The Bhagavad Gita is a sacred scripture that contains the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It is considered to be one of the most influential and universal texts , as it reveals the essence of all Vedic knowledge and wisdom. The Bhagavad Gita has three unique features that make it stand out from other scriptures:
1. It is a law book (Gives decisions)
There are two types of scriptures:
Informative (Updash Sastra): These are the scriptures that give information about various topics, such as the four Vedas, the 18 Puranas, the 108 Upanishads, the Ramayana, etc.
Decisive (Nirnaya Sastra): These are the scriptures that give decisions or conclusions about the ultimate goal of life, such as the Bhagavad Gita.
The Bhagavad Gita gives the decision that the supreme goal of life is to surrender to Lord Krishna and engage in His devotional service. It also explains how to perform different types of activities (karma), how to define various concepts (bhakti), and how to distinguish between the real and the unreal (gyana) in relation to Krishna.
For example, Krishna says in BG 15.15:
By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.
This is the decision of the Bhagavad Gita, that the ultimate purpose of all the Vedas is to know Krishna, who is the source of all knowledge and the supreme personality of Godhead. By reading all the Vedas, one may not understand Krishna, but by understanding the Bhagavad Gita, one can understand all the Vedas.
2. Less letters more meaning (Gita is concise but precise)
The Bhagavad Gita is composed of only 18 chapters and 700 verses, but it contains the essence of all the Vedic literature, which consists of millions of verses. How is this possible? According to Madhvacharya, one of the great commentators on the Bhagavad Gita, every verse of the Gita has at least 1000 meanings. And according to Krishna Himself, every verse has at least three meanings: scientific, spiritual, and Godly. This is how Krishna compressed all the knowledge into just 700 verses.
3.A Source of Complete Knowledge
The Bhagavad Gita is not just a religious scripture, but also a treasure of universal knowledge and wisdom. It covers various topics and disciplines, such as spirituality, science, philosophy,psychology, medicine, law, etc. It also teaches us how to live a balanced and harmonious life, by following the principles of karma, bhakti, and gyana.
The Definition of Science
Science is usually understood as a systematic method of observing, hypothesizing, experimenting, and theorizing about the natural phenomena. However, the Bhagavad Gita gives a different and deeper definition of science, which is based on the principle of cause and effect. In the 13th chapter, verse 5, Krishna says:
The field of activities and the knower of the field, the knowledge and the object of knowledge, and the process of knowing –these are the subject matter of this chapter.
This verse implies that science is not just about studying the external world, but also about understanding the internal world, the self, and the relationship between the self and the supreme self, Krishna. Science is also about knowing the ultimate cause of everything, which is Krishna, who is the source of all knowledge and the compiler of Vedanta, the essence of all the Vedas. This definition of science is more comprehensive and profound than the modern definition of science, and it was spoken by Krishna five thousand years ago.
The Structure of the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita has 18 chapters and 700 verses, which are divided into three sections, each consisting of six chapters. The first section deals with karma-yoga, the yoga of action, which teaches us how to perform our duties and activities in a responsible and detached way, without being attached to the results. The second section deals with bhakti-yoga, the yoga of devotion, which teaches us how to love and serve Krishna, the supreme personality of Godhead, and how to connect everything with Him. The third section deals with gyana-yoga, the yoga of knowledge, which teaches us how to discriminate between the real and the unreal, the eternal and the temporary, the spirit and the matter, and how to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Another way of understanding the structure of the Bhagavad Gita is that the first section gives us the decision, the second section gives us the definition, and the third section gives us the distinction. The decision is about what to do and what not to do, according to the principles of dharma, or the universal law of nature. The definition is about how to understand various concepts and terms in relation to Krishna, such as austerity, charity, sacrifice, renunciation, etc. The distinction is about how to use our intelligence and wisdom to discern the truth from the illusion, and to realize our true identity as the eternal servants of Krishna.
The three philosophers Descartes,Ludwig,and Thomas Kuhn gave this concept of decision definition and distinction and that was there 5000 years ago in bhagavad-gita.
The Scope of the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita has a wide and diverse scope, as it covers various fields and disciplines of knowledge, such as physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, psychology, sociology, politics, economics, ethics, etc. It also has knowledge of languages, such as Sanskrit, English, etc. Another example of the scope of the Bhagavad Gita is the 16th chapter, which deals with the moral and legal aspects of life. It describes the qualities of the divine and the demonic natures, and the consequences of following them. It also gives the rules of conduct, behavior, and punishment for different types of people, such as the brahmanas, the kshatriyas, the vaishyas, and the shudras. It also explains the concept of achar, vyavahar, and praschit, which are the laws of personal conduct, social norms, and civil laws, respectively.
The Bhagavad Gita also has knowledge of medicine, which is based on the principle of balance. It teaches us how to maintain our health and prevent diseases by balancing our habits of eating, sleeping, recreation, and work. It also teaches us how to balance the three modes of material nature, which are goodness, passion, and ignorance, and how to transcend them by the practice of bhakti-yoga. The Bhagavad Gita also has knowledge of psychology, which is based on the principle of cognition. It teaches us how to control our mind and senses, and how to develop our intelligence and consciousness. It also teaches us how to deal with different types of emotions, such as fear, anger, lust, greed, envy, etc., and how to cultivate positive emotions, such as love, compassion, joy, peace, etc.
The Bhagavad Gita also has knowledge of philosophy, which is based on the principle of logic. It teaches us how to reason and argue, and how to present and defend our views. It also teaches us how to appreciate and critique different schools of thought, such as the sankhya, the yoga, the nyaya, the vaisheshika, the mimamsa, and the vedanta. It also teaches us how to reconcile and synthesize different perspectives, and how to arrive at the ultimate conclusion, which is the supremacy of Krishna and His devotional service.
The Bhagavad Gita is a source of complete knowledge, which can satisfy the needs and aspirations of all kinds of people, such as the philosophers, the scientists, the artists, the linguists, the lawyers, the doctors, the psychologists, the politicians, the economists, the ethicists, etc. It also teaches us the three eternal truths, which are virtue, knowledge, and happiness. It teaches us how to attain these three goals by following the principles of karma, bhakti, and gyana. The Bhagavad Gita is not only a scripture, but also a guide, a friend, and a teacher, who can help us in every situation and circumstance of life.