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Bal Geeta English Part 1

The document introduces the Yatharth Geeta, an interpretation of the Bhagavad Geeta aimed at children in grades 1 to 5, emphasizing its importance in understanding self-identity and moral values. It outlines the book's purpose to provide educational sermons and encourages the integration of its teachings into children's lives for personal and spiritual development. The publisher hopes to make this text widely accessible to foster a generation of well-rounded individuals who embody the principles of the Geeta.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
88 views48 pages

Bal Geeta English Part 1

The document introduces the Yatharth Geeta, an interpretation of the Bhagavad Geeta aimed at children in grades 1 to 5, emphasizing its importance in understanding self-identity and moral values. It outlines the book's purpose to provide educational sermons and encourages the integration of its teachings into children's lives for personal and spiritual development. The publisher hopes to make this text widely accessible to foster a generation of well-rounded individuals who embody the principles of the Geeta.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Part - 1

1st to 5th Std.

For all the students of the world

The author of the Yatharth Geeta-


Swami Adgadanandji Maharaj

|| YATHARTH GEETA ||
The sole religious text
for all humankind

Children and all the Students-the true recipients of the Geeta


MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
|| Om Shri Sadgurudevay Namah || Part – 1
1 to 5th Std.
st

For all the students of the world

This interpretation of the Bhagwad Geeta, as it is,


is easy to understand for children from the 1st to 5th Std.
This text should become a part of the child‛s life
as it will help them understand who they are, and
help them for the future, in an unimaginable way.

Aim of this text:


The presentation of a collection of
educational sermons as told by Revered

to inculcate values amongst children.

Ô
Publisher:

New Apolo State, Gala no. 5, Mogra Lane


(near railway sub-way)Andheri (E), Mumbai – 400 069. India
Publisher:

Shree Paramhans Swami Adgadanandji Ashram Trust


New Apolo State, Gala no. 5, Mogra Lane (near railway sub-way)
Andheri (E), Mumbai – 400 069. India
Telephone : (022) 28255300
E-mail – [email protected]
Website – www.yatharthgeeta.com

© Publisher Shree Paramhans swami Adgadanandji Maharaj

First Edition - December, 2012 - 10,000 copies


Reprint - January, 2020 - 10,000 Copies

Price : Rs. 40.00


.
Printer:
JAK Printers Pvt. Ltd.
Jak Compound,
Dadoji Konddeo Cross Lane,
Byculla (East).
Mumbai - 400 027, India.
Tel.: (0091-22) 6734 3131
Website: www.jakprinters.com

ISBN: 81-89308-68-8

public. We have no intention to hurt any individual, institutions or religious belief at all. We do not take any responsibility
for the above morally or legally.

All right reserved around the world. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Publisher’s note
The Yatharth Geeta was created in 1983, on Guru Poornima, as a result of divine
inspiration. It has been accepted and admired not just within India, but across the
world. Millions of people are benefiting from this storehouse of wisdom. As a natural
progression, urged on by teachers, critics, and devotees, and with the inspiration of
Swamiji, this book has been published for students to provide them with insights into
the Geeta. This book is addressed to students not only within India but also to the
future citizens of the world.
In reality, the words present in the Geeta have a tremendous yogic significance.
They have their own unique beauty and meaning. They cannot be changed. But yes,
they can be presented in a simple, easy to understand form, and that is what we have
attempted to do here.
We hope that parents, readers, and teachers will introduce their children and
students, to the divine knowledge provided by the Geeta. They will answer their
questions and curiosity satisfactorily, so that they may inculcate superior values and
their goodness will be enhanced so they can succeed in every aspect of life.
We hope that this book and the Yatharth Geeta will be available in every home, in
schools, libraries, and in every student’s bag. Children who are free of all conventional
norms, blind faith, and preconceived notions can ideally understand the message of
the Geeta.
Therefore, we advise you to set a few guidelines for the students:
 All the students will learn four verses of the Yatharth Geeta every morning, or
every evening, while understanding its meaning, with the proper rhythm and
meter.
 They will memorize a shlok (verse) or learn it by heart, every week.
 They will write down three verses, in a study notebook for the Geeta, every week.
 Every week, a one hour session for discussing the Geeta will be organized, during
which the verses of the Yatharth Geeta will be chanted out loud, as a group.
Their meaning and significance will be discussed. Teachers and critics may answer
any questions that the students may have.
 Please distribute this book freely on the occasion of birthdays, gatherings, and in
schools. Children will inculcate right moral values, and you will be blessed by
spreading this wonderful storehouse of wisdom to all.

We wish your students, and children, the best of luck.

Sincerely,
Publisher
Foreword
The ancient religious text of the world: The Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta

Dear children,

Would you like to know where the Geeta has originated from? The Geeta, which
has bound the world in peace, prosperity, communal harmony by erasing differences
between people, and is aimed at creating a brotherhood between many, has originated
in Bharat or India.

When the world was being created, millions of years ago, Lord Narayan
revealed the Sun, the knowledge of the Geeta, in the holy Himalayas. The first king,
Manu, heard it directly from the Sun. Manu narrated it to Ishwaku and Ishwaku in
turn conveyed it to the venerable sages. Unfortunately, this indestructible epic was
beginning to disappear on earth, during a time of great importance.

Something that is indestructible, can’t be destroyed, however its memory may begin
to fade from people’s minds. It was narrated during the Dwapar Era epoch in the
battlefield of Kurukshetra, as described in the Mahabharat by Lord Shri Krishna, to
his friend, and disciple, Arjun.

Children, just think about how blessed you are, that today the Geeta is accessible
to you, with its original intent. This rare, unique text originated in India and hence
it is this nation’s spiritual text. However, since its message is universal, it is an
international text, too.

The Bhagwad Geeta is the glimpse of the Divine Father of Creation, the Almighty,
and the ways and means of assimilating God within oneself. It is the ancient religious
text of the world. It is the word of God as told by him. The Geeta is the pursuit of
happiness, peace, prosperity, and success.

I hope you will read it, and make it a part of your life. You shall surely be blessed with
peace, joy, success – if you can make the principles of Geeta as the guiding principles
of your life.

Swami Shri Adgadanandji Maharaj


List of contents

Topic Page No.


1. Prayer 1
2. Hymn 2
3. Words of blessing. 3
4. Scholars’ opinions about the world famous Geeta 4
5. The Geeta and the Indian freedom struggle. 7
6. Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts on the Geeta 8
7. The origins of the Geeta, the river of knowledge. 9
- Tales from the Mahabharat.
8. The Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta 15
9. The translation of the Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta into 17
Hindi, the “Yatharth Geeta”.
10. The author of the Yatharth Geeta 19
11. The main principles of the Geeta. 20
12. Points to ponder 22
13. Duties of the students 24
14. The greatness of the guru and the tradition 26
Of the guru and his disciples.
15. The glorious historical epic, the Mahabharat 27
16. Educational and inspiring events from the
Mahabharat and the Geeta :-
 The key to success 31
 The importance of dedication and inspiration
in education. 32
 Complete the homework, learn it by heart. 33
 If imaginary ghosts and spirits don’t exist,
are they to be feared? 34
 One must worship only the Almighty. 35
 The consequences of lies and greed. 36
~~ Ô ~~
The glory of the Om
Ô veece kesâ meeyegve mes, pees ceve keâe cewue ÚgÌ[eÙesiee~
efvece&ue ceve kesâ cebefoj ceW, YeieJeeved keâe oMe&ve heeÙesiee~~
The one who uses Om to clean his mind… will see a
vision of God, in a mind that is clean and pure.
Chanting of Om helps to calm the mind, and creates
strength, courage, power.
One feels close to the Almighty God, while
chanting Om.
When you are sad, or face failure or are in a difficult
situation, concentrate on God and chant Om.
µµµ

The glory of the Geeta


ieerleeÙee: Mueeskeâhee"sve ieesefJevomce=eflekeâerle&veeled~
meeOegoMe&veecee$esCe leerLe&keâesefšheâueb ueYesled~~
If one, learns the verses of the Geeta by heart, concentrates
on Lord Shri Krishna, chants ‘Om’, and meets a saintly person,
one can gain enlightenment that is otherwise gained only by
going on a thousand pilgrimages.

