Albert Einstein: "When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous."
Mahatma Gandhi: "When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day."
Henry David Thoreau: "In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial."
These are just some of the quotes from great men whose lives have been touched by the Gita. Today is Gita Jayanti, the advent day of the Bhagavad Gita. I have always been inspired, mesmerised and smitten by the Gita and a copy of the Bhagavad Gita by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada always lies next to my bedside and occupies the centre stage on the table in my office/study.
This great scripture teaches us how to handle every stage of life, be stress free and excecute our duty with conviction. It is a reservoir of bliss, knowledge and happiness that will guide us at every step. And the beauty of the Gita is that it transcends religions, communities and faiths and is applicable to all human beings. In this picture you can see Lord Krishna blow his conch shell, the panćjanya. And next him is Arjuna blowing his conchshell named Devadutta, before the beginning of the great battle of Mahabharata. In Vedic culture, blowing a cochshell is considered very auspicious and is done before the beginning of any ceremony or event.
According to Ayurveda, blowing a conchshell is also considered very good for the lungs as it helps to expel bad air, replacing it with good quality air, making the lungs strong. I had a group of kids recite some sholkas of the Bhagavad Gita today after telling them the story behind this great scripture. And I was stunned by the insights of these kids.