“Geetha Ban” Controversy – Who is Banning Whom?

“In the chariot set betwixt the two armies we find Arjuna and Krishna. Many interpretations of these two pivotal figures are possible, nearly all of them correct, but the words of the Mundaka Upanishad, written long before the Gita, are certainly worthy of our attention. Like two birds of golden plumage, inseparable companions, the individual self and the immortal Self are perched on the branches of the selfsame tree. The former tastes of the sweet and bitter fruits of the tree; the latter, tasting of neither, calmly observes.”

The context of Geetha offers the higher order symbolism that has been interpreted by may scholars in many ways.  The language of Geetha being the most unique it adds more meanings to it.

In this world a very significant number of people think they are religious, that they “seek the face of God,” but many are only seeking their egos in some form and need not be seriously considered, such as those who are only cultivating the approval of others (or themselves) or who want to make a positive impression to cover their intentional negativity.   In the name of Religion the egos are getting nurtured, replenished, cared and soothed in a manner that is intellectually and creatively showcased.  The individuals who profess the law of giving, seek money for their services. The individuals who are known for their healing powers, use them for commercial terms.  Where is the healer and where is the giver in these two contexts they are only Marketing Strategies.

The participants of the debate on the move to ban Geetha are also strategists in their own might. “Seek to know the God” is a very complex and simple process at the same time.  If one sheds the Ego it becomes easy and if one keeps the Ego it becomes complex.  Shedding ego is nothing but knowing God so it is easy. Keeping the Ego, nurturing it and ratinalizing it and yet want to know God is a very very complext process that eventually leads to Markting the Self.

Carl Young said: The link with Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus – “behold we are not an earthly but a heavenly plant.” This correlation can be discerned by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad Gita.   If we look outward what we see is the current debate and if we go deeper into the cause of this move to ban we understand that we are comfortable enough to travel outward more than looking deep into ourselves.  As long as we consider ourselves as earthly beings we tend to behave ina typical objective and empirical manner that the modern science can capture and approve.  Our orientation shifts the movement we know our purpose.

Many might question “Then let me know what is my purpose?”.  This very question speaks of, at the outset, the urge to seek an answer and also dependency on others to find the purpose of the self.

While interdependency is the hallmark of humanity and humanity cannot exist without this principle, why we do not have Nations working as mutually aided cooperatives in the world?  If we know the answer we also understand the human phenomenon called the interdependency.  This dependency in the parlance of learning shall be seen as a relationship between Teacher and Student – the Guru-Sishya Parampara that has been existing in India since time immemorial.  In explaining the Purpose of Life, Krishna established this relationship with Arjuna and leveraged it in a most unique manner to help him realize the harsh reality of fighting for establishing the righteousness.  It is impossible to visualize this kind of aspects the current debate on the move to ban Geetha.  Because the section of people moved the court in Russia are engulfed in anger coated ignorance or ignorance coated anger! Why should our spiritual gurus, sadhus etc. become quite vocal and express their vengeance. Why some of the learned scholars raising a war cry by stating “India must wage war, if need be, on Russia to get the lost honour of Geetha?” Is this not an act of ignorance which Geetha has completely condemned?

If those Russians who went to court have not understood the real meaning of the word “yuddha” (war) it is their fault and ignorance. But how many of us know the real meaning of this word too? Do we know that this Sanskrit word also means “struggle” which we normally use to denote the metal or inner struggle what we undergo every day & day out with our egos and temperaments?

Therefore we shall “THANK” those section of people that moved the court in Russia to ban Geetha for helping us realize its importance atleast now.

We must thank Russians for enabling us to open the eyes of our mind to see Geetha as the unique possibility in India.  Geetha is the ultimate science of the human race shall be taught in a very unique manner to all the persons who took birth in India.  It is high time that the Indian Government shall adopt Geetha as the guiding force for redesigning the education system in India.  While making these assertions the following questions surfaced in my mind.

Before participating in the debate on the move to ban Geetha in Russia, do we as Indians really believe that Geetha is the unique and universal science for the humanity?

• Can we urge our representatives in Lok Sabha to declare it as the National Book of Ultimate Knowledge?
• Can we urge our so called secular Govt to declare Geetha as the only text book that teaches secularism?
• Can we make our Universities include Geetha as a text book that shall be read completely by the time a person graduates from any University in India?
• Can we use our creativity to illustrate the simple principles annunciated in Geetha to our budding citizens of India right during their schooling time?
• How many of us have read Geetha completely?

I am sure many of the individuals in India who are now participating vociferously in the current debate on the move to ban Geetha in Russia may not have read Geetha fully. Quoting a shloka from Geetha is very easy and living as it suggests is very difficult.  Alas! Many of us choose to quote Geetha.  I have intentionally not quoted any shloka from Geetha as I personally feel that I am not competent at all to talk about it as I had not read it completely in the first place.

• Geetha being a song celestial does not need anything from this objective world.
• Geetha is eternal and it is for the entire humanity in this world, if a section of people in some part of the world does not want it, it is   purely their choice and we have no business to either convince them or debate their action.
• The Eternal Gheetha is not a subject to be dragged to the Court of Law created by the mortals like us, if one drags it to such a court the people who understood Geetha shall just ignore it.
• The best way to spend the energy and resources is to help those who believe in Geetha to understand it in its totality rather than lobbying for Geetha.
• How one can feel that the India’s ancient culture is vulnerable to moves like this ban?
• The more we talk about this debate the more we indulge in depriving ourselves of the joy of being Indians.
• We do not fully aware of as to whether we have the right to speak of Geetha when we use it as a book to be reffered to during old age – by that   time we would have involved in acts that have got no approval from Geetha.
• Why we shy away from adopting its basic tenets as the eternal directives to govern our country and our Jurisprudence ?
• When our actions no way symbolize the essense of Geetha, how can we challenge others to accept it?