Om, Shanti! Shanti! Shanti !!!


|| Om Shri Paramatmane Namah ||

Prayer
Oh, God, the one who grants us happiness,
Oh God, the one who grants us happiness,
give us knowledge,
Please keep us away from every evil deed,
Take us into your protection, so that
we may do good deeds,
So that we may be good students, uphold the law and
fulfil our promises bravely,
We must not criticize anyone, even though
we do it by mistake,
We must never envy anyone, even if
we do so unknowingly,
We will speak the truth, and give up lying.
May we live in harmony.
May our lives be filled with godliness, and
sing of your glory.
May our country, and serving our parents
be more important to us.
May we serve our country, and be useful to
our country.
Please be merciful, oh Almighty.
May our souls be free of greed, pride and jealousy.
May we always serve our teachers, lovingly.
May we always pray to you lovingly, oh God.
May the study of yoga and
the knowledge of the universe
be more important to us.
May we find our place in the universe and
be useful to all.

~~ Ô ~~
1
|| Om Shri Sadgurudevay Namah ||

Hymn
lJecesJe ceelee Ûe efhelee lJecesJe,
lJecesJe yevOeg§e meKee lJecesJe~
lJecesJe efJeÅee õefJeCeb lJecesJe,
lJecesJe meJeË cece osJeosJe~~
Meaning: You are the mother, you are the father,
you are the brother, you are the friend, you are knowledge,
you are power, you are strength. Oh God of Gods! Oh
Almighty, you are everything to me.

The Guru is Brahma (the creator of the Universe), the Guru is Vishnu
(he is present in every single particle of the Universe), the Guru is Maheshwar
(a great God, the Almighty) and the Guru is embodiment Of God himself. That means,
we can achieve all of them, with the help of the Guru. The Guru creates awareness.
I salute the Guru.
OÙeevecetueb iegjescet&efle&: hetpeecetueb iegjeshe&oced~
ceb$ecetueb iegjesJee&keäÙeb cees#ecetueb iegjeske=&âhee~~
Meaning: I meditate on the image of the Guru, I worship at the feet of the
respected Guru, and the words that the Guru speaks, are like a mantra to me.
And the blessings of the Guru help me to find salvation.

2
Words of blessing
Dear students,
This is the most historical and important moment of your life since you are
going to be introduced to the Geeta. The Geeta is an ocean of knowledge,
and the first epic that narrates the word of God. The knowledge present in
the Geeta, was spread to all at the beginning of creation. It is an ancient and
priceless source of wealth to humanity and today it shall be revealed to you.
From ancient times, it has satisfied all the questions that seekers of the
truth have asked, and it continues to do so even today. All the questions
that will crop up in your mind too, such as, how was the universe created?
Who was the creator, of the universe? Why was I born? What am I meant
to achieve in this life? The Geeta has all the answers to
curiosity and questions about human life, the Universe, and
spirituality. Exciting is it not, dear children? One book, for
all the questions – it is a rare phenomenon indeed.
For a long time, the basic message of the Geeta
was lost. After 5200 years, the words of Lord
Shree Krishna have been presented as they
are, in the Yatharth Geeta. By spreading
the message in the Yatharth Geeta, we can
put an end to all the wrong practices, traditions, and blind faith present in
the society. The Yatharth Geeta reinstates all the means and ways to
find God.
Dear students, if you follow the examples set by the Geeta and discipline
yourself according to its principles, you will achieve all the goals of your life.
You will have a useful education, a good livelihood, happiness and prosperity,
as well as piousness in life. It sounds like a dream – but this dream can
become your reality.
You will progress on a spiritual level and finally, achieve salvation. I welcome
all of you to the ashram, children. You are all future citizens of the world.
I encourage all of you, to use the Yatharth Geeta to make world peace
possible. You can make the ideal of “the whole world is my family” a reality.
May all of you, lead a blessed life.
Swami Shree Adgadanandji Maharaj.
Shree Guru Purnima, 18 July, 2008 A.D.
Shree Paramhans Ashram, Village and District – Shakteshgadh.
Chunar – Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh)

3
The world famous Geeta
Dear Students,

Before an introduction to the Geeta, let us see, what people have to say about
this divine knowledge that is respected all over the world.

Here you can read the thoughts of saints, seers, and historians on Indian religions,
viewpoints, culture, and of course, the Geeta. We are sure you will
feel a lot of pride and honour as you read the testimonies of
these great men and women about Geeta.

l The Bhagwad Geeta is the world’s most beautiful and


noble book of knowledge.
- W.Van Humboldt (German scholar)

l The Geeta, is the greatest thing amongst all the things of


the ancient world. The knowledge in the Geeta is excellent and
universal. Even though countless years have passed since it was
created, still, no one has written another book that is comparable
to it.

- Maniche Thoreau (American philosopher)

l The Geeta is an excellent, educational gift to the world. This


book has taken all the knowledge of the world, and presented the
essence of it.
- Alberuni (Arab Thinker)

l We will always be grateful to Indian culture and knowl-


edge. India taught us to count, and told us about zero. With-
out this, no scientific discovery would have been possible.
- Albert Einstein (American scientist)

4
l When it comes to religion, everyone is poor, whereas,
India is wealthy.
- Mark Twain (American Scholar)

l India is the motherland of our humanity, and Sanskrit


is the root of all European languages. It’s the root of our
philosophy, mathematics, science, freedom and democracy. In
this way, Mother India, is our mother in many ways.
- Will Durant (American historian)

l If I am asked where on earth does fully developed


knowledge of humanity exist? All the major questions of life
have been meditated upon deeply, and solutions to them have
been sought. I would say that India is such a place.
- Max Mueller (German philosopher)

l A person who has studied the Geeta even a bit, gets


free of worldly bonds and can be blissfully happy.
- Adishankaracharya (World Leader)

l I have studied all the religions in Europe and Asia.


But, Hinduism seems to be the noblest to me. I believe, that
the entire world will have to bow down to it.
- Romain Roland (French scholar)

l The Geeta is a bouquet which is filled with blossoms/


flowers of knowledge from the Vedas and the Upanishads.
- Swami Vivekananda (Spiritual guru from India)

5
 "The most beautiful, perhaps the only true philosophical song existing in any
known tongue."
- Wilhelm Von Humboldt
 "In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy
of the Bhagavad Gita, since whose composition years of the gods have elapsed
and in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seems puny and
trivial."
- Henry David Thoreau
 "I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavat-Gita. It was the first of books; it was
as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene,
consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had
pondered and thus disposed of the same questions that exercise us."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
 "India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe's
languages: she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs,
of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals
embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-
government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all. "
- Will Durant (American Historian)
 “We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no
worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made!"
- Albert Einstein (American Scientist)
 "If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some
of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered over the greatest problems of
life, and has found solutions of some of them which well deserve the attention
even of those who have studied Plato and Kant, I should point to India.’’
- Max Mueller (German Scholar)
 "If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have
found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence,
it is India."
- Romain Rolland (French Nobel Laureate)
 “So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or
nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his
rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked.”
- Mark Twain
Dear children, you have seen that the world famous Geeta is an endless ocean
of knowledge and it has transformed mankind from ancient time, to the present day.
It has influenced human beings and guided them. You are lucky too, since you will be
introduced to the glorious epic, the Geeta.
µµµ
6
The Geeta and the Indian freedom struggle
Dear children,
Did you know that the Geeta had inspired the Indian
freedom fighters too? Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat
Rai, Chandrashekhar Azaad, Subhashchandra Bose, Veer Savarkar
and many more, saw Geeta as their guiding light. Mangal Pandey,
Khudiram Bose, Sardar Bhagat Singh, Ramprasad Bismil,
Sukhdev, Rajguru, and a few others were freedom
fighters who were sentenced to death by
hanging. All of them held the Geeta in their
hands, and on their lips were these words:

ok l
ak

Ti
L

ma
ny a
dhar
Balganga

Su
bha se
shchandra Bo

ha a
a
d

nd
C

rashekhar Az

Jeemeebefme peerCee&efve ÙeLee efJeneÙe


veJeeefve ie=ùeefle vejesÓhejeefCe~
La l i
leLee MejerjeefCe efJeneÙe peerCee&- a Lajpat Ra

vÙevÙeeefve mebÙeeefle veJeeefve osner~~

vewveb efÚvoefvle MeŒeeefCe vewveb onefle heeJekeâ:~


ve Ûewveb keäuesoÙevlÙeehees ve Mees<eÙeefle cee®le:~~
DeÛÚsÅeesÓÙeceoe¢eesÓÙecekeäuesÅeesÓMees<Ùe SJe Ûe~
efvelÙe: meJe&iele: mLeeCegjÛeueesÓÙeb meveeleve:~~ (Geeta, 2/22-24)

Our body is a costume, we will change our costume and return once again. You
can’t kill our souls. The soul can’t be cut with a weapon, of any kind. Fire can’t burn
the soul, water can’t wet it, and the soul cannot be dried. The soul is all powerful, im-
movable, it remains still and it is eternal.

