HOLY SCRI P TU R ES

ENT ED B Y:M S N EH U L S H ARMA

PRES
SC IE N CE EN G INE E R IN G JECRC
ER
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUT
UNIVERSITY,JAIPUR
IO N N U M BER :2 1B CO N49 8
REGIST RAT
SECTION:K
BHAGWAD GITA
INTRODUCTION TO VEDANTA AND BHAGVAD
GITA
THE BHAGWAD GITA IS THE MOST ENCHANTING AND COMPREHENSIVE
DISSERTATION ON HOW AN ORDINARY MORTAL CAN RISE ABOVE PETTY TO
BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY IMMORTAL SPIRIT.
THE GITA HAS GENERATED DEEP INTEREST AMONG THE SEEKERS OF TRUTH
WORLDWIDE,IT IS A PART OF GREAT EPIC MAHABHARATA.IT CONSISTS OF 701
VERSES.
THE GITA IS A DIALOGUE BETWEEN KRISHNA,THE GURU,AND ARJUNA,HIS DEAR
FRIEND AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE PANDAVA ARMY.IT BEGINS AT THE
EDGE OF A BATTLE BETWEEN PANDAVAS AND KAURAVS.
WHEN ALL ATTEMPTS OF RECONCILIATION FAIL AND EVEN KRISHNA IS UNABLE TO GET DURYODHANA TO SEE THE REASON BATTLE
LINES ARE DRAWN.AS THE CONFRONTATION IS ABOUT TO START ,ARJUNA ASKS HIS CHARIOTTER KRISHNA TO DRIVE HIM BETWEEN
THE TWO ARMIES FOR A LAST MINUTE RECONNAISSANCE HE IS OVERCOME WITH GRIEF AND DESPAIR AND SEES EVERYTHING FROM A
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE AND LOSES HEART,KRISHNA THEN MASTERFULLY BLENDS PSYCHOLOGY WITH PHILOSOPHY.

BHAGWAD GITA WILL COME ALIVE AND SPEAK TO US ONLY WHEN WE SET ASIDE OUR ARROGANCE AND APPROACH IT WITH A DESIRE
AND HUMILITY TO LEARN ,AS KRISHNA EXPLAINS IN THE GITA YOU MUST HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SURRENDER IN AREAS WHERE YOU
ARE IGNORANT AND CULTIVATE AN ATTITUDE OF SERVICE AND SACRIFICES.THEN THE GOD OF WISDOM AND TRUTH WILL INSTRUCT
YOU.

THE BHAGWAD GITA DRAWS IT’S KNOWLEDGE FROM THE UPANISHADS .THE GITA GIVES THE ABILITY TO REMAIN PEACEFUL IN THE
MIDST OF NOISE AND CONFUSION AROUND.IT SPEAKS OF DYNAMIC PEACE WHERE THE MIND IS AT REST,INTELLECT SHARP AND
BRILLIANT ACTIONS.A PEACE THAT CANNOT BE SHATTERED BY A CHANGING,UNDEPENDABLE WORLD. A STRONG RESILIENT PEACE NOT
A FRAGILE EQUILIBRIUM.

