BENGALURU: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday inaugurated the ‘Gita Daan Yajna’ on the occasion of Gita Jayanti at ISKCON Temple at Vasanthapura in Bengaluru and said the Bhagavad Gita is a source of inspiration for today’s youth.
“The knowledge contained in the Gita is a source of inspiration for the youth. By adopting the valuable teachings of the Gita, we can make the right choices. If we want to do something, we should remember the verses of the Gita”, Rajnath Singh said, adding that any person who reads the Gita rises above the fear of life and death. “The one who reads Gita rises above the fear of life and death. Only then can they do something fearlessly for their nation…They can give a new direction to society”, he said further.
Addressing the Gita Daan Yajna, the Defence Minister also said that people can find solutions to a number of problems in their life and opined that the generation should adopt Bhagavad Gita as part of their lifestyle. “I believe that if the Gita is studied properly, then no self-help book will be required”, he said.
The Defence Minister further reiterated that India never occupied an inch of the land of any other country, but “tolerating injustice and iniquity” is also not in our character. “India never occupied one inch of land from any part of the world. But tolerating injustice and iniquity is also not a part of our character, the world needs to understand this. India does not want war, it is the truth. India never teases anyone, but if someone teases India, then it does not spare them. This is also the message of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita”, Singh added.
Singh said people are more concerned about what is happening in the outside world, but forget to introspect. “We are so lost in the outer world that we seek happiness, but the need to look into the self is the message of Gita”, he said. “Gita Jayanti is not a means of celebration, but a means of living. Gita is constant, Gita is true, so I believe that Gita should not be celebrated for one day, but every day”, he added.
Rajnath Singh congratulated the devotees and also talked about the construction of the Rajadhiraj temple of ISKCON in Bengaluru. “I heartily congratulate all of you on Gita Jayanti and, on this auspicious occasion, we are starting the ‘Mahayagya of Gita Daan’, and heartily congratulate and pray to God for the success of this campaign”, he added.
The ISKCON Bengaluru group of temples aims to distribute one lakh Bhagavad Gitas during the month-long ‘Gita Daan Yajna’. Seminars and philosophical discussions based on the Bhagavad Gita will also be organised. The event was attended by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former CM B S Yediyurappa, Revenue Minister R Ashoka, MP Tejasvi Surya among others. (ANI)