Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is a very important & auspicious day in Hinduism. Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is the day when Hindus celebrate the greatness of the auspicious scripture - Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. According to the Hindu calendar (पञ्चाङ्गम्) this festival is celebrated on the 11th day of the bright fortnight of Margashirsha month (मार्गशीर्षः शुक्लपक्षे एकादशी). The Bhagavad Gita was revealed by Lord Krishna (8th Incarnation of Lord Vishnu) himself to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. This book is in a third person narration. It was narrated by Sanjay to King Dhritarashtra since, Sanjay had a power & blessings of his teacher Veda Vyas, that he could witness any event from a distance. This is the reason he was able to witness every moment happening on the battlefield of Kurukshetra & he narrated the whole conversation of Lord Krishna & Arjuna to Dhritrashtra. The Bhagavad Gita contains 18 Chapters & total 700 verses that provide knowledge to many humans about many important aspects of life. This religious book is dated approximately more than 5000 years.
Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is an annual celebration to honor the day when Lord Krishna provided his immortalized philosophical knowledge. This Hindu festival is celebrated with great devotion & dedication, across the country & also around the world, especially in the city of Kurukshetra i.e., in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), where the famous epic battle of the Mahabharata took place. The occasion of Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is celebrated to remember the message provided by Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Mahabharata, which made him understand the importance of action (कर्म) over personal relations, saving righteousness over non- righteousness & such other material things of life.
Significance of Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) -
In the Dwapara Yuga (द्वापर युगम्) Lord Vishnu incarnated as Lord Krishna (8th incarnation). When the great war of Mahabharata or we can say the war between Dharma (धर्मः) (righteousness) & Adharma (अधर्मः) (non-righteousness) became inevitable, Lord Krishna chooses to become the charioteer of Arjuna (one of the Pandavas- five brothers). Pandavas were fighting against the Kauravas (100 brothers). Since they were all cousin brothers & family members, the Pandavas were a little anxious to fight against their own family. Right before the war, which carried on for 18 days was about to start so, Arjuna asked Lord Krishna to take him in between of the battlefield. When he reached the spot, he saw his brothers, his teachers & his family standing on the enemy side & that moment he got confused about he should even participate in the war or not? He himself could not kill his own family members. And thus, this great religious scripture took birth from the none other but from the Lord Krishna himself.
As it is pure teachings given by Lord Krishna, Bhagvada Gita is considered as one of the most auspicious religious scripture in Hinduism which, if used properly, can change the entire life & thoughts of a human being & leads that person to the path of good Karma (कर्म) (actions). Bhagavad Gita is the literature that is illuminating the path of humanity since years & enabling the people to move forward on the path of perfection. It provides the world with great lessons of philosophy & wisdom irrespective of caste, creed or religion. This literature teaches the importance of duty in one’s life & shows the path to attain immortality & eternal bliss. The supreme knowledge of Bhagavad Gita teaches to follow the correct path by leaving the incorrect path. This occasion of Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is celebrated for that Supreme Knowledge which is present in the form of Bhagavad Gita.
It is the most ancient scripture which has all answers to any question a person can possibly have in their human life. It is not merely a religious literature, but it is indeed a guidebook that describes the truth of life, imparts knowledge regarding the miseries of life with the exact solution to those miseries & problems. The message that is provided by this supreme scripture is that, one has to fight for truth no matter how hard it is. It also provides the humanity with the message that, the supreme divine power is always there with everyone & its presence keep them away from every kind of problem & fear, which also prevents a person from indulging in any wrong deed & helps him to remain detached from the clutches of Illusions (माया). The message provided by Bhagavad Gita has an ability to completely transform one’s life & lead him towards the path of eternity. Bhagavad Gita is considered to be the ultimate source of wisdom & power which provides strength to the person in the situation where he feels week & helpless. It covers all the topics like basic knowledge of life (ज्ञानम्), knowledge regarding good or bad action (कर्म), knowledge of devotion (भक्तिः), knowledge of Yoga (योगः), knowledge of Philosophy, etc. Bhagavad Gita is not just a book, but it is the mother of the nation which when practiced in life thoroughly can nurture one’s material as well as spiritual life.
This festival is already mentioned in Mahabharata as its origin & since that day this festival is celebrated & so it is considered as the most ancient festival in Hinduism. According to the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna suggests in the 35th shloka of 10th chapter that;
बृहत्साम तथा साम्नां गायत्री छन्दसामहम्।
मासानां मार्गशीर्षोऽहमृतूनां कुसुमाकरः।।
Meaning- Among the Sama Hymns I am the Bruhat-Sama, among the Vedic meters I am the Gayatri meter; among the months I am Margashirsha & among the seasons I am the flower-bearing Spring season.