µµµ
7
Mahatma Gandhi’s
thought on the Geeta
Who has not heard of the legendary Mahatma Gandhi?
Did you know children that he too found inspiration
in the Geeta, and with the power of its spiritual
strength, he led India to freedom. No wonder he is
called the Father of the Nation.
Whenever he found that he was sad, or without hope
in life, he used to read the Geeta, and once again
feel energized and optimistic. Geeta, in that sense,
was a mother, father and teacher to him. It was his
sacred guru.
This is what he says about this beloved book that

everyone feel at peace.”



schools of the country. It should be taught, in
every educational institution. If a Hindu boy or girl

8
|| Om Shri
~~ ÔParamatmane Namah ||
ßeer hejceelceves vece:~~

The origins of the Geeta, the river of knowledge


Dear children,
Come, read this wonderful story that is not just
an important part of our history, but a source
of wisdom that can also help you immensely even
at present. About 5200 years ago, the great
sage, Ved Vyas, wrote this historical epic, the
Mahabharat, in Sanskrit.
The Mahabharat is known and loved across the
world and it has been translated into all the
widely used languages of the world so that more
and more people can read it and learn from it.
The Mahabharat has a collection of one lakh
shlokhs or verses, and in Chapter 6, which is

called the Bhishma Parv, Sage Ved Vyas has presented the Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta,
the words of Lord Krishna, as a separate collection of verses.
Gather around… let us learn about the Mahabharat and Lord Krishna, the main
protagonist of this tale. Pay attention, for this story has the power to awe you and
transform you.
Are you ready for this exciting journey?

The story of the Mahabharat


Long, long ago there lived a very brave and good king called Yayati. He had two
beautiful queens, Devyani, and Sharmishtha. Devyani gave birth to two sons, Yadu,
and Turvasu. Yadu’s name was later carried on, as the line of Yaduvanshi kings. It was
in this clan that our beloved Lord Krishna was born.

9
The second queen, Sharmishtha, gave birth to three sons. The youngest son Puru
was not only intelligent but also very brave. Yayati made Puru the heir to his throne
because he was the most deserving one. One of the kings of this Chandravanshi clan,
Dushyant, had a son, called Bharat. It is interesting to know that our country, was
named ”Bharat” after him.
King Hastin belonged to King Bharat’s clan. He built a city named Hastinapur, which
was a big and beautiful place near Delhi. King Kuru was also born into this clan, and
that is why this clan was called, the Kuruvansh.
About 5400 years ago, the huge kingdom of Hastinapur was ruled by King Shantanu of
the Kuruvansh. He had two queens. The son of the first queen Gangadevi, was Devavrat,
and he was known as Bhishma. The second queen, Matsyodari, was the daughter of the
fisherman Dasraaj. After she married Shantanu, she was known as Queen Satyavati.
This marriage took place only after Bhishma made a promise, that he would not marry
for the rest of his life. This was important because it meant that the son of Queen
Satyavati would be the heir to the throne. It is because of this promise, or vow, that
he was known as Bhishma. Staying true to his word, he remained unmarried, for the
rest of his life, and protected the Kaurav clan. Remember him, dear children, as he
played an important role in the Mahabharath and you will soon know why.
Queen Satyavati had two sons, Chitrangadh, and Vichitraveerya. Unfortunately,
Chitrangadh died, without having any children. Bhishma then decided to crown
Vichitraveerya as the king and married him to the two beautiful daughters of the
king of Kashi, Ambika, and Ambalika. With the blessings of Sage Ved Vyas, Ambika
gave birth to a son, named Dhritharashtra, and Ambalika gave birth to a son named
Pandu. Ambalika’s maid, also gave birth to a son, who was named Vidur. All these
names are important for you to know, dear children, because it’s from here that the
story of Mahabharat actually begins.
Dhritharashtra was married to the princess of Gandhar, Gandhari. Pandu was married
to the daughter of King Kuntibhoj, Princess Kunti and Princess Madri of Madra.
Dhritharashtra was born blind. So, Bhishma made Pandu the king, and made Vidur
the minister of the kingdom. Gandhari had hundred sons among them
the most well-known and prominent ones are Duryodhan,
Dushasan, Dusaha, and a daughter, Dushala. I am sure
you all have heard of Duryodhan, haven’t you? All these
brothers were known as the Kauravas.
Kunti, on the other hand, gave birth to three
sons, Yudhisthir, Bheem, Arjun, and Madri gave
birth to two sons, Nakul, and Sahdev. Since they
were all the sons of Pandu, they were known as
the Pandavas. The Pandavas were brave, talented,
and cultured warriors who were loved across
the country.
In those days, the children stayed at the ashram

10
for their lives. All the Kauravas and the Pandavas were
studying with Guru Krupacharya, at the same time. Later,
since Bhishma requested it, Guru Dronacharya taught all
the young princes archery, which is the skill of using the
bow and arrow. While all the princes’ learnt this wonderful
art – it was Arjun who became the most extraordinary
and expert archer, while Bheem and Duryodhana excelled
at using the mace in battle. (A mace is a blunt, club-like
weapon used in wars.)
After ruling the kingdom for some years, Pandu died.
The Pandavas were the actual heirs to the throne, but,
Duryodhan could not bear to see his cousins’ rule. Dhritharashtra, who was blinded
by love for his son, also wanted his own son to become the king and not the Pandavas
as it should have rightfully been so.
Dhritharashtra’s sons grew jealous of the Pandavas and they started troubling them
in many different ways. They tried to poison Bheem – the strongest of the Pandavas.
They even built a house of lac, which burns easily, and tried to set fire to the house,
while Kunti and the Pandavas were inside it. Somehow the brave Pandavas were saved
each time and this made the Kauravas even more angry and frustrated. The rivalry/
enmity kept on increasing. In the end, when their grandfather Bhishma talked to them
and explained that they were all cousins and should not fight, the Kaurav kingdom was
divided into two parts and a part was given to each of the two groups of warriors –
Pandavas and Kauravas.
The Kauravas kept ruling over Hastinapur, and the Pandavas were given a separate
kingdom, which became famous, as Indraprastha. In this way, there was peace, for
some time. However, Duryodhan had his eyes on the entire land. He kept thinking of
ways by which he could snatch their kingdom away from the Pandavas.
He finally hatched an evil plan. Duryodhan invited the Pandavas for a game of dice
(a gambling game). Shakuni, who was a very cunning uncle of Duryodhona, defeated
Yudhisthir in this game and as a result of this the Pandavas’ kingdom was taken away
from them. They were sent into exile for twelve years and were asked to go for an
additional thirteenth year of exile, in disguise.
However, even after their return, after satisfying all the conditions, the greedy
Duryodhan refused to give the kingdom back to
them. While the Pandavas were in exile, Duryodhan
had acquired a huge army and had become even
more arrogant. He was sure he could win any war
against the Pandavas and refused point blank to
give their kingdom back to them.
Finally, Lord Shree Krishna met King Dhritharashtra,
with a message of peace. However, Duryodhan who
was extremely egoistical, refused to give even the
smallest area of land to the Pandavas. In the end,

