Hello and welcome to Truth Amid Chaos, Video Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita in the light of current events. This is an epic battle about the 3D matrix and ascension to freedom. The Gita represents a foundation of Hindu philosophy because it reveals the path to spiritual liberation.
Once upon a time, in a far away land, Gods ruled the Earth. All learning took place in the form of stories and sacred texts, which people studied and memorized to pass down with each generation of mankind.
Bhagavad Gita means “God’s Song”, or “Gita” for short.
It is part of a larger epic story the Mahabharata, one of the great Hindu classics. We don’t know how old it is because it was not written. For thousands of years people memorized it and told the story in sacred chants. Finally it was written on palm leaves and assembled in string-bound books around the time of Christ. Reading the old Hindu texts is something like reading the Bible, centuries before it was codified in the Queen’s English. Except the Mahabharata is three times longer than the Bible. And the Gita is just a small part of it, about a battle between two royal lineages. The Gita is important because it brings up all the misunderstandings a human can possibly have, and explains them in the light of Supreme Truth. Are you ready?
Let’s start with our cast of characters in this story.
- Dhritarashtra, Blind King whose mind is clouded by desires and delusion. He is blindly partial to his sons, promoting their rulership, ignoring their evil atrocities.
- Sanjaya the wise, clairvoyant advisor to Blind King, who sees for him carries on a conversation with him throughout the battle.
- Duryodhana, “Dirty Fighter”, is son of the blind king Dhritarashtra. He is the cruel, young heir apparent to the kingdom, antagonist in the battle, and a chief enemy of Truth.
- Arjuna, the Hero and protagonist, is God’s dearest friend and devotee, He is one of the five virtuous Pandava brothers, and a great warrior.
- Krishna the Blue God, is a divine teacher who comes to Earth whenever wisdom is forgotten, as a distant cousin and chariot driver for Arjuna.
- Yudhishthira, Rightful Heir to the throne, is Arjuna’s older brother, son of King Pandu. In this story the Pandava brothers are the forces of Truth and good. The Kauravas, represent the lower forces of selfishness and evil.
- Ghandhari, is the wife of blind king Dhritarashtra, mother of wicked Duryodhana dirty fighter. Jealous at the birth of Yudhishthira, rightful heir, she birthed an army by dividing a chunk of flesh that came out from her body into 100 jars of ghee, to birth 100 heartless warriors to fight in the battle.
- Drona, Enemy General, gifted teacher of both sides of the family, He taught archery, and battle strategy, but now leads the Kuru army against Arjuna and Pandava brothers.
Mahabharata – The Great Hindu Classic
The Mahabharata is an epic story of struggle for the important kingdom of Hastinapura in NW India. We study it because its symbolism teaches about of life and overcoming death.
A brief background tells of a blind prince destined to hold the throne as king, but since he, Dhritarashtra was born blind his virtuous brother Pandu became king. And Pandu was a good king. He raised five virtuous sons, educated and trained in the ways of respect for the gods. The Pandavas and the Kauravas are actually cousins because all are descended from the same grandfather king of the Kuru clan. But sadly, King Pandu dies because of a cruel curse, and his blind brother assumes the throne. Pandu’s oldest son is Yudhistara, the rightful heir, soon to be king. But the blind king’s son Dirty Fighter and his cronies have other plans. They play terrible tricks of cruelty and treachery. Once they built a castle of ghee and inflammables designed to explode with the slightest spark. The Pandavas were warned by a wise uncle. When it was set fire and exploded to bits, they miraculously escaped through a tunnel, and went into hiding for many years, assumed to be dead. They return to everyone’s surprise, and the kingdom is finally parceled out, but they receive only a sliver of uninhabited jungle of dangerous snakes.
In spite of this, the Pandus build a glorious city, Arjuna falls in love with Krishna’s beautiful sister, they elope and then marry. His oldest brother Yudishtara is declared the rightful heir to the kingdom, and the Pandu royal family builds a beautiful palace on their land. They invite cousin Duryodhana Dirty fighter to visit, but he makes a terrible fool of himself by walking onto water thinking it is a hard floor. He falls into the water, everyone laughs at him, and he vows angry vengeance in a game of loaded dice, unbeknown to the virtuous brothers. In the famous dice game, Duryodhana Dirty Fighter cheats the Pandavas of their entire kingdom and are forced wander in exile and poverty for 13 years. During that time, the Pandava family prays to the Gods for a happy future for their line. They offer sacrifices to the gods for the safe ascension of their ancestors on the path to spiritual enlightenment in the etheric worlds. The Pandavas support old friendships and make many good friends. The live frugally and honestly in poverty for the 13 years of exile. Finally, when it is time for them to return to claim the kingdom, Dirty Fighter again refuses to share the land. Peace efforts fail. War is the only solution.
The struggle culminates in the great battle of Kurukshetra, in which thousands of warriors, loyal subjects, soldiers, armies, heavy weapons, neighboring kings with their armies, horses, elephants and heavy armor all prepare to fight to the death. Fortunately, the God Krishna comes as Arjuna’s best friend and chariot driver.
What Happens?
