Chapter -4 :: THE BHAGAVAD-GITA FOR CHILDREN

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1"> Gita was spoken in the battle-field, then who wrote it, Grandma?

Grandma: The tea

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">chings 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.

5.5in 6.0in"> Jai: So is Lord Krishna the author of the Gita?

10.0pt"> Grandma: Yes, Lord Krishna is the author of the Gita. It was

put together by sage Vayasa who also edited the four Vedas. Sage Vaya

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">sa 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.

10.0pt"> The Gita was first translated in Sanskrit and fully

explained by great guru Adi Sankaracharya in the year 800 A.D. Jai:

Why is Lord Krishna so important? 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 ea

10.0pt">ch 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?

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Grandma: Yes, Lord Krishna will give what you want (Gita 4.11), su

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">ch 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? 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.

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6.0in"> Jai: How can we avoid Karma when we live and work in society?

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?

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6.0in">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.

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Jai: Are there other ways to get liberation,

Grandma? Grandma:

New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> 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

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">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 reach

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> God. Jai: How about those who just worship

a deity everyday? Can they also reach 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 ch

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">osen 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. 4. Ekalavya, the Ideal

Student Guru Dronacharya (or Drona) was the military teach

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">er (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.

 

3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in">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 Dronacharya, 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 you. But you are a born ar

10.0pt">cher. 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 Drona

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">charya, 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. 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 archery 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.

FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> Who is This Expert Archer?

10.0pt"> 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 approa

10.0pt">ching 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.

3.0in 3.5in 4.0in 4.5in 5.0in 5.5in 6.0in">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 search

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> 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 ar

10.0pt">chery 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 teach

FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"> 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 a

10.0pt">chievement 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. 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. 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 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

ach

Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">ieved 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

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">cheat you. Jai: Do we need a guru to reach

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

definitely need a teach

mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">er 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-tea

10.0pt">cher. 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.

6.0in">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. "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