Bhagavad Gita For Ultimate Peace

Positive Psychology for Anxiety | Spirituality And Anxiety

Gandhiji had once said:

"Gita is the universal mother. Her door is open to anyone who knocks".

Bhagavad Gita is a widely popular mythological story in Hindu philosophy and is a part of the great epic Mahabharatha.

 Gita depicts the conversation between two individuals, Lord Krishna (considered as incarnation of Bhagavan Vishnu, Narayana) and Arjuna (the Pandava prince, Nara) in the battle field (war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, the cousins, for control of the kingdom of Hasthinapura) of Kurukshetra. It has 18 chapters with about 701 short poems.

 

During the great battle between warring branches of the same family, Arjuna suddenly faces anxiety and is overwhelmed with misgivings about the justice of killing so many people, some of whom are his friends and relatives, and expresses his queries to Krishna, his charioteer—a combination bodyguard and court historian. He persuaded Arjuna to do his duty as a man born into the class of warriors, which is to fight, and the battle takes place. In short, he directed his mind from state of anxiety, depression, guilt to right path. Krishna’s replies are what constitutes Gita’s chapters. Centuries later these powerful verses of Bhagavad Gita forms the bases of many psychological therapies and interventions.

Lord Krishna Guiding Arjuna

 

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1.

   सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज |
    अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुच: || 66||

“Abandoning all duties take refuge in me all alone. I shall liberate you from all sins, do not grieve.”

In this Verse, the Lord Krishna wants us to attain three distinct adjustments in our inner personality. End all the egos through meditation, surrender to his refuge alone, and while in the state of meditation, stop all worries. And as a reward He promises. "I shall release you from all sins". Lord Krishna wants the seeker to renounce all his ‘anxieties to realize’. Even a desire to realize is a disturbing thought that can obstruct the final achievement. The importance of meditation in achieving this can be clearly understood.

 

2.

   कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |
    मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि 

You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.

This is an extremely popular verse of Bhagavad Gita. We all have grown up hearing this very often. It says that

We must only do our duty, and not be concerned with the results as the results are not dependent only upon our efforts. A number of factors come into play in determining the results—our efforts, destiny (our past karmas), the will of God, the efforts of others, the cumulative karmas of the people involved, the place and situation (a matter of luck), etc. Now if we become anxious for results, we will experience anxiety whenever they are not according to our expectations. So, Shree Krishna advises to give up concern for the results and instead focus solely on performing our duties, because then the result would even be better than before.

 

3.

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु: खदा: |
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत || 14|

Bhagavad Gita teaches that the impermanent happiness and distress that characterizes this material world are just like the various seasons that arrive and depart. They are an outcome of our sensory perceptions. We should know that just like every other thing in this world, even our sorrows are not permanent in nature. Both happiness and our distress are transitory phases of life that shall eventually pass. Henceforth why to worry for the future?

 

 

4.

नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नत: |
न चाति स्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन || 16||

 Yoga is neither for him who overeats, nor for him who observes a complete fast; it is neither for him who is given to too much sleep; nor even for him who is ceaselessly awake. Gita says, "Don’t do too much or too little of what is important in daily life." Eat enough food. Get enough sleep. Say enough. With exercise, exert enough. With meditation, practice enough. And while working, perform enough work.

5

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह:

"It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous".

Gita Says, we feel mental stability when doing the duties born of our nature and can do so with more ease. From afar, the duties of others may appear appealing, and we may consider switching, but this is a risky move.  Because they may produce discord in our senses, mind, and intellect. This will harm our consciousness increase anxiety and prevent us from progressing on the spiritual path.

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