Moment of trial

Tiruvalluvar’s advice on the process of learning is that one

has to learn and learn it well without any blemish. After one learns well in this manner, one has to live by what has been learnt. This means internalising the knowledge and applying it in daily life are important, said Swami Paramasukhananda in a lecture.

This applies to the knowledge of worldly matters as well

as Sastra Jnana. While the former learning has its uses for
people in various walks of life, the latter helps one to know
the path to redemption. A time will come in the life of
everyone when the desire to get out of Samsara takes root in their consciousness. Arjuna meets the moment of trial when the burden of the Kurukshetra war is placed on his
shoulders. He who had vowed to bring to book those who
wronged the Pandavas is now dead against waging a war
against his kin. Such a war would result in large-scale
destruction. He would rather renounce all, he tells Krishna.

Krishna teaches the Gita Sastra which is a repeat of the

timeless Vedantic truths governing the entire creation. The
crux of the teaching is to surrender to the Lord who alone is
capable of guiding the lost soul through Samsara to
liberation. Listening to His incarnations and knowing about
His infinite nature is the only worthwhile efort for any
jivatma. The Lord grants all the Purusharthas but He also
instils unshakable bhakti and jnana in his devotees who
gradually realise that the ultimate Purushartha, mukti, alone is the goal to be attained. The Lord bestows salvation on those who believe in Him. “This is my word of promise, that He who loves Me shall not perish.” The wise understand this truth and worship Him in their inner being.