Sri Gita Mahatmyam

श्रीगीतामाहात्म्यम्

GLORY OF THE GITA

(To be read at the end of the day’s Gita-study)

 

श्री गणेशाय नमः॥

श्री गोपालकृष्णाय नमः॥

धरोवाच

भगवन् परमेशान भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी ।
प्रारब्धं भुज्यमानस्य कथं भवति हे प्रभो ॥१॥

Mother Earth said:

1. O Bhagavan! The Supreme Lord! How can unflinching devotion arise in him who is immersed in his Prarabdha Karmas (worldly life), O Lord?

 

श्रीविष्णुरुवाच

प्रारब्धं भुज्यमानो हि गीताभ्यासरतः सदा ।
स मुक्तः स सुखी लोके कर्मणा नोपलिप्यते ॥२॥

The Lord Vishnu said:

2. Though engaged in the performance of worldly duties, one who is regular in the study of the Gita, becomes free. He is the happy man in this world. He is not bound by Karma.

 

महापापादिपापानि गीताध्यानं करोति चेत् ।
क्वचित्स्पर्शं न कुर्वन्ति नलिनीदलमम्बुवत् ॥३॥

3. Just as the water stains not the lotus-leaf, even so, sins do not taint him who is regular in the recitation of the Gita.

 

गीतायाः पुस्तकं यत्र यत्र पाठः प्रवर्तते ।
तत्र सर्वाणि तीर्थानि प्रयागादीनि तत्र चै ॥४॥

 

4. All the sacred places of pilgrimage like Prayaga and others, dwell in that place where the book, the Gita, is kept, and where the Gita is read.

 

सर्वे देवाश्च ऋषयो योगिनः पन्नगाश्च ये ।
गोपाला गोपिका वापि नारदोद्धवपार्षदैः ॥५॥

 

5. All the gods, sages, Yogins, divine serpents, Gopalas, Gopikas (friends and devotees of Lord Krishna), Narada, Uddhava and others (dwell here).

 

सहयो जायते शीघ्रं यत्र गीता प्रवर्तते ।
यत्र गीताविचारश्च पठनं पाठनं श्रुतम् ।
यत्राहं निश्चितं पृथ्वि निवसामि सदैव हि ॥६॥

 

6. Help comes quickly where the Gita is recited and, O Earth, I dwell at all times where the Gita is read, heard, taught and contemplated upon.

 

गीताश्रयेऽहं तिष्ठामि गीता मे चोत्तमं गृहम् ।
गीताज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य त्रींल्लोकान्पालयाम्यहम् ॥७॥

 

7. I reside in the Gita and the Gita is My best abode. I protect the three worlds with the knowledge of the Gita.

 

गीता मे परमा विद्या ब्रह्मरूपा न संशयः ।
अर्धमात्राक्षरा नित्या स्वानिर्वाच्यपदात्मिका ॥८॥

 

8. The Gita is My highest science, which is, without doubt, of the form of Brahman, the eternal, the Ardhamatra (of the Pranava Om), the ineffable splendour of the Self.

 

चिदानन्देन कृष्णेन प्रोक्ता स्वमुखतोऽर्जुनम् ।
वेदत्रयी परानन्दा तत्त्वार्थज्ञानसंयुता ॥९॥

 

9. It was spoken by the blessed Krishna, the all-knowing, with His own mouth to Arjuna. It contains the essence of the three Vedas, the knowledge of the Reality. It is full of supreme bliss.

 

योऽष्टादश जपेन्नित्यं नरो निश्चलमानसः ।
ज्ञानसिद्धिं स लभते ततो याति परं पदम् ॥१०॥

 

10. He who recites the eighteen chapters of the Gita daily, with a pure, unshaken mind, attains perfection in knowledge and reaches the highest state or supreme goal.

 

पाठेऽसमर्थः संपूर्णे ततोऽर्द्धं पाठमाचरेत्।
तदा गोदानजं पुण्यं लभते नात्र संशयः ॥११॥

 

11. If a complete reading is not possible, even if only half of it is read, he attains the benefit of giving a cow as a gift. There is no doubt about this.

 

त्रिभागं पठमानस्तु गङ्गास्नानफलं लभेत् ।
षडंशं जपमानस्तु सोमयागफलं लभेत् ॥१२॥

 

12. He who recites one-third part of it achieves the merit of a bath in the sacred Ganga, and who recites one-sixth of it attains the merit of performing a Soma-sacrifice (a ritual).

 

एकाध्यायं तु यो नित्यं पठते भक्तिसंयुतः ।
रुद्रलोकमवाप्नोति जणो भूत्वा वसेच्चिरम् ॥१३॥

 

13. That person who reads one chapter with great devotion attains the world of Rudra and, having become a Gana (attendant of Lord Siva), lives there for many years.

 

अध्यायं श्लोकपादं वा नित्यं यः पठते नरः ।
स याति नरतां यावन्मन्वन्तरं वसुन्धरे ॥१४॥

 

14. If one reads a chapter or even a part of a verse daily, he, O Earth, retains a human body till the end of a Manvantara (71 Mahayugas or 308,448,000 years).

