One of the most sublime of world scriptures the Bhagavad Gita is as relevant today is it has been through the centuries. Here is a musical interpretation for out times a selection of one hundred and sixty eight shlokas sung in the original Sanskrit offering the essence of the Gita…inspirational verses for everyday guidance solace and moments of peace. A complete set with two one hour albums and a booklet of original text.
The Bhagwat Gita has been published in over two thousand editions, and translated into at least seventy five languages. Its eighteen chapter and seven hundred shlokas have been analyzed, commented upon, and interpreted from innumerable philosophical and orthodox view points, with footnotes to match. These are daunting facts - and the lay reader might well wonder whether he can at all connect with the text.
Yes, indeed yes. For the core messages of God to man are simply and directly addressed, almost as if He is speaking to you and me, and even though this is one of the great cornerstones of Hinduism, its basic credo has an unmistakable universality that goes beyond religious doctrine. Now more than ever, in the tumult of our stressed lives, it is both relevant and contemporary. For the Gita is about living, not having; it is about love, not hate; it is about the joy of harmony, not the bleakness of despair.
This most serene and sublime of texts has as its setting the most violent of places - a field of war... Kurukshetra, which is also Dhamakshetra, the field of righteousness, where the battle between good and evil is about to take place. In the poem the dialogue is between Krishna and Arjuna and reported by Sanjay to the blind Kaurava king Dhritarashtra.
But in a larger metaphor, the words flow between God and man in a very personal manner. Arjuna‘s anguish is that of us all when we feel crushed. desolate and paralyzed by despondency. And in the healing verses of the Gita lie the solution to our everyday conflicts, and so lace of our troubled minds.
Whatever kind of person you are, says God, you too can achieve your Self and be one with me. There are those who will follow the path of knowledge, the Jnana yogis; those who will set the course of action, the Karma yogis, and those who will dedicate themselves to the love of God, the Bhakti yogis; and the promise of the Gita is that they will all attain salvation. And even if you cannot follow any of these paths, your faith and love for God will take you to Him. Over and over again through out the Gita. Krishna reminds us of this bond of love between God and man, and its power to transcend the pain of everyday existence.
Above all, the Gita is about a love that is universal because it is the love of God Who is everywhere. "God dwells in the heart of all beings", says the Gita, reminding us that we are all his children, and that there is an underlying unity in all of creation. To understand the nature of this love, we have to see Him in all things, and all things in Him. And when we have thus seen Him, it is no longer possible to hate or wish evil upon others. The harmony that is inherent in all creations of God becomes visible to us, and leads to our own inner harmony, free from the overdrives of our egos and empty desires.
But whatever path you follow, whether that of knowledge or action or love, do your duty you must, and act you must. "Without action, the very life in the body could not be", says Krishna to Arjuna. The Gita does not ask you to withdraw from the world; its verses are addressed to you and me, who must face the tasks and responsibilities of every-day life. But it is how you act that is important, the difference between a serene or stressful existence. When you begin to understand the nature of your own Soul, and its intertwined elements of light, passion and darkness; when you can see how greed, anger and unbridled indulgence of the senses cause you to lose control; when you perceive the folly of slavish attachment to momentary rewards-that is the start of enlightenment and liberation. And when the senses, the ego and wanton desires are conquered. then we can achieve the serene balance that allows us to live in this world without being held in bondage to it. The one hundred and sixty eight shlokas presented here reflect this essence of the Gita, and its relevance to our life in the here and now. The context of the dialogue is set with the opening chapter, and Arjuna`s anguished dilemma-withdraw or fight? The glorious voice of God, calm and healing, is heard from the second chapter onwards, with message of hope and love.
The musical treatment is varied. sometimes simple and straight forward, sometimes almost operatic. but always in keeping with the thought it portrays. Solo voices are interspersed with chorus, and repetition reinforces the sound and meaning of the verses. Listen to it in moments of contemplation or silent communion. Let the words flow though your mind, or, if you wish, sing or chant along with the shlokas. This, we hope, will be the beginning of your discovery of the sublime glory of the whole work, with its culminating promise of salvation
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