How the Bhagavad Gita was Administered
In this passage, we learn the significance of the sacred text, The Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, recounting an incident to a group of devotees, explains that anything is possible for God, and we are mere instruments only acting out our destiny. The conversation between Lord Krishna and His devotee Arjuna, called the Bhagavad Gita infuses the latter with courage and detachment to fight the impending battle with his relatives.
Living in the physical proximity of the Lord, a devotee once grew curious about some of His [Baba] stupendous doings in His previous avatar [incarnation of God]. Specifically related to Lord Krishna’s ability to deliver the Bhagavad Gita amidst the war cries in the Kurukshetra battlefield. When this question was posed to Sathya Sai Baba, instead of answering it straightaway, He chose to clear the clouds of doubts in the minds of His devotee in His own unique, inimitable style. Sai Baba recounts a unique incident from His story, which took place in the 1950s.
It was during the 1950s that Sakamma, an ardent devotee of Swami, lived in Puttaparthi. Every day, she would be around the young Swami, enjoying His darshan, sparshan, and sambhashan [seeing, touching, and listening].
Once Sakamma happened to read the Telugu [language spoken Puttaparthi] version of the Bhagavad Gita; she, however, could not decipher with her naïve, innocent mind how Lord Krishna was able to chant 700 shlokas [verses] in the battlefield while the Kauravas and their soldiers were ready to fight the Pandavas.
Reading the holy text, Sakamma got into a confused state of mind and thought, how did Arjuna understand the shlokas chanted by Lord Krishna? What was the backdrop in the battlefield when Krishna got into imparting the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna? How was it possible for Lord Krishna to do so in the battlefield? Her inquisitive mind started throwing out an array of questions.
One day, at an opportune moment, Sakamma, loaded with questions, walked toward Baba, hoping to clear all her doubts. She asked Baba, if the Bhagavad Gita was right, how was it possible for Lord Krishna to chant 700 shlokas in the battlefield? Was there any time for Arjuna to listen and understand the Lord’s advice, being placed in a packed battlefield with battle about to begin? Swami smiled, but gave no immediate answer.
In the evening, Swami called all the devotees including Sakamma. He took them to the Chitravati riverbed. Baba sat on the sands on the riverbed and, even as their conversation began, He started gathering the sand, piling it in a heap. Slowly and gently, He put His right hand into it. All those gathered around grew curious as to what He was up to.
Swami gently took out an idol out of the heap. It was a beautifully carved, artistic, glittering golden idol of Lord Krishna, depicting Him, guiding the chariot in the battlefield while an ever-ready Arjuna, armed with weapons, watched the enemy camp. Swami showed it to all the devotees around and asked, “How much time does it take for a goldsmith to make an idol of this type?” Answers varied, with many saying, months, a week, and only with the assistance of helpers.
Then Swami paused and asked as to how much time did He take to manifest the idol. They replied immediately, “A minute, Swami.”
Swami continued, saying that anything is possible for God. He said they all just now witnessed the idol manifested in less than a minute’s time. In the same way, Lord Krishna put everyone in the battlefield under Divine hypnosis. Everyone turned and stood still, though their eyes were wide open. Only Arjuna was allowed to see and listen to Lord Krishna. The Sun also stood still. Thus Lord Krishna stopped time to advise Arjuna the Bhagavad Gita, enlightening him to go ahead with his mission.
This period of conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna is called the Bhagavad Gita. “It is not you, who is going to kill them all; their ‘destiny’ has already been decided and “you are only an instrument,” said Lord Krishna bringing Arjuna out of delusion, preparing him to fight the battle. Subsequently, Lord Krishna brought everyone in the battlefield, back to conscious state.
Sakamma’s doubts on various issues of Bhagavad Gita were clarified and Sakamma fell at Baba’s feet shedding tears of joy, gratitude, and thanking Him for His kindness to put so much effort to clear her doubts. She said, “Swami, you are none other than Lord Krishna and we are very lucky to be at Your lotus feet.”
Source: The Prasanthi Reporter
