Gita Vani 2018 DBS-O-018-T18 [email protected] 1 26/2/18 6:39 pm Editorial In Sanat Sujatiya, a part of the Mahabharata, from Udyoga Parva (chapters 41–46), Dhritarashtra asks Sanatsujata, the mental son (maanasa putra) of Brahma several questions. One of the questions is regarding reasons why though the same spiritual practise is carried by two different persons, results can be completely different. Sanatsujata replies that it is not just the actions that lead to results. When Tapas or spiritual practises are carried out as per Upanishadic injunctions and with faith and attention and spiritual wisdom (vidya), it leads to liberation. When spirituality is corrupted with impurities it leads the aspirant astray. And he goes on to list the impurities of the mind that nullifies all spiritual efforts such as the 12 doshas (negative characteristics listed are Krodha, Kama, Lobha, Moha, Vivitsa, Akrupa, Asuya, Maana, Shoka, Spriha, Irshya and Jugupsa.). On a similar note, in the Srimad Bhagavata Mahatmya (from Padma Purana), Gokarna asks the Vishnu Parshadas why even though all heard the same Bhagavata Katha, only Dhundhukari attained the Divine. Answer given is that the difference lies in the quality of their hearing. Although it is true that everyone heard the katha, everyone did not meditate on it equally. Listening with a completely stable (in wisdom) and attentive mind is required. One needs to listen attentively, with faith in the words of the Guru, humility, and control of the mind’s defects. This a great caveat in any serious spiritual endeavour - study of Srimad Bhagavd Gita too. The message of Gita is of great importance today as at all times in the past. The perennial wisdom of Gita that is eternal is one of action and wisdom and how to act in times of confusion and moral dilemmas. Modern world is even more confused than ever, with very many distractions and new sources of divisions amongst people as well as within oneself. The integrating message of Gita on how to act in times of crisis has guided many great men of action as well as wisdom. It can guide all of us too. We need to read, understand and practise the teachings of Gita to really liberate us. It is really heartening to note that articles in this issue provide a wide variety of viewpoints and mental frames of reference. Even current hot topics like Internet of Things (IOT), Industry 4.0, Gaia style vision of deep environmental awareness etc have all been seen through Gita perspectives – in the manner that befits a contemporary study of this great scripture. Being in Singapore, we are fortunate to get non-Indian perspectives too, that truly enhances the appreciation of the integral and transcendental nature of the text. Articles in this issue as well as rituals like Havan are all part of our own personal journeys of self-discovery and realization, aided by Gita. May a deep and attentive study of Gita lead to clarity of vision and deeper understanding of ourselves and in the process integrate us as one people and one planet. || हरिः ॐ तत स् त |् | hariḥ om tat sat || Krishna Kumar M PUBLICATION TEAM Gita Vani is a souvenir publication of the Gita Jayanti 2018, organized by BIJHAR(Singapore), Chairman: Sneh Kant Gupta along with other Hindu temples and associations of Singapore under the auspices Editor, Layout, Design: Krishnakumar M of the Hindu Endowments Board. Members: www.gitajayanti.org.sg H P Dayani Disclaimer: Authors and contributors are Arjan G Kripalani fully responsible for the contents. The Chandru Budhrani editorial/publishing team and the Organizing Kamal Kishore (Vice Chairman) Committee and sub-committees members of Gita Jayanti 2018 Asuthosh Nair Gita Jayanti 2018 are not responsible directly or indirectly for the contents whether in Celebrating the birth of articles or advertisements, except as authors Printed by Srimad Bhagavad Gita - the spiritual for any factual errors, copyright or intellectual Khalsa Printers Pte Ltd property violations, or any other legal or non- classic, “Song Celestial” legal disputes or actions of any kind. GGiittaa VVaannii 22001188 11 T Regulars - Messages 167 Committee Report: Art Competitions 2017-18 by Mrs A Sandhya Ramaprasad, Chairperson, Visual Arts 5 Message by Guest of Honour, Mr Vikram Nair, Member of Parliament, Sembawang GRC Regulars - General B 7 Message by His Excellency Mr Jawed Ashraf, High Commissioner of India for Singapore 164 Gita Jayanti Competitions - List of Prize Winners (Chanting,L Oratorical, Essay and Art) 9 Joint Message by Mr R Jayachandran, Chairman, Hindu 168 Acknowledgments E Endowments Board and Mr Rajan Krishnan, Chairman, Hindu Advisory Board In Pictures 11 Message by Chairman, Organising Committee, GJ 2018, Mr O Suresh Agarwal, BIJHAR (Singapore) 97 International Gita Forum (Singapore) 2017 - 20 Aug 2017 & 13 Message by Sri Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji, Sri 22 Oct 2017. F Puthige Mutt, Karnataka, India 98, 99 Gita Havan 2017 15 Messages by Ms Sundari Suppiah, President, Krishna 100,101 Krishna Manjari 2018 C Our Guide, (Co-Lead Organization 1997) & Mr Sohan Lal 102 Chanting Competitions Dhawn, President, Geeta Ashram (Co-Lead Organization 1999) 103 Art Competitions & Chanting Competitions (Cat 6 - Adults) O 105 Oratorical Competitions, Monthly Parayan 17 Messages by Dr N Varaprasad, President, Hindu Centre, (Co-Lead Organization 1999) & by Mr Chandru Bharwani, 107 Art Competitions - Prize Winning Works N President, Chinmaya Seva Centre (Lead Organization 2000) Articles & Essays 19 Messages by Mr Rajan Menon, Chairman, Amriteswari T Society, Singapore, (Lead Organization 2003) & Mr G 35 “Gita in Our Times ” by H H Swami Chinmayananda Srinivasan, President, Singapore Dakshina Bharatha E 45 “Gita Meditations” by Sadhu T L Vaswani Brahmana Sabha (Lead Organization 2008) 21 Messages by Mr Ajaykumar Nair, President, Singapore 49 “Wake Up !...To True Knowledge” by Swami TejomayanandaN Malayalee Hindu Samajam, Singapore (Lead Organization 53 “Love’s labour can never be lost” by Swami 2004) and Mr Tushar Doshi, President, Singapore Gujarati Swaroopananda T Society (Lead Organization 2011) 57 “Adoration Of All-In-One” by Swami Vimokshananda, 23 Messages by Mr Sundar Ramchand, President, Sri Sathya President, Sri Ramakrishna Mission, Singapore S Sai Society, Singapore (Lead Organization 2002) & Mr Koti 63 “Asanga - The Mightiest Weapon (Concepts Based On Reddy, President, Singapore Telugu Cultural Society (Lead Bhagavadgad Gita” by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha Organization 2006) 73 “What Krishna Taught Us” by Swami Pranavamritananda 25 Messages by Mr Shashi Lal Kashyap, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puri (Lead Organization 2005) & Mr Kamal Kishore, President, Marwari Mitra Mandal (Singapore) - (Lead Organization 79 “Mind Control” by Dada J P Vaswani 2009) 85 Dada J P Vaswani @ 100 - Gita Vani Salutes Dada Vaswani 27 Messages by Mr Shivshankar Pandey President, Shree 87 “The Divine Teacher” by Dr Ananda Reddy Lakshmi Narayan Temple (Lead Organization 2010) & 115 “Meditations on Akshara Brahma Yoga” by Scott Teitsworth Ms Asmita Tadwalkar, President, Maharashtra Mandal (Singapore), (Lead Organization 2012) 121 “Sankhya and Yoga: Cosmic Wisdom and the Method of Its 29 Messages by Vijaya Ranga Prasad N S, President, Kannada Attainment” by Paramahansa Yogananda Sangha (Singapore) - (Lead Organization 2007) & Mrs Jyoti 127 “Spiritual S¡dhan¡ in a Nutshell” by Swami Nirviseshananda Mirchandani, President, Sadhu Vaswani Centre Singapore, Tirtha (Lead Organization 2014) 135 “Greater Need for The Bhagavad Gita especially during 30 Messages by Mr D Retnam, Chairman, Sri Ruthra Industry 4.0” by Dr Charles Chow Kaliamman Temple - (Lead Organization 2015) & Mr 139 “Dynamics of Devotion” ” by Prakash Kamanat Vashdev Khialani, President, Singapore Sindhi Association - 144 “Gita Under Covers” by Jayan Warrier (Lead Organization 2016) 31 Messages by Mr R Selvarajoo, Chairman, Muneeswaran 147 “In the Lap of Mother Nature” by Sneha Shashi Kumar Temple Society - (Lead Organization 2016) & Mr Sambit 150 “Glories of the Gita” by Rajesh Anand Mishra, President, Odia Society of Singapore - (Lead 152 “Maa Phaleshu Kadaachana…” by Sijuth Sivaram Organization 2019 - Upcoming) 154 “Srimad Bhagavad Geeta Mahatmyam: The greatness of Regulars - Team & Reports Chapter 12 - Bhakti And Mukti” - Submission by Anand Chandrasekar 32 Gita Jayanti 2018 – Team Members 156 “A Chinese takes to Chanting!!!” by Dr Chitra Krishnakumar 33 Gita Jayanti 2018 - Organization Team Structure 160 Prize Winning Essay, Category 6, “The Challenge Of 165 Committee Report: International Gita Forum 2017 by Mr Equanimity” by Kasula Sruti Anand Chandrasekar (Chairperson, IGFS 2017-18) 166 Committee Report: Krishna Manjari 2018 by Dr Chitra Krishnakumar, Chairperson, Krishna Manjari 2018 Visual Art 167 Committee Report: Chanting, Essay and Oratorical 125 Artwork by Rashmika Anand Competitions 2017-18 by Mr Ajay Nair, Mr Anand Chandrasekar, & Mr Manesh M, Competitions Cover Page Credits: Based on a creation by Ashley Christudason, a digital artist. For the last 11 years, Ashley has been refining various layering techniques associated with digital collage art – turning existing art and photography into reconfigured conceptualisations that he sees both in dreams and visions. www.ashleychristudason.com. Further details on Ashley as well as artist for the Gita Jayanti Calendar, Sarbani Bhattacharya, are given on page 166. GGiittaa VVaannii 22001188 33 RADHESHYAM M E S S A G E B Y G U E S T - O F - H O N O U R The Gita Jayanti celebrates the Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita, literally the Song of the Lord. Set in the unique and unusual backdrop of the Kurukshetra War, Arjuna asks his charioteer, friend and advisor, Krishna to take him to the middle of the battlefield to see his opponents. Arjuna falls despondent at seeing his most respected and loved elders, teachers, cousins, friends and relatives whom he has to vanquish to win the war. He wants none of the bloodshed. At this crucial juncture, Krishna wakes him up from his despondency and stupor with his clarion call for action, wrapped in eternal wisdom and a generous dose of motivational psychology. This text of 700 verses is of crucial importance and is considered a foundational text of the philosophy of Hinduism. It has attracted attention from philosophers, thinkers, men of letters and litterateurs from India