As this shloka is stated by Lord Krishna himself this Margashirsha month is considered most auspicious to worship Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna, in the same way, the 11th day of every month is considered as the Lord Vishnu’s day & due to this reason. Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is celebrated on the 11th day of the bright fortnight of the Margashirsha month (मार्गशीर्षः शुक्लपक्षे एकादशी). As it is suggested in the Mahabharata before the start of Bhagavad Gita that, it's the morning of the 11th day of the bright fortnight of the Margashirsha month (मार्गशीर्षः शुक्लपक्षे एकादशी) & Arjuna got into a dilemma which is followed by the birth of this great scripture Bhagavad Gita from the mouth of Lord Krishna itself. Thus, this day is celebrated as the birthday of this greatest scripture. This festival is a celebration to honour this great scripture & when it is recited thoroughly on this day, one can remember the teachings of Lord Krishna throughout the year & perform their actions accordingly. As this life is a mystery, the teachings of Bhagavad Gita too very mysterious as we read it again & again, we interpret more & more & we get many more meanings which helps us to deal with material as well as spiritual life. So, we celebrate the greatness of this supreme scripture "Bhagavad Gita" on 11th day of the bright fortnight of the Margashirsha month (मार्गशीर्षः शुक्लपक्षे एकादशी) as its birthday & there is no other scripture in Hinduism which has its birthday also, none other scripture's birthday is celebrated & because of this reason, this is the most auspicious & important day in Hinduism.
Ritual ceremony on Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) -
Worshipping Lord Krishna, Maharshi Veda Vyas & Shrimad Bhagavad Gita on the day of Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) followed by observing fast are the basic ritual ceremony. The five Worshipping Practices (पञ्च उपचारः) are also performed on this day like; applying fragrance powder (गंधः), offering flowers (पुष्पम्), burning extruded incense (धूपः), lighting lamp (दीपः), offering food (नैवेद्यम्) followed by waving lamps (आरार्तिकम्) to Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna & Maharshi Veda Vyas. The most important ritual is to recite the verses of Bhagavad Gita on this day. In places where this festival is celebrated grandly, stage play & Gita chanting competitions are organized to show children & to encourage their interest to read & learn Bhagavad Gita. Schools & colleges also organize such competitions & lectures on Bhagavad Gita is imparted by teachers or professors, also Gita knowledge tests are arranged & the student who tops this test are awarded.
Letters, booklets & books containing the essence of the Gita are distributed to the public. Also distributing free copies of the Gita on this holy day is particularly considered as auspicious. On this day, bhajans & puja rituals are organized. Yogis, learned scholars, etc. are invited to give knowledge & understanding of the teachings of Lord Krishna into simpler versions which can prove to be useful for the common man. Devotees sing & chant various bhajanas, stotras & shlokas dedicated to the Lord Vishnu/ Lord Krishna. They also perform various stage plays depicting the teachings of Bhagavad Gita. This day is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu & Lord Krishna that includes performing puja with special prayers & stotras. Many such kind of celebrations were carried out to teach today's young generation about the importance of righteousness (धर्मः) by explaining Bhagavad Gita on this special day.
In Malaysia, Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is celebrated annually with the cooperation of different Hindu organizations in order to create self-realization among all Hindus. In Singapore, Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is grandly celebrated which lasts up to a month-long mega event. The influence of Hinduism around the world has also increased & so this festival is now a days celebrated worldwide with great enthusiasm as Bhagavad Gita is accepted & considered as the most useful holy book of all. Observing Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) enables people to improvise their behaviour as they read the Holy Book of Gita. Every Iskcon Temple in the world celebrates this day with rituals & sacrifices offered to Lord Vishnu/ Lord Krishna.
Thus, the main purpose of celebrating Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is to understand the words of Bhagavad Gita & to implement it in our everyday routine. The teachings of this auspicious book help individuals & families lead a prosperous & courageous life that brings great benefits. It is strongly believed that, one should not build a big temple made up of bricks & concrete, but the temple of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita should be installed in the temple of our heart. The puja ritual of Bhagavad Gita should not be done by offering only flowers to it, but by sacrificing our life to it, to its true teachings & by realizing it in our practical life. These beliefs make us understand that Bhagavad Gita is not just a day to celebrate, but it is a whole ocean of nectar which we should drink everyday to understand it better & follow its teachings correctly. Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) is such a day, which reminds us to celebrate this great scripture not only on Gita Jayanti (गीता जयन्ती) but in our day-to-day life too. None other but Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is the only book in Hinduism which has its day as a festival. So, every Hindu should read it, learn it & understand it.
भाद्रपदः शुक्लपक्षे ०७, २०७७