Gita shows purposive, practical way of life

CHENNAI, MAY 8. ``Maintain poise. Treat joy and sorrow alike. Consider a gold coin and a potsherd as the same.'' These and similar statements, no doubt, seem to be easy to tell others as they have been mentioned in scriptures and elaborated by spiritual leaders. Can they be followed in our practical day-to- day life? It is possible, says God in His human garb, though it requires sincere efforts and intense practice. For this an example of a pious, gently soft-natured and noble person can be given. When such an individual dons the role of a villain on the stage and tortures a woman (character) provoking one among the audience to aim a missile at the ``cruel'' actor to protest against his action. The latter came down the stage, pacified the enraged man who was witnessing the drama and asked him as to where his other footwear (one was thrown at him) was. Likewise saints whose merits and excellences as great devotees are portrayed in the Periapuranam have demonstrated such an attitude of detachment and one among them, coming across gems and pebbles, while cleaning a temple, felt that both were worthless and flung them away. The advice tendered by the Lord (as Krishna) in his Bhagavad Gita at the conclusion of its recital on the battlefield says that ``Surrender at God's feet signifies a resolve to abide by His will and not to cross His purpose; to believe that He alone will save us; to seek help from Him and Him alone and to yield up one's spirit to Him in all meekness.'' The divine song presents a practical, purposive way of life, a theory of Reality, and an integral and harmonious blend of the needs of an individual and of the requirements of social life.

Surprisingly, while the Lord's song runs to 700 verses in Sanskrit, in his Tamil translation, Villiputhurar has epitomised the entire message in just six stanzas containing all the salient points. In his analysis of this sermon during his Mahabharatam lecture, Sri K. P. Arivanandam said, the path of action can be described as a command to dedicate all one's works to Him, free from desire and trace of self (ego) and from the bonds which bear good or evil fruits. About the path of devotion, Krishna advises men to fix his mind on God alone and rest the thoughts on Him. The path of knowledge points out that to one who sees God everywhere and sees every thing in Him, He is never lost to him. The wise having attained Him, worship Him and live in Him. The Lord blazes forth a code of conduct and creed which is within the reach of all earnest human beings.

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