THE GITA HELPS DEALS WITH DESIRES. THE FIRST STEP IS TO MANAGE DESIRES WITH THE INTELLECT.THE NEXT STAGE IS TO REDUCE
REFINE AND REDIRECT THEM WITH THE THREE PATHWAYS OF KARMA YOGA,BHAKTI YOGA,JNANA YOGA.OTHER DESIRES GET
ELIMINATED THROUGH MEDITATION WHICH IS A SINGLE POINTED FOCUS ON A MANTRA OR A WORD SYMBOL UNDER THE SUPERVISION
OF THE INTELLECT.
NOMENCLATURE
THE BHAGWAD GITA MEANS DIVINE SONG. KRISHNA THE UNIVERSAL MENTOR WHO IS AN EXPERT FLUTE
PLAYER ,KRISHNA HAD MASTERED THE ART OF EVOKING MELODIOUS MUSIC FROM HIS HHUMBLE INSTRUMENT THE
FLUTE REPRESENTS OUR PERSONALITY.THE FIVE SENSES MIND AND INTELLECT ARE THE SEVEN WINDOWS TO THE
WORLD. NOT HAVING LEARNT THE TECHNIQUE OF LIVING WE BRING OUT PRODUCING DISCORDANT NOTES IN LIFE THE
BHAGWAD GITA IMPARTS THE ART OF OPERATING IN TUNE WITH THE WORLD BY BEING IN UNISON WITH THE SPIRIT.
IT LITERALLY IS THE SONG OF THE BLESSED ONE.
VEDANTA
VEDANTA MEANING THE END OF THE VEDAS REFLECTS IDEAS THAT EMERGED FROM ,OR WEWRE ALIGNED WITH
THE SPECULATIONS AND PHILOSOPHIES CONTAINED IN THE UPANISHADS ,SPECIFICALLY KNOWLEDGE AND
LIBERATION.
VEDANTA CONTAINS MANY SUB-TRADITIONS,ACCORDING TO VEDANTA GOD IS AN INFINITE CONSCIOUSNESS
AND INFINITE BLISS.VEDANTA ALSO MAINTAINS THAT GOD CAN BE PERSONAL AS WELL ASSUMING HUMAN FORM
IN EVERY AGE.
GOD DWELLS WITHIN OUR OWN HEARTS AS THE DIVINE SELF OR ATMAN.THE ATMAN IS NEVER BORN NOR WILL
IT EVER DIE . IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO OUR GRIEF OR DESPAIR .THE GREATEST TEMPLE OF GOD LIES WITHIN OUR
HEART. VEDANTA ASSERTS THAT THE GOAL OF LIFE IS TO REALIZE AND TO MANIFEST OUR OWN DIVERSITY.
VEDANTA AFFIRMS THAT ALL RELIGIONS TEACH THE SAME BASIC TRUTHS ABOUT GOD. THERE ARE FOUR PATHS
WE CAN FOLLOW TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF UNDERSTANDING OUR DIVINE NATURE . THESE PATHS ARE KNOWN AS
THE FOUR YOGAS.
 VEDANTA ASSERTS THAT TRUTH IS UNIVERSAL AND ALL HUMANKIND AND ALL EXISTENCE ARE ONE. IT TEACHES THE
UNITY OF GODHEAD, OR ULTIMATE REALITY, AND ACCEPTS EVERY FAITH AS A VALID MEANS FOR ITS OWN FOLLOWERS TO
REALIZE THE TRUTH.

 THE FOUR CARDINAL PRINCIPLES OF VEDANTA MAY BE SUMMED UP AS FOLLOWS: THE NON-DUALITY OF THE GODHEAD,
THE DIVINITY OF THE SOUL, THE UNITY OF EXISTENCE AND THE HARMONY OF RELIGIONS. ON THESE FOUR PRINCIPLES THE
FAITH OF THE VEDANTIST IS BASED.

 ONE CAN EXPERIENCE GOD AS TANGIBLY 'AS A FRUIT LYING ON THE PALM OF ONE'S HAND,' WHICH MEANS THAT IN THIS
VERY LIFE WE CAN SUPPRESS OUR LOWER NATURE, MANIFEST OUR HIGHER NATURE, AND BECOME PERFECT. 

 THE ESSENTIAL TEACHINGS OF VEDANTA, AS STATED BY SWAMI VIVEKANANDA IS: "EACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE,
THE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THIS DIVINITY WITHIN BY CONTROLLING NATURE: EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL. DO THIS EITHER
BY WORK, OR WORSHIP, OR PSYCHIC CONTROL, OR PHILOSOPHY — BY ONE, OR MORE, OR ALL THESE — AND BE FREE.
THIS IS THE WHOLE OF RELIGION. DOCTRINES, OR DOGMAS, OR RITUALS, OR BOOKS, OR TEMPLES, OR FORMS, ARE BUT
SECONDARY DETAILS.
 GOALS OF LIFE---PURUSHARTHAS
DHARMA

THE FIRST GOAL OR PURUSHARTHA IS DHARMA, WHICH MEANS “DUTY”.

DUTY, DHARMA- THE FIRST PURUSHARTHA, POINTS TOWARDS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PERFORM OUR
DUTIES. TO PERFORM AND ACT ACCORDING TO THE DUTIES WHICH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH OUR INDIVIDUAL
AND SOCIAL IDENTITY.

IT IS THE BINARY QUESTIONS, WHICH SHOULD ENABLE US TO TAKE DECISIONS- TO KNOW THE RIGHT AND
WRONG- AS IT SIMPLIFIES THE COMPLEXITIES OF OUR QUESTIONS, OUR CONFUSION BY ASSOCIATING YOUR
DUTIES WITH YOUR SOCIAL IDENTITY.
ARTHA
 ARTHA IS THE SECURITY OF HAVING THE MATERIAL COMFORT YOU NEED TO LIVE IN THE WORLD WITH EASE. WHILE
SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT TO BE SPIRITUAL MEANS TO BE POOR, ARTHA IS NOT ABOUT REJECTING THE WORLD, BUT
BEING CONTENT WITH THE THINGS YOU OWN. IT’S TO LIVE SKILLFULLY IN A WORLD OF MATERIAL OBJECTS THAT EXIST
FOR YOUR BENEFIT.

