Painting of Krishna, Arjuna. (Bhagavad Gita) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Gita - Chapter 1, Part 4 - by Swami Nikhilanand, disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and sanyasi teacher at JKP Radha Madhav Dham
So far I have explained in gist what the Gita is, what its origins are, and how we can have confidence that the Gita available today is an authentic account of the conversation that took place between Krishn and Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukchetra more than 5,000 years ago. Now I'll discuss the qualification for receiving the knowledge of the Gita.
The Right Way to Acquire Knowledge
Every knowledge has restrictions with regard to who can learn it. This is as true in material matters as it is in spiritual matters. Before beginning a Masters degree, one must have completed his undergraduate degree in that subject. Otherwise, he will not grasp the knowledge being given by his professor at the post-graduate level, and instead of progressing in his understanding, he will only become more confused. The spiritual knowledge given by the various Hindu scriptures is also of different levels, from beginner to advanced. This is why every Hindu scripture has a specific qualification that must be met before someone can study it or learn it correctly. If an unqualified person attempts to study any scripture, then, instead of gaining clarity about the philosophy of Sanatan Dharm, he will only become more confused.
Further, some types of knowledge can even be harmful to an unqualified person. For example, if someone learns that aspirin cures headaches, but doesn't know what the proper dosage is, he may swallow the whole bottle, assuming that if one is good, then more must be better. In other words, knowledge partially or incorrectly understood can be more harmful than no knowledge at all. In spiritual matters as well, if the teaching of a particular scripture isn't precisely and fully understood, it may be misinterpreted, and instead of helping a person on his spiritual path, his wrong understanding becomes an obstacle. This is why we must pay heed to the statements of each scripture telling what the qualifications are to study it.
The Qualification to Study the Gita
The qualification to learn the Gita is as follows: in chapter 18, verse 67, the Gita says that one who does not have faith in Shree Krishn should not hear the Gita. When translating this shlok, Jagadguru Shankaracharya said this means if a person does not have faith that Krishn is bhagwan, he is not qualified to listen to or read the Gita.
Did Arjun have faith that Shree Krishn is God? Certainly he did. Otherwise, when given the choice, why would he have chosen a weaponless Shree Krishn over His entire army? When both Arjun and Duryodhan went to Dwarika to ask Shree Krishn's help in the war, He gave them a choice: one could have Him on their side, but with the condition that He would not lift a weapon for the whole war; and one could have His entire army, consisting of (number of divisions, etc.). Arjun was given the first choice, and he chose Krishn over His army. Who in his right mind would make such a decision, unless he believed that Krishn was God?
Even God Cannot Convince an Unfaithful Person
On the other hand, look at Duryodhan's reaction: he was relieved that Arjun had chosen Krishn and thought that he was extremely foolish to have not chosen His army. In other words, he had no faith in Shree Krishn. Later, when Krishn went to Duryodhan as a messenger of peace in order to avert the war, Duryodhan would not heed His advice. He insulted Krishn and tried to have Him imprisoned. Krishn even revealed His Divine almighty form before Duryodhan in an effort to influence him, but even then he did not accept Krishn's Divinity. It is amazing to think that even if God Himself comes to a person, if that person is not humble and faithful, then even God cannot help him. Then is it any wonder that Krishn chose to reveal the Gita to Arjun, instead of Duryodhan? A person must be humble to be open to the spiritual teachings, and faithful to accept them.
Thus, we see that an unfaithful person, no matter how learned or intelligent he is, is unqualified to receive the teachings of the Gita. There is one more important qualification to learn the Gita, which I will cover in the next part of this series.
Summary:
Every knowledge has restrictions with regard to who can learn it. If an unqualified person attempts to study any scripture, then, instead of gaining clarity about the philosophy of Sanatan Dharm, he will only become more confused. Further, some types of knowledge can even be harmful to an unqualified person. So, what is the qualification to study the Gita, and what can we learn from the examples of Arjun and Duryodhan? Find out by reading the article.
Note: The entire Bhagavad Gita series by Swami Nikhilanand will continue, once or twice a week, for more than a year and will be an incredible study aid in learning the deepest aspects of Bhagavad Gita from one of the most profound and prolific speakers of Bhagavad Gita in the English speaking world today.Related articles
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