The reality of Bhagavad Gita

A grandson had gone to his grand mother and was feeling sad. So, the grand mother, not able to see her grandson in such sad mood, pouring out all her love, asked what the issue was. The grand son said, he studied really well but he haven't got good marks. The grand mother felt bad for him and said, "Don't worry, everything happens according to God's will. Whatever you do, leave the result to Him."  The grandson, got diverted from marks to God. He started thinking "Everything is God's wish, then why should I do anything. Why should I study. Anyways, God decided to give me less marks. So, let me not study."  What an innocent convenient philosophy, the little one can think of to stay away from hard work. The little one got diverted and ran away happily after kissing her and hugging her.

This little boy, with the same thought process, performs all the tasks. He assumes, as everything is God's will, work how much ever is comfortable. As days go by, he developed the attitude of accepting the result as the way he gets. In his career, he starts looking at the broader world, he slowly understands, he wants more. He starts wishing for more than what he was given by his God. He started feeling uncomfortable and dissatisfied. He started cursing God, why God had written his life in this way. He hears from his grand mother again, "You get back what you do." Now, he is confused. When he was small, he heard everything is God's will, now he hears, the Karma theory which is sounding like newton's third law. What is right ? He is in dilemma. He goes and expresses the same to his Grand mother. She says," Don't wish for more. Be satisfied with what you have. "

Before he could solve his dilemma, he realised work is increasing, wishes are increasing, result is not as per expectation. Pressure is building up. To refresh, he attends a concert, where he listens to the musician, before singing a song, expresses, "I dedicate this song, to my Guru" and then the performance goes on. At the end, the performer gives an option to the audience to request for a song as a dedication to their loved ones.

He observed, whenever , there is a dedication song, the performer performs it flawless. He thought for himself, is this a coincidence? Well, he wanted to test on himself. So, it was his grandmother's birthday. And he made a sweet all by himself, dedicating to her before even he started the preparation. It came out to be as Amrut. Ofcourse, he was left happy and joyful. It is fun for him now. Another time, he dedicated a long drive to his lover, and he experienced a complete, full of life experience. He dedicated  a project to his math teacher who taught him in and out of the subject, when he was studying. To his utmost surprise, the project he finished, had left him with great satisfaction. The work he did, the discipline he showed, the promotion he did about the project, everything was dedicated to his teacher. He concluded, whenever you dedicate something, we are bound to give the best we can. It is no coincidence. It is absolute truth. 

As Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 17, Shloka 23 to 28, explains about the importance of remembering and dedicating the work to be performed to the greater universe. 

तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः।

ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा।।17.23।।

tatsaditi nirdēśō brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ.

brāhmaṇāstēna vēdāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā৷৷17.23৷৷

Meaning - Braahmans, when chanting vedas, performing rituals, utter the three words. OM TAT SAT, to indicate the ultimate power of creation, and to remember and satisfy that creator.

तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः।

प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम्।।17.24।

 tasmādōmityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ.

pravartantē vidhānōktāḥ satataṅ brahmavādinām৷৷17.24৷৷

Meaning - Therefore, always, OM , is uttered in the beginning before performing any activity whether, yajna or dhaana or thapa or kriya.

तदित्यनभिसन्धाय फलं यज्ञतपःक्रियाः।

दानक्रियाश्च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्षकाङ्क्षिभि:।।17.25।।
 

tadityanabhisandhāya phalaṅ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ.

dānakriyāśca vividhāḥ kriyantē mōkṣakāṅkṣi৷৷17.25৷৷

Meaning - TAT is pronounced to dedicate, and all the acts are performed without any expectations of result. 

सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते।

प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते।।17.26।।

sadbhāvē sādhubhāvē ca sadityētatprayujyatē.

praśastē karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyatē৷৷17.26৷৷

Meaning - SATbhaave, Saadhubhave, SATsabdhah. SAT iti. To represent the reality in every activity we do, To represent the style of work we do, SAT is pronounced , ensuring, our work to be that real and remaining forever. 

यज्ञे तपसि दाने च स्थितिः सदिति चोच्यते।

कर्म चैव तदर्थीयं सदित्येवाभिधीयते।।17.27।।

yajñē tapasi dānē ca sthitiḥ saditi cōcyatē.

karma caiva tadarthīyaṅ sadityēvābhidhīyatē৷৷17.27৷৷

Meaning - Any Karma or activity, for the existence of the reality (SAT) , like yajna, thapas, dhaana, performed with this consistency and stability , remain SAT, permanent. 

अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्।

असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह।।17.28।।

aśraddhayā hutaṅ dattaṅ tapastaptaṅ kṛtaṅ ca yat.

asadityucyatē pārtha na ca tatprētya nō iha৷৷17.28৷৷

Meaning - Ashradhaya. Arjuna, the same tasks performed with ashradha, no concentration, or no faith, remain ASAT, temporary, useless, now and forever. (meaning - very soon be forgotten)

Instead of getting into all this, is it not possible to stay without working? 

Krishna says in Chapter 3 , 

न हि कश्िचत्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत्।

कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः।।3.5।।

na hi kaśicatkṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt.

kāryatē hyavaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛtijairguṇaiḥ৷৷3.5৷৷

Meaning - Not anyone, even for a second, can stay without any work. The nature and qualities of the universe, makes working a necessary action for everyone. 

So, when we know the universe is designed to be "in action" by every existing creature either by physically or mentally, definitely there will be a design to keep the universe existing forever so that the beings can follow.

Hence, in Chapter 18, Krishna tells,

न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते।

त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्नसंशयः।।18.10।।

na dvēṣṭyakuśalaṅ karma kuśalē nānuṣajjatē.

tyāgī sattvasamāviṣṭō mēdhāvī chinnasaṅśayaḥ৷৷18.10৷৷

Meaning - No doubts can arise for the person who performs the action with such intelligence and wisdom, and also remains unattached to the actions performed for whatever reasons.

न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः।

यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते।।18.11।।

na hi dēhabhṛtā śakyaṅ tyaktuṅ karmāṇyaśēṣataḥ.

yastu karmaphalatyāgī sa tyāgītyabhidhīyatē৷৷18.11৷৷

Meaning - No being can stay without activity. Hence, it is said that , the satisfied being is the one who can dedicate and sacrifice the karma and the phala - action and the result.

What grandmother told was not wrong, but it is on us , how we understand the whole loop of the universe. If we want to leave the result to the God, first dedicate the work to the God. Satisfied and simple way to get peace. 

Human cannot live without performing a task or work. We can choose the task and own up and do our best, when we dedicate the work to someone. This gives satisfaction to us, and of course, great confidence.

And hence, to keep ourselves engaged in the qualitative works, the dedication to the universe is necessary. And automatically, the ultimate power with its drone view decides to give materialistically how much is deserved.

But the whole strategy is to achieve mental peace first and then material benefits. What a beautiful strategy Krishna.

This is the reality of Bhagavad Gita no confusion attached, only confidence attached.

So, the SOP is - Dedicate - OM TAT SAT - Work - Stay Satisfied - Dedicate - Work - Stay satisfied....Lets follow this cyclical approach to stay focused.

OM TAT SAT - To the universe that stays forever. 

---------- Keerthi Peratla.