Bhagavad Gita- 108 Talks by Swami Sandeep Chaithanya

2. Book is irrelevant once the message is conveyed

No book has been written for the sake of ‘writing a book’. The purpose of a book is to impart knowledge. Once the knowledge has been passed on to the reader, the book is no more relevant as its purpose is served.

The purpose of lamp oil is to spread light and the oil will be finished by spreading the light. Books are also like that. Don’t approach Bhagavad Gita as you approach a regular book. Contents of this book are invocation mantras which are beyond words and letters. Mantras are to be deliberated in mind in deep introspection. A reader is supposed to realize the purpose of the book by imbibing the message. Study of sastra is like pole-vault: once you reach the goal you leave the hold on the pole. The pole has a purpose only until the goal is reached.

Bhagavad Gita also must be approached with the pole-vault mentality. There is no use in buying a thick, well-bound copy of Bhagavad Gita and keeping it safe, well-packed in silk. Bhagavad Gita is the comprehensive summary of all scriptures, giving out the essence of 'knowledge' that is worth knowing. Gita can be imagined as a milking cow born out of all Upanishads put together. Krishna is milking the cow and Arjuna is the calf. Arjuna keeps on asking questions so that Krishna is able to milk the nectar of Gita, just as the calf would hit the mother cow’s udder to get the milk to flow. There will always be people of noble nature all over the world who will cherish the nectar of Gita just as there will be bumble bees around the Lotus flower attracted by its honey.

By properly learning Gita, a society that respects higher values can be created. When we see the corruption in politics and other areas, there is no point in lamenting that “this country is never going to excel”. If every one has the mental resolve that “I will never be part of this corruption”, that is enough to make a real difference.