Gita Acharan

L ike ahankaar , there are few words to explain tapa or tapah . Japah and tapah are intrinsically understood in all Indian cultures. As a compromise, tapah is translated as austerity or penance. Krishna says that tapah is of three types - of the body, of speech and of mind. Krishna says, “The worship of the Devas , twice-born (first physical birth and later spiritual awakening), gurus , and wise; purity, uprightness, celibacy, and non-violence are considered tapah of body (17.14). Meditative communion with self, and uttering words that cause no agitation, that are truthful, pleasant, and beneficial are declared as tapah of speech (17.15). The serenity of mind, kindliness, silence, self-control, and purity of character are declared as tapah of mind” (17.16). These verses elevate our general understanding of tapah in that they can be performed at the level of the body, at the level of the words we speak and at the level of our thoughts. After describing three typ...

K rishna says, “ Yajna (sacrifice or performance of duty or selfless action) is satvik which is offered by those desiring no fruit of action; which is performed according to scriptural injunctions, with the firm conviction of the mind that it is a matter of duty (17.11). That yajna performed seeking fruits of action and with an ostentatious spirit is rajasik in nature (17.12). That yajna is tamasik which is without regard for scriptures, in which no food is distributed, no mantras chanted, and no donation is given and is without shraddha (devotion)” (17.13). The word yajna can be interpreted in different ways depending on the level of the seeker and accordingly, the meaning of these verses keeps varying. Firstly, the simple meaning of yajna is a fire ritual. History suggests that fire rituals were a norm during the time of the Kurukshetra battle. Till today, fire rituals are performed across the country on the occasion of festivals to invite good vibes and ward ...

D uring evolution, cyanobacteria absorbed carbon dioxide and released oxygen, making our survival possible. Subsequently, they evolved as chloroplasts which adapted to life inside plant cells enabling photosynthesis to give us food. The same is the case with the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the human cell, which adapted to life inside the cell. Both mitochondria and chloroplasts still possess their DNA. Similarly, our intestine hosts hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi. They are responsible for the digestion of our food and providing us with nutrition. Current research indicates that they even control our behaviour through the brain-gut axis (vagus nerve) as 500 million neurons (half a percent of the brain) are located in the intestine. This background helps us understand the following verses. Krishna says, “The food that people prefer is also threefold, as also sacrifice ( yajna ), austerity ( tapah ) and donation ( dana ) (17.7). Foods which increase longevit...

S cience leads a student from ignorance to awareness of the physical world. For example, the calculation of time taken to empty a water tank with a hole at the bottom can vary based on the level of the student solving the problem. A seventh grader is taught to divide the total volume of the tank by the capacity of the hole to drain. However, a twelfth grader is asked to use calculus to arrive at the solution that considers gravity. As expected, the answers would vary in both cases, and it is acceptable as a seventh grader is not expected to solve complex calculus equations. Similar situations arise on the path of spirituality where the preaching varies based on the level of ignorance of the practitioner. The Bhagavad Gita handles all such situations like a textbook from kindergarten to post-graduation. Chapters sixteen and seventeen are those chapters where Krishna comes to the level of an ignorant to explain. After explaining divine and demonic natures, He suggests usi...