11
there was no other option but for a
war to be waged. This, dear children,
is called as the Mahabharath… the war
of righteousness – the war of the good
against the bad, the battle of right
against the evil. Keep reading – it just
gets more and more interesting.
During the war, Lord Krishna remained
at the side of the Pandavas and with
God by one’s side, can one ever lose?
No! All the Kauravas, along with the
evil Duryodhan were killed, and the
Pandavas won. The Pandavas asked Bhishma, who was lying on a bed of arrows for
his blessings. With his good wishes, they began to set up a new kingdom and lay
down the law.
Children, even though Dhritharashtra was blind, he heard the description of the
entire war, from Sanjay, the chariot driver. Sanjay was given divine vision by Sage
Ved Vyas and he narrated all that happened in the war. He told Dhritharashtra, that,
“My lord, the Pandavas will win this war. After all, Lord Shree Krishna is on their side.
My Lord, when God and the people who are devoted to Him, are present, then glory,
victory and divine things are bound to unfold at such a place.” Sanjay, of course, was
proved right.
Lord Shree Krishna drove the chariot during the Mahabharat war, for his dear friend,
companion and student, Arjun. By doing this, he gave Arjun, glory, victory, divine
grace, a kingdom and everything else that mattered.
This is the story of the Mahabharat, briefly. This is the true history that took place
on our very land - Bharat or India. Through the medium of the events that took place,
and using the characters as symbols, Lord Shree Krishna presented the knowledge
found in the Geeta and explained Geeta to Arjun.
The war in the Mahabharat is a worldly war or a war that has actually taken place.
The war in the Geeta is a spiritual war. The good and evil within one person fight
against each other for victory. This is what the Geeta talks about. For is it not true
children – in your own life too? Is there not a good you and a bad you and don’t they
fight? Let us use an example that you may understand. For some reason you forget to
do your homework and your teacher asks you for it. The bad in you may get tempted
to tell a lie and excuse yourself so your teacher does not scold you. However the good
in you wants to admit the truth, even at the cost of taking your teacher’s scolding.
Depending on what answer you give your teacher – either the Kauravas or Pandavas
within you will win.
God knew that, the person who wins this worldly war will not gain much in reality. He
will remain sad and helpless. For, no matter how much worldly goods you own, in the
end, people leave this world, empty-handed.
That is why, Lord Shree Krishna used the characters in the story that took place to

12
make his disciple understand the true war – which is actually within us and not in the
world outside. He used the people as symbols to describe the real war (the process of
self-realization). He states loudly and clearly that the true winner is the person who
wins this battle within himself, learns who he really is, and because of this, he has a
life that remains prosperous. He finds peace and calm that will stay with him forever.
This joy is in everyone’s reach. Yes children, even you can win this war within yourself.
In fact, the only Truth in life actually is God – and only He is eternal and everlasting.
Everything else comes and goes. Think about it – have you not got a toy, played with it
and then in some time has it not broken, or got lost or maybe you lost interest in it?
The bridge that connects you to God is devotion and surrender. When you believe in
the Almighty with all your heart and soul, you open the pathway for Him to act as you.
No matter, where a person is born, no matter what his status in society is, or which
community he belongs to, when he works with faith and surrenders to the Almighty,
he will learn who he truly is, by the grace of God. This is undoubtedly the most
important treasure a person can ever find in his life.
Dear students, I am sure all of you must be eager to know more about the main
character of the Mahabharat, Lord Shree Krishna. Almighty, God, revered, the true
guru, the lord of the yogis… Shree Krishna… yes, come, I will tell you more about this
blue bodied, flute playing wonder.
All the above titles addressing Lord Shree Krishna, are the same. They are adjectives,
or descriptions of the state of finding God through meditation. Lord Krishna was a
complete yogi. As a child, he was a student of Guru Maharshi Sandipaniji. He studied
with him, and through his dedication and service, he learnt everything. He spent the
rest of his life, in doing good things for everyone.
A great ascetic is one whose knowledge is complete. He is a noble person, and a
spiritual instructor. He can transfer his knowledge to an eager student. Lord Krishna
is all this and more.
Lord Krishna has done many wonderful things. From healing people to creating
miracles in the lives of good people, from showing confused people the right
direction to ensuring that evil ones get what they deserve, the kindness of
the Lord is infinite. However the most important thing that He ever did is the
narration of the knowledge of the Geeta. He offered the knowledge in the Geeta
to people all over the world. Thus, he has made it easy for each and everyone
to attain God.
Actually, Lord Krishna narrated the knowledge in the Geeta to Arjun. Arjun was filled
with sorrow since he would be fighting his own family and respected elders in the
Mahabharath. Lord Krishna inspired him to fight even though he would have to kill his
own brothers and family members who were on the wrong side, and in doing so, Arjun
won the spiritual war of good over bad. In the worldly war, there is victory, loss, and
victory again. That goes on, while the Geeta talks about a war, within oneself. If you
win this war, there is no defeat after that. Yes, indeed, nothing in the world outside
can affect you once you win the world within.

13
The Geeta is a book that guides one in the process of meditation. It is the dialogue,
or conversation between a teacher and a student. The noble teacher is none
other than Lord Shree Krishna, and the student is a devoted seeker, Arjun.
The desire within all of us to learn, is a manifestation of “Arjun”. In that
sense, are we all not “Arjuns” listening to our teacher on the correct way of life?
Children, pay attention, as what you will learn now is of utmost importance
and you must never forget it. The Geeta doesn’t contain a single verse, that
supports violence, in the world. The battlefield that the Geeta talks about is, not
on a piece of land. The narrator of the Geeta, Lord Krishna has said it himself:
‘‘Fob Mejerjb keâewvlesÙe #es$eefcelÙeefYeOeerÙeles~’’– “Oh son of Kunti! The body itself is a battlefield.”
(Please read, the Yatharth Geeta, 13/1). This war is the war that takes place within
a seeker’s mind, between his good tendencies and bad tendencies. Gaining control
over them is the true victory. Do you understand, little ones? There is no winning and
losing in the games we play in the world… the true winning has to take place within us.
When the right within us wins, and continues to win, we become strong.
Lord Shree Krishna gave examples of the characters from the Mahabharat. He used
them to explain the message of the Geeta. This describes the wars that take place
in the Dharmakshetra and Kurukshetra, the war between nature and soul, the war
between good and evil tendencies, and the war between the same and different types
of character traits. The characters and the events that took place are used to talk
about all these various kinds of war. The Geeta explains how to overcome the bad
tendencies of the soul, and shows us the ways of attaining God.
The seeker who wins the war, described in the Geeta, achieves eternal victory. The seeker
gets free of the cycle of reincarnation (birth-death- birth), finds salvation and becomes
united with God.
In order to understand this even better, I urge you to ask questions to your
teachers, and parents, and also, dear children, please read the Yatharth Geeta.
µµµ

14
The .
co tion
sm ita
ed

m
ic

gh
orm f

only throu
of God, is v

hie
ved
The Bhagwad Geeta
i si

e
ac
bl

to be
t he h an
e ar t , i t c

About 5200 years ago, Lord Shree Krishna taught the ancient
Th
h.
lis
e

oo
on

knowledge found in the Geeta, to his student, Arjun. By doing this,


ghty God, is f
ew
ho wants to f

he gave the message of the Geeta to every human being in this


world. The ancient, precious, life changing knowledge introduces
one to the never ending, immortal Almighty, and helps one to be
lmi
A
in d

lis
ne

o
with God.
b

sw g
itho pin
ut worship

One of the great sages at that time, Maharshi Vedvyas, collected


this divine knowledge, and presented it, in the form of the
Bhagwad Geeta.
O m.
Truth

ting

Dear students, this is the essence of all the four Vedas and the
is t

an
he

Al
ch

mi
ght
y , m e di t a te w
hil
e
Upanishads. If you follow the directions in the Geeta, you can
achieve everything in life. An excellent education, a good livelihood,
happiness and peace, prosperity, fame, success, and you can find
God and salvation. Sounds just like a dream does it not? But, it’s
actually true!

This is the message of the Geeta, this is what the Geeta really
y.
Ah

ht

a
is all about. Do try and follow it, and see.
ur

ig

M
az lm
da eA
– T r ut h i s t h

Students, all the current religions, sects, and communities


did not exist during the era of Lord Krishna. Thousands of
years later the great men who said that it is true that
ip Him.
S ur r e n d

there is only one God, were only spreading the message


rsh

of the eternal Geeta.


er

wo

O
to

ne an
d

Go
d , be Him
lieve in
All the great men of the world are one and
say the same thing. The sages of the
Vedic period, Lord Shree Ram and
Shree Krishna, Moses,
ah .
The

All
re

ne

no
i s

ot s
he r i de
truth, bes

T he . Wh y.
elf e r it
So its n pe
s
Go

e
ro
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if

db
sl

sis be omes p
ipotency.

is
He attained
ru .

i
Om

ce in th
the

lesses you, en

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th d
Sa
i

eb
truth, it

lessing of the
n

e n an
om
th

cr i
,

st ib
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sp
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ate ct
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nd

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kn ri g ecom ds
ow n
through e frien

15
Zarathustra, Lord Mahavir, Gautam Buddha, Jesus Christ, prophet Mohammad,
Adi Shankaracharya, Yogi Matsyendranath, Kabir, Goswami Tulsidas,
Guru Nanak, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa,
Swami Vivekanand, and Swami Shree Parmanandji, are all great men,
who have spoken about the fact that there is only one God, and in their own
time and their own worlds, they have all explained this message in their own
languages. They have addressed God as, Brahma, the Almighty, the soul,
Ahura Mazda, God, Allah, and by many different names.

