Chapter 4 - The Bhagavad-Gita for Children

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5.5in 6.0in">THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION WITH KNOWLEDGE Jai: Gita was

spoken in the battle-field, then who wrote it, Grandma? Grandma: The

teachings of the Gita are very old. They were first given to the Sun-god in the

beginning of creation by Lord Krishna. Over time, this knowledge got lost. The

Gita in its present form was spoken by the Supreme Lord, Krishna, to Arjuna

about 5,100 years ago.

Jai: So is Lord Krishna the author of the Gita?

2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> Grandma: Yes,

Lord Krishna is the author of the Gita. It was put together by sage Vaya

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">sa who also edited the four Vedas. Sage Vayasa had

the power of recalling events of the past and future, but he could not do the

work of both recalling the Gita spoken by Krishna in the battlefield as well as

writing it down. He needed a helper to write the Gita. Lord Ganesha, the lord of

wisdom, offered to do the work of writing.

1.5in 2.0in 2.5in 3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> The

Gita was first translated in Sanskrit and fully explained by great guru Adi

Sankaracharya in the year 800 A.D.

5.5in 6.0in">Jai: Why is Lord Krishna so important?

10.0pt">Grandma: Lord Krishna is considered the eighth incarnation of

the Supreme God. The Supreme God comes to earth in different forms from time to

time whenever the forces of evil try to disturb and destroy the world peace.

Lord comes to set everything right. He also sends prophets and teachers to help

mankind. His birth and activities are divine

and each incarnation (Avatara) has a purpose. The Shrimad Bhagavatam (or the

Bhagavad Puran) gives details of all ten major Avatars of God. Lord Buddha,

Moses, Jesus, Mohammad and saints and sages of other religions are also

considered minor incarnations of God. At the end of the

present time period, known as KaliYuga, the Kalki incarnation will happen in the

very distant future. Jai: Will Lord Krishna give us whatever we want in

prayer or worship? Grandma: Yes, Lord Krishna will give what you

want (Gita 4.11), such as success in your study, if you worship Him with faith.

People may worship and pray to God by using any name and form of God. The form

of God is called deity. One can also worship God without the help of a deity.

Jai: Will we still have to study if we want to do well in examinations?

Grandma: Yes, one must do the work. Do your best and then pray. The

good Lord will not work for you. You will have to do your work. Your work

should be free

from selfish desires and you should not hurt any body. Jai: What is

Karma, Grandma?

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5.5in 6.0in">Grandma: The Sanskrit word Karma means action. It also

means the results of an action. The word ‘Karma’ is generally mispronounced as

‘Karm|.’ Every action produces a result called Karma, which can be

good or bad. If we do our work only to enjoy the results ourselves, we become

responsible for the results. If our action harms anyone, we get bad Karma,

called sin, and we will have to suffer in hell for it. If we do good to others,

we earn good Karma and get rewarded by a trip to heaven. Our own Karma is

responsible for our rebirth to enjoy or suffer the results of our deeds. Karma

is like depositing money in the form of good and bad action in the bank. We do

not take birth when all our Karma is used up. This freedom from the cycles of

birth and death is called liberation, Nirvana, Moksha or Mukti. In Mukti one

becomes one with

God. Jai: How can we avoid Karma when we live and work in society?

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5.5in 6.0in">Grandma: The best way not to earn any Karma is not to do

anything just for yourself, but do it for the good of society. Always keep in

mind that Mother Nature does everything; we are not the real doer of any

action. If we strongly believe this and work as a servant of God, we will not

earn any new Karma, and all our past Karma will be wiped out by Self-knowledge.

When all Karma is finished, we

become liberated. This method of uniting with God is called the path of selfless

action (KarmaYoga). Jai How do we get rid of the Karma from our past

lives?