 

गीतायाः श्लोकदशकं सप्त पञ्च चतुष्टयम् ।
द्वौ त्रीनेकं तदर्धं वा श्लोकानां यः पठेन्नरः ॥१५॥

चन्द्रलोकमवाप्नोति वर्षणामयुतं धुवम् ।
गीतापाठसमायुक्तो मृतो मानुषतां व्रजेत् ॥१६॥

 

15, 16. He who repeats ten, seven, five, four, three, two verses or even one or half of a verse, attains the region of the moon and lives there for 10,000 years. Accustomed to the daily study of the Gita, a person, after death, is born again as a human being.

 

गीताभ्यासं पुनः कृत्वा लभते मुक्तिमुत्तमाम् ।
गीतेत्युच्चारसंयुक्तो म्रियमाणो गतिं लभेत् ॥१७॥

 

17. By repeated study of the Gita, one attains the highest liberation. Uttering "Gita" at the time of death, he attains the Goal (of life).

 

गीतार्थश्रवणासक्तो महापापयुतोऽपि वा ।
वैकुण्ठं समवाप्नोति विष्णुना सह मोदते ॥१८॥

 

18. Though full of sins, one who is ever intent on hearing the meaning of the Gita, goes to the kingdom of God and rejoices with Lord Vishnu.

 

गीतार्थं ध्यायते नित्यं कृत्वा कर्मणि भूरिशः ।
जीवन्मुक्तः स विज्ञेयो देहन्ते परमं पदम् ॥१९॥

 

19. He who meditates on the meaning of the Gita, having performed a great number of good actions, attains the supreme Goal after death. Such a man should be known as a Jivanmukta (a person liberated while living).

 

मलनिर्मोचनं पुंसां जलस्नानं दिने दिने ।
सकृद्‌गीताम्भसि स्नानं संसारमलनाशनम् ॥२०॥

 

20. A daily bath in water cleanses people of their bodily dirt; a bath taken once in the waters of the Gita cleanses them of the dirt of Samsara.

 

गीतामाश्रित्य बहवो भूभुजो जनकादयः ।
निर्धूतकल्मषा लोके गीता याताः परं पदम् ॥२१॥

 

21. In this world, taking refuge in the Gita many kings like Janaka and others have reached the highest state or goal, purified of all sins. It is so sung.

 

ये शृण्वन्ति पठन्त्येव गीताशास्त्रमहर्निशम् ।
न ते वै मानुषा ज्ञेया देवा एव न संशयः ॥२२॥

 

22. Those who hear or read day and night the scripture Gita should not be regarded as human beings; they are verily gods.

 

ज्ञानाज्ञानकृतं नित्यमिन्द्रियैर्जनितं च यत् ।
तत्सर्वं नाशमायाति गीतापाठेन तक्षणम् ॥२३॥

 

23. All sins whether committed knowingly or unknowingly, through senses or otherwise, get destroyed instantaneously by a constant study of the Gita.

 

धिक् तस्य ज्ञानमाचारं व्रतं चेष्टां तपो यशः ।
गीतार्थपठनं नास्ति नाधमस्तत्परो जनः ॥२४॥

 

24. Fie on the learning, conduct, observances, activity, austerity and renown of that person who has not studied the Gita; he is lowly indeed.

 

संसारसागरं घोरं तर्तुमिच्छति यो जनः ।
गीतानावं समारुह्य पारं याति सुखेन सः ॥२५॥

 

25. He who wishes to cross the fearful ocean of Samsara reaches its other shore easily by mounting on the boat of the Gita.

 

गीतायाः पठनं कृत्वा माहात्प्यं नैव यः पठेत् ।
वृथा पाठो भवेत्तस्य श्रम एव ह्युदाहृतः॥२६॥

 

26. He who fails to read this Glory of the Gita (the Gita Mahatmyam), after having read the Gita, loses the benefit thereby, and the effort alone remains.

 

This is to test and confirm the faith of the reader in the Gita. It is not a mere book but the Word of God and should therefore be studied with great faith and devotion which this Mahatmyam generates in one’s heart.

 

एतन्माहात्म्यसंयुक्तं गीताभ्यासं करोति यः ।
स तत्फलमवाप्नोति दुर्लभां गतिमाप्नुयात् ॥२७॥

 

27. One who studies the Gita, together with this Glory of the Gita, attains the fruit mentioned above and reaches the state which is otherwise very difficult to be attained.

 

सूत उवाच

माहात्म्यमेतद्‌गीतायाः मया प्रोक्तं सनातनम् ।
गीतान्ते च पठेद्यस्तु यदुक्तं तत्फलं लभेत् ॥२८॥

Suta said:

28. This greatness or Glory of the Gita which is eternal, as narrated by me, should be read at the end of the study of the Gita and the fruits mentioned therein will be obtained.

 

Thus ends the Glory of the Gita, contained in the Varaha Purana.

 

Om Santih, Santih, Santih.

By Swami Sivananda

 

Source: http://www.dlshq.org/books/es13.htm#glorygita

 

Technorati Tags: gita,geeta,bhagawat gita,gita madhurya,gita jayanti,krishna,arjuna,spirituality,gita mahatmyam