This truth has been explained and echoes in the four Vedas, the Upanishads,
the Ramayan, the Awestha, Jain literature, Buddhist writings, the Bible,
the Koran, Shree Ramcharitmanas, the couplets of Kabir “Saakhi”,
the Guru Granthsahib, and other religious texts. These express the message
of the Geeta, and that is the reason that our country – Bharat is the religious
teacher of the world.

µµµ

— The words of the esteemed Guru —


Dear children, here are a few words from the Guru. If you can
keep them close to your heart – and keep remembering them, a big
difference can be made to your life.
It is the very essence of our culture to start and end every task
by thinking of God. That is why, dear children, when you wake up
and sleep, when you perform your ablutions, when you eat, drink,
sit, stand, when you go to school, when you study, when you play,
at every point in life, if you keep thinking of God, life would indeed
become very meaningful! Yes, do find time to sit every morning and
evening for fifteen minutes to chant “Om”. Every child, the youth,
elders, women, men, anyone, who has been born as a human being,
must chant Om.....
- Swami Shree Adgadanandji Maharaj

16
The interpretation of the Bhagwad Geeta into Hindi, the

“Yatharth Geeta”
One religious text for every human being

Dear students,

Over a period of time, the essence of


the Geeta had started disappearing. It
had grown dim and because of this, the
Geeta was being misused to put forward
all kinds of religious do’s and don’ts
along with social evils. Or you could say
that this holy text was being used for
selfish reasons. Society was divided on
the basis of caste, creed, differences
between religions, differences in social
status and so on.
It was at such a time, that the Yatharth
Geeta was published to act as a guiding light to all. Let’s get some information about
the Yatharth Geeta, in brief.
5200 years after the Geeta was revealed in Sanskrit, Swami Adgadanandji, has
presented the divine message of Lord Shree Krishna in easy to understand Hindi
through the Yatharth Geeta. The Yatharth Geeta was created by divine inspiration,
on Guru Purnima, 24 July, 1983. It is guiding and providing direction to the life of
many people.
Since this text presents Lord Shree Krishna’s message as it is, this is known as the
Yatharth Geeta (the Geeta as it is.) Swamiji has presented the true message of the
Geeta in the Yatharth Geeta, and he has put an end to evils which are spread in the
name of truth which only appear to be true – but in reality are false. He has thus
shown us all the path to salvation.
The immortal epic, the Yatharth Geeta, has been translated into all the major Indian
languages namely Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu, Sanskrit, Oriya, Bangla,Tamil,
Telugu, Malyalam, Kannada, Assamese, and Sindhi. It has been translated into and is
available in the following foreign languages, as well: English, German, French, Nepali,
Spanish, Norwegian, Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Dutch, Italian, and Russian.
The Yatharth Geeta is a unique creation of the twentieth century. Soon, the entire

17
Human race will find peace in the shadow of the towering Yatharth Geeta which is like
a huge banyan tree, providing shade to all.
In order to understand the actual message of the Geeta, to get accurate information,
please do read the Yatharth Geeta at least three or four times. As you dwell upon
the wisdom in the text you will be amazed as to how so many answers to life are
presented in such a simple and beautiful manner.

Om, Shanti! Shanti! Shanti !!!

18
The author of the Yatharth Geeta
Swami Adgadanandji Maharaj

The author of the Yatharth Geeta is


Swami Adgadanandji Maharaj.
The author of the Yatharth Geeta
is a great man, a man of God. He
doesn’t have any educational degrees,
yet, by the grace of his guru, he has
achieved enlightenment. He is now
deeply involved in improving the lives
of people.
He believed that writing was an
obstacle to worshipping the Almighty,
but, the Yatharth Geeta which speaks
of the message of the Bhagwad Geeta
was created by divine unfolding.
God told him, through his experiences,
that all his desires (vrutti) had been
calmed. However, a minor task still
remained. The task was to republish
the message and the knowledge found
in the Geeta. He first tried to nullify
this task assigned to him by meditating,
but in due course he had to obey God’s
will and that is why the Yatharth Geeta
was created.
While the Yatharth Geeta was being
written, any mistakes in the language
were corrected by God. Swamiji’s
task, which was done for his personal
satisfaction (Swanth sukhaya), has
brought satisfaction to all (Sarvanth
sukhaya). It is dedicated to improving
the lives of Indians, as well as people
all over the world.
May the light of the Yatharth Geeta
light up your lives too, blessed children.

19
The main principles of the Geeta
Dear students,

The immortal epic, the Geeta, has helped every generation of mankind since the
beginning of the world. It has been a guiding light, to everyone. Come, let us share
some of the light emerging from the Geeta.

The main principles of the Geeta are –

 There is only one Almighty (that means, truth) who is infinite (that means,
immortal, never ending, and indestructible) and the Almighty is, ever present.
(That means, the Almighty has always been present, and always will be.)
(Geeta, 2/24)

Children, the Almighty is called Soul, God, Brahma, Allah, too. These names
addressthe Almighty God alone, and the differences in the names assigned are
due to place, time and language.

 We are all part of one Almighty, children of one God. (Geeta, 15/7)
Therefore, all the children must end all differences based on, caste, creed,
high status, low status, big, small, rich, poor, religion and opinions. They must deal
with each other as equals.

 The Almighty or God lives in the hearts of all creatures. (Geeta, 18/61, 15/15)

Therefore, one must surrender to the God in our hearts, and worship
Him with all the devotion, and dedication. One must not divide one’s
faith amongst the other Gods and Goddesses. The one who worships
one God with complete devotion, gets everything, and he finds
God too. (Geeta, 18/62)

And another thing! Whatever you think, God knows about it already because
he is present in your hearts. That is why, you should try to always harbour
good thoughts.

 One can find God by undivided devotion (that means, by not worshipping any
gods and goddesses besides the Almighty.) One can see him, know him, and
find him, as well. (Geeta, 11/54)

20
 Those who worship many Gods and Goddesses are indiscreet. Their
worship is not proper, therefore, it’s useless. (Geeta, 7/20, 9/23, 7/23)

 So, children, the correct form of worship is, chant Om, think of the one Almighty
God (meditate), and surrender to a saint, or to a noble person who is serving
him. That is the single, accurate way of performing a ritual veneration
and meditation. (Geeta, 8/13)

 By praying to one God, all your wishes will be fulfilled. (Geeta, 9/20)

 Dear children! One is very lucky to be born as a human being. Even the Gods don’t
get this beautiful opportunity. The human body becomes fruitful - when one prays
to one God and achieves everything… even God. (Geeta, 9/33)

 The Geeta is the religious text for the entire world, and for you, too.
(Geeta, 15/20)

Maharshi Vedvyas presented the divine knowledge in the Geeta, 5200 years ago.
He decided that the Geeta is a religious text.

‘ieerlee megieerlee keâle&JÙee efkeâcevÙew: MeeŒeefJemlejw:~’


That means, when the Geeta is the song of God, why do we need to go into
other texts? Therefore, every person must follow the Geeta.

 One God, the Almighty, the learned Guru, the God of yogis (all these names are
names attributed to the Almighty), surrendering to him completely is Dharma
(sacred duty). (Geeta, 18/66)

 Behaving as per Dharma – In order to find God, behaving only as per the dictates
of the Geeta, is to behave as per Dharma. (The Geeta, 2/ 40)

 Attaining Dharma (sacred duty): One can attain Dharma ( sacred duty) only by
surrendering, serving and by the grace of the wise Guru, who is accomplished, and
a man of God.
(Geeta, 4/34, 14/27)

In order to obtain detailed information, please read the ‘Yatharth Geeta.’