 ARTHA IS ONE OF THE BASIC HUMAN DIGNITIES—TO HAVE ENOUGH ASSETS TO LIVE ON AND CARE FOR YOUR FAMILY,
WITHOUT HOARDING OR BEING GREEDY. ARTHA GUIDES YOU TO ASK THE QUESTION, “WHAT DO I SEE AS TRULY
VALUABLE?”

 NEEDS VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON. ARTHA INCLUDES EVERYTHING IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO
LIVE A FULFILLING LIFE AND ALSO THE MEANS TO ACHIEVE IT. IT INCLUDES KNOWLEDGE, FRIENDSHIPS, LOVE, CAREER,
SKILLS, GOOD HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY. THE UPANISHADS TELL US, “THERE IS NO JOY IN SMALLNESS, JOY IS IN THE
INFINITE.”
 KAMA
 THE DESIRE FOR PLEASURE IS WHAT DRIVES HUMAN BEHAVIOR. A LIFE WITHOUT PLEASURE AND ENJOYMENT IS
HOLLOW AND EMPTY.KAMA RELATES TO THIS PLEASURE, WHICH CAN BE SENSUALITY, BUT IS ALSO ART, MUSIC,
BEAUTY, LOVE, INTIMACY, AFFECTION, FELLOWSHIP, AND KINDNESS—IT’S WHAT BRINGS A SENSE OF DELIGHT TO
YOUR LIFE .

 THE RIGHT KINDS OF PLEASURE LEAD YOU TOWARD YOUR DHARMA AND HELP YOU FULFILL IT WITH
PASSION. KAMA IS GOOD AND NECESSARY WHEN IT EXISTS TO SUPPORT DHARMA AND BECOMES PART OF THE
RICHNESS OF LIFE. HOWEVER, EXCESSIVE KAMA CAN LEAD TO OVERINDULGENCE, ADDICTION, SLOTH, GREED, AND
LUST.

 TO SUCCESSFULLY PRACTICE KAMA, YOU MUST ASK, “ARE MY PLEASURES ALIGNED WITH MY LIFE’S PURPOSE?”
THE UPANISHADS TELL US, “AS IS YOUR DESIRE SO IS YOUR WILL, AS IS YOUR WILL SO IS YOUR DEED, AS IS YOUR
DEED SO IS YOUR DESTINY AND YOU ARE WHAT YOUR DEEP DRIVING DESIRE IS.”
 MOKSHA
 VEDANTA TELLS US THAT LIBERATION COMES TO THOSE WHO KNOW BRAHMAN AS THAT WHICH IS THE ORIGIN AND END OF ALL
THINGS, THE UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE BEHIND AND AT SOURCE OF EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS, AND THE CONSCIOUSNESS THAT
PERVADES EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE .

 SUCH REALIZATION COMES FROM SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-DISCIPLINE. MOKSHA IS SELF-DISCIPLINE THAT IS SO PERFECT THAT
IT BECOMES UNCONSCIOUS, SECOND NATURE, AN UNWORLDLY UNDERSTANDING, AND A STATE OF BLISS.

 THIS LIBERATION COMES FROM A LIFE LIVED WITH INNER PURITY, ALERT MIND, LED BY REASON, INTELLIGENCE, AND REALIZATION OF
THE SUPREME SELF WHO DWELLS IN ALL BEINGS. AS THE POET RUMI SAYS, “THE WHOLE UNIVERSE EXISTS WITHIN US, ASK ALL
FROM YOURSELF.” WHILE LAO TZU TELLS US, “KNOWING OTHERS IS WISDOM, KNOWING YOURSELF IS ENLIGHTENMENT.”

 YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE PURUSHARTHAS IS BEAUTIFULLY SUMMARIZED BY SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA, “MAY YOUR LIFE BE
SIMPLE AND PURE SO YOU KNOW ONLY BEAUTY. MAY YOUR MIND BE CLEAR AND QUIET SO YOU SPEAK ONLY OF TRUTH. MAY YOUR
HEART BE FILLED WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION SO YOU RADIATE LIGHT TO ALL YOU MEET. MAY ALL YOU DO BE BLESSED WITH
DIVINE GRACE .”
DHARM GRANTHAS—(RAMAYANA)
THE EPIC, TRADITIONALLY ASCRIBED TO THE MAHARISHI VALMIKI, NARRATES THE LIFE OF RAMA, A LEGENDARY
PRINCE OF AYODHYA CITY IN THE KINGDOM OF KOSALA. THE EPIC FOLLOWS HIS FOURTEEN-YEAR EXILE TO THE
FOREST URGED BY HIS FATHER KING DASHARATHA, ON THE REQUEST OF RAMA'S STEPMOTHER KAIKEYI; HIS
TRAVELS ACROSS FORESTS IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT WITH HIS WIFE SITA AND BROTHER LAKSHMANA, THE
KIDNAPPING OF SITA BY RAVANA – THE KING OF LANKA, THAT RESULTED IN WAR; AND RAMA'S EVENTUAL RETURN
TO AYODHYA TO BE CROWNED KING AMIDST JUBILATION AND CELEBRATION.
THE RAMAYANA IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ANCIENT EPICS IN WORLD LITERATURE. IT CONSISTS OF NEARLY 24,000 
VERSES (MOSTLY SET IN THE SHLOKA/ANUSTUBH METER), DIVIDED INTO SEVEN KĀṆḌAS, THE FIRST AND THE
SEVENTH BEING LATER ADDITIONS. IT BELONGS TO THE GENRE OF ITIHASA, NARRATIVES OF PAST EVENTS
(PURĀVṚTTA), INTERSPERSED WITH TEACHINGS ON  THE GOALS OF HUMAN LIFE. SCHOLARS' ESTIMATES FOR THE
EARLIEST STAGE OF THE TEXT RANGE FROM THE 7TH TO 4TH CENTURIES BCE,[6][7] WITH LATER STAGES EXTENDING
UP TO THE 3RD CENTURY CE.
(QURAN)
MUSLIM TRADITION STATES THAT THE ANGEL GABRIEL VISITED MUHAMMAD AND GAVE HIM THE WORDS
DIRECTLY FROM ALLAH. THESE WORDS WERE ALLAH’S WORDS OF WISDOM, TRUTH, AND COMMANDMENTS
TO HIS CREATION. THE QUR’AN (WHICH MEANS RECITATION) WAS REVEALED IN THE ARABIC DIALECT USED
BY THE QURAISH TRIBE OF MECCA OF THAT TIME. THIS DIALECT BECAME THE FORMAL ARABIC OF THE
ISLAMIC NATIONS DUE TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF QURANIC SCRIPTURES THROUGHOUT THE ISLAMIC
EMPIRE. IN ARABIC, THE QUR’AN IS POETIC IN STYLE WITH RHYMES, METER, AND SHIFTS IN LINE LENGTHS.
THOSE WHO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE SAY IT IS A BEAUTIFUL WORK.
THE QUR’AN DEALS MAINLY WITH WHAT AND HOW ALLAH WANTS MANKIND TO BELIEVE AND DO IN MAN’S
MORAL STRUGGLE. ITS PRIMARY THEME IS THAT OF COMPLETE SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF ALLAH.
 (BIBLE)
THE TRUE LIVING GOD, THE MAKER OF THE UNIVERSE, IS ALL-POWERFUL. HE IS MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN HIS
CREATURES (HUMANS, DEMONS, ETC.). NO ONE CAN OVERPOWER HIM AND CHANGE HIS WORDS. THOSE THAT
CLAIM THAT THE HOLY BIBLE IS CORRUPTED COMMIT THE GRAVE MORTAL SIN OF BLASPHEMING AND INSULTING
THE ALMIGHTY GOD BY ACCUSING HIM OF WEAKNESS AND INABILITY TO PROTECT HIS WRITTEN REVELATIONS IN
THE TORAH AND INJIL. "ANYONE WHO SPEAKS A WORD AGAINST THE SON OF MAN (CHRIST), IT WILL BE FORGIVEN
HIM; BUT WHOEVER SPEAKS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT (OF GOD), IT WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN HIM, EITHER IN THIS
AGE OR IN THE AGE TO COME. ... FOR EVERY IDLE WORD MEN MAY SPEAK, THEY WILL GIVE ACCOUNT OF IT IN THE
DAY OF JUDGMENT"
