When a doctor writes a prescription, those words are meant to change the patient by curing the disease. But if the patient changes the words of the prescription as per one’s own convenience, then they lose the power to heal.
The Bhagavad-gita’s words are like a doctor’s prescription. They can cure the disease afflicting our heart – the disease of misdirected desires, wherein we love temporary worldly things instead of the eternal Lord of our heart, Krishna.
The Gita’s words are not just the prescription but also a part of the medicine. Hearing the message of Krishna is itself a central limb of devotional service, the process that cures our heart disease. The Bhagavad-gita (18.71) indicates that those who hear the Gita faithfully become purified and elevated.
How does this happen?
The Gita’s words reveal Krishna’s unfailing, unflinching love for us. If we hear those words faithfully, we naturally feel attracted to reciprocate love with the Lord who loves us so much.
Hearing faithfully doesn’t mean that we accept unquestioningly, but that we consider open-mindedly. Open-minded consideration implies readiness to be patient and persistent – as we are when we study, say, a scientific subject. If understanding an aspect of existence, as is studied by science, requires patience and persistence, then won’t understanding the source of existence require similar, if not greater, endeavor? Logically it will.
Unfortunately, some people who don’t want to endeavor thus change those words of the Gita that don’t make sense to them. For example, failing to understand how Krishna is the transcendental Supreme Person, they reduce him to a metaphor – and thereby deprive themselves of his love.
If we resist this temptation to take intellectual shortcuts, the Gita’s words of love will take us smoothly on the devotional expressway towards Krishna.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 Text 71
“And one who listens with faith and without envy becomes free from sinful reactions and attains to the auspicious planets where the pious dwell.”
Thank you PR for this very appropriate analogy
the words of THE GITA cleanses our hearts chamber which is filled with so much dark matter accumulated over miilions of birth. THE BHAGVAD GITA has been spoken / sung BY LORD KRSNA himself.So when his words enter our spiritual heart , the words come as light which removes this dark matter .
The bottle of medicine prescribed by the doctor has to be opened first and then you can have the dose. you have to perform various activities like open the medicine bottle, take out the tablet and eat it. if you do not open the bottle, how can you be cured.
similarly, we have to perform activities like reading, hearing,
submitting ourselves, serving, and entering the words of slokas of BHAGVAD Gita to eat the spiritual medicine prescribed by the greatest doctor of the UNIVERSE, lord krsna.
MENTAL SPECULATION OF SCRIPTURES is a waste of time.
similarly, reseARCH on scriptures is a waste of time. what do you want to research ? it is already there, everything is there in BHGAVAD GITA and SRIMAD BHAGVATAM.JUST have faith, faith and faith.
Be submissive. Query may be raised but cannot argue on the answers provided by the guru.
pr ji , you rightly comment that the devotional expressway will take you directly towards KRSNA. This can also be comapared to taking the elevator instead of the lift or staircase.
( a vertical analogy ). devotional services are the back door entry to krsnas abode.
when we consider open mindedly, there may be a million interpretaions of the same sloka, and yet all these will be correct.since BHAGVAD GITA is infinite, so also the interpretations of each sloka, are infinite.the length, breadth and depth of each sloka is infinite in spiritual terms.each time you read the same sloka, you get a different meaning.this is open mindedly.
Wonderful article!