µµµ

21
Points to ponder
Dear children,
The Geeta is a complete, devotional text. The
entire Geeta is a dialogue, between a teacher or
guru and his student, or disciple. In this text,
the guru, the supreme yogi, Lord Shree Krishna
answers all the questions that Arjun, the seeker,
asks him. All his questions are your questions, too.
They are questions that all seekers ask to gain
higher knowledge and wisdom. It is good to ask
questions as the answers inspire us to find the
ultimate truth. That is what the Geeta tells us.
Please do read the ‘Yatharth Geeta’ so that you
understand the message of the Geeta, in simple, realistic language.
 When the knowledge in the Geeta was spread throughout the world, there was no
religion. All the present day religions came into being thousands of years, after the Geeta
was created. Therefore, the Geeta is the fundamental book of knowledge that is free from
religion, caste and differences.
 Actually, the knowledge present in the Geeta has been described, and explained by
various prophets of the world, within their own time and countries. That means, whether
one says Almighty, or God, the Omnipresent one, or Allah in the same way, whether you
say water in Hindi, or English, or Sanskrit, or Persian, there is no difference. Those who
create differences either don’t know this, or don’t want to know this, for selfish reasons.
Please explain this to them, and give them this book and the Yatharth Geeta, so that
they can read it.
 The Geeta is timeless (it is useful in every period
of time), universal (it is applicable to the whole world),
and communal (useful to everyone). It helps us to find
God, therefore, it is a religious text.
 Dear children, in order to follow the Geeta, you
don’t have to give up any way of thinking, community,
or religion. You don’t have to join any of them (become
a believer) either. The Geeta is free of external
displays and deeds.
 The Geeta is not a special text of any particular
person, class, community, country or time period.
It belongs to every country, community, and all men,
women and children. It may have originated in India but

22
in reality it is a World text – applicable to everyone, everywhere. This Geeta, my beloved
children, is as much yours as it is ours.
 The Yatharth Geeta which aids in learning the message of the Geeta must be present
in every home and with every person. It should be in your school, college, library and school
bag too.
 By following the Yatharth Geeta, you can rid your country and the world of all problems.
You can make world peace come true, and the sentence “the whole world is my family” will
become a reality.

God bless you! May you succeed! Be successful!

µµµ

If you worship one God, all your wishes come true. You
may sometimes wonder, dear children, why God has so
many names. Let me put it simply for you. Suppose you
want to reach your home – you may take route X, or route
Y or route Z. Important thing is, no matter what route
you take, ultimately you will reach home, right? In the
exact same way, no matter how many different names
there are – ultimately they all refer to the same God.

In the Geeta, Lord Shreekrishna has said –

Ûelege|JeOee Yepevles ceeb pevee: megke=âefleveesÓpeg&ve~


Deeleex efpe%eemegjLee&Leea %eeveer Ûe Yejle<e&Ye~~ (ieerlee 7/16)
Oh, noble Arjun, four kinds of devotees worship me. Those who are sad
and in need. Those who want material goods and want material desires to
be fulfilled. Those who want to know me, who I truly am. They are sincerely
curious to know. And the wise ones, who find me through their endeavours.
They see me as I am, and can be one with me. Thus, four kinds of devotees
worship me. I give them everything. (The Geeta, 7/16)

23
Duties of the students
If you follow the following instructions, you can achieve all the goals in your life.
Do follow them, and see how much more beautiful and easy your life can be!

- DAILY TIME TABLE -

 Wake up every day at 4 a.m. in the morning. After rising, pray to any one God,
Almighty, or Guru (they are all one, they are alternatives to address God)
with devotion.Meditate for ten minutes.

 We can only meditate with the heart, since that is where God lives.

 After worshipping God, chant Om, out loud for fifteen minutes. When you
inhale, say Om, and say Om, while exhaling. In this way, use the natural rhythm
of inhaling and exhaling breaths, and chant Om continuously. While chanting do
pay attention to the rise and fall of “Om” along with the inhalation
and exhalation.

 Pay your respects to your parents, elders and teachers, every day. Serve the
elders and older members of the family. You will live longer, you will gain more
knowledge, you will be more successful and stronger, if you do so.

 Every day, in the morning or evening, learn four verses from the Geeta, learn their
meaning, and recite them, while singing.

 Go to school, regularly. Study with great concentration and complete your daily
homework on time.

 In order to have good health and a good body constitution do some physical
work, and participate in sports, or exercise.

 Go to sleep, by nine o’clock at night, so that you can wake up at four am


in the morning. Maintain the timings of going to bed and waking up. This will
help you to do all your chores, properly.

 Essential: Before you go to sleep at night, meditate, and chant Om for


ten minutes, in the manner described above as you go to sleep.

24
- EVERY WEEK -
Learn one verse from the Geeta by heart.

Prepare a Yatharth Geeta study notebook, and write three verses in it,
every week.

Show this weekly work, to your parents, and teachers in school, and recite the
verses for them.

 In school, at home, or in the neighbourhood, with your friends and


fellow students, organize a program of an hour’s duration every week, to
discuss the Yatharth Geeta and the knowledge in it. Read the Yatharth
Geeta, together, during this meeting, and discuss it within yourselves.
This will add to your knowledge. Invite your teachers and elders to
the program, and get their guidance and blessings.

µµµ

25
|| Om Shri Sadgurudevay Namah ||

The greatness of the Guru

Was there anyone who was greater than Lord Ram, and Lord Shree Krishna?
And yet they were incarnated as human beings, too. As children, they also went to
Guru Vishwamitra, Sage Vashishta, and Sage Sandipani and under their guidance,
they learnt the knowledge of this world, and the others worlds, as well. They became
great men, though they were born as men, they became supreme beings though
they were born as human beings. How did this happen? Only by surrendering their
lives in the hands of their gurus.
Therefore children, surrendering to a wise guru, serving him, and obeying
his strictures, is the birth of all knowledge. This will make you powerful,
knowledgeable, and great.

The one who is devoted to his Guru, blessed is his mother, blessed is his
father. His clan is blessed, those who are born in his clan are blessed and mother
earth is blessed.

The greatest tradition in the world is


India’s tradition of the Guru and his disciples.

Lord Shree Krishna


at the feet of
Guru Sandipani

Lord Shree Ram at Shree Adgadanandji


the feet of at the feet of Guru
Guru Vashishtha Shree Parmanandji

26
|| Om Shri Paramatmane Namah ||

The glorious historical epic,the Mahabharat

Dear students,

The historical epic, the Mahabharat, created by Sage Vedvyas is the


actual history of India. It contains the description of Indian culture and
traditions from the beginning of the universe, till the secondary epoch.
(5200 years ago from today, during the lifetime of Lord Shreekrishna.) It
touches on all aspects of human life. There is nothing, that is not present in the
Mahabharat – social life, politics, war strategy, interaction between people,
biography, religion and duty.

27
The Mahabharat describes the quest of Indian seers and sages, to find
truth, the one Almighty, their devotion, and how they found God. All the stories,
and events in the Mahabharat are true. They describe the glory of our ancestors.
We are all the descendents, or children of those ancestors.
Sage Vedvyas authored the Mahabharat, which is a collection of one
lakh verses. In the sixth chapter of the Mahabharat, called the Bhismaparv,
we come across 700 verses of the Bhagwad Geeta. This is our religious text.
It tells us what the truth is, and also how to attain it. A brief synopsis of the
great knowledge provided in the Geeta has been provided at the beginning of
this book. Complete information is provided in the Yatharth Geeta.

28
History is a collection of events of the happiness and sorrows of human
generations. While Dharma (sacred duty) is about an unending life, peace forever,
finding the Almighty, and it provides guidance to the generations that will come.
Where there is Dharma, there is victory.

