Gita: The Song of Life – 9

Posted October 1, 2003

“I…I see these,
Spanning space,
A thousand suns,
With stars, twinkling in your hair.

Lo! All the heavens, in Thy halo!
All the hells, beneath Thy feet!
Cascades of fire, electric streaks
‘Round Your fearful face!

I see:
Me and my cousins there—
Elders, teachers,
Uncles, brothers—

Your crushing and crunching,
Your pouring forth and drawing in
A million worlds,
A billion souls…

Krishna! Krishna! Enough! Enough!
Pray, be my dear Krishna, soon—
Tender, slender,
Soft.”

“Here,
I am by your side—
Your whip, your friend, and charioteer;
Dear fellow, look at Me!”

“Do You ask me, Lord,
To worship—
As this cosmic, all-inclusive power—
This all-pervasive energy?

Or,
Can I prefer the charming form
You have become now,
Again?”

“Arjuna, the first is the best, the hardest test;
But, it is beyond the reach of most!
Choose the second,
And live for Me.

Live by Me,
In Me, with Me—
All the time,
And everywhere.”

“In You, with You,
For You, By You?
I am afraid, oh Lord,
I might fail.”

“You can succeed,
If you march on, boldly.
For I lead you by the hand—
When you march.

Or, if you can’t,
Get busy…
In works that add to the glory of your God!
Be good. See good. Do good.

Or, if this, too, frightens you,
Do your work as best as you can,
And if that is offered to Me,
And be content—for then, you get my grace.

Or, if you feel week, too week for this,
Do every work,
But, do not calculate how much you gain—
Or lose.

Hear Me, Arjuna
The surest,
And quickest—path—
To get from Me the grace, I long to grant.

Have pity in your heart—
And mercy…
In your hand,
And understanding in your brain.

Strong in faith, calm, content,
Pure, perfect—love, for the sake of love.
Your body is a field, where weeds grow wild—
Ego, anger, greed, and hate.

I am the knower of the field—
And let Me confide in you:
I am the very field!
All these I became, when I willed the many.

Grace is gained, when many is seen as One!
But, the gunas, they decide your point of view,
Grace or glory,
Or just living and dying!”

( Intro | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 )