for well over a thousand years and also from the West for over a few hundred years. Modern Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Tilak, Sri Aurobindo and many others considered the Gita as their primary scripture. Western intelligentsia deeply influenced by the Gita include, Albert Einstein, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Herman Hesse, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Aldous Huxley, Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau, Annie Besant, Robert Oppenheimer Sir Edwin Arnold and others. This form of celebrating the Gita in Singapore is now 20 years old, having started in 1997 in a humble manner as a simple one-day event with about 100 devotees chanting the full Gita. It has now evolved into a multi-dimensional programme of events for the whole year, such as the Havan, International Gita Forum, Krishna Manjari cultural show, several competitions for children and youth including oratorical, chanting, quiz, essay etc. the Gita Jayanti events cater to people of all ages - children, youth, and adults. The unique feature of the Gita Jayanti celebrations is that each year, a different participating organization takes the lead. It is a unifying event for the different ethnic groups of diverse regional backgrounds and features a healthy participation from Singaporeans and expat Indians. This is because of the central role that the Gita plays across the Indian ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, with its timeless teachings that appeal to all. This is also a venue for the various Indian/Hindu organizations to come closer through participation and unity of purpose in the celebration of one of the fundamental scriptures of Hinduism. I am very pleased to note that Gita Jayanti plays such a unique role to integrate the Indian residents of Singapore, whether local or expat, from a diverse range of linguistic groups. It is also interesting that some of our Chinese residents are taking an active interest in Gita with one individual who chanted a full chapter of the Gita in an open competition, accurately and without any mistakes. Also of importance is the religious integration aspect. The Gita Vani Souvenir publication has featured articles on the Gita by many non-Hindus, including a Christian priest, Rev Fr Sebastian Painadath SJ and a Catholic Management Consultant - Dr Charles Chow, who says that Gita helps him become a better Catholic. I sincerely hope that Gita Jayanti remains a fine example of the communal and religious harmony and collaboration efforts of our nation which are valued dearly by all of us. Vikram Nair Member of Parliament, Sembawang GRC GGiittaa VVaannii 22001188 55 Art of Living Foundation Ltd Krishna is not a vyakti (person) but shakti (energy). His life has all the nine rasas (flavors). He was naughty as a child, a warrior, joy personified and a source of knowledge. Krishna was poorna kala avataran (a complete incarnation). He was a perfect friend and guru. There never was and never will be a friend like Krishna. To awaken the Krishna in our consciousness is the right way. ‘Krishna is not far from me, not separate from me, he is within me’: this feeling will fill your life with Krishna. For more information, contact: ART OF LIVING CENTER 433 Race Course Road, Singapore 218679 Tel (Off): (+65) 62995775 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.artofliving.org It is a great pleasure to participate in the annual Gita Jayanti. Now in its twentieth year, Gita Jayanti is already an integral part of Singapore's richly diverse cultural and spiritual calendar. Gita Jayanti marks the culmination of a year-long series of events with a Gita Havan. Srimad Bhagwad Gita is at the core of the spiritual and philosophical belief of hundreds of million people in India arid around the world. However, the message of Gita is both timeless and universal. The power and sublime beauty of its language embodies divine expression. It covers the full range of human character and choices. Its 18 chapters and 700 verses constitute a boundless ocean of wisdom. The journey through the book is an evolutionary experience for an individual that leads to deeper understanding of self and the higher truths; and, of thought, knowledge, motives and action. The meaning that we derive from it also deepens with our own life experiences. It, thus, serves as a constant guide as much for daily life as for spiritual pursuit. It is even more relevant in this age of unprecedented change, uncertainties and turmoil in the material world around us — for individuals, society and humanity at large. Gita Jayanti is, therefore, a very useful platform to spread the message of Bhagwad Gita. The Gita Vani, published on this occasion, is an invaluable repository of diverse perspectives on the message and meaning of Gita and its relevance for our lives, as also a record of the activities conducted round the year. The Hindu Endowments Board, the city's temples and Indian organisations, which take turns to organize the event, deserve the richest compliments for this initiative. This is also a moment to appreciate Singapore's values and vision, which have provided a nurturing environment for faiths and cultures to flourish.