The Geeta is a means to help every person find the Almighty God. Lord
Shree Krishna knew that a person who wins a worldly war won’t find spiritual
victory, even though he may be a king who has conquered the world. That is why
he used his dear friend, companion and disciple, Arjun as the medium, through
whom he spread the message of the Geeta so that every person can have
a spiritual victory.
The famous historical battle in the Mahabharat took place in the
battlefield of Kurukshetra. Almost six crore people died a brave death in this war.
The emperor who won, Yudhishthir, didn’t find peace. He gave up his kingdom and
all material pleasures and set off to the Himalayas. The message of the Geeta
that he received at the beginning of the war, was echoing in his mind, so he
set off on the path of renunciation.
One of Duryodhan’s brothers Yuyutsu had come over to the Pandava side
before the battle began. When he saw Yudhisthir leaving for the forest, he asked,
“Brother, where are you going? Who will sit on this throne, of the kingdom that
has spread all over the world?”
King Yudhisthir, replied, Yuyutsu, you may sit on this throne and see how
much happiness it brings. Finally, this is why, we killed our family members.”
Yuyutsu said, “Brother I don’t want this, at all.”
Then, King Yudhisthir said, “My son Parikshit must be playing somewhere,
tell him, he may sit on this throne. If he does not, stop worrying about it. Who
can shed tears over something that won’t last forever?” He set off on the path
of renunciation that has been recommended in the Geeta.
In this way, the Mahabharat is the history of India and also, a text about
Indian culture. One of its chapters contains the Bhagwad Geeta, which is our
religious text.

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Educational and inspiring events from
the Mahabharat and the Geeta
Some enlightening events from the Mahabharat and the Geeta are presented
here, so that all the students can learn from them. All these stories, narratives, and
points of view are present in Gurudev Shri Adgadanandji’s sermons, this is what he
speaks about. His interesting, message oriented words make all these events come to
life. They create images in one’s mind. We have tried to present the essence of his
words. We hope these educational events will help all of the students, in their study
and devotion. Learn the moral lesson present in them, and fill your life with peace,
happiness, health, and prosperity.

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The person who concentrates, who does not allow his thoughts to wander, and
keeps his eyes fixed on his goal, is the one who ultimately succeeds.
Once, Guru Drona, who was an expert at weapon studies, created a mechanical
bird (an artificial bird) and hung it up on a branch. He told all his students, to aim at
the eye of the bird. Guru Drona called the students, one by one. He asked them a few
questions, and asked them to go back.
He asked Yudhisthir, too, “What do you see?” He replied, “A huge tree, its
branches, a bird sitting in the tree, and the endless sky above it.” Guru Drona told
him to put his arrow down, too. He asked Duryodhan, too, “What can you see?” He
answered, very brightly, “I can see all my fellow students, I can see you, too and I
can see the bird, too. Please give me the command to shoot at the eye of the bird!”
He was told to put the arrow down, too.
In the end, it was Arjun’s turn. Guru Drona asked him, too, “What do you see?”
The answer was, “Guruji all I can see is the eye of the bird.” He was given the command,
“Shoot the arrow!” The arrow shot out, and as expected, went right through the eye.
Guru Drona was pleased, and he embraced Arjun. Only Arjun had understood
what the Guru wanted, and that was, undivided, focused attention. One day, this
student, Arjun would go on to become the mighty, unbeaten archer of the world.
Therefore, students must focus on their goal, clearly. They should always keep
trying to achieve it. People who do this, always succeed.

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The importance of dedication and inspiration in education.
Every student has a special ability. The teacher awakens the abilities that
belong specifically to the child. The teacher opens the doors of possibility with his
inspiration and encouragement. The student learns as much, as he is capable of learning
from the teacher.
Guru Dronacharya taught all the students, in the same manner. But Arjun was the
most skilled student. From this, dear student’s, we understand that the responsibility of
learning is as much the students as it is, the teacher’s.
Narration: Arjun was eating dinner, with his brother Bheema at night. Suddenly,
the lamp, which provided light, blew off. Arjun wondered, “How will I eat my food, now?”
But, since he was used to it, he lifted his arm, and managed to eat the morsel of food.
He said, “Brother, I can’t see. But still my hand goes directly to my mouth? Tell me why.”
Bheema said, “Arjun, it’s a matter of habit, you are used to it, now. That’s why, your
food doesn’t touch your chin or nose. It goes directly into your mouth.”
Those few words were all that Arjun needed to be inspired. He used to mark targets
on the leaves of trees, in the daylight, and then shoot at them, in the darkness of midnight.
One night, Guru Drona heard the twang of the bow. He saw, that Arjun was
shooting and hitting the target, even though it was pitch-dark. Guru Drona was
speechless. “Arjun, I didn’t teach you this skill!” he exclaimed. To this the humble
Arjun replied, “Gurudev, you are the one who taught me everything and I was inspired
by what my brother Bheema said so I thought I should excel at shooting out of
habit, whether it is day or night!”
The lesson from this paragraph is that the person who will do well in future
will display his promise from an early age. Arjun was like that. He became a famous archer
of the world, and he won the Mahabharat war.
Therefore, every student should be dedicated to their studies and to achieving
their goals. The student who is receptive, to inspiration and vision succeeds. These are
aspects that help to achieve one’s goal and educate oneself. All the thinkers of the world,
believed in this, too.
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Complete the homework, learn it by heart.
Since ancient times, students have been given homework. Once, the Guru
gave all the Kauravas and Pandavas some homework-
1. The person who is good to others, irrespective of whether the person
concerned is good to him or not, is truly noble.
2. The one who says, that which is scary to say honestly, is a great man.
He told them to learn the lesson by heart and come, the next day.
The next day, when the Guru asked, everyone said it by heart. But,
Yudhisthir said, “Gurudev, I didn’t learn the lesson by heart.”
This carried on for almost seven days. Guruji got really angry. He hit
Yudhisthir once, with the cane. Yudhisthir was silent for some time, and
then he said, “Gurudev, I know the lesson by heart, now.”
He continued, “The person who is good to others, irrespective of whether
the person concerned is good to him or not, is truly noble.” Everyone in
the Gurukul has been ordered not to hit the princes. If someone hit the
royal people, even by chance, the person would be killed. You hit me with
the cane, and yet I forgave you, reverent teacher.”
Then he added, “The one who says, that which is scary to say, honestly,
is a great man. I am scared, that if I tell the truth you will cut back on my education.
You won’t pay too much attention to me, yet, I told you the truth. You may get
very angry with me, but still I have had the courage to tell you the truth. Indeed
master – today I have learnt the lessons you have taught me very well!”
Guruji embraced Yudhisthir and said, “My child, you are a true student.
You will be a great man one day.”
It’s not enough to commit a lesson to memory. An education is something
that becomes part of your mind, and is reflected in your behavior.
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33
If imaginary ghosts and spirits do not exist, are they to be feared?
Spirit (Bhoot), is a pure and yogic word. It is a word found in the Vedas, the
Upanishads, and in the Geeta. The spirit is someone who is alive, and a corpse is someone
who is not alive.
Arjun, who was at the forefront of the battle, was held back by his affection for his
family. Lord Krishna told him the message of the Geeta. This is what he said:

 cecewJeebMees peerJeueeskesâ peerJeYetle: meveeleve:~ (The Geeta, 15/7)

“Arjun, the soul, which exists in our bodies is an infinite part of me.” This means, that
we are all a part of the Almighty God, we are his children, and we are as pure as
God Himself.

 F&Õej: meJe&Yetleeveeb ùösMesÓpeg&ve efle‰efle~ (The Geeta, 18/61)

“Arjun, God exists in everyone’s heart.” This means, God is all powerful, he is present
in every little thing, he is luminous, and he lives in the hearts of all living beings.

 “God is also called the Lord of the Spirits. God is the Lord and the Master and is
revered by everyone.”

