Bengaluru, 03 December 2022:
Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Gita Dana Yajna Mahotsavaon the occasion of Gita Jayantiat ISKCON Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple located in Vasanthapura, Bangalore. ISKCON Bangalore group of temples aim to distribute 1 lakh Bhagavad Gitas during the month-long GitaDaanYajna. Many activities based on the Bhagavad Gita will also be organised during this period.
Eminent personalities like Padma Shri awardee T.V Mohandas Pai, Jnanpithawardee Chandrashekar Kambar,devotional vocalists S.Aishwarya and S.Saundarya, the great-granddaughters of Bharat RatnaM.S.Subbulakshmi, S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO, ChandruIyer, British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and Kerala, Patrick Hebert, Consul General of Canada in Chandigarh, Vidyabhushana, Devotional vocalist in Kannada and Tulu, Ms. Sapthami Gowda, Kannada Actress and Ms Gayathri Reddy, Member, Global Shapers Community – a youth wing of World Economic Forum also graced the occasion.
Various groups of children and adults chanted the 700 shlokas of the Gita in the temple complex. A multimedia video presentation of the Bhagavad Gita recitation by renowned devotional vocalist Shri Vidyabhushana along with its translation in six languageswas released on the auspicious day of Gita Jayanti. This presentation is curatedin a contemporary format to help the audience of all age groups learn and appreciate the teachings of the Gita.
Rajnath Singh expressed his appreciation and said, “I would like to congratulate Shri MadhuPandit Dasa and the devotees of ISKCON Bangalore for conceiving this magnificent Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple. This temple radiates a divine and sublime atmosphere and I feel blessed to participate in the Gita Jayanti event. India is the storehouse of spiritual knowledge, that has been followed and adapted by other nations. Bhagavad Gita is the living JnanaGanga which is blessing all of us through its transcendental knowledge. The Gita has influenced prominent people like philosophers and intellectuals all over the world. I encourage everyone, especially youth to read the Bhagavad Gita and adopt its principles in their lifestyle. Distribution of knowledge is the highest among charities. I wholeheartedly appreciate ISKCON Bangalore for spreading the immortal wisdom of Bhagavad Gita through the Gita Dana Yajna initiative.”
“Samskruti and Samskar” are re-established in India: CM Bommai
Both Samskruti and Samskar are deep rooted in India and now the ‘Bharathiya Samskruti’ is getting re-established, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Speaking at a function Gita jayanti and Gita Daana Yagna organised by ISKCON in which Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participated here on Saturday, he said the country has the western influence in 80s and 90s due to which the values had declined. The roots os Samskruti’ are deep-rooted in India and the kind Bhakti movement held here had not taken elsewhere. The experiment made by Sri Prabhupanditadasaru here failed but the similar experiment was a huge success in the United States of America. From there, he returned to India and continued his efforts. The journey of Prabhudasa shows the change in the cultural values. The stalwarts like Sri Ramanujacharya, Sri Shankarachary, Sri Madhwacharya, Buddha, Basavanna also promoted the Bhakti movement in their own way. The bhakti movement played important in India to secure independence
Bhagavadgita, a mixture of science and spirituality
Bommai said Sri Bhagavadgita is a mixture of science and spirituality, and it is one of the best epics in the world. The essence of all religions is the welfare of mankind. Lord Krishna’s advise to Arjuna in the Kurukshethra is very important. The time of preaching and the situation are very important. During that time Lord Krishna explains every aspect of life to Arjuna.
Bhagavadgita, a panacea for all
He said glancing the pages of Bhagavadgita during any problems, will give them solution and it can be tried. It is his personal experience. In every Shloka, the essence of life is given along with the solution. The role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is very important in taking India from Atma Nirbhara to atmavishwas (self-confidence) In the field of defence. Now, nearly 50 per cent defence equipments are manufactured locally. Soon India will become one among five nations which would export defence equipments.Lord Krishna has said “Believe yourself”. One who preached and one who heard the Bhagavadgita are really great.
Yediyurappa said, “Bhagavad Gita is the mother of all religions, the need of the hour that provides insightful solutions to all the problems of life. Today, lakhs of people are attracted to Lord Krishna due to the efforts of SrilaPrabhupada. The Gita Dana YajnaMahotsava by ISKCON Bangalore is a great initiative to spread the message of Sanatana Dharma.”
Speaking on the occasion, MadhuPandit Dasa said, ““I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to Shri Rajnath Singh and all the dignitaries for gracing the event. As exemplars, their presence and words of wisdom will surely enthuse everyone to read Bhagavad Gita daily and apply its teachings in their lives. The profound and absolute knowledge of the Gita can guide every individual, family, society and nation to the path of perfection. We hope to multiply the scale of book distribution to reach more people in the coming years.”
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder- Acharya of ISKCON, presented the message of the Bhagavad Gita to the whole world. His work – Bhagavad Gita As It Is, has been translated into all the major languages of the world. The teachings of the Bhagavad Gita are universally applicable to all, irrespective of their country or religion andare much appreciated by great personalities in India and abroad. Following in the footsteps of SrilaPrabhupada, the members of ISKCON Bangalore have been distributing this book of wisdom to lakhs of people through this initiative.
