Gitamrta Mahima

I protect the three worlds with the knowledge obtained from Gita, gita jnanam upasritya trin lokan palayamyaham declares Lord Visnu in Varaha Purana. If this should be the case with the Lord, then we can just estimate how much we should depend on Mother Gita to make our life meaningful and worthy in this world.

I was blessed by my mother and Sri Venkatarama Ganapatigal in 1957 with Bhagavadgita. Sri Ganapatigal taught me the entire 700 verses so nicely that I memorized all of them. My elder sister also learnt along with me. My mother encouraged me to live on the lines of Bhagavadgita.

In 1975 I went to Sringeri and had the darshan of Sri Sri Sri Mahasannidhanam Srimadabhinava Vidya Tirtha Mahaswamigal. Though I used to go every year to Sringeri and recharge myself with the blessings of Mahasannidhanam, this year I asked Him, "O Sadguro! Bless me with a grantha for svadhyaya". Lo! He gave me my Mother, Bhagavadgita. Also he initiated me to the verse advesta sarva bhutanam (Chapter 12,Verse 13). The penance that I have been doing with my Mother Gita from 1957 took a new turn now. Many more jnana yajnas followed and I found myself entirely different.

There rose an urge in me that I should enable everyone to taste the nectar of Gita. In the meantime the book with the Padma Purana stories describing the greatness of Gita, written by Srivatsa Somadeva Sharma in Tamil was seen by me in the house of Sri J. Subramaniam of Gobichettipalyam. Sri Subramaniam, a great scholar and philanthropist is my uncle and he happens to be my mentor in the adhyatmic field too!

All the jnana yajnas were conducted with these stories followed by the chanting of the Gita. In Bangalore, starting in 1994, I gave a series of lectures to Sai devotees on Gita. This programme was spread over for a span of two years. The devotees urged me to print these stories and hence came out a beautiful book-let Gita Mahima in Kannada.

Keeping in mind the welfare of all the people throughout the length and breadth of this bhuloka I have come out with this small book-let. Mahasannidhanam Sri Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal has blessed this work. The translation work has been encouraged and supported by friends and philanthropists. I thank Mr. Venkataramanan, Secretary, Sharada Dhanvanthari Hospital Sringeri, Sri Kumaraswamy of Hassan, a great devotee of our Acarya and a philanthropist and the devotees of Hassan who have contributed a lot towards bringing out this book.

My blessings to my disciple Smt. Mahalakshmi Vijayachand who has supported me in the translation work. My special blessings to Sri B. N. Nataraj of Sri Nithyananda Printers who has brought out this beautiful book for Sankara Jayanti Celebrations on 20thApril 1999.

My blessings to one and all who have helped me in this great endeavour.

Any suggestions for the improvement of the book are welcome.