Taking Refuge in Gita
continued .......
Gita begins with “Sharanagati” (taking refuge) and ends with “sharanagati". Lord Krishna and Arjuna were together all the time. In Srimad Bhagwat, Arjuna says -
Shayyaasanaatanvikathnbhojanaa
sakhyuh sakheva pitruvattnayasya sarvam
sehe mahaan mahitayaa kumater dham me || (Srimad Bhagwat 1/15/19)
“While sleeping, sitting, wandering, chit-chatting, and eating with Lord Krishna, I developed such spontaneity with him, that I often called him “hey friend! you are very own!” Saying so I used to even attack him. But that great Lord, according to His dignity and greatness, used to forebear all those scorns and contempt from my limited intellect, just like a friend tolerates all the insults and scorning of a friend, and a father does the same for his son.”
Even though the Lord was a very close friend of Arjuna, then too the Lord
never gave the message of the Gita to Arjuna. However, at the time of war, when the weapons were getting ready to be used on both sides, - pravruitte shastrasampaate dhanurudyamya paandavah” (Gita 1/20). then Lord relayed the Gita to Arjuna ! Was this a great time of peace and quiet for sharing the Gita? The answer to this is that previously Arjuna had not become restless in this manner, or taken refuge in the Lord. When he saw on the battlefield that both parties had his kith and kin, then a dilemma creeped in as to whether to fight or not? Will we win in battle or will the Kauravas win? Is my supreme good in fighting the war or in not? He took refuge in the Lord and prayed -
Kaarpanya dosho pahataswabhaavah
prucchaami tvaam dharmasamoodhchetaah |
Yacchreyah syaannischintam broohi tanme
Shishyasteham shaadhi maam tvaam prapannam || (Gita 2/7)
“My nature is overwhelmed with the vice of faint-heartedness and my mind is confused with regard to my duty. I entreat you, to please tell me what is decidedly for my eternal good. I am your disciple. Do
instruct me, who have taken refuge in you.” (Gita 2/7)
In this manner in the beginning of the Gita, Arjuna takes refuge in God and asks about his supreme good, his salvation and in the end God tells Arjuna to take refuge in Him - “Maamekum sharanam vraj” (Gita 18/66)
Arjuna first told God that “I have taken refuge in you, please advice me”, but immediately thereafter he says “I will not fight” saying so Arjuna became quite - “Na yotsya iti govindamuktvaa tushnim babhoova ha” (Gita 2/9). Lord did not think this to be proper, but He did not say anything. Due to being extremely compassionate, the Lord began to deliver His message. (to be continued) Arjuna said to the Lord that my intellect is unable to decide about what my duty is - “Dharmasamoodhchetaah”, thus I take refuge in You. The Lord therefore said - you have no need to decide on what your duty (Dharma) is - “Sarvadharmaan parityajya”. Those who have desires within, who take the support of duty (Dharma), go through the cycle of birth and death -
“evam trayeedharmamanuprpannaa gataagatam kaamakaamaa labhante” (Gita 9/21). Therefore do not take the support of Dharma and with exclusive feelings take refuge in Me alone, “Maamekum sharanam vraja”
Arjuna says that if I fight, then I will incur sins and the Lord says, that if you do not fight then you will incur sins. However, in the end the Lord by showering his immense grace, says that do not be afraid of sins, you simply take refuge in Me, then I will free you from all sins. Along with this the Lord gives reassurance that do not worry.
All sins and sorrow take place when one turns away from God. Turning away from God is the worst of all sins, and to turn towards God is the greatest of all virtues. Therefore the Lord says -
Sanmukh hoyi jeev mohi jabahi |
Janma koti agh naasahin tabahin || (Manas. Sunder. 44/1)
On turning towards God, the root of sins and sorrows is destroyed. Saints have said, that to turn towards God, is complete virtue and to have good qualities and good conduct is half the virtues. In this way, becoming distant from God is total sin and to have bad qualities and bad conduct is half the sins.
Jeev (embodied soul) is a part of God, and to become distant from it’s very source, it suffers and experiences sorrow. When he takes refuge in God, then all sins-suffering comes to an end.
An aspirant should want that with a simple-honest heart say - “O’ Lord! I am Yours” Now accept that I have taken refuge in the Lord and God has accepted me. In fact God cannot renounce anyone, He has never renounced anyone and will never do so. The Almighty Lord cannot renounce anyone, rather He is incapable of doing so. He has taken everyone in his shelter. We only have become distant from him and have turned towards the world and take the support of the world. therefore the Lord says that leaving the support of all Dharmas (duties), take refuge in Me, then I will release you from all sins. Do not worry. The point is exercize your duty, but do not rely on thinking that by doing your duty, you will attain salvation. Do divine name repetition, chanting the holy name, praying, reading Gita-Ramayan, study of the scriptures etc. Do all these, but thinking that by doing so, I will attain salvation - do not have such pride. One cannot destroy the sins of infinite lifetimes by making an effort; because this power is not in a “jeev” (embodied soul), rather it is only in God. Therefore God says - “aham tvaa sarvapaapebhyo mokshyushyaami ma suchah” in other words, I will release you from all your sins, why do you worry!
FOR MESSAGE IN HINDI PLEASE VISIT -