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Bengali Bangla refers to the geographical area in the North-Eastern region of the Indian subcontinent. This regional name is used in relation to Bengali speakers including West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. They belong to the Indo-Aryan lineage. The residents in West Bengal mainly constitute Hindus, with most of them belonging to the Kalikula tradition, presided over by the Shaktism ideology.
However, a few Bengali Hindus also practice Vaishnavism. The Kalikula sect worships the deities Kali, Chandi, Bheema, and Durga. Additionally, the deities of the region that are revered are Bishahari, Manasa, Shasthi, Shitala, and Uma. The religious text of Hinduism is the Bhagavad Gita, which is widely used to impart spiritual knowledge across the country.
Over the years, the Bhagavad Gita has been adapted and translated into various Indian languages, including Bengali. The Srimad Bhagavad Gita translated as, ‘The Song by God’ is an excerpt from the famous Hindu epic, Mahabharata. Considered one of the holy scriptures of Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita uses the conversation between the Pandava prince, Arjuna, and his guide and charioteer, Krishna to impart spiritual wisdom.
The main premise of the Bhagavad Gita stands firm on the monumental conversation that occurs between Arjuna and Krishna prior to the iconic Kurukshetra War that is depicted in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. Two large armies have come together to harm each other. Arjuna, the Pandava prince, orders his charioteer Krishna to take him to the center of the battleground so he can get a proper view of both the armies and all those "so keen for war."
He realizes some of his foes are relatives, cherished friends, and respected teachers. Due to this realization, he faces a moral dilemma that fills him with apprehension and despair on the battlefield. This, in turn, causes him to drop his bow and rethink his decision. The text is centered around the characters Arjuna, Krishna, Sanjaya, and Dhritarashtra.
The Bhagavad Gita is the pinnacle of Hindu synthesis, encompassing its numerous religious traditions. According to Gita scholar Keya Maitra, the synthesis takes place at both spiritual and socio-religious levels. The manuscript does not assert a single correct marga (path) to divinity. It freely synthesizes and recognises various ways of life, balancing transcendental endeavors through action (karma), knowledge (gyana), and reverence (bhakti).
The Bhagavad Gita's synthesis deals with the question of what represents the righteous path and one required for spiritual enlightenment and a release from the cycles of reincarnation (moksha). It explains whether one should give up an earthly lifestyle to become an ascetic, live an earthly life committed to one's responsibility and vocation, or live an earthly life dedicated to a personalized God in the disclosed form of Krishna. Thus, the Gita explores and synthesizes Hinduism's three domineering patterns: enlightenment-based renunciation, dharma-based householder life, and devotion-based religious beliefs.
To fully understand the message and teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, it is important to acquaint oneself with the five central tenets that the text revolves around, which are, Isvara (God), Jiva (living entity), Prakriti (Material Nature), Kala (time), and Karma (Action).
