The Universal Message - Based on Lectures on the Universal Message of the Bhagavad Gita

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Pravrajika Vivekaprana is a senior sannyasini of the Sri Sarada Math and the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Order. She is presently secretary of Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Mission New Delhi and is also head of the Retreat Centre of Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Mission at pangot district Nainital India.

For more than 50 years Pravrajika Vivekaprana has done in-depth study of Hindu Philosophy in the context of human psychology with the specific background of the teaching of Swami Vivekananda. Since the time she joined the order in 1963, she had been sharing her thoughts and understanding of the Hindu scriptures of Vedanta and of the meaning of life with rapt audiences. Taking her inspiration from the dynamism of the lives of Sri Ramakrishna Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda her ability to reach our to her listeners always leaves a lasting impression.

From 1989 she started her travels overseas and has over the years visited Holland Germany France England Brazil Uruguay Argentina and the United States of America. She has Shared her Thought and understanding with very wide range of people both in terms of age and culture. In 1993 Pravrajika Vivekanprana was invited to address the Parliament of Religions in Chicago exactly 100 years after swami Vivekananda spoke at the same forum in 1893 and made his first electrifying impact on the west.

This is the second book in the understanding Vedanta Series In these articles Pravrajika Vivekaprana shares her understanding of the underlying psychology of the Bhagavad Gita.

Pravrajika Vivekaprana shares with us a wealth of knowledge and understanding Hi a series of lectures on the Universal Message of the Bhagavad Gita.

The first book of this series was based on Pravrajika Vivekaprana’s talks on chapter: 2 of the Bhagavad Gita. This second book is not a commentary in the sense that it does not discuss in detail all the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. The five articles in this book, have a specific focus — the attitude of the mind. In Sri Krishna’s dialogue with Arjuna is the very powerful yet simple message for all humanity. Change your attitude, take responsibility, understand your goal, and contribute to the Universal pool with an attitude of sacrifice.

The overwhelming support and appreciation I got after publishing the first book in this series encouraged me to work on this second book. Once again, this effort would not have been possible without Saroj Butani, Sunayana Sadarangani, and Anita Manchanda, who reviewed and edited the articles. Most importantly I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Pravrajika Vivekaprana for her permission to publish these lectures.

Pravrajika Vivekaprana has a unique way of expressing herself and reaching out to her listeners. We have made sure that we retain that uniqueness rather than reword anything as per editorial ‘manuals of style’! Any errors or omissions however, are entirely due to my limitations!

As ready reference, we have included the text of the shlokas, or verses, from the Bhagavad Gita that Pr. Vivekaprana has specifically referred to in her lectures. The English translations, as given in “Select Shlokas from Srimad Bhagavad Gita” or as quoted in the articles, are from Srimad Bhagavad Gita by Swami Swarupananda, published by Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, (Eighteenth Impression, November 2000). 1 would like to express my grateful thanks to Swami Bodhasarananda, President, Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, for his ready permission to reproduce this text.