Gita: The Song of Life – 3
Sri Krishna encourages us to actively perform our daily chores and follow His example to work for the welfare of humanity. He asks us to be sthithaprajna—a person who is firm in mind and consciousness. He is one who gives up all desires and is content in himself, while his whole being is immersed in God. He is not concerned with success or failure, praise or criticism. He maintains a steadfast emotional state, equanimity in difficult circumstances, masters his anger and fear, and restrains from too much pleasure.
Krishna says that the one who knows his reality, his atma—the soul—knows no joy or grief. He goes on to say that He gave this wisdom to Surya (the sun) and Manu. The story goes that Surya is the originator of the age and Brahma Himself gave him the knowledge of the atma—which permeates all that is. This knowledge was then handed down to his begotten son Manu, and then to the sages.
( Intro | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 )
Sri Krishna:
“Listen to me, Partha,
I am busy as you see,
But I have no need or want or wish;
If I am idle, mankind will idle, too!
You too must work.
Be an example—and great.
You eat; you breathe; you sleep and wake.
You think and feel—you cannot but!
Plant and insect, stone and stump,
Wind and rain, both heat and cold—
Each does operate, as per My plan!
No one, nothing—can escape work.
Be calm, collected,
Steady, straight!
Be a sthithaprajna,
On the battlefield!”
Arjuna:
“Sthithaprajna?
What type of man is that?
If I must be one,
Please tell me how!”
Sri Krishna:
“Man longs for this and that—
He wishes to own.
The wish opposed, breeds anger;
It makes his vision dim.
And he can’t stick to the moral path,
For he loses reason,
His dearest treasure.
That leads man to calamity.
But sthithaprajna is wiser!
He is rooted in his reality!
He is happy with inner bliss.
He is the seer not the seen.
No pang of grief,
No thrill of joy—
He is atma, soul,
Untouched by both.
Virtue his breath,
God his goal
Others sleep, when his body tires
And wake, when his mind awakes.
His night is when the mind is on;
His day dawns, when the mind is off.
This is the wisdom, I once did teach—
To Surya and Manu, in ages passed.
You, my closest pupil,
Thickest friend,
Can learn it now—
From Me!”
Arjuna:
“Stop! Stop! Stop!… Surya? Manu?
How could it be?
I am bothered by a doubt;
It hurts me so!”
( Intro | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 )
