Cosmic knowledge in all its glory was summed up in the Upanishads - The quintessence of all the Upanishads was preached by the supreme Lord Sri Krishna to Arjuna-symbolising the entire human race. This is Bhagavad Gita -(the song Celestial) from the Bhishma Porva of the Maho Bharata of Vyosa comprising of 700 verses in 18 chapters.
In this the Lord prescribes the right action, proper direction, the value system which are relevant for today's world torn apart under the powerful divisive forces of lust, anger, greed, egoism, infatuation and jealousy at all levels from individual to notions. Bhagavad-Gita is the advice and prescription for achieving world peace and prosperity.
Incorporating many doctrines, such as the immortality of the individual soul (atman) and its identity with the supreme godhead (Brahman), the process of reincarnation, and the need to renounce the fruits of one's actions, the Gita draws heavily on the teachings of the Upanishads and the philosophy of Sankhya.
Spirit (purusho) and matter or nature (prakriti), which is divided into the triple strand; of goodness, passion and darkness, are complementary. Krishna reconciles the opposing claims of sacrifice and worldly duty, on the one hand, with meditation and renunciation, on the other hand, through devotion to God.
The Bhagavad-Gita is Metaphysics and ethics, Brahmavidya and yogasastra, the science of reality and the art of union with reality. Bhagavad-Gita informs us how a person can perform his duty in this world and still remain free from the consequences of his actions. It deals with such basic concepts as the nature of our existence, the nature of our true self, our true relationship with God, the truth about action and inaction, the correct meaning of knowledge and ignorance, the in born qualities of man and how they blind him to the mortal world, the meaning of true devotion, the right attitude towards the external world, the meaning and purpose of maya and so on.
The Bhagavad gita is a book on self-discovery and journey into the Abode of God. It helps one move from sorrow driven mortal existence to eternal and blissful life. Desire is central to all human activity. By eliminating the desires, but by not abandoning the actions, one can free oneself from the bondage caused by the desire driven actions.
