“ In the whole world literature there is no book so elevating and inspiring as the Gita. It is an inexhaustible spiritual treasure. It is an ocean of knowledge. It is a universal scripture for people of all temperaments and for all times.”
Swami Sivananda
The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, which took place about 5,300 years ago on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. This dialog in the form of eighteen chapters and 700 verses, is a universal gospel that appeals to all irrespective of age, race, or religion. It has a universality that embraces every aspect of human action and which suits and elevates every stage of human development.
In the middle of a battlefield, Arjuna, the great warrior, finds himself confused and heartbroken. He expresses to Lord Krishna his wish to refrain from fighting. With his heart filled with sorrow he surrenders himself completely to the Lord, seeking His guidance.
Lord Krishna begins to teach Arjuna and reveals to him during the course of His teaching the most profound, sublime, and soul-stirring spiritual truths.
This teaching was in fact given, through Arjuna, to all of us who, like Arjuna, are struggling to be happy and to fully understand the purpose of our life and what our duty is.
The battlefield of the Bhagavad Gita symbolizes the ongoing inner battle which every spiritual aspirant faces when trying to become a better person and to evolve on the spiritual path.
With patience and clarity, Lord Krishna guides us into understanding what life is all about and who we truly are.
Course description:
This course presents chapter 13 of the Bhagavad Gita which is one of the most significant, most illuminating, most inspiring and most mystical portions of the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Krishna gives here a revealing insight into the human individual.
In this chapter, the body is called the field because the fruits of actions in the form of pleasure and pain are reaped in it as in a fied. The Immortal Soul (our own Self), dwelling in the body, is the knower of the field. Lord Krishna explains the mystery of the Individual Soul dwelling within this mortal body. The immortal Soul, with its physical embodiment, is the main topic of this chapter.