Upanishads are among the oldest religious texts of ancient India. Academically, they shed light on the shifting sociopolitical landscape and religious landscape of the Indian subcontinent, texts that highlight both material and cultural influences. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is an eternal song, the essence of the Upanishads, Lord Krishna preached to his fellow and friend Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Even the grand conception of the Gita on the battlefield has practical significance.
 
The Gita is neither a communal text nor a bible of any community. It is the bible of humanity. It is utterly unjust to confine this universal doctrine to any sect. Reading Gita is not a religious obligation but a quest toward the knowledge of the self. Layman or an accomplished one, a struggler or warlord, the Gita is equally helpful to everyone. Therefore the Gita is called the "Bhagavad Gita", the best guide one can have!
 
To continue an uninterrupted flow of knowledge to the generations to come, thousands of years ago, Vyasa compiled the Gita during the composition of the Mahabharata.
 
vyāsāya viṣṇu rūpāya vyāsa-rūpāya viṣṇave |
namo vai brahmanidhaye vāsiṣṭāya namo namaḥ ||
 
The Vishnu Sahastranama respectfully quotes Vyasa. The magnificence of the Gita raised Vyasa to the state of Shri Vishnu!
 
 
It is aptly said that the essence of the Gita is like “Gangodakam” - the water of the holy river Ganges - open to all atheists and theists of all faiths!
 
Gikārantyāgarūpansyāt, takāranttvabōdhakaṁ |
gītāvākyamidantattvaṁ, jñēyaṁ sarvamumukṣubhiḥ ||
The letter "gee" teaches sacrifice, and "ta" teaches spirituality! Lord Krishna himself preached the eternal knowledge of Upanishads in the Gita for the well-being of humanity. He wants us to wake up from the slumber of inertia and know ourselves.
 
In verse 37 of chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita proclaims the place of Krishna among the guides of humanity.
 
vṛiṣhṇīnāṁ vāsudevo ’smi pāṇḍavānāṁ dhanañjayaḥ |
munīnām apyahaṁ vyāsaḥ kavīnām uśhanā kaviḥ ||
 
"I am Vasudeva among Vrsnis, Arjuna among Pandavas. I am Vyasa among sages and of seers, I am Shukracharya."
 
 
From the first word, "dharmakṣhetre" in the first verse of the first chapter to the last word "nītirmatirmama" in the last verse of the last chapter, the Gita gives importance to "dharma". But what is “dharma”? There is no word equivalent to "dharma" in English. We can put it as duty and responsibility.
 
What dharma should we practice? Everybody should carry out once intended work wholeheartedly. A student should study well, a merchant should practice business with morality, an employee should work honestly and so on. That is the way to change the world, starting from an individual.
 
The Gita explains how to get rid of doubts and solve problems, and how dedicated study improves our knowledge and reveals unmanifested skills.
 
śhraddhāvānllabhate jñānaṁ tat-paraḥ sanyatendriyaḥ |
jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śhāntim achireṇādhigachchhati ||
 
In verse 39 of chapter 4, the Gita says, "The man who is full of faith, who is devoted to it, and who has subdued the senses obtains knowledge; and having obtained the knowledge he attains at once to the supreme peace.
 
 
The Gita specifies the types of devotees in verse 16 of chapter 7,
 
chaturvidhā bhajantē māṅ janāḥ sukṛtinōrjuna |
ārtō jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha ||
 
“O best amongst the Bharatas, four kinds of pious people engage in my devotion. They are the afflicted, the knowledge seekers, the seekers of worldly possessions, and the men of knowledge.”
 
In chapter 16, Daivaasura Sampathvibhaga Yoga, the Gita explains that our moral behaviour and avoidance of evil contributes to positive changes in our personality, self-control, and strong will. These are the qualities adoring life with dignity and prosperity leading towards success.
 
Every task should be done actively, skillfully, and with open-minded, creative, and innovative thought. The Gita ensures in verse 19 of chapter 3 that there is nothing to worry about the result as it is destined to follow the action.
 
tasmädasaktassatataà käryaà karma samäcara |
asakto hyäcarankarma paramäpnoti püruñaù ||
 
"The Self-realized are not concerned with actions, but others must perform actions. Arjuna! You are not enlightened yet. Therefore, perform your duties without attachment. Man, whose actions are free from desire will certainly attain Liberation."
 