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Grandma: A very good question! True

knowledge of the Self (or God) acts like fire that burns away all Karma from

our past lives. (Gita 4.37) Selfless service (KarmaYog) prepares one to receive

Self-knowledge. A KarmaYogi automatically gets Self-knowledge in due course of

time. (Gita 4.38) One who has true knowledge of the Self or God is called a

Self-realized or a God-realized person.

4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> Jai: Are there other ways to get

liberation, Grandma?

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Grandma: Yes, Jai, there are different

methods or ways to reach God. These methods are called spiritual practices or

Sadhana. Any action that is beneficial to society is also called Yajna, Seva or

sacrifice. Different types of Yajna are: (1) giving money as

charity for a good cause, (2) doing meditation, worship and yogic exercises, (3)

reading the holy scriptures to gain knowledge of God, and (4) having control

over the mind and other five senses. Lord is pleased by those who

sincerely perform any one of these Yajna and gives them the knowledge to rea

10.0pt">ch God. Jai: How about those who just worship a deity everyday?

Can they also reach

'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> God? Grandma: Yes,

those who worship the deity with full faith also get whatever they want. Most

Hindus worship God in the form of a

10.0pt">chosen deity to fulfill their desires. This path is known as path of

worship and prayer. There is a story of a devoted KarmaYogi and an ideal

student in the Mahabharata who worshipped his guru and got what he wanted.

FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">4. Ekalavya, the

Ideal Student Guru Dronacharya (or Drona) was the military tea

10.0pt">cher (guru) for all the Kaurava and Pandava brothers by grandfather

Bhishma. Many other princes also took military training under him. Drona was

very much pleased by Arjuna’s personal service and devotion to him, and he

promised him: I will train you to be the best archer in the world. One day a

very gentle boy named Ekalavya from a nearby village came to Drona and wanted

to learn archery from him. He had heard from his mother about master archer

Drona

10.0pt">charya, who was the son of the sage Bharadwaj and disciple of sage

Parashuram. Ekalavya was a jungle boy, belonging to the hunters' community.

Then, and even today, such communities were considered socially inferior. Drona

was worried how he could teach a jungle boy along with the royal children. So he

decided not to keep the boy with him there, and told him: Son, it will be very

difficult for me to teach

10.0pt"> you. But you are a born archer. Go back to the forest and practice well

with deep interest. You too are my disciple. May you master archery as you wish!

Drona's words were a great blessing to Ekalavya. He understood his helplessness

and felt confident that the Master’s

good wishes were with him. He made a clay idol of Dronacharya, installed it in a

nice place, and began to worship it respectfully by offering flowers, fruits,

etc. He worshipped an idol of his guru everyday, practiced the lessons in

archery in the Master's absence, and mastered the art.

10.0pt">Ekalavya would get up early in the morning, bathe himself and offer

worship to the master’s idol. He cherished the words, actions, and training

methods of Drona that he had seen at guru Drona’s Ashram. He faithfully

followed the instructions and continued his practice. While Arjuna had

personally mastered arch

New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">ery from Drona, learning from him first

hand, Ekalavya achieved equally impressive skill while worshiping the Master

from far away. If he could not do a particular technique, he would rush to

Drona's image, present his problem, and wait in meditation until a solution

appeared in his mind. He would then proceed further. The story of Ekalavya

demonstrates that one can achieve anything in life if one has faith and works

sincerely to reach the goal.

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5.5in 6.0in"> Who is This Expert Archer?

4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in"> The Kaurava and Pandava princes once went to

the forest on a hunting trip. Their leading dog was running forward. Ekalavya,

a dark skinned young man dressed in a tiger skin and wearing strings of

conch-beads, was engaged in his practice. The dog, on

approaching him, began to bark. Probably wishing to show off his skill, Ekalavya

sent down a series of seven arrows in the direction of the barking dog, and his

arrows filled its mouth. The dog ran back to the princes, who were surprised at

this skill in archery and wondered who the archer

was. Arjuna, seeing this, was not only surprised but felt eager as to who could

do this. He aspired to be known as the world's best archer. The princes went

in sear

Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">ch of the archer who had hit their dog with

so many arrows in such a short time, and found Ekalavya. Arjuna said: Your

skill in

archery is great. Who is your guru? “My guru is Dronacharya” replied Ekalavya

humbly. Arjuna was surprised at the mention of Drona's name. Was this true?

