In the ancient Hindu epic called the Mahabharata, the Pandavas, five brothers who epitomize good, go to battle against their one hundred cousins, the Kauravas, the forces of evil. Before the battle Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, hesitates to fight against friends and relations. Sri Krishna then expounds his philosophy, which came to be known as the Bhagavad Gita. In Light Fire and Darkness, Arjuna becomes the devotee and Sri Krishna becomes the divine voice. Chapters 1 and 11 are spoken by the devotee and the rest of the text is the divine message. This is not a translation of the Bhagavad Gita. This is a modernized version. I am not a scholar of Sanskrit and in this work I have not used any Sanskrit words, nor have I linked it in any way to Hindu philosophy. I have tried to write in a way that is likely to appeal to one not familiar with vedic culture.
Dhiru Desai, May 14 1987, Memphis, USA
CHAPTER 3 – UNIVERSE BEFORE SELF
Knowledge brings enlightenment
to the universe;
action brings enlightenment
to the active.
Prefer action
to mere inaction,
for the lazy
are a burden
on others.
Actions are either
selfless or selfish.
Selfless action
saves the soul;
selfish action
enslaves it.
One has the scent
of divine faith;
the other has the stench
of self-interest.
Two persons bathe
in the Ganges;
one with faith
and the other without;
both cleanse their bodies,
but the one with faith
purifies also
the soul.
The selfless worry
about seconds lost
in inertia, and
the selfish about
rewards not received.
The selfless eat
merely to subsist,
the selfish live
so that they can feast.
The selfless put the universe
before self:
they water the plants,
feed their birds and pets,
tend to the cattle,
before helping themselves.
Inspire others by example.
Let not good actions
inflate your ego.
They will be free:
those who have faith,
are free from malice,
and take my advice.
Greed, lust, and anger
are your enemies.
Smoke befogs a fire,
dust conceals a mirror,
so do desires cloud the truth.
Selfless action comes
from control of senses,
which though strong
are subject to mental processes.
The mind must be subservient
to reason;
and reason must minister
to the soul.
CHAPTER 4 – THE FIRE THAT BURNS ALL DOUBTS
Whenever evil
dominates the world and
duty is despised,
then to save the earth
I take human form
to destroy all wrongs
and proclaim the right.
One who believes this
and in the final
triumph of truth
achieves salvation.
I am the creator.
I made the tailor,
teacher and trader,
soldier and scientist,
farmer, labourer,
doctor and lawyer,
and the manager.
You can become one
not by right of birth,
but by aptitude,
by ability
and diligence.
I am your maker
but I do not claim
the fruits of your labour,
even though you are
under my power;
and so must you too
seek no undue gains
from your exertions.
The wise one perceives
action in inaction
and inaction in action;
for without vanity
a selfless action
becomes inaction;
and without virtue
inaction is the same
as selfish action.
Work done for reward
will burden the soul.
Work for work itself,
help for help itself,
love for love itself,
yield unsought blessings
and satisfaction.
The wise one is free
from all attachment
without bad intent,
is always content,
controls the senses,
has no self-interest,
is self-reliant,
is not covetous,
is fired by knowledge
and ever at peace.
In prayer, the candle,
the offering, and the devotee
are all divine.
God pervades every place and thing.
Many are the paths to the supreme:
forsaking all wealth;
control of senses;
devoting all passions
in praise of the divine;
living a life of prayer and penance;
selfless action;
renunciation;
and meditation, study and knowledge.
Knowledge is the fire
that destroys all doubts.
Supreme knowledge comes
from the equation:
knowledge plus action
equals action plus detachment
equals renunciation
equals knowledge plus inaction.
Action plus attachment
is selfishness
which leads to worry
and ends in misery.
Inaction without knowledge
is inertia
that only depraves
and enslaves the soul.
Seek the solace of saints
to achieve this knowledge.
Serve the learned one with humility,
but fear not to question, unceasingly.
Seek to quench your thirst
until all is clear to you.
Even wrongdoers can
cross the raging waters
with the ship of knowledge.