The Complete Power, Bhagavad Gita by Jaya Row
Founder of Vedanta Vision, Mrs. Jaya Row is one of the world’s most influential speakers on Indian philosophy. Backed by her corporate experience and 40 years of research on Vedanta, she motivates her audiences to live successful and happy lives. Clarity, wit and zeal are the hallmarks of her presentation, which comes forth beautifully in her book, The Complete Power.
The Complete Power is a simple read that unravels the power of the oldest and the grandest spiritual powerhouse i.e., Bhagavad Gita. The book is not merely a translation, but it provides applications of the principles in very practical way. She cites examples from our daily lives, like work, family, shopping, etc. This makes the book very relatable.
She presents the concept of Bhagavad Gita through 7 gems quoting relevant shlokas. Each gem takes you through the principles about how to practice 3 yoga – karma yoga, bhakti yoga and gyan yoga. She explains the enormous truth of why one should become desireless in a very logical manner – she proves it that actually not giving up desires brings you more pain. When we think of desires, we ask ourselves, why shouldn’t I get a new dress, why shouldn’t I use the air-con on hot days if I can afford it? She says, we definitely shouldn’t give that up, what we must give up is the attachment to those desires. She makes difficult concepts easy to comprehend.
The knowledge of Bhagavad Gita is not unknown but converting that knowledge into wisdom requires careful craftsmanship. Mrs. Row in her book serves excellent pointers to think about that prompts us to look at our lives more closely, to give conscious thought to our constantly thinking mind.
We are all very familiar with the below verse which is presented as Gem 5 in The Complete Power, but Mrs. Row has brought forth the depth of the concept in modest words.
Gem 5
“One who does what one ought to do without depending on the fruit of action is a sannyāsī, a yogī. Not one with agni (ideal) or action.”
The author explains that even if a person’s goal is of higher level i.e. of self-realization, there can be a tendency of being result-oriented. Or some level of pride. Further she says, and I quote, “If you do not have a goal, you will not act. If you think of the goal while acting your action will be faulty and you will not succeed.”
She literally prescribes what one must do in order to absorb the simple principles of Bhagavad Gita. She ends the book with defining the Happiness Quotient and illustrating daily life scenarios for us to comprehend it.
As she describes in the introduction of the book, The Complete Power is not an exhaustive explanation of the wealth of knowledge contained in the Gita, but it surely is a very good start point if one starts becoming aware of one’s mind using the right trigger points illustrated in the book.
Arise, Awake.
Stop not till the Goal is reached.
Written by: Chahna D
Edited by: Milauni T
Gems from The Complete Power
Gem 1
I bestow yoga (spiritual enlightenment) and ksema (material success) to those persons who worship me with no other thought, to those always seeking Union.
Gem 2
O Arjuna, how has this despondency come over you in a crisis? It is un-Aryan, leading to neither heaven nor fame.
Gem 3
Having created humankind in the beginning along with yagna (sacrifice), Prajapati (the Creator) said, “By this may you prosper, let this be the Kamadhenu (wish-fulfilling cow) of your desires.
Gem 4
Fight, surrendering all actions to Me, focussing thoughts on the Self, without expectation, my-ness or frenzy.
Gem 5
One who does what one ought to do without depending on the fruit of action is a sannyasi, a yogi; not one without agni (ideal) or action.
Gem 6
Having totally abandoned all dharmas (attributes), take refuge in Me alone. Do not grieve; I will release you from all sins.
Gem 7
As the ocean which filled from all sides with waters entering it, remains still, so one in whom all objects of desire enter obtains peace, not the desirer of desires.
himalayaswithin 