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By Cintamani dhama dasi<\/strong><\/p>\n Hare Krishna dear devotees. Even though I am most insignificant, I have a message which I am burning to share with you. Following the principle that a wise person can take gold even from a dirty place, I pray you will give some consideration to it and not be prejudiced by my lack of qualification.<\/p>\n First, allow me to tell you a little about myself. I joined in London in 1981. By 1995, I was married with three small children, and my husband, Krishna Dharma prabhu, had opened and was running a Hare Krishna Centre in Manchester, UK.<\/p>\n By late 1995, I was experiencing many problems in my life, and the cumulative effect was that my faith in Krishna was shaken. One day I sat in our kitchen considering the idea of leaving Krishna Consciousness, when an internal voice warned me that if I left, I would suffer greatly. The little voice urged me to study Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books. Thankfully, I paid heed to this advice. When my children were asleep, I began systematically studying Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. Over the course of the next five or six years, this personal study developed into daily discussions with my husband. At first our discussions were argumentative and unpleasant, but by listening to Srila Prabhupada\u2019s lectures, we heard instructions which helped us to improve how we interacted with each other in our discussions. We have compiled many of those instructions and shared them on the \u2018Principles\u2019 section of our website: www.improvingsanga.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n After many years of discussing Bhagavad-Gita using the principles we share on the above website, I made an incredible discovery, which I would like to share with you today. The discovery is regarding Srila Prabhupada\u2019s two opening sentences of his Bhagavad-Gita purports, which I cite below. Please take a moment to follow what I share, as I am sure you will benefit greatly.<\/p>\n B.G. 1.1 purport: \u201c1<\/sup>Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a><\/em> is the widely read theistic science summarized in the G\u012bt\u0101-m\u0101h\u0101tmya<\/em> (Glorification of the G\u012bt\u0101<\/em>). 2<\/sup>There it says that one should read Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a><\/em> very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and try to understand it without personally motivated interpretations.\u201d<\/p>\n Let us now do as Srila Prabhupada instructs in the second sentence and scrutinise the above statements.<\/p>\n First sentence:<\/strong> Srila Prabhupada tells us that Bhagavad-gita is a theistic science. In other words, it gives us systematic knowledge about God and his relationship with us and the world. It\u2019s a science because this knowledge can be practically verified. Srila Prabhupada also tells us that the essence (or summary) of this science (Bhagavad-gita) is repeated in the Gita Mahatmya.<\/p>\n For many years I failed to understand the significance of this sentence, until one day I asked the right questions which helped me to access its hidden treasure. The questions I asked were:<\/p>\n 1. What is the summary of the Bhagavad-Gita?<\/p>\n 2. What is the Gita Mahatmya?<\/p>\n 3. Where in the Gita Mahatmya can we find the summary of the Bhagavad-Gita?<\/p>\n Before you read my answers to the above questions, please take a moment to answer them yourself?<\/p>\n What is the summary of the Bhagavad-gita?<\/strong> In his purport to Bg 18.66 Srila Prabhupada writes: <\/p>\n \u201cNow, in summarizing<\/strong> Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a><\/em>, the Lord says that Arjuna should give up all the processes that have been explained to him; he should simply surrender to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. That surrender will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally promises to protect him.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n In other words, Srila Prabhupada is telling us that 18.66 is the summary of the Gita. Now we can understand that the most important truth of Bhagavad-gita is that Krishna Himself will protect us from all our sinful reactions if we surrender to Him.<\/p>\n What is Gita Mahatmya?<\/strong> For many years I thought Srila Prabhupada was referring to the Gita Mahatmya which is a chapter in the Padma Purana, a conversation between Lord Shiva and Parvati. I read that chapter many times but could find nothing resembling Bg 18.66. Thus, the significance of this sentence remained hidden from me. Then one day, a friend pointed out that Srila Prabhupada cites another Gita Mahatmya at the end of his introduction to the Gita. His introduction was truncated in the original McMillan edition of Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, but it has been inserted in full in the Revised edition. The audio of Srila Prabhupada speaking this introduction is still available to us and you can find it here if you wish to verify that the Revised edition\u2019s introduction is actually what Srila Prabhupada said: https:\/\/prabhupadavani.org\/transcriptions\/bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101-introduction\/<\/a> . <\/p>\n Below is the entire relevant section from Srila Prabhupada\u2019s introduction in which he cites the Gita Mahatmya:<\/p>\n In conclusion, Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a> is a transcendental literature which one should read very carefully. G\u012bt\u0101-\u015b\u0101stram ida\u1e41 pu\u1e47ya\u1e41 ya\u1e25 pa\u1e6dhet prayata\u1e25 pum\u0101n: if one properly follows the instructions of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a>, one can be freed from all the miseries and anxieties of life. Bhaya-\u015bok\u0101di-varjita\u1e25. One will be freed from all fears in this life, and one\u2019s next life will be spiritual (G\u012bt\u0101-m\u0101h\u0101tmya 1).