Top Ten Life Lessons from The Bhagwat Geeta – Timeless Wisdom

Background

Once it is clear that the war is imminent and inevitable. Both sides scramble to garner support from the kings across the subcontinent and beyond and start sending missives to all corners of the known world to buttress their might.

Lord Krishna being one of the most powerful kings and warriors, both sides want to garner his support. Duryodhana too rushes to Dwarika to see him and seek his favor. He straightaway barges into Krishna’s bedroom where he was catching a nap. Duryodhana is restless and arrogant however he keeps calm as the situation demands. He finds a place for himself near the head of Krishna’s bed.

Arjuna reaches moments later and finds Krishna sleeping and Duryodhana sitting. He bows down to Duryodhana to greet him silently and stands at Krishna’s feet with his hands folded as courtesy demands it. When you go to seek someone’s help, you stand on your feet in order to show respect.

Moments later, Krishna wakes up, lifts his head from the bed, sees Arjuna and greets him, and asks for the reason for his arrival. As Arjuna tells him the reason, Duryodhana chips in and tells Krishna that he was the first one to arrive and he deserves his help first, not Arjuna.

Krishna says that since he has seen and greeted Arjuna first, I have to oblige you both. He puts up a proposal that one side can have my army and the other one can have me on your side and I wouldn’t pick up the arms and fight. Duryodhana rubs his hands in glee and opts for Krishna’s army which is full of many legendry and valiant warriors.

Arjuna’s humility earned him the company of Krishna and sealed the fate of Duryodhana.

Arjuna on the other hand is ecstatic as he has his best friend by his side as his charioteer. Arjuna’s humility in front of even his childhood friend earned him the best counselor anyone can have.

Why Krishna chooses not to fight?

Krishna is Pandava’s cousin and childhood friend. He knows them in and out. He knows that there is no one around them who can counsel them when they need one. All the wise and the experienced have sided with Duryodhana as their loyalty lies with the throne of Hastinapur which is in the iron grip of Duryodhana and his loyalists. They have always been at the receiving end since their childhood.

Having a counselor or mentor is mandatory in the heat of battle when all the warriors are engaged in intense action as it happens in modern-day sports or all the modern-day establishments have a think tank of any sort.

Knowledge can only be shared when the receiver is ready!!!

The second thought crosses the mind of an ordinary person. If Krishna is Arjuna’s bosom friend why didn’t he reveal the Geeta to him till the day of the inception of the great war? To get the perspective right, let me share a small story.

A man comes to Gautama the Buddha to seek enlightenment and he requests him to take him as his disciple. Buddha looks at him and asks him to come six months later. The man again reappears after six months and makes the same request Buddha again asks him to come six months later. The man walks away with a bit of resentment as he has been given cold shoulder twice.

When he arrives the third time the same thing transpires. As he was about to say something another man arrives and makes the same request and Buddha immediately accepts him as his disciple.

The first man is furious now and blurts out angrily, “I have come thrice, and yet you don’t accept me as your disciple. You must have something up against me.”

Buddha asks him to calm down and asks him to have a glass of water. Buddha pours water in a cup and keeps talking to the man. Soon the water starts overflowing. The man asks Buddha to stop. Buddha stops and says, “Your mind is just like this cup full of water. Go and empty your brain and I’ll accept you as my disciple.”

No knowledge can be imparted as well as imbibed if the receiver is not ready.

Krishna and Arjuna have been childhood friends, they have spent a lot of time together, Krishna has what he revealed at Kurukshetra all along. But he reveals it to Arjuna in the heat of battle. Krishna knows it is not Arjuna’s true self. It is his emotions that have pulled the wool over his eyes

It is very interesting to observe from the first chapter of the Gita is that Arjuna puts forward all the arguments at his disposal why he shouldn’t fight this war. He brings on all kinds of arguments about how killing his own clansmen is sinful and dangerous for the future generations to come, how women will be debauched and how it is going to send him to the road to perdition. Krishan doesn't say a word and keeps listening to what he has to say. He quotes different scripture to prove his point and what he thinks is dharma or righteous path.

Krishna knows that what he is saying is emanating from his samskara or conditioning. It has no bearing upon the situation he faces now. Not seeing any response from Krishna, Arjuna finally slips in his seat on the chariot with a melancholiac face and humbly asks Krishna to guide him out of the quandary he is facing. And then Krishna starts revealing the divine knowledge in from the Bhagavad Geeta

Takeaways

1. When you have to choose between power and wisdom, choose wisdom. Wisdom can create infinite power. Power doesn’t enjoy this luxury.

2. No knowledge can be imbibed, if the seeker isn’t ready. Even if it is shared with the best intentions. Krishna reveals the Geeta when time is ripe.

3. Krishna doesn’t speak until Arjuna completely surrenders to him. True learning happens only when you are completely open to learning with the spirit of acceptance.

4. A guru listens first and then reveals knowledge.