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Why Read Bhagavad Gita

You all know that human birth is very very precious and very hard to get. Why is it so precious?

Because it is only in this human life that the soul could attain eternal bliss. Not only this a human being can also attain that state where there is ever increasing bliss. This state can only be achieved through devotional service to God.

Further to attain human life in “Kalyuga” is even more fortunate. The reason is that human life is very short in Kalyuga, it has been regarded as a period of 100 years only. Hence a man has to lead a spiritual life for a very short period in Kaliyuga. Additionally one attains spiritual knowledge and abstinence in Kaliyuga merely by engaging in devotional service. That’s why even the devtas (demigods) also remain very eager to be born in human life in Kaliyuga.

Lord Krishna, out of His causeless grace has not only given all of us human life but has given that in Kaliyuga. Great saint Tulsidas has also said that this human form has been given to us by God not because of our efforts but it has been given out of His causeless benevolence. Hence without wasting a single moment we should get engaged in devotional service to God, so that we attain our life’s goal before the body dies. Now how do we attain the life’s goal?

Shrimadbhagwad Gita is the transcendental word or song of Lord Krishna, hence none of the scriptures can be compared with it. Shri Krishna has also stated in Shrimad Bhagwatam that the spirit in human life can attain its goal (and thus become successful) only by the methods preached by Him in Bhagwad Gita. He has further stated that there is no other method, other than the ones preached by Him, to make the human life successful.

Lets understand it in a different way- all the material things are made later, first their objective(s) is framed. For eg a pen is manufactured after its objective is decided viz to put words in writing. The purpose of fridge is first decided and it is manufactured thereafter. The same thing applies for utensils, cycles, cars, washing machines, clothes and all other things that we can conceive of.

Now to achieve the objective for which a thing has been made there is a prescribed method for using it. For eg a microwave oven has the objective of quickly heating food items by placing them in the oven. In the method prescribed for using microwave oven it is stated that the items to be warmed should be kept in glasswares or melmoware plate etc but not in the metal containers. Now if someone says that I would warm the food items placing them in steel utensils and he uses the microwave oven in that fashion- what would happen? Certainly the objective of the oven would not be achieved and it could possibly get damaged also. Similarly if someone wants to cool his body by fridge instead of cooling the objects, the manufacturer can’t stop him from doing so. If he, however, sits on a chair in front of the fridge, keeping it’s door open (to cool his body) then the fridge is likely to soon go under breakdown. Electricity consumption would also increase and the objective of the fridge would also not be achieved.

The same can also be said for clothes i.e. if we wear payjama on those parts of the body where kurta is used and wear kurta to cover those parts of the body where payjama is normally used what would happen can be easily understood by us. This logic applies to all the material things. Now who gives this prescribed method of using a thing and where is it given? This method is given by the manufacturer of that thing and it is stated in the “user manual” of that item.

We could thus summarise the above as-

First the objective of any material thing is framed and it is manufactured only thereafter
There is a prescribed method of it’s usage to achieve the objective and that method is given by the manufacturer of that item.
This prescribed method is specified in the user manual of that item. By using the item in that prescribed manner we can attain the objective for which the item has been made. However if we employ an incorrect method for it’s usage it might do us harm.

Now let us ponder over this precious human body. Who has made it? Certainly God has caused it to exist. Obviously the objective of the human body is first framed and it is fabricated only thereafter. Our job is merely to recognise and accept that objective.

Now since God has made this body, He alone can prescribe the correct method for using it. If we use it according to the method prescribed by Him, we can attain its objective (life’s objective), not otherwise.

Which is the user’s manual for this body? Obviously “Shrimad Bhagwad Gita.” Hence it is of paramount importance for us to grasp that

It is not our job to frame the objective of human life, our job is to recognize the already framed objective and accept it.
Human body (life) must be used in accordance with the method prescribed by Lord Krishna to attain it’s objective. Or else the life would be wasted.

Hence it becomes extremely essential to understand this user’s manual- Bhagwad Gita.