Spiritual Spice: Stand Up Arjuna!

The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race; a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age, and a new meaning for every civilization. -- Aurobindo

The Bhagavad-Gita is a Hindu holy book that has been around for over 2,000 years. The title is commonly translated as the "Divine Song,"

On the surface, the Bhagavad-Gita tells the story of an Indian prince named Arjuna engaged in an epic battle against a great opposing army. Arjuna's only hope for victory is to follow advice given to him by his mentor Krishna, (the image shown depicts Krishna playing the flute).

The esoteric or hidden meaning of the Bhagavad-Gita is that the battle represents Arjuna's inner struggle as he encounters various obstacles on the spiritual path.

Arjuna represents everyone on a spiritual journey. Arjuna is us. At the beginning of the Bhagavad-Gita, Arjuna looks at the formidable army he faces and loses all hope of emerging victorious. He loses his nerve; drops his weapon, and collapses in despair.

At this point his advisor -- Krishna -- tells Arjuna that this sort of attitude just won't do. "Stand up Arjuna!" he tells him.

Stand up indeed. (Bhagavad-Gita 1:47, 2:1-3)

The spelling used here -- Bhagavad-Gita -- is the most common one. There are several variations, and it is also called simply -- the Gita.

When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous. Albert Einstein (superfluous adj. Beyond what is required. The Bhagavad-Gita...is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity. Aldous Huxley The marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful revelation of life's wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into religion. Herman Hesse

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