<\/em><\/p>\n There is also a further advantage:<\/em><\/p>\n g\u012bt\u0101dhy\u0101yana-\u015b\u012blasya \u201cIf one reads Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a> very sincerely and with all seriousness, then by the grace of the Lord the reactions of his past misdeeds will not act upon him.\u201d (G\u012bt\u0101-m\u0101h\u0101tmya 2) The Lord says very loudly in the last portion of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (18.66)<\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n sarva-dharm\u0101n parityajya \u201cAbandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.\u201d Thus the Lord takes all responsibility for one who surrenders unto Him, and He indemnifies such a person against all reactions of sins. <\/em><\/p>\n mala-nirmocana\u1e41 pu\u1e41s\u0101\u1e41 \u201cOne may cleanse himself daily by taking a bath in water, but if one takes a bath even once in the sacred Ganges water ofBhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a>, for him the dirt of material life is altogether vanquished.\u201d(G\u012bt\u0101-m\u0101h\u0101tmya 3)<\/em><\/p>\n g\u012bt\u0101 su-g\u012bt\u0101 kartavy\u0101 Because Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a> is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a>. In the present age, people are so absorbed in mundane activities that it is not possible for them to read all the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a>, will suffice, because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and especially because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (G\u012bt\u0101-m\u0101h\u0101tmya 4)<\/em><\/p>\n As it is said:<\/em><\/p>\n bh\u0101rat\u0101m\u1e5bta-sarvasva\u1e41 \u201cOne who drinks the water of the Ganges attains salvation, so what to speak of one who drinks the nectar of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a>? Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a> is the essential nectar of the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata, and it is spoken by Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Himself, the original Vi\u1e63\u1e47u.\u201d (G\u012bt\u0101-m\u0101h\u0101tmya 5) Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a> comes from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Ganges is said to emanate from the lotus feet of the Lord. Of course, there is no difference between the mouth and the feet of the Supreme Lord, but from an impartial study we can appreciate that Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a> is even more important than the water of the Ganges.<\/em><\/p>\n sarvopani\u1e63ado g\u0101vo \u201cThis G\u012btopani\u1e63ad, Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a>, the essence of all the Upani\u1e63ads, is just like a cow, and Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, who is famous as a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. Arjuna is just like a calf, and learned scholars and pure devotees are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a>.\u201d (G\u012bt\u0101-m\u0101h\u0101tmya 6)<\/em><\/p>\n eka\u1e41 \u015b\u0101stra\u1e41 devak\u012b-putra-g\u012btam (G\u012bt\u0101-m\u0101h\u0101tmya 7)<\/em><\/p>\n In this present day, people are very much eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion and one occupation.Therefore, eka\u1e41 \u015b\u0101stra\u1e41 devak\u012b-putra-g\u012btam: let there be one scripture only, one common scripture for the whole world \u2013 Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/a>. Eko devo devak\u012b-putra eva: let there be one God for the whole world \u2013 \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. Eko mantras tasya n\u0101m\u0101ni: and one hymn, one mantra, one prayer \u2013 the chanting of His name: Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Hare K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, Hare Hare\/ Hare R\u0101ma, Hare R\u0101ma, R\u0101ma R\u0101ma, Hare Hare. Karm\u0101py eka\u1e41 tasya devasya sev\u0101: and let there be one work only \u2013 the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.<\/em><\/p>\n Where in Gita Mahatmya is the summary of the Bhagavad-Gita?<\/strong><\/p>\n You can see that right after he cites Gita Mahatmya 2, he refers to Bg 18.66. You can also note that the format of the two verses are very similiar. They both promise that Krishna will protect us from all our past sins if we do something.<\/p>\n
\npr\u0101\u1e47\u0101y\u0101ma-parasya ca
\nnaiva santi hi p\u0101p\u0101ni
\np\u016brva-janma-k\u1e5bt\u0101ni ca<\/em><\/p>\n
\nm\u0101m eka\u1e41 \u015bara\u1e47a\u1e41 vraja
\naha\u1e41 tv\u0101\u1e41 sarva-p\u0101pebhyo
\nmok\u1e63ayi\u1e63y\u0101mi m\u0101 \u015buca\u1e25<\/em><\/p>\n
\njala-sn\u0101na\u1e41 dine dine
\nsak\u1e5bd g\u012bt\u0101m\u1e5bta-sn\u0101na\u1e41
\nsa\u1e41s\u0101ra-mala-n\u0101\u015banam<\/em><\/p>\n
\nkim anyai\u1e25 \u015b\u0101stra-vistarai\u1e25
\ny\u0101 svaya\u1e41 padman\u0101bhasya
\nmukha-padm\u0101d vini\u1e25s\u1e5bt\u0101<\/em><\/p>\n
\nvi\u1e63\u1e47u-vaktr\u0101d vini\u1e25s\u1e5btam
\ng\u012bt\u0101-ga\u1e45godaka\u1e41 p\u012btv\u0101
\npunar janma na vidyate<\/em><\/p>\n
\ndogdh\u0101 gop\u0101la-nandana\u1e25
\np\u0101rtho vatsa\u1e25 su-dh\u012br bhokt\u0101
\ndugdha\u1e41 g\u012bt\u0101m\u1e5bta\u1e41 mahat<\/em><\/p>\n
\neko devo devak\u012b-putra eva
\neko mantras tasya n\u0101m\u0101ni y\u0101ni
\nkarm\u0101py eka\u1e41 tasya devasya sev\u0101<\/em><\/p>\n
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By Cintamani dhama dasi<\/strong><\/p>\n