remain always in the region of Light, far beyond Maya's reach.

Mark carefully how the Gita again and again stresses upon this lofty message. The Lord declares : "Keep thou thy mind in Me, in Me place thy reason".

In another verse, He says "Therefore, at all times remember Me and fight You will surely attain Me, thus having offered yourself'.

And yet again: "perform action remaining united with Me at heart".