Gitopadesha

The Bhagavad-Gits is the only scripture that can be considered the earliest. The following verse from Mundaka Upanishat says,
  The Gitopadesha was first imparted to the first Manu Vivasvan, the Sun (now supposed to be 4.56 billion years old accordig ot NASA).

 Om || BrahmAdEvAnAm prathamah sambhabhuva |

vishvasyakartA bhuvanasya goptA sa brahmavidyAm |

sarvavidyApratishtAm AtharvAyajyEshtaputrAya prAha || (Gopatha Brahmana of Atharva Veda, Mundakopanishad, 1.1).    

  This supreme knowledge-paraa vidya, the Veda was revealed to Atharvan, the first born of the thought-force, chittavrutti, of the Creator-Chaturmukha Brahma, as stated above. It was stipulated that this Veda consisting of almost 100 000 verses were to be chanted daily before taking food. It was very difficult to complete this ritual before taking food. So, Shree Krishna Dvaipayana, the one unmanifest Narayana only ingeniously divided this voluminous mantras into four parts- one of the Rks (mantra)- called Rk Veda, the second part consisting of singing the praise of Gods- the Samans, the third one consisting of verses of mantra for conducting rituals of yajnya, yaga, havan and homa. The last part called the Atharvaveda is of social importance.Each section is to be recited by persons well versed called the Hotr, the Adhvaryu, the Rutvija, and Brahma, simultaneously during the yajnyic rituals. Thus, the pen name Veda Vyasa became very popular.

  If the Sun is the first ever-created effulgent body of matter like hydrogen and the helium producing the electromagnetic waves from which all these paraphernalia of objective world is created, who is the Creator of this Hydrogen? This is now very clear from the recent scientific research that states, "The stellar dust mass of cloud has condensed into what is called Einstein-Bose condensate bosons from the sub-atomic particles of ions first discovered by scientist Fermi, now called fermions. These fermions are the first-ever discovered matter?) without any mass and, creates bosons with mass! Here lies the primordial matter that is truly spirit! 

   Symbolism is a very significant aspect of the gItopadesha. The entire gItA is depicted in a number of symbols, images, and imageries. In fact, the sum and substance of the entire gItA is depicted in the symbolic ‘Chariot’ driven by the horses under the control of the Lord (brahmA bhavati sArathi), arjuna being seated as the Atman riding in it. The reins of the horses are the forces of desire, attachment, anger, fear and ego. The charioteer is Consciousness; and, the person seated inside is the Atman. It is He, the ‘paramAtman’ only that takes to embodiment as if one takes a taxi to go round the city, finally leave it on the roadside to fly off! There is nothing one can do here; it is the will of the Lord, destiny and the jiva goes wherever the Lord takes it! The gItA advocates surrendering to the divine will.

    Thus, the gItA holds the key to all the problems of the jiva.It is the panacea and a rAma-bANa, for the ailments, sufferings; it redeems the soul from its predicaments. Total surrender to the ‘Will’ of the Lord is what the gItA advocates, for it assures all protection and a safe return journey. Whosoever has faith in the Lord will have no problem whatsoever, as long as he wishes to live here, but in yoga and dhyan!  

sEnayOr ubhayOrmadhye rathaM sthApayitva mE’cyuta |

   Here, Arjuna wants to get a clear picture of what is happening in his mind (kuru kshetra) where conflicting foces are operatiing.There is desire, attachment, anger, jealous, illwill and strife and the balance of mind is lost. To fight or flight, is the question. So this confused mind is asking the pure Consciousness Sri Krishna to take him to a vantage point, a higher mental levelt, devoid of qualities, so that he can get a clear picture of the true nature of the problem!

  In another episode, Krishna takes on the wheel of dharma to kill Bhishma; fearing the consequences, Arjuna reminds him of his vow not to take up arms and saves the debacle.

   As an impartial Ruler of theuniverse the supreme Lord has no right to take any decision that has already been apportioned to kaal (Time). However, since everything manifests from Him only, He rushes to take the wheel of time upon Himself. Arjuna reminds Him of his vownot to take a partisan view.

  The embodied Soul, the Atman seated in the Chariot is directed by the Mind full of Desire, Attachment, Fear, Anger and Ego (the five Senses) and will be disillusioned unless the Charioteer Poornaprajnya takes over. (Horses and the Reins). The Ego seated on the throne of the Mind runs the Chariot recklessly.

  On the last day of Dhishma’s departure, Krishna meets himand asks him why he lost his sense of judgment. Bhagavan Sri Krishna chides Bhishma for his blind vow (pratijnya) and says, “a jnyani of the stature of Bhishma should not have adhered to his vow that was not in the interest of dharma (Righteousness) and does not vouchsafe the welfare of people at large.” Further, it is also interesting that Arjuna reminds Krishna of his vow not to take to arms and stops him from attacking Bhishma. However, Bhishma fell to ground.

     Bhagavan Sri Krishna, seated in the hearts of jivarashis, as also, every atom and cells  of this creation is none other than the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent self effulgent  ‘tyat’ that Parabrahman. At the time of the creation the Lord spreads out individual nets in various ways and then at the time of the cosmic dissolution withdraws them into the great prakriti. Again the all-pervading Deity creates the aggregates of body and senses, both individual and collective and their controllers also and thus exercises His overlordship.

    As the sun shines, illumining all the quarters-above, below and across-so also God, self-resplendent, adorable and non-dual, controls all objects, which themselves possess the nature of a cause. He who is the cause of all and who enables all things to function according to their nature; who brings to maturity all that can be ripened; who, being non-dual, rules over the whole universe and engages the gunas in their respective functions- He is concealed in the Upanishads, the secret part of the Vedas. Brahma knew Him who can be known only from the evidence of the Vedas. The gods and seers of olden times who knew Him became Brahman and attained Immortality. Endowed with gunas, the jiva performs action, seeking its fruit; and again, it reaps the fruit of what it has done. Assuming all forms and led by the three gunas, the jiva, ruler of the pranas, roams about following the three paths, according to its deeds.