Gita Jayanti
Srimad Bhagavad-gita (aka Gitopanishad/ The Song of God) is the magnum opus of Vedic literatures and eastern philosophy. It is the most ancient text that encapsulates a deep philosophical conversation that took place in a battlefield. It was spoken by Lord Krishna (God) to Arjuna, a powerful warrior and was recorded by Srila Vyasadev over 5000 years ago in his Mahabharata, the longest epic poem ever written that comprises of 100,000 Sanskrit verses. Gita Jayanti marks the divine day when the Bhagavad-gita was spoken by Lord Krishna.
The Bhagavad-gita has positively transformed and inspired millions of people across the globe from all streams, occupations, age groups, races and backgrounds to:
- Discover the most fundamental mysteries of life
- Acknowledge and overcome the weaknesses of the mind
- Transcend the mundane challenges of the world
- Appreciate the involvement of the Supreme Lord and His energies in the functioning of the universe
- Embrace simple spiritual processes that help one to be situated on the platform of divine knowledge and bliss
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, the founder-Acharya of the world-wide Hare Krishna Movement has authored “Bhagavad-gita As It Is” which is an English translation of the Bhagavad-gita. Reputed scholars and several professors from prestigious institutions of the world have expressed their appreciation of Srila Prabhupada’s masterpiece. Over half a billion copies of the ‘Bhagavad-gita As It Is’ has been sold up to date.
Sripada Shankaracharya, a great philosopher who lived around 788 AD glorifies the Bhagavad-gita as follows:
maline mocanam pumsam, jala-snanam dine dine
sakrid gitamrita-snanam, samsara-mala-nashanam
Translation
One may cleanse himself daily by taking a bath in water, but if one takes a bath even once in the sacred Ganges water of Bhagavad-gita, for him the dirt of material life is altogether vanquished.
Henry David Thoreau writes in his book titled Walden:
“In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagvat Geeta... in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson reflection on the Bhagavad-gita:
“I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad Gita. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us.”
On this divine occasion, well-wishers and volunteers of IHF Boston share the wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita with their friends & family and encourage them to gift this powerful literature to their kith and kin.