Dear students! Did you see that? The word spirit is pure and holy. Since a
long time the word spirit has been joined to the word, corpse (Pret). That means,
someone who is dead. Spirit was somehow wrongly linked to it and this caused
fear in the minds of people. The basic meaning was lost. The names ghost, corpse,
ghoul, were the names that caused fear, and made people believe that they actually
do exist. Students, you remain true to the meaning and don’t fear something that
does not even exist. Encourage your friends and fellow students not to believe
in it either.
If ghosts and corpses don’t exist, why should we fear them? We expect you not
to believe in these imaginary ideas. Don’t scare your friends with words like ghosts
and ghouls, and don’t ever allow them to be scared of them. Because these fears,
will follow them for the rest of their lives. They will prevent them from making
progress. Be courageous – and make everyone around you courageous as well!
Dear children! If there is something like this, or if you fear anything, then
please do read the Yatharth Geeta three or four times. Have faith in one God,
meditate on him, and chant Om. Respect your teachers. You will be fearless and
invincible forever.
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One must worship only the Almighty.
Point of view: Once upon a time, in his childhood, Arjun was lying in Bhishma’s
lap. Bhishma said, “Today, we will worship our weapons.” Arjun asked, “Grandfather,
are weapons God, that we have to worhship them?” Bhishma replied, “No, my dear
boy! We will worship God, but, we will pray to him asking him to make us skilled in the
knowledge and use of weapons.”
This is the beautiful Indian culture (Sanskriti). Before the seeds are sown,
the farmer prays to the plough and to the earth. Before starting his work, the
blacksmith worships his tools. Businessmen worship their account books, and clerks
worship the inkpot and the pen. The student worships his books.
All of them mean to say that, they dedicate themselves to one God, and start
doing their work. While doing any job or task, remember God that is what our culture
(Sanskriti) teaches us. “Sa” means the Almighty, and “Kriti” means the task or
everything that you do.
Therefore, everyone must worship one God or Almighty, while beginning and
ending any task one does.
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35
The consequences of lies and greed.
Every child and student must develop good qualities within himself, from a very
young age itself. They must lay down the foundation for good behaviour. Bad qualities,
like greed, trickery, lying, envy, pride, etc, can make a person miserable for the rest
of his life. Sudama took on problems for the rest of his life because he lied about a
fistful of chickpeas even though Lord Shree Krishna was his childhood friend.
Narration: When Lord Shree Krishna went to Guru Sandipani’s ashram with
his elder brother Balaram, they were welcomed by a Brahmin boy, named Sudama.
Sudama was already a student at the ashram. Sudama said, “Brothers, I welcome you.
I live in this hut. Here are seats for you to sit on.”
He brought water and gave it to them, saying, “Our Guruji is very kind. There
are so many students who live in the ashram. I am happy to meet you. If you ever
need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I am your senior, after all.” (This
was how ragging took place in those days. It was the process of making friends, or
breaking the ice, to get to know someone better.)
Shree Krishna said, “Sudama! From today you will be my friend.” Sudama replied,
“No, my friend. Don’t shake hands with me, and cement the bond of friendship. You
are a prince, after all, and I am just a poor brahmin. Only people who are equals
can be friends!”
Shree Krishna said, “Sudama! I have asked you to be my friend, and I will make
sure, I am true to this friendship.” They shook hands, and embraced each other, and
they became the dearest of friends.
Once, the Gurumata sent Shree Krishna and Sudama to bring wood from the
forest. She gave Sudama two fistfuls of chickpeas for a snack and asked him to share

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it with Krishna. As soon as they entered the forest, it started raining heavily. There
was a stormy wind and it was very cold. Shree Krishna took shelter under one tree,
and Sudama took shelter under the other tree. Sudama was hungry, so he put two
chickpeas into his mouth. Since he was hungry, they tasted really good.
Sudama quickly ate up his share of chickpeas. His hunger was not at all satiated
so he thought to himself, “Let me eat some more. Shree Krishna didn’t count them,
did he?” He ate up all the chickpeas, one by one, and then when Shree Krishna asked
him, “Sudama! Gurumata gave us some chickpeas, isn’t it?” Sudama quickly replied,
“Brother, I held on to the tree, with both my hands, it seems, the chickpeas have
fallen somewhere.” Shree Krishna asked him, “ Why are your teeth chattering?”
Sudama replied, “Brother, I am a weak Brahmin, I am feeling cold.” Shree Krishna
said, “Alright, Sudama! From today, you owe me a handful of chickpeas.”
Sudama understood that the Lord knew that he had eaten them all up. When
Guruji heard about this, he felt disappointed. He told him, ”Sudama, you’ve created
problems for yourself. He is an embodiment of God! He has come to do something
good for us!” Within 64 days of entering the ashram, Shree Krishna excelled in all the
knowledge taught at the ashram.
After leaving the ashram, Shree Krishna became the king of Dwarka, while
Sudama became the king of paupers. Even though he asked for alms all through the
day, he would never get a full meal. His children used to sleep, without eating to their
heart’s content.
Sudama grew old, and he wore a torn stole, he held a walking stick and his
family wasn’t faring well at all. His wife kept insisting, “At least meet your childhood
friend, Lord Shree Krishna, once! Perhaps, we will no longer be
poor.” Sudama finally paid heed, left for Dwarka, carrying a
bundle containing three handfuls of puffed rice with him.
Sudama reached Dwarka, looking for Lord Shree Krishna. He
was hungry, thirsty and he had walked a great deal. He said to
the guard at the gate, “Brother, please tell Lord Shree Krishna
that his childhood friend Sudama has come.” The guard looked
him up and down and said, “Wonderful, what a good childhood
friend you are!” However, he went to Lord Shree Krishna and
informed him, “My Lord, a poor Brahmin who is wearing torn
clothes, and who is holding a walking stick, is standing at the
gate. He says, he wants to meet his childhood friend, Shree
Krishna. His name is Sudama.”
As soon as he heard the name Sudama, Lord Shree Krishna
started running. His crown slipped a bit, his stole fell down, his

37
flute fell, and so did his necklace and yet he didn’t pay heed. He ran to the gate and
embraced his long lost friend. Sudama could not believe what was happening as the
Lord held his friend Sudama’s hand and brought him to his throne. He seated Sudama
on it. He filled a basin with water, and washed Sudama’s feet with the water, and
tears of love.
A platter filled with 56 items of food, was brought in. They both started talking
about their childhood. While doing so, the two friends, began to feed each other. The
queens started fanning them. This reunion carried on for fifteen days, but it felt as
if a mere two days had passed by. Within fifteen days, Sudama changed totally. He
became healthy and he began to miss his home. But, since his childhood friend Shree
Krishna insisted, he stayed on for another fifteen days.
Finally, it was time to leave. Lord Krishna made Sudama sit on a huge chariot,
and took him around the kingdom like a reigning king. However, he was still dressed in
the same way, with a tattered stole and a walking stick in his hand. Rukmini and the
other queens were fanning them, Shree Krishna was stroking his feet. Lord Shree
Krishna took Sudama two miles out of Dwarka and bid farewell to him, as if he was a
king, to the sound of the conch. The royal family returned to Dwarka.
When Sudama was alone once again, he was very upset. He said, “There was a
mountain of saris laden with gold thread! He could have given four saris for my wife,
his sister in law! He didn’t even change my stole! Forget about giving me any money
or wealth!” Just then, he remembered his little bundle of food and looked in it. Then
he saw, that there was only one handful of snacks in it, instead of three. Sudama was
angry as he said, “There, look at that! He’s eaten two handfuls! When one is hungry,
even two handfuls can make a difference.” He started muttering in frustration, “My
wife forced me to do this!” She said, “Go! Meet your childhood friend! Our poverty
will go away! Otherwise why would I have gone? I’ve known since we were children
that he only loves to cause trouble!”
When he reached home, still in a bad mood, he saw that his house had vanished!
He said, “Oh God! Where is my hut?” When he looked around, he saw a huge palace,
exactly like the one that was in Dwarka. Sudama was shocked and worried. He
wondered whose palace it was? How was it built, so quickly? He wondered where his
wife and children were!
At that moment, Sudama’s wife looked out of the window of the palace. She was
dressed in clothes and wearing jewelry. Sudama kept staring at her. She was dressed
like Rukmini. Sudama’s wife was happy, and she came running up to him. She took Sudama
by hand and led him into the palace. Sudama was speechless…the palace was just like
the one in Dwarka, it was huge, it had a throne, just like the one at Dwarka. All kinds of
food were served to him. Sudamapuri was set up, and it was just like Dwarkapuri.

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THE WORDS OF THE LORD

The devotees who exist within me, worship me endlessly, as an image of God. They don‛t hold
anything back, and worship me wholeheartedly. I am responsible for protecting the devotion
of all those devotees and I carry out the duty, single-handedly. In spite of all this, people
worship other gods.

 The Geeta – is a religious text which is free of all communities, religions, and differences. It does not
trap you in the dilemma of heaven and hell, and gives one a glimpse of God. It teaches one how to attain
godliness.
 The Yatharth Geeta - In 1983, the Yatharth Geeta was created, by divine inspiration. After 5200 years,
the message that Lord Shree Krishna gave has been republished.

New Apolo State, Gala no. 5, Mogra Lane (near railway subway)
Andheri (E), Mumbai – 400 069. India. Phone – (091-22) 2825 5300
E-mail - [email protected] Website – www.yatharthgeeta.com

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