My Books-3: "Talks on the Gita" by Acharya Vinoba Bhave

I bought this great book at the Gandhi Museum, Madurai. Then I met Mr.Devadas Gandhi, who has dedicated his life to Gandhian way of life, teaching yoga and naturopathy. Then he introduced to a worker from Paunar. She very kindly signed the book for me. Unfortunately, I have not recorded the date of purchase and other details.

No spiritual aspirant should miss this book. Vinobaji's lucid commentaries on the Gita are simply wonderful and very easy to understand.

I am reproducing a few passages from the book:

...
...taking into consideration both the beginning and the end of the Gita, it is clear that the removal of delusion is its central message. This is the purpose of the Gita, as well as of the whole of the Mahabharata. Vyasa had said, right at the beginning of the Mahabharata, that he was lighting this lamp of history to dispel delusions in the minds of the people.

This introduction to Arjuna's conditions helps us greatly in understanding the rest of the Gita. We should be grateful for this. It also helps us in another way. It reveals Arjuna's straight-forwardness and honesty. The world 'Arjuna', in fact, means one who is honest and straightforward in nature. He opened out his heart before Krishna, laid bare before Him all that he felt and thought. He hid nothing from Him and ultimately surrendered to Him totally. In fact, he was already his devotee. When he made Krishna his charioteer and entrusted to Him the reins of his horses, he had got ready to give into His hands the reins of his mind also. Let us do likewise. Let us not think that, unlike Arjuna, we do not have Krishna to guide us. Let us not get caught in the fallacy that Krishna was an historical person. Everybody has Krishna residing in his heart as the indwelling Self. He is nearer to us than the nearest. Let us bare our heart, with all its impurities and weaknesses, before Him and say, "O Lord! I take refuge in you. You are my sole guide, my master. Show me the right path and I shall follow it." If we do so, Arjuna's charioteer will be our charioteer too. We shall hear the Gita from His own lips and He will leads to victory.

Excerpt from TALKS ON THE GITA by Vinobaji (2005 - Published by Paramdham Prakashan, Paunar).

Humble prostrations at the holy feet of Vinobaji and grateful thanks to Paramdham Prakashan.