|| Shri Hari ||

Taking Refuge in Gita

continued....

After sharing these two verses,  the Lord said, that do not reveal this greatest secret of all secrets, to those who are not leading an ascetic life,  those who are lacking in devotion, those who do not wish to listen to this secret and those who see faults in the Lord.   From this, it appears that the Lord negating both sides, places the verse in the middle of Gita 18/64 and 18/67, as if boxed in-between, the highest of all treasured secret.  Of these two verses the verse on taking refuge in the Lord is most important.   Even in Ramayan, when Sugreeva said to the Lord -  

Sab prakaar karihaoon sevakaayi |

jehi bidhi milihi jaanaki aayi ||  

(Manas, Kishkindhaa,   5/4)  

Then the Lord said -  

Sakhaa soch tyaagahu bal more |  

Sab bidhi ghatab kaaj mein tore ||  

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, 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 to 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.

    (continued....)

 

From book in hindi “Jit Dekhu Titi Tu” by Swami Ramsukhdasji