The battle begins. It explodes in terrible carnage with many dead. Complex conflicts of kinship, friendship, loyalty, betrayal and dirty tricks ensue. The Gita is the story of that bloody battle. The conversations between the God Krishna and Arjuna about Truth, life, death, and the purpose of physical existence form its lessons. At the end of the 18-day battle only the Pandava brothers, Krishna, and a handful of others survive. Yudhisthira the rightful heir becomes King, and the evil queen Gandhari curses Krishna with the imminent downfall of his clan. That’s the Bhagavad Gita. The larger story of the Mahabharata continues. Arjuna’s grandson later takes the throne. Eventually ALL the Pandavas ascend to the heavenly SVARGA LOKA the realm of the Gods on Mount Meru, united “serene and free from anger”. Svarga Loka is a paradise where the righteous live before their next incarnation. It could be seen as a state of consciousness in physical life.
The Gita is a tale of battle symbolizing the struggle of the mind. The is our internal battle a constant choice between Good and Evil, Duty and shame, Consciousness and Unconsciousness, Light and Dark. Desire vs. Wise action, Freedom vs. confusion. Krishna shows the path to higher states of consciousness. Sacrifice is higher than selfish action, ascension more important than material pursuits.
Cultural Backdrop of the Bhagavad Gita
The cultural backdrop of the Gita is important in order to appreciate its lessons. The Hindu social structure is built on certain beliefs and duty to one’s clan. This includes loyalty to one’s Caste system, called Varna. The caste system is said to have its ancient roots in the time of the gods, when astrological readings were made at birth in order to view a person’s highest blueprint and most direct path to freedom. The person’s life’s work be determined not by birth family or wealth, but on inclination and karma. There were four main paths, Brahman or intellectual, Leaders and warriors, business people, and workers.
One of the cultural backdrops of this story is human’s desire for happiness, higher states of joy, awareness, and freedom. This is sometimes seen as climbing a ladder, or a cosmic stairway to a pure state of being. Every world religion describes this in some way. Some traditions see realms of Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and Limbo. Buddhism describes six unique worlds. Here in the Mahabharata we find 14 realms! Yes, Hindu Mythology has 7 Higher God realms, and 7 Hellish realms. Are they physical places? Other galaxies? Unseen spirit dimensions? Or states of consciousness? This depends on your interpretation.
THE ASCENSION PATH IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY
The Gita holds that to increase the virtue of your life and your family, you do sacrifices and selfless deeds that benefit others, and this leads to a happier future, now or in your next life. So, an underlying assumption is to build integrity, you must purify your thoughts steadily in a chain of lives finally leading to freedom. Freedom is called Moksha, which means your earthly lessons are finished, and you finally merge in union with God, ending the cycle of death and rebirth. While on earth you must try to move upward, not fall downward, to balance your physical duties in society and clan with your ultimate goal of Moksha or spiritual freedom. Sometimes the earthly duties and cosmic duties seem to be in stark opposition to each other. To find the highest path requires study and discernment.
THE SEVEN CONSCIOUS REALMS, or HEAVENLY REALMS (LOKAS)
There are 3 God realms, 2 Heavenly realms, and 2 mental realms. The universe is designed so that each experience can assist your ascension to know God. This is the Hindu belief framework and cuttural backdrop of the Gita.
- Divine Realm, Home of the Creator, Incomprehensible, Highest frequency vibration (Satya)
- Infinite Consciousness, Bridge to the creator (Tapa)
- Infinite Joy and Knowledge. Can encompass physical and non-physical beings. Can connect through thought (Jana)
- Finite Existence, Galactic Saints, instincts of the Heavens (Mahar)
- Heaven, Unified consciousness, Higher Beings, Where righteous souls live in paradise before their next incarnation. (Svar Loka)
- Spirit world, a world of thoughts and concepts, a realm of air connected to physical, Can observe but not act. (Bhuvar)
- Physical Life in 3D. Free will with a possibility of reset and ascension to higher levels. You live in a body, Learning to balance the senses in order to see clearly. Every experience is designed to help show you the way to Heaven. (Bhu)
Above these heavenly realms exist the very highest realms: Goloka, Mandiweepa, and Multiple Universes. Periodically, in Hindu Mythology, a great disaster or dissolution happens, called a PRALAYA. That’s when Heaven, Earth, and all the lower Hell realms collapse. Hindu astrology holds that even more rarely, the ENTIRE universe collapses even the highest realms of God consciousness.
The 7 LOWER HELL REALMS (LOKAS) are very interesting.
This is not just a devil heating you in a pot of oil, oh no, it’s much more hypnotic and illusory. After all, hell happens in the mind. Do you know anyone living in these worlds?
- Infinite Imagination, Emphasis on intense Sensory experiences, Passion, Physical Pleasure, Lust, Food, Intense music, Addiction, and Money (Atala)
- Privilege, Immense Wealth, Never Satisfied, Empty (Vitala)
- Evil used for material gain. Right turned to wrong, Rich is God, No Truth, No Spirit (Sutala)
- Trapped unaware in another’s hallucination, Asleep, May be controlled or insulated in this illusion by evil forces. (Talatala)
- Outwardly peaceful but frightened world of hooded snakes who fear power. You can be abducted by monsters and taken from your home at any time. Many spies and imposters hence no trust. (Mahatala)
- True Hell, Home of devils, Constant war, Infinite rebirth into scarcity and fear, Hatred of everyone including God. God is the enemy here. (Rasatala)
- Darkest of worlds, Deadliest snakes, The very richest realm, Greatest Illusion, Money, Mystery. Reminds me a little of the movie industry. (Patala)
I am highlighting the 14 worlds, because it will soon become particularly relevant to our modern world as the story develops.
Thank you for joining me. Here ends the Introduction to Truth Amid Chaos. In the next video we’ll hear Chapter 1, Arjuna’s impossible dilemma. In the meantime, please be well. Bye bye! Sri Jana
