1 day Ago By TOI Lifestyle Desk
Lessons to learn When it comes to Indian epics, there are two books that people consider holy, respected, and all-knowing. And one of them is the Bhagwad Gita, the book that covers the war of Kurukshetra, and the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjun, that happens on the battlefield. And Gita is not just about the art of war, or the challenges of war, or the strategies to be used, it is about life, duty, actions, nature, and so much more.
And even though it was written thousands of years ago, the wisdom that talks to people through the shlokas of the Bhagwad Gita is simply timeless. Here we mention the 6 most important life lessons from the Gita. Focus on your hardwork, not its result One of the most famous lessons from the Gita, one that Lord Krishna told Arjun, is to focus on your work and duty, not on its result or the fruit of your labour.
Lord Krishna says ‘Karmanye vadhikaraste, ma phaleshou kada chana’. In simple words, it means that working with complete honesty and dedication is the most important part of life, ut expecting a result or being attached to the outcome is where people need to learn detachment from. Whether you get success or failure is not always in your hands, but how you perform your duty is.
On power Another message that the Gita gives is that when God is on your side, you become invincible. As a broader meaning, we see through the Gita that when people walk the path of truth, and when their actions are pure, they are never really alone in life. And so when Arjun was confused and in a dilemma about fighting with his brothers, it was Lord Krishna who stood with him like a guide and support.
And so in today’s world, when people feel lonely and distressed time and again, and get tired with the obstacles of life, it is important to remember that God is with them, and thus nothing is impossible. The gates to hell Another important lesson from the Gita is about what leads humans to eternal hell and anguish. In one of the shlokas, Lord Krishna says that anger, lust, and greed, are the three gateways to hell and to the degradation of the soul.
And while every emotion is natural and comes into people’s hearts and minds at a certain point in life, it is important to control and tame them so that they don’t hamper your everyday life. Be it the greed of acquiring more, the anger of not getting the ‘more’ or the lust of infinite power, it should all be checked. Nothing is above knowledge Another important life lesson from the Bhagwad Gita is that nothing is above knowledge.
And this knowledge is not just the information you know from cramming books, looking at stories and novels, or studies. But it is the wisdom of life, the knowledge to know the right and the wrong, and of course, to know when to tame your own energies. It is knowledge that helps people understand the difference between right and wrong, truth and illusion (Moh and Maya), and what is permanent and what is fleeting.
Emotions are temporary Life is filled with emotions. There are bouts of sadness, periods of ego, days of happiness, and months of disappointment. And when juggling through these emotions, it is easy to get sad or upset, or even disappointed that life isn’t going a certain way.
And thus Lord Krishna tells Arjun that pleasure, pain, success, failure, all of these should be treated equally. Do not dwell too much on sadness, do not feel dejected because of failure, and do not pride your wins and happiness, as time changes and so does the emotion. Surrender to God One of the most ultimate lessons from the Bhagwad Gita is that at the end, you need to surrender to God.
In Chapter 18, Verse 66 Lord Krishna says “सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज | अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुच:”Lord Krishna advises Arjun to simply surrender to the higher powers and be carefree about the fears of life. He advises Arjun to trust the higher power when life gets too heavy to carry, and if you have been truthful and have abided by your Dharma, you will find solace and help in the hands of God. Visual Stories Meat-based diet vs vegan diet: Which is healthier and why? Charming clicks of Anju Kurian Sreeleela lights up the frame with her style 10 things every teenage son needs to hear from his mom South actresses' best pictures of the week Siddhi Idnani stuns in her new photoshoot 10 pink sarees we want to borrow from Bollywood actresses In pics: Archana Ravichandran’s stylish wardrobe collection 8 most iconic Dark Academia books that are a must-read Photostories Featured In lifestyle MORE FROM E TIMES.
