Man with all his pretensions to knowledge does not know himself, although an embodied being, seldom aware of the indwelling self, he normally identifies himself with the body the dwelling. The goal in life is to reach the higher consciousness and not seek the mirage of worldly pleasures.
Lord Krishna himself declares that he dwells in the Gita, with all the gods, goddesses, sacred rivers, holy sages and ardent devotees.
Gita has come to the rescue of men and women in times of crisis and given them the courage and strength to confront all moral and spiritual problems. Hardly is there a book in the religious literature of the world which surpasses the Gita in the profound exposition of the human mind and its qualities and capacity to ascend to the spiritual heights.
The gita lays emphasis on the necessity to work and perform actions according to one's capacity. Lord Krishna explicitly points out that one has to perform some action either for his sake or for the sake of the society. if he does not do so he will not only ruin himself but also the society. The cardinal message is self conquest. The hope of humanity lies in the revival and the reinstatement of ethical idealism in life and the spiritual purpose of being.
The superiority of man and his intellect places him high above all of Gods creation. By the virtue of his intellect man thinks and feels, reason and judges, analyses and discriminates and wills. This wonderful faculty enables man to acquire knowledge by the observation of life in general, one's own experience in life and through books and teachers. In the intellectual field man's energies are directed towards the quest after truth. man wants to know that, knowing which nothing remains to be known. His quest therefore will not and cannot stop till he arrives at perfect knowledge or Truth. Knowledge absolute is thus another ideal of man's life and aspirations. Knowledge absolute is variously styled as Liberation, Salvation, Emancipation, God realization, Self realization, mukti, moksha, nirvana, and kaivalya. It is a state of perfect mental balance which is possible to attain. But man should not work not only for individual perfection and emancipation, but for the elevation and ennoblement of society. Disinterested service of all creatures under the sun, regarding them as so many forms of Divinity, is the highest form of worship janan yajna. The world is visible or manifest form of God. The invisible is the source of support of the visible. Man draws power and plenty from the invisible and serves the visible. To be in tune with the Infinite and work out His will or be a pliable instrument for the divine power to work its way in the universe is the highest ideal of life.
The word Religion is derived from Latin which means to bind back (Re: Back; Lego I bind;) this closely resembles the Sanskrit word Yoga. which means to yoke or join together. This binding or yoking is usually taken to refer to the union of the individual soul of man with the universal soul of God. Their identity is lost sight of through ignorance and when this is dispelled by knowledge, their essentail unity is realised. The word dharma is often used in place of religion. Dharma means that which holds together or sustains. All that which contributes to the proper ordering of the individual and universal life so as to make it a concord of harmony constitutes Dharma. all creatures in the world except man move by instinct and follow the laws of their own being or swadharma. Man however by the perverted use of his intellect neglects or violates his Swadharma.
and involves himself as well as the rest of creation in unhappiness and misery. to ensure his right conduct and proper obedience to natural laws, he is enjoined to conform to Dharma or righteous conduct, regulated by moral and social laws. He is directed to work for four objectives in life: Dharma (Righteousness) Arhta (Prosperity) Kama (Enjoyment) and Moksha (Liberation). The first three pertain to his mundane existence, and when Dharma forms its basis or foundation, his worldly life or career naturally leads him to his final destination Moksha. But when the foundation of life Dharma is lost sight of, when lust and greed become the ruling means, man's life becomes the black market. Moksha recedes into the background. To make sure that all the four objectives receive proper attention and that life becomes a harmony and a joy, religion sets lessons for its votaries according to their special needs, to suit their particular state of evolution. Religion is thus the way of life which ensures for man peace and prosperity here and permanent happiness hereafter.
The word Mata which literally means an opinion or something well thought out is generally used for religion. It signifies the well thought out scheme to enable men to achieve the goal of life by one who has himself trodden the path and arrived at the final destination, usually regarded as a prophet or an incarnation. But Hinduism has for its faith and belief the rocky foundation the Vedas. which is the cristalised experience of countless sages of yore in a transcendental state of consciousness. As it is the outcome of the Divine state, the veda is said to be a direct emanation from God, and not a product of finite intellect. Hinduism is rightly termed Vaidika Dharma.
Religion must cater to the needs of all its votaries, if it is worth its name. all men though endowed with human form, are not in the same plane of evolution, but live at different levels. Here we are interested only in the godly state, when man ceases to be petty and selfish and develops the cosmic vision which embraces in its loving fold not only the whole of humanity but the entire creation, animate and inanimate. He no longer strives for personal gain or pleasure, but works for the welfare of all creatures under the sun. He thus becomes an instrument for working out the world order or cosmic scheme of things. He cultivates divine virtue for its own sake and for all practical purposes God in human form. Religion sets lessons to suit all the states or grades of human beings.
The Gita paints a wonderful, transcendental, picture of the impersonate God, and he speaks with divine authority from the highest platform. He does not assume the tones of a dictator, but guides and counsels like a loving father, a benign friend and a merciful, all knowing benefactor. It is declared that a dip in the sacred Gita will purge one of the dross of Samsara or cycle of rebirths and qualify him for liberation.
Krishna is the cowherd milking and extracting the essence, arjuna is the calf, the immediate instrument of the process of milking. the nectar of the gita is the milk. The lions share of the milk is utilised by others. thus mankind benefits by it. but unless it is transalated into action in daily life and conduct it is dry philosophy. To make it fruitful it has to be practiced. Truth is not a speculative theory to be gleaned from books or teachers, but a practical reality that has to be lived by every moment of our lives. exemplified in the minutest details of our conduct.
