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 5 – THE ROAD TO TAKE
Which way is better?
Renunciation or selfless action?
Renunciation is
knowledge plus inaction;
selfless action
is knowledge plus action.
Take away knowledge
and what remains?
Inaction and action;
and action is always
better than inaction,
for the idle mind
plays with fire.
The strength of renunciation
is inner knowledge.
The unmoving sun moves the universe;
its heat and light
preserves the earth;
and without it
nothing could exist.
Detachment
is the strength of
selfless action.
Rainfalls from the skies
gush into the earth
to create lush growth,
and then return
as pure vapour
back to heaven;
the rains do not remain
to feed on the grain.
The wise do not differentiate
between the two paths,
for they know that both converge
on one divine goal
of love and truth.
Renunciation is the way,
however, for one who has
had supreme knowledge.
For the beginner,
learning through trial and error,
selfless action is the road to take.
The wise one views impartially
the learned and
the ignorant,
the great and small,
pain and pleasure
and praise or blame.
The wise are wedded
to five restraints:
stick to the truth,
be nonviolent,
do not covet,
be celibate,
and never accumulate.
And the wise one
observes five rules:
cleanliness,
contentment,
study,
penance,
and meditation.
The wise one
sees,
sleeps,
inhales,
breathes,
gives,
takes,
hears,
touches,
eats,
winks,
talks
and walks,
but knows:
the senses are at work,
not the self, not the soul.
Such a one lives in the body
but is free from its actions.
The lotus remains pure,
untouched by dirt, in muddy waters;
so must one devoted to service be,
by curbing passion.
Let senses be your slave.
Work without fear,
in selfless service.
Know me as one who appreciates
your sacrifice and selflessness,
who is friend of all mankind,
and lord of all the universe,
only then will you attain peace.
CHAPTER 6 – SOWING THE SEEDS
Selfless action, in time,
leads to renunciation of action
and meditation.
Renunciation is
plucking out the weeds;
Meditation is
the sowing of seeds.
Control your mind;
if you do not,
you become
your own enemy.
Control your senses;
if you do,
you will be
your very best friend.
Meditation is the focus
of mind on god.
The crested lark
flies out to the sun
every morning;
so must you each day
reach out for god.
This is not possible
for the immoderate.
Eating too much or too little,
sleeping too much or too little
leads to disharmony.
See no evil, talk no evil;
hear no evil, and do no evil;
then only will you
avoid distraction.
Be one with the world.
Perceive the divine in every being.
Another’s pain
must become your sorrow,
and pleasure, your joy.
All that happens is god ordained.
Let no event disturb your mind.
For the mind’s flame
will not flicker
if there is no ill wind.
Sit still in solitude to meditate,
keeping head, neck and body
in one straight line.
The fruit of the mango
ripens and rots,
but the kernel
grows harder every day;
and so must the mind
grow stronger each day
even though the body ages and decays.
If you live a life of moderation,
have mental peace,
and can focus on god,
then through study and renunciation
you can reach god;
if not in this life then in another,
for the good that one does
is never lost.
One who perseveres achieves
in the end
oneness with god.