After overcoming obstacles in the path of duty, success is sure. Observe the chastity of thoughts, do not be weak, but move forward with complete firmness. That is how the Gita is the torchlight of a progressive society.
 
 
The Gita reveals the secret of success in simple words. If you put 100 per cent of your efforts into your work without clinging to the result, the job will be better. And the result is bound to follow your endeavours. Thus the result is the outcome of your efforts and not an external entity granted by someone else. The more effort you put in, the better result you get.
 
The place of our desire is like a flower of a fruit tree. A flower passing through the several stages of development finally develops into a fruit. To enjoy the fruit, one has to put effort into watering, nurturing and protecting the tree. It is a direct experience. We can be either in charge of or the servants of our senses. The choice is ours! Let it be a student, householder, businessman, leader, or follower; one can lead a better life not by being enslaved but by controlling the senses.
 
 
The ever-haunting fear of death ends when we understand our true nature. Verse 22 of chapter 2 of the Gita removes the ignorance of all those afraid of death and guides us to get rid of those who build their businesses around the fear of death.
 
väsäàsi jérëäni yathä vihäya naväni gåhëäti naro'paräëi |
tathä çaréräëi vihäya jérëäni anyäni saàyäti naväni dehé ||
 
"Just as a man discards tattered clothing and puts on new garments, the soul discards worn-out body to accept a new one."
 
It motivates us to welcome fresh ideas over outdated traditions. The search for betterment is a driving force behind the research and development we experience around us. Innovations in science and technology make us move forward towards better future. This underlying thought of novelty makes the Gita eternally new, the ultimate standard of life. This verse underlines the importance of mental development by stepping out of the past and accepting the changes open-heartedly.
 
 
We find a beautiful exploration of the human psyche through a series of causes and effects in the 63rd verse of the second chapter of the Gita.
 
krodhädbhavati sammohaù sammohätsmåtivibhramaù |
småtibhraàçät buddhinäçaù buddhinäçätpraëaçyati ||
 
"Anger destroys discretion. When discretion is lost, memory fades. The power to distinguish between the real and the unreal, and between right and wrong is lost. Man perishes, losing his eligibility to fulfil the purpose of one's existence."
 
Imbecile by anger, having lost discretion, a person does not care about one's actions. Divorced from correct recollection, the intellect destroys, and then the fall of the mind becomes inevitable. No psychiatrist can treat such mental indiscretions. That is why the main reason for all developments is said to be the cultivation of healthy thoughts in the mind. The "Paramaushadham" or the supreme medicine to keep the mind healthy is the Gita.
 
The mind is cluttered with random thoughts of whooping wants and dormant desires. As long as we cosset them, our knowledge, skills, leadership qualities, and courage to search for self will all be obscured.
 
Verse 38 of the third chapter explains the reason behind human ignorance.
 
dhümenävriyate vahniù yathä''darço malena ca |
yatholbenävåto garbhaù tathä tenedamävåtam ||
 
“Lust blocks the intellect the way smoke obscures fire, dust covers a mirror, and the amniotic sac sheaths a fetus. It destroys discretion. “
 
Fire by smoke, mirror by dust, and an unborn embryo encased in the membrane. Similarly, our knowledge is covered by desires. So if we control our desires, improve our knowledge and sharpen our skills, we can reach our destination. We must control our desires to achieve our goals.
 
Humankind has been benefiting in terms of eternal knowledge through the teachings of the Gita. We can find the solution to our problems in the Gita as it empowers her students with the wisdom to understand the actual purpose of human life. No surprise if the Gita has been enlightening the millions of minds with superb human qualities. It has been bestowing bliss in the lives of millions through astonishing results. Personality development, self-inquiry, duty, discernment, and mindfulness are just a few to mention.
 
Every day, let us dive deep into the Gita - the ocean of knowledge. Let us implement the teachings of the Gita in our lives without any prejudice. If we could do this, enlightenment is not far away! 
As long as we interpret the teachings of the Gita without any bias, we will move on the path of morality in the light of discretion.