Shri Krishna is one of the most celebrated Gods in Hinduism. He is the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also a supreme God in his own rights. He is the God of compassion, love and tenderness. His teaching reverberate from Bhagvad-Gita, to Vedas and Puranas. More than a God his is celebrated as a guide for, spiritual enlightenment, righteous way to live life and attaining eternal happiness.
Narratives of Krishna’s life are generally termed as Krishna Leela. He is the principal character in Mahabharata, where he guides good (Pandavas) vs bad (Kauravas) in the battle of Kurukshetra. His teachings to Arjuna in the middle of the battlefield, to clear his inhibitions to fight against his own brothers and family, are recorded in Bhagvad-Gita.
10 Secrets of Life from Shri Krishna to lead a happy life:
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Learn to tolerate – Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 2, Verse 14 as under:
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु: खदा: |
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ||14||
Meaning: O son of Kunti, the contact between the senses and the sense objects gives rise to fleeting perceptions of happiness and distress. These are non-permanent, and come and go like the winter and summer seasons. O descendent of Bharat, one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
Human body houses five senses—the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing—and these, in contact with their objects of perception, give rise to sensations of happiness and distress. None of these sensations are permanent. They come and go like the changing seasons. A person should practice to tolerate both the feelings of happiness and distress without being disturbed by them.
Tough times will come and go away. Learn to tolerate them without being affected by them. Understanding the fact that nothing is permanent in this world. The only thing that is constant is change. So, don’t worry.
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Be Fearless – Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 2, Verse 20 as under:
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूय: |
अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ||20||
Meaning: The soul is neither born, nor does it ever die; nor having once existed, does it ever cease to be. The soul is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.
Krishna says, Most of the fears that hold us back from success are related to change or losing control, which are connected to this shell (body). We should understand that everything perishes, nothing is forever, other than the soul. When we accept this truth and eliminate fear from our mind, all deterrents between us and what we want in our life are washed away, and we achieve success in whatever we do.
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Karma – Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 2, Verse 47 as under:
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ||47||
Meaning: You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.
This doesn’t mean you should stop analysing your work or be optimistic; in simple terms it means, you should enjoy the journey and not think about the destination.
Work every waking hour – Elon Musk.
Best way to start something is to get started. It may not be grand, but every action will produce some reaction that’ll bring you closer to your path and success.
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Anger – Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 2, Verse 63 as under:
क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोह: सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रम: |
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ||63||
Meaning: Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of the memory. When the memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.
Anger is one of the most destructive forces within you, that leads to nothing but misery. Any decision, action or reaction that stems out of anger is ugly, destructive and chaotic. Hence one should learn to stay calm in every situation; calm posture and demeanour can disarm your foe to surrender.
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Sacrifice – Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 4, Verse 28 as under:
द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे |
स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतय: संशितव्रता: ||28||
Meaning: Some offer their wealth as sacrifice, while others offer severe austerities as sacrifice. Some practice the eight-fold path of yogic practices, and yet others study the scriptures and cultivate knowledge as sacrifice, while observing strict vows.
Human beings differ from each other in their natures, motivations, activities, professions, aspirations, and sanskārs (tendencies carrying forward from past lives). Shri Krishna brings Arjun to the understanding that sacrifices can take hundreds of forms, but when they are dedicated to God, they become means of purification of the mind and senses and elevation of the soul.
Perform your duties unattached from outcomes, as a sacrifice to mankind or the ultimate creator and you’ll find fulfilment and satisfaction in all your actions.
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Meditation – Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 6, Verse 5 as under:
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: ||5||
Meaning: Elevate yourself through the power of your mind, and not degrade yourself, for the mind can be the friend and also the enemy of the self.
Krishna says, on the one hand, as the greatest benefactor of the soul, the mind has the potential of giving us the most benefit; on the other hand, as our greatest adversary, it also has the potential for causing the maximum harm. A controlled mind can accomplish many beneficial endeavours, whereas an uncontrolled mind can degrade the consciousness with most ignoble thoughts.
Like lifting weights is an exercise for the body, meditation is the exercise for the mind. Meditation starts from self-reflection and control. When one starts this process there is a feeling of peace and tranquillity. Your senses become calmer, your actions controlled and you feel joyous with the creation and it’s beings.
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Live in the present moment – Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 7, Verse 26 as under:
वेदाहं समतीतानि वर्तमानानि चार्जुन |
भविष्याणि च भूतानि मां तु वेद न कश्चन ||26||
Meaning: O Arjun, I know of the past, present, and future, and I also know all living beings; but me no one knows.
Krishna could see past, present and future; he knew the outcome of the Kurukshetra war and he could end it within a second. But he chose to let the course of karma take course and live in the present moment.
Staying in the present moment can improve your mental well-being and quality of life. Challenges, desires and difficult situations always surround us, but learning to stay in the present helps us stay positive.
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Three gates to hell – Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 16, Verse 21 as under:
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मन: |
काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||21||
Meaning: There are three gates leading to the hell of self-destruction for the soul – lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, all should abandon these three.
Together, lust, anger, and greed are the foundations from which the demonic vices develop. They fester in the mind and make it a suitable ground for all other vices to take root. One should train the mind through meditation and stillness, to shun them and avoid self-destruction.
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Humbleness – The higher we are placed, the more humble we should be. In life we are striving for bookish knowledge, which may not be easy to attain but is attainable. However a bigger aspect in one’s life is wisdom, which is gained from humility, simplicity and forgiveness.
When we become proud of our attributes, such as beauty, intellect, talent, strength, etc. we forget that God has given all these attributes to us. Pride thus results in distancing our consciousness from God. It is a big obstacle on the path of self-realisation since it contaminates the qualities of mind and intellect.
Part of real humility is accepting the whole truth: what we have gained is temporary, we may be millionaires one instance and poppers the next. One must learn to be humble and cherish relationships more than materialistic gains.
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Belief– Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 17, Verse 3 as under:
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत |
श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्ध: स एव स: ||3||
Meaning: The faith of all humans conforms to the nature of their mind. All people possess faith, and whatever the nature of their faith, that is verily what they are.
Krishna says, Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.
The mind is everything. When you change attitude of your mind, you can change your life. One of the best-selling books ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne revolves around this notion, the book suggests, like attracts the like. If you think positive, positive things are attracted to you. Your belief system is a very powerful source for your success or failure.
Be the master of your mind, thoughts and actions; think positive, believe in yourself and everything you desire will be in your grasp.
Conclusion
Shri Krishna is one of the most influential personalities in Hindu mythology. His teachings are ageless which are still reverberating in schools and educational institutes around the world. Many famous personalities and yogis follow his footsteps, leading a happy and content life. Inculcate these teachings in your life and see the positive impact it creates.
Jai Shri Krishna!!