Could his dear teacher teach so much to this boy? If so, what about the

Master's promise to him? When did he tea

FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">ch the boy? Arjuna

had never seen Ekalavya before in his class. When Drona heard this story, he

remembered Ekalavya and went to see him. Drona said: Your learning has been

very good, son. I am deeply satisfied. With devotion and practice, you have

done very well. May your

achievement become an example for all to follow. Ekalavya was very happy and

said: Thank you, oh Gurudeva! I too am a disciple of yours. Otherwise, I do not

know whether I could have done this much.

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5.0in 5.5in 6.0in">Drona said: If you accept me as your Master, you must pay my

fee after your training. Think it over. Ekalavya smilingly replied: What is

there to think over, Sir? I am your disciple, and you are my guru. Please say

what you wish, Sir. I will fulfill it even if I have to sacrifice my life in

the effort.

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">Ekalavya, I have to demand a supreme sacrifice from

you to fulfill my word to Bhishma and Arjuna that nobody will equal Arjuna in

archery. Pardon me, son! Can you give me the thumb of your right hand as my

fee? Ekalavya stared at Dronacharya for a

while. He could understand the Master's problem. He then stood up, walked to the

Drone’s idol with determination, placed his right thumb upon a stone, and cut it

off in an instant, using his left hand and an arrow. Drona, while feeling sorry

at the injury he had caused upon Ekalavya, was at the same time deeply touched

by such

'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> a great devotion. He hugged him

saying: Son, your love for guru is unmatched. I feel a sense of fulfillment in

having had a disciple like you. May God bless you. Ekalavya got victory in

defeat! With the right thumb gone, he could no longer use the bow effectively.

But he continued his practice using his left arm. By virtue of his supreme

sacrifice, he got the grace of God and a

Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">chieved distinction as a left-handed archer.

He proved that nothing could stop a totally sincere effort. By his actions and

behavior, Ekalavya, showed that one's inferior or superior status is not

determined by the community one belongs to but by one's vision and qualities of

the mind and heart. Drona was a great guru, Jai. But there are many false gurus

in the world who will try to cheat you. Jai: Do we need a guru to rea

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">ch God? Grandma: We definitely need a tea

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">cher to learn any subject, spiritual or material.

But to find a real guru is not so easy. There are four types of gurus: the

knower of a subject or a teacher (guru), a false guru, a SadGuru and a

ParamaGuru. There are many false gurus who just pose as a guru. SadGuru is a

God-realized master and is very hard to find. Lord Krishna is called the

JagadGuru or ParamaGuru, the

world-teacher. When you graduate from a college and enter family life, you will

need to find a guru or a spiritual guide. Meanwhile, follow your scripture and

culture and never accept defeat in life. Chapter 4 summary: Lord comes to

earth from time to time in a life-form to set things right on the earth. The

Lord fulfills the desires of those who worship Him. There are four types of

spiritual practices or Yajna. Both selfless service and Self-knowledge free the

soul from the bondage of Karma. The Lord gives Self-knowledge to those who do

selfless service. Self-knowledge burns all our past Karma and frees us from the

wheel or cycles of birth and death.

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> "Gurur Brahma Gurur VishnuGurur Devoh

Maheshwar;Gurur Shakshat ParambramhaTashmai Shri Gurur Veh Namah"May the

Merciful Sri Sai Baba always shower His grace on us and our families and remove

our problems and anxieties by giving us all - strength , goodluck, success and

happiness with peace of mind.Sai bhakt,Deepa Hdebu7366