By Anantinee  ‘JHUMPA’ Mishra

Dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre

Samaveta Yuyutsavah

Mamakah pandavas caiva

Kim akurvata sanjaya

                     Chapter Number 1, Verse Number 1

If you are a fan of long speeches full of morals and teachings and references to the Gita, then your ears must have heard these sentences quite a few times: ‘The Bhagvad Gita says that…’, ‘According the Shri Krishna in Gita…’ and many more such quotations referring to the Gita. I also came through similar incidences very often and triggered me to start reading the holy book ‘Bhagvad Gita’.  In fact, quoting the Gita seems to be very-very intellectual and knowledgeable, as it is considered to be a conversation between two old pals, full of wisdom about life and duties and facing your fears, only in some seven hundred Shlokas or verses. Not a description you hear every other day, I know. My first reading of the Gita prompted me to pen down my initial learning; as a result I have written this small piece of write up. In this, I have quoted few verses which have influenced my thinking at the first go itself.

Evam uktavarjunah sankhye

Rathospastha upavisat

Visarjya sa-saram capam

Soka-samvigna-manasah

                  Chapter Number 1, Verse Number 46

For the first time I learnt about the purpose and timing of this long conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. The purpose was  Krishna has tried to to make Arjuna understand, just a few minutes before the starting of the epic war, Mahabharata. My initial reaction on the timing: was that the perfect time for such a long conversation!!! But, yes it did happen as it was a necessity.

Tasmad asaktah satatam

Karyam karma samacara

Asakto hy acaran karma

Param apnoti purusah

Chapter Number 3, Verse Number 19

One of the very first things that Krishna tries to make Arjuna understand, is the importance of doing your duty without expecting any result. Arjuna hesitates to take part in the war, as standing before him, on the enemy side, are some of his big time famous teachers like Dronacharya, cousins like Duryodhana, mentors like Bhisma Pitamah , many blood relatives etc. Yet, Krishna pacifies him, saying that by doing his duty, will achieve Elysium and will be rewarded.

The next important advice Krishna gives his friend is to work, but without attachment and the materialistic desires, which cloud our mind. He tells the descendant of Kurus that attachment with materialistic pleasures and lust will only succeed in tampering with our rationality to differentiate between the right and the wrong.

Krishna goes on to show Arjuna his mind blowing yet oddly terrifying cosmic form, which leads to Arjuna being deathly scared and pleading with his friend to and this nightmare and return back to this smiling, graceful, elegant, human and two handed form, as his godly form had way too many hands. And other body parts as well.

Sattvam rajas tama iti

Gunah prakrti-sambhavah

Nibadhnanti maha-baho

Dehe dehinam avyayam

Chapter Number 14, Verse Number 5.

Also, in the beginning of the Fourteenth chapter, out of the total eighteen one, Krishna tells Arjuna about the three modes of material nature, which are Sattvic (goodness), Rajasic (passion) and Tamasic (ignorance). He goes on to explain that at the time of a person’s death, either one of these modes would be predominant in his or her body. Sometimes Sattvic mode manages to overrule Rajasic and Tamasic, which leads to the presence of goodness in our body. Similarly, Rajasic and Tamasic also manage to outrun the other two modes to make the feelings of passion and ignorance predominant, respectively.

For me, The Gita is an epitome of knowledge. That is as far as I can go to describe the holy book, maybe because I really don’t think I have enough words to tell about it’s limitless power. When I hold the Bhagvad Gita in your hands, I can feel its power radiating off, entering my skin, flowing through my veins, mixing in my blood, enrapturing the mind, hogging my senses. When I read the verses, I feel as if going into a trance, being transported right into the battlefield, listening to Krishna through Arjuna’s body, feel the sound of thousands and lakhs of soldiers, countless animals, and primal charioteers.

Though I have nothing but the deepest depths of respect for Shri Krishna, and am most respectful to him and his everlasting legacy, a child’s mind cannot help but think that Shri Bhagvan has been a bit conceited here. After all, he seemed to discredit the Gods in some of the verses and sing his praises. Again, as an twelve year old, I am probably not the best person to interpret the complexity of the teachings, and offer my apologies if I’ve somehow offended anybody’s sentiments. It was purely unintentional.

At the end, I would like to say, that the Gita teaches us that our actions speak louder than our words. We should continue doing our duty, without any worry about any of the consequences. We should practice detachment from worldly desires, as they are only temporary.

I enjoy  reading the Gita , started learning from it  and I am sure this holy book is going to influence on  my attitude towards life. I proudly and profoundly recommend this masterpiece as a once-in-a-lifetime read, and request each one of you to surely read and apply the teachings taught in this!

About the Author

Anantinee ‘JHUMPA’ Mishra is a prodigy author, poet and TED speaker. She is eleven years old studying in std.7^th at Apeejay School, Saket, New Delhi.  At the age of ten, she published a 21,000 worded anthology of stories called ‘Treasure of Short Stories’. Recently she has been conferred with a title ‘PRODIGY AUTHOR’ and an ‘HONORARY DIPLOMA’ by the Hon’ble Vice President of  India Sh. M Venkaiah Naidu in the 39^th World Congress of Poets.