The Philosophy of Sanatan Dharma And Gita

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The Bhagavad Gita contains words of wisdom and practical teachings that contain the answers to problems of the present-day life. It guides the lives of people all over the world. Instead of aspiring for Moksha as the ultimate goal of life, as suggested in the Gita, the author has pleaded that every one of us must pray for God's blessings to come time and again with increasingly greater potential to render services to the humanity in distress. This world is not a Maya, but a kind of dynamic reality. This is the first book of its kind on the Gita using sociological perspective, wherein stimulating and exciting issues have been raised on various subjects for open-minded readers to have a further insight into the problems and worries concerning religion and spirituality. The Bhagavad Gita comprises the timeless doctrine of universal truth. It is a fit companion for lifetime.

J.P. Singh, an author and lexicographer, holds a PhD from the Australian National University, Canberra. He has worked as Professor Sociology, Additional Director of Population Research Centre and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Patna University, Patna. He has also worked as Director (Higher Education) and Director cum-Chairman, Bihar Hindi Granth Academy, Government of Bihar. He has published more than 100 research papers and book reviews in professional journals from India and abroad and set a record of publishing 40 books in the field of Demography, Anthropology, Sociology and Indology.

The Bhagavad Gita has drawn the attention of a wide range of scholars across the world, but different scholars have presented the same facts in different manners because of obvious differences in their perspective. Most commentators have gone beyond the usual meaning of the given verse in the praise of Lord Krishna. Some have treated the Gita as a piece of pure Bhakti literature, while others have written on it to express and propagate their own views for their own reasons. Yet others have tried to be too abstract and pedantic, as if the Gita is a compendium of philosophical lectures meant for a classroom discussion in the Department of Philosophy and Religion. The verses of the Gita need not be disentangled from their literal, surface meaning even when read symbolically. Personalized interpretations by many of them have led to diverse commentaries on the Gita. There are some who have treated the war of the Mahabharat as a kind of pure fiction and have argued that the incidence of the Mahabharat takes place within human heart. It was not exterior to human mind. Such scholars have treated the Mahabharat as an epic based on fictional facts. Most social scientists have, however, no problem in recognizing the Mahabharat as a historical event, forming a part of India's history. Despite containing certain fictional facts and concocted stories, it is not a book of pure imaginary narratives. The commentators should not lose sight of the situation or the context in which the Gita was created. Readers must bear in mind that Krishna's precepts were meant for ordinary disciple or devout like Arjun to help him win the war against falsehood and the crafty people. It should be taken as a simple book of spiritualism based on hard realities of life, suggesting what is right or wrong or what is moral or immoral. This great book of Gita has been created purely in the interests of the entire humanity for purposeful, peaceful and righteous living. It is not to be treated as a pure religious scripture or book of fiction. It is a book of righteous life, cutting across the boundaries of all cults and systems of belief. A great work like the Gita comes into being only when an enlightened person exhorts a worldly person like Arjun who is inclined to learn about the meaning and purpose of life. The Bhagavad Gita is really a timeless treatise. It does not require any great scholarship to understand it. It requires no more than mere heart-felt devotion to Sri Krishna. Here my effort has been simply to help out the common men and women to understand the precepts of the Gita enthusiastically. It is not easy, but not impossible either.

The Gita, in the words of Lars Martin Fosse (The Bhagavada Gita, 2007), "is not only a spiritual monument-an essential scripture of Hinduism, recited daily for two millennia and to this very day, whose teachings have spread throughout Asia and around the globe- it is also a literary masterpiece, the linchpin of a great epic of war and peace, honour and disgrace, loyalty and betrayal. It is a book people everywhere in the world return to again and again throughout their lives for insight into the nature of reality." As a work of literature, the epic was immensely important to the cultural life of India and even beyond her shores. The Gita is, however, not to be treated as a religious treatise. It is the magnum opus of secular philosophy of life, as it neither champions the cause of Hindu religion, nor does it downgrade or relegate any religion or religious philosophy. It has not been composed to eulogize any system of belief. It is a matchless work of its own kind. It is an anthology of spiritual wisdom which guides the individual into the mysteries of self-realization and God-realization. A person who strongly believes in the precept of Sri Krishna or one who has fully understood the teachings of the Gita is bound to be free from the narrow confines of all religions. Sadly enough, not many people know the distinction between spiritualism and religion. Spiritualism is not ritualism either. A truly spiritual person can never be a sectarian. A man observing the precepts of Gita is bound to be a human being of very extraordinary kind with stunning success in every walk of life. It is the first book of humanity that has taught us to fight for righteousness. However, it does not mean that it teaches us violence in daily life. Performance of moral duty is no violence. The Gita is a compendium of spiritual wisdom and the most appropriate guide for living a harmonious life in all respects.