'Devotee'
painting by Prema

 

 

 

The Bhagavad Gîtâ Sung 
Selected shlokas set to music by Vanraj Bhatia. 

        

Introduction

The Bhagavad Gîtâ has been published in over two thousand editions, and translated into at least seventy five languages. Its eighteen chapters and seven hundred shlokas have been analyzed, commented upon, and interpreted from innumerable philosophical and orthodox viewpoints, with footnotes to match. These are daunting facts - and the lay reader might well wonder whether he can at all connect with the text.

Yes, indeed yes. For the core messages of God to man are simply and directly addressed, almost as if He is speaking to you and me; and even though this is one of the great cornerstones of Hinduism, its basic credo has an unmistakable universality that goes beyond religious doctrine. Now more than ever, in the tumult of our stressed lives, it is both relevant and contemporary. For the Gîtâ is about living, not having; it is about love, not hate; it is about the joy of harmony, not the bleakness of despair.

This most serene and sublime of texts has as its setting the most violent of places - a field of war ... Kurukshetra, which is also Dharmakshetra, the field of righteousness, where the battle between good and evil is about to take place. In the poem the dialogue is between Krishna and Arjuna, and reported by Sanjaya to the blind Kaurava king Dhritarashtra.

But in a larger metaphor, the words flow between God and man in a very personal manner. Arjuna's anguish is that of us all when we feel crushed, desolate and paralyzed by despondency. And in the healing verses of the Gîtâ lie the solution to our every day conflicts, and solace for our troubled minds.

Whatever kind of person you are, says God, you too can achieve your Self and be one with Me. There are those who will follow the path of knowledge, the Jnana yogis; those who will set the course of action, the Karma yogis, and those who will dedicate themselves to the love of God, the Bhakti yogis; and the promise of the Gîtâ is that they will all attain salvation. And even if you cannot follow any of these paths, your faith and love for God will take you to Him. Over and over again throughout the Gîtâ, Krishna reminds us of this bond of love between God and man, and its power to transcend the pain of everyday existence.

Above all, the Gîtâ is about a love that is universal because it is the love of God Who is everywhere. "God dwells in the heart of all beings", says the Gîtâ, reminding us that we are all His children, and that there is an underlying unity in all of creation. To understand the nature of this love, we have to see Him in all things, and all things in Him. And when we have thus seen Him, it is no longer possible to hate or wish evil upon others. The harmony that is inherent in all creations of God becomes visible to us, and leads to our own inner harmony, free from the overdrives of our egos and empty desires.

But whatever path you follow, whether that of knowledge or action or love, do your duty you must, and act you must. "Without action, the very life in thy body could not be", says Krishna to Arjuna. The Gîtâ does not ask you to withdraw from the world; its verses are addressed to you and me, who must face the tasks and responsibilities of everyday life. But it is how you act that is important, the difference between a serene or stressful existence. When you begin to understand the nature of your own Soul, and its intertwined elements of light, passion and darkness; when you can see how greed, anger and unbridled indulgence of the senses cause you to lose control; when you perceive the folly of slavish attachment to momentary rewards - that is the start of enlightenment and liberation. And when the senses, the ego and wanton desires are conquered, then we can achieve the serene balance that allows us to live in this world without being held in bondage to it.

The (one hundred and sixty eight) shlokas presented here reflect this essence of the Gîtâ, and its relevance to our life in the here and now. The context of the dialogue is set with the opening chapter, and Arjuna's anguished dilemma - withdraw or fight? The glorious voice of God, calm and healing, is heard from the second chapter onwards, with messages of hope and love.

The musical treatment is varied, sometimes simple and straightforward, sometimes almost operatic, but always in keeping with the thought it portrays. Solo voices are interspersed with chorus, and repetition reinforces the sound and meaning of the verses. A roman rendition and English translation of the shlokas is given, so that all of us can connect with the Gîtâ in the original Sanskrit, allowing us to get to know its verses better, and giving us access to the radiance of its divine power.

Listen to it in moments of contemplation or silent communion. Let the words flow through your mind, or, if you wish, sing or chant along with the shlokas. This, we hope, will be the beginning of your discovery of the sublime glory of the whole work, with its culminating promise of salvation:

'Leave all else behind, come thou to Me for shelter.
I shall deliver thee from all sins. Grieve thou no more'.

         

 

Appreciation by the webmaster

The word 'Bhagavad  Gîtâ' means - the Song of God. Here, please find parts of Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 18  of the Gîtâ [**] sung by Indian artists (The vocals are by Ravindra Sathe as Krishna and Hridaya Merchant as Arjuna). The inspired, accompanying music is composed by Vanraj Bhatia. I received this 'treasure' some time back and felt like sharing this with you on Internet. The Gîtâ can be read, looked at and listened to. It will stay ever new and fresh.

The 'Bhagavad  Gîtâ', the Song of the Lord, is an afterwards by avatâra Vyâsa-deva recorded dialogue between Krishna and His devoted friend Arjuna. It expounds on the knowledge of the absolute truth, the natural and eternal state of being of all living beings, the material nature, the time and the activity. It constitutes the kernel of all Vedic texts and prepares for the study of the Srîmad Bhâgavatam, also called Krishna Bible or Bhâgavatha Purâna.

I feel it not necessary to say more about the contents of this famous Song uttered by our dear Lord Krishna then what can be heard and read here. Sanskrit shlokas and in English translated verses can be read while listening to the devoted voices of the interpreters. It touches the heart and captivates the intellect.  All Glories to our dear Lord! Jaya Jay! 

 

 

 

Cakra: term in bhakti used for the totality of the celestial sky, or the disc of stars that is our Milky Way, that as a wheel or disc apparently revolves around the polar star but in fact revolves about the center of the galaxy.  Also disc of Krishna or Sudarsana, the acute of His presence or supreme vision of Him; time as the weapon of Vishnu. A breach with the order of time or the cakra is a fall-down, a betrayal of niyama, or regulation. Consequence: a punishment of the fire of unbound energy released from the cakra-order, the broken order is the lust that leads to anger and ultimately madness: the head is cut off by the cakra when one remains in offense with Krishna [see 6.8: 23 and 9.5, see also the Cakra-order].

[**] (unfortunately, chapters 7, 10, 13, 16 and 17 have not been included by the composer)

 

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CONTENTS

 

 

 

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