THE BHAGVAD GITA ….. truth or myth ? ? ?

This is in answer to the Question on the comment board by kishore gupta:

" what do you think of Bhagvad gita..

   is it just a myth. . . ? ? ? "

The following is a classical example to understand what would happen if one were to miss the essence  by pondering  on the story( whether it is a myth or the truth) .

This is from the Sree Maha 'Bhagavatham ( 4:17)

Discourses on the Sree Maha 'Bhagavatham  repeatedly emphasise this single point:

" Sree MAha 'Bhagavatham  is placed before the readers as being said by Sukha Maharshi to King Pareekshith, who was destined to die within the next 7 days . Of what use are these stories to someone who is seeing death before him? ?  . . .

It is being said to us and for us .  Forget the story. Retain the essence."

The story :

The world had no ruler and God took the form of King Prithu. The people who had nothing to eat came to the new King crying in hunger.

 

The King thru  his dhyana Drsihti understood that the earth was directly responsible for the people being food-less.

 

The angry king  ran to kill the earth. The earth, sure that the king would never kill a cow, took the form of a cow, and ran for her life. But ultimately surrendered .

 

Here the story ends

The  essence of the story is scattered in the conversation between the cow/earth and the king.

( I am sorry that someone not familiar with the Vedanta Shastra may find it slightly difficult to understand: Sheila )

 The King to the cow/ earth:

1. Oh Cow ! You, accepting everything offered to you, but not returning anything to  the world,  are going to be killed by me .

2. If a cow which eats grass does not let out its milk, there is nothing wrong in killing it.

[in reply to the cow's argument : "How can someone  living in Dharma kill ( a cow?)"]

3. Oh earth ! !  u are not releasing  to  the world the  plants stored in you. Now I am responsible for the well being of the people,&  I see that u are forgetting your duty. Why should I not kill you? (To say that “if someone does not do his duty or forgets his duty he can be punished suitably”)

4. Whether it is a man, or a woman, one who fails to do his duty and makes others unhappy & then   feels, "I am so  great that there is no one who can rebuke me   for not doing my duty", then there is no harm in killing that man/ woman for the sake of the welfare of the world ( In reply to the cow's argument : “how can u kill something so fragile as a cow/ a female”  )

5. It is not true that if I destroy you that the people living on earth will not have a place to live. I will break you into bits and I will take care of the people by my own strength. (In reply to the earth's argument : “if I am destroyed, how will the people who are depending on me survive”)

The Cow ( Earth) to the king :

Nama-sthae !

1. To u, the eternal , sat-chith-ananda 'swaroopa , the ultimate creator of the worlds .

2. To you who neither have any quality and who are beyond all qualities ( gunas ) , but who thru the power of Maya have taken so many forms and then discarded them too…

3. To you who are the un changeable and the ultimate Swarropa 'ananda, residing  in all  matter, untouched &  without the feeling of "I" and "me"  present in all  living beings.

4. To you who created me, the earth  as the abode for all that is  living and non living , and by whose  wish everything is  deposited in me

5. If you yourself kill me then where / to whom can I go for shelter. ( To say that : “You alone are independent, and not dependent on someone else  to protect  whoever comes to u for protection”.)

6. To you whose nature &  form  no one can even imagine or guess

7. To You , who thru your Maaya , created the whole universe, & who thru that Maaya itself took the form of King Pruthu. 

8. Anyone who has even  reflected on the creation of the universe which is nothing but a game for you,  will realize that you are beyond understanding . Because before creation u alone existed. And that "ONE " you, thru your maaya became " THE MANY".

9. By your unconquerable Maaya itself, people have  became engaged in the world, and now  fail to recognize you,  who alone  shines  in everything.

10.                    How can anyone even remotely, know you or know what u desire .

NAma sthae!

11.                    To You who is present in the pancha bhoothas that forms all matter, who is present in the sense organs  by  which people know matter, & who is also  the intelligence  which induces the sense organs  to know, .. ! ! !

12.                    To you, who,  by your  own Shakti (power), creates , protects, and ultimately destroys the universe in  a continuous process , and who  then ultimately withdraws everything into  his own self ( as before the creation)! ! !

13.                    To you whose presence is there  in every thing ! ! !

14.                    People like me who have been influenced by the very Maaya which is the cause of the creation of the worlds , have  been pulled into the world of pleasures;  because of which  the path of knowledge (jnaana-maarga) has been tampered and  spoiled , & we are unable to  recognize you  and understand your whims and desires.

15.                    It is only to your devotees who have withdrawn from the world that you show your true self . . “

The commentory has been  edited for easier reading.