Gita Panchah Gyan Yagna at Birmingham, UK
A five-day Gita Panchaha Gyan Yagna was conducted by Pujya Bhaishri in the city of Birmingham from Tuesday 2nd to Saturday 6th August 2005. Bhaishri conducted 3-hour discourses every evening on the theme of Chapter 15 of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, titled ‘Purshottam Yoga’.
Before Bhaishri commenced the chapter, he went on to talk about the essence of The Bhagavad Gita. “The Gita is the true foundation of all knowledge. The Gita is not merely a scripture for Hindus, but for the whole of mankind. The word Hindu is not cited in the Gita anywhere.”
Bhaishri then went on to saying that the Ramayana and the Shrimad Bhagavatam are commentaries of The Bhagavad Gita. Bhaishri said that the three qualities of Parabrahma are ‘Sat-chit-ananda’. ‘Sat’ being represented in the Ramayana in a dignified manner by Shri Ram. ‘Chit’ represented in the Bhagavad Gita by Shri Krishna to advance spirituality, and ‘Anand’ in the Bhagavatam describing the supreme bliss of Shri Krishna.
Bhaishri spent the following days describing in detail the verses of Purshottam Yoga. Bhaishri described the two purushas: ‘kshar’ (meaning the temporary reality for example all of the material creation which includes the universe) and ‘akshar’ (the indestructible, eternal soul which is always ever present and beginning less). Bhaishri explained that anything that has a beginning also has an end, and that which is eternal has neither beginning nor end. For example the body is kshar and therefore temporary. It has a beginning and an end, however the soul is eternal and has no beginning nor end.
The event, which was co-hosted by The Hindu Council of Birmingham, Shree Birmingham Pragati Mandal and Sanskruti Foundation UK, was attended by over 1,200 people every day and over 2,000 on Saturday. It was the first time that the Hindu community of Birmingham had the opportunity to hear Bhaishri’s discourses on the Bhagavad Gita.
In addition to the discourses, there were youth workshops and children’s activities held in the afternoon. Bhaishri gave a Jigyasa questions-answer session with a group of very enthusiastic and inquisitive youngsters. Many of them asked questions that were directly relevant to their lives and living as Hindus in the West.
On the last day His Holiness Swami Satyamitrananda Giriji Maharaj attended the event and gave a wonderful discourse highlighting the mahima of the Bhagavad Gita. Before Bhaishri’s final discourse the organisers of the event celebrated Bhaishri’s birthday in the presence of Swamiji.