GOD WOULD BE MISLEADING HIS PEOPLE IF HE HAD ALLOWED HIS WORDS TO BE CHANGED AND FALSIFIED. THE
TRUE LIVING GOD DOES NOT MISLEAD HUMANITY. THE FALSIFICATION OF THE WORD OF GOD CONTRADICTS NOT
ONLY HIS TRUTHFULNESS, POWER, AND WISDOM, BUT ALSO HIS FAITHFULNESS
(AGAMAS)
JAIN SCRIPTURES ARE CALLED AGAMAS. THEY ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN VERBALLY TRANSMITTED BY THE ORAL
TRADITION FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT, MUCH LIKE THE ANCIENT BUDDHIST AND HINDU TEXTS. THE JAIN
TRADITION BELIEVES THAT THEIR RELIGION IS ETERNAL, AND THE TEACHINGS OF THEIR FIRST TIRTHANKARA
RISHABHANATHA WERE THEIR SCRIPTURES MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO. THE MYTHOLOGY STATES THAT THE
TIRTHANKARA TAUGHT IN A DIVINE PREACHING HALL CALLED SAMAVASARANA, WHICH WERE HEARD BY THE GODS,
THE ASCETICS AND LAYPERSONS. THE DISCOURSE DELIVERED IS CALLED ŚHRUT JNĀNA AND COMPRISES ELEVEN
ANGAS AND FOURTEEN PURVAS.
THE JAINISM HAS ITS OWN SCRIPTURES CALLED AGAMAS OR SRUTAS, WHICH ARE DIRECTLY DERIVED FROM THE
TIRTHANKARAS. THE AGAMAS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO STREAMS VIZ. SUTRAGAMAS AND ARTHAGAMAS. THE
SERMONS OF THE TIRTHANKARAS ARE CALLED ARTHAGAMAS AND THE SUTRAS WRITTEN OVER THEM ARE NAMED
SUTRAGAMAS.
TRIPTIPIKA
THE BUDDHA'S TEACHING WAS ORAL. HE TAUGHT FOR 45 YEARS, ADAPTING THE TEACHING TO SUIT THE
GROUP HE WAS ADDRESSING, AND THERE IS DUPLICATION IN THE TEXTS. THE LANGUAGE HE USED IS
UNDERSTOOD TO BE MAGADHI.THE SANGHA MEMORIZED THE TEACHINGS, AND THERE WERE GROUP
RECITATIONS AT FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS. THE TEACHINGS WERE REHEARSED AND
AUTHENTICATED AT THE FIRST COUNCIL, AND WERE HANDED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION
ACCURATELY BY MEANS OF THESE GROUP RECITATIONS.
THE ORAL TRADITION CONTINUES TODAY. THE SANGHA CHANT SELECTED TEXTS AT CEREMONIES AND
SOMETIMES THE LAY PEOPLE JOIN IN. THE CHANTING IS CONSIDERED TO BE SACRED ACT, IN ADDITION TO
REMINDING AND TEACHING THE DHAMMA.
(GURU-GRANTH)
THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB IS THE CENTRAL HOLY RELIGIOUS SCRIPTURE OF SIKHISM, REGARDED BY SIKHS
AS THE FINAL, SOVEREIGN AND ETERNAL GURU FOLLOWING THE LINEAGE OF THE TEN HUMAN GURUS OF THE
RELIGION. THE ADI GRANTH ITS FIRST RENDITION, WAS COMPILED BY THE FIFTH GURU, GURU ARJAN
(1564–1606).
THE TEXT CONSISTS OF 1,430 ANGS (PAGES) AND 5,894 ŚABADS (LINE COMPOSITIONS), WHICH ARE
POETICALLY RENDERED AND SET TO A RHYTHMIC ANCIENT NORTH INDIAN CLASSICAL FORM OF MUSIC.[5]
THE BULK OF THE SCRIPTURE IS DIVIDED INTO 31 MAIN RĀGAS, WITH EACH GRANTH RĀGA SUBDIVIDED
ACCORDING TO LENGTH AND AUTHOR. THE HYMNS IN THE SCRIPTURE ARE ARRANGED PRIMARILY BY THE
RĀGAS IN WHICH THEY ARE READ .THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB IS WRITTEN IN THE GURMUKHI SCRIPT, IN
VARIOUS LANGUAGES, INCLUDING LAHNDA (WESTERN PUNJABI), BRAJ BHASHA, KAURAVI, SANSKRIT,
SINDHI, AND PERSIAN. COPIES IN THESE LANGUAGES OFTEN HAVE THE GENERIC TITLE OF SANT BHASHA.[7]
REFERENCE
HTTPS://WWW.BING.COM/SEARCH?Q=BHAGWAD+GITA%2C+VEDANTA%2C+PURUSHARTHA&FORM=
ANSPH1&REFIG=2DA2570BDECD41518F226A3C60470D26&PC=U531#

BHAGVAD CITA-VEDANTA WORLD

WWW.MYHINDUETHICS.COM/LIFE-TRUTHS/PURUSHARTHA-THE-FOUR-AIMS-OF-LIFE

HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/RELIGIOUS_TEXT
THANKS AND
QUERIE