HarPiyTravel

I give 5 stars only to those books which I want to reread. Although I barely get a chance to revisit any books I’ve read, I love reading new works. The only physical books in my home library are the 5-star-rated ones.

Talking about the most read book, that would undoubtedly be the Sri Bhagavad Gita, which I have been reading since my college days. I studied in RSS-affiliated schools – Shishu Mandir and Vidya Mandir till 12th, and our school halls were inscribed with shlokas from Geeta.

Few shlokas that are fresh in my memories are:-

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥

Meaning: You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are never entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to inaction.

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥

Meaning: To protect the righteous, to destroy the wicked, and to firmly re-establish the principles of Dharma, I manifest Myself age after age.

सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ ।
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि ॥

Meaning: Treating alike pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat, prepare yourself for battle. Acting in this way, you will never incur sin.

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः ।
न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुतः ॥

Meaning: Weapons cannot cut the soul, nor can fire burn it; water cannot wet it, nor can the wind dry it.

The school days were my first exposure to the Gita. During my BSc, I was going through a serious medical problem and to cure it, my family tried all kinds of solutions, one of them aligned me to a spiritual path. I got in the company of a pious saint, and that was the awakening for me. I started visiting him in Vrindavan every week and used to go to Sri Banke Bihari and Sri Radha Vallabh temple.

I used to spend hours sitting in the temples. That was the best time I had. During that time, I started reading the Gita in the morning, during my worship. It has 18 chapters. In the early days, I used to read half a chapter a day and then gradually moved to 2 pages a day.

To this date, I have this habit of reading the Gita in my worship. It’s the most wonderful book of this time, and I don’t tie it to Hinduism; it has its own philosophical tone. Anyone can read and benefit from it. It talks about Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Gyan Yoga, and Dhyan Yoga. It talks about the supreme power and how, and in what forms, it’s present among us.

Everyone should read it at least once in their lifetime. Each reading teaches you something new and broadens your understanding.

Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!