|| श्री गीता महात्म्य ||
गीता शास्त्रं इदं पुण्यं यः पठेत प्रयतः पुमान् |
विष्णोः पदं अवाप्नोति भय शोकादि वर्जितः ||
विष्णोः पदं अवाप्नोति भय शोकादि वर्जितः ||
If one properly follows the instructions of Bhagavad-Gita, one can be freed from all the miseries and anxieties of life and achieves lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. 1
गीताध्यायनशीलस्य प्राणायामपरस्य च |
नैव सन्ति हि पापानि पूर्व जन्म कृतानि च ||
नैव सन्ति हि पापानि पूर्व जन्म कृतानि च ||
If one reads Bhagavad-Gita very sincerely and with all seriousness, then by the grace of the Lord the reactions of his past misdeeds will not act upon him. 2
मलनिर्मोचनं पुंसां जलस्नानं दिने दिने |
सकृद् गीतामृतं स्नानं संसार मल नाशनम् ||
सकृद् गीतामृतं स्नानं संसार मल नाशनम् ||
One may cleanse himself daily by taking a bath in water, but if one takes a bath even once in the sacred Ganges water of Bhagavad-Gita, for him the dirt of material life is altogether vanquished. 3
गीता सुगीता कर्तव्या किं अन्यैः शास्त्र विस्तरैः |
या स्वयं पद्मनाभस्य मुखपद्माद् विनिःसृता ||
या स्वयं पद्मनाभस्य मुखपद्माद् विनिःसृता ||
Because Bhagavad Gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad Gita. In the present age, people are so absorbed in mundane activities that it is not possible for them to read all the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-Gita, will suffice, because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and especially because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 4
भारतामृतसर्वस्वं विष्णुवक्त्राद विनिःशृतं |
गीतागङ्गोदकं पीत्वा पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ||
गीतागङ्गोदकं पीत्वा पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ||
One who drinks the water of the Ganges attains salvation, so what to speak of one who drinks the nectar of Bhagavad-Gita? Bhagavad-Gita is the essential nectar of the Mahābhārata, and it is spoken by Lord Krishna Himself, the original Vishnu. 5
सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः |
पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ||
पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ||
This Gītopaniṣad, Bhagavad-Gita, the essence of all the Upaniṣads, is just like a cow, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is famous as a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. Arjuna is just like a calf, and learned scholars and pure devotees are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-Gita. 6
एकं शास्त्रं देवकीपुत्रगीतं
एको देवो देवकीपुत्र एव |
एको मन्त्रस् तस्य नामानि यानि
कर्माप्य एकं तस्य देवस्य सेवा ||
एको देवो देवकीपुत्र एव |
एको मन्त्रस् तस्य नामानि यानि
कर्माप्य एकं तस्य देवस्य सेवा ||
In this present day, people are very much eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. Therefore, let there be one scripture only, one common scripture for the whole world — Bhagavad-gītā, let there be one God for the whole world — Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and one hymn, one mantra, one prayer — the chanting of His name: Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma and let there be one work only — the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 7
Author : आद्य शंकराचार्य
Author : आद्य शंकराचार्य
