ANNIVERSARY OF THE STORY OF THE LORD

THIS year, Gita Jayanti fell on December 11. This event commemorates the anniversary of the revelation of the discourse called the Bhagavad Gita or Song of God in the Mahabharata. It was revealed by Krishna to Arjuna on the first day of the 18-day battle of Kurukshetra.

- RENUKA NARAYANAN

In the traditional calendar, this is the Ekadasi day of the Shukla Paksha or the moon's bright half, in the month of Mrgashirsha. The month falls in November-December. This year, it is from Friday, November 22 to Saturday, December 21.

The custom at temples across India and in many homes on Gita Jayanti is to conduct a recital of the Gita's 700 verses. If we would like to somehow share this, we could look up and recite even one verse, just to consciously mark the day.

Many also fast as Ekadashi has been iconic since olden times as a public detox day. We are meanwhile expected to develop our conscience, give generously of our affection and resources, behave politely, and work hard for the greater good.

That, anyway, is the mega life plan the Gita suggests—and after allowing everybody the longest rope, somewhere along the way, the book likes to catch us with its karmic quotient, that as we do, so we reap.

It's usual for people to speedily acquire 'favourite' verses, for the Gita has such a profound and poignant quality, it touches hearts and inspires people to live brave, decent lives despite the fraud squad that works overtime around us in this Kali Yuga.

The Gita wastes no time and is good to go from its first verse: "dharmakshetre kurukshetre samaveta yuyutsavah mamaka pandavaschaiva kim akurvata samjaya". This means, "On the battleground of Dharma, on the field of the Kurus, when my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled eagerly to fight, what did they do, Sanjaya?"