Importance of Reading and Listening Mahatmya and the 7th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita
First, read the story and then read the 7th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. After reading it, say:
“I offer the punya (good and positive merit) gained from reading and listening to the 7th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita to my family members and my forefathers who have passed away.”
The Story
One day, Goddess Parvati asked Lord Shiva about the importance of reciting and listening to the 7th Chapter (Saptama Adhyaya) of the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Shiva said to Parvati, “Today, I will tell you about the importance of reading and listening to the 7th Chapter of the Gita.”
In a city named Pataliputra, a man named Shankukaran lived. He used to host parties for kings, nobles, and other people, but he never engaged himself in the service of the Almighty.
One day, he was travelling to another city for his fourth marriage. While he and his family and friends were resting on the way, a snake came and bit him. Although Shankukaran received medical treatment, nothing could save him, and he died.
After some time, Shankukaran was reborn as a snake. He remembered his treasure, which was filled with diamonds, gold, and other valuable possessions. He decided that he would not give the treasure to his sons and would instead guard it himself.
As the days passed, he became tired and unhappy with his duty of guarding the treasure. One night, he appeared in the dreams of his sons and told them about his situation.
The next morning, all the brothers told one another about their dreams. The middle son, named Shiv, went to the place he had seen in his dream and began to dig.
Suddenly, a large snake appeared and asked Shiv, “Who are you? What are you doing here? Why are you digging?”
Shiv replied, “I am Shiv. I am your son, and I have come here to find the treasure.”
The snake laughed and told his son to help him attain moksha.
Shiv asked his father, “Father, how can I help you attain moksha?”
His father replied, “My son Shiv, call the Brahmins and ask them to recite the 7th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, because nothing else can help me attain moksha.”
Shiv returned home and told his brothers about what had happened. All the sons then performed the rituals as Shankukaran had instructed Shiv.
After the recitation of the 7th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Shankukaran attained moksha and gave his treasure to his sons.
Shankukaran’s sons used the treasure for good purposes. They built temples, dams, and food-storage facilities and helped people in need.
Thus, Lord Shiva said to Goddess Parvati:
“O Parvati, by reading and/or listening to the this story one should read or listen to 7th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita with devotion, people can attain spiritual merit and progress towards moksha.”
Chapter 7 of Bhagvad Geeta
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter Seven: Knowledge of the Absolute.
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Truth, the supreme cause and sustaining
force of everything, both material and spiritual. Advanced souls
surrender unto Him in devotion, whereas impious souls divert their
minds to other objects of worship.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Pritha,
how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached
to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.
I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal
and numinous. This being known, nothing further shall remain for you
to know.
Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and
of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—all together these eight constitute My separated material energies.
Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior
energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting
the resources of this material, inferior nature.
All created beings have their source in these two natures. Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both the origin and the dissolution.
O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.
O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the
moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether
and ability in man.
I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire.
I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all
ascetics.
O son of Pritha, know that I am the original seed of all existences,
the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful
men.
I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am
sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the
Bharatas [Arjuna].
Know that all states of being—be they of goodness, passion or
ignorance—are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything,
but I am independent. I am not under the modes of material nature, for
they, on the contrary, are within Me.
Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the
whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and
inexhaustible.
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material
nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto
Me can easily cross beyond it.
Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among
mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the
atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.
O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render
devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the
inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.
Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged
in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and
he is dear to Me.
All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is
situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self.
Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me,
the highest and most perfect goal.
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge
surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all
that is. Such a great soul is very rare.
Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires
surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and
regulations of worship according to their own natures."
I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to
worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote
himself to that particular deity.
Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular
demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are
bestowed by Me alone.
Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are
limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the
planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme
planet.
Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and
have now assumed this personality. Due to their small knowledge, they
do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme.
I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am
covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I
am unborn and infallible.
O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything
that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present,
and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities;
but Me no one knows.
O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are
born into delusion, bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and
hate.
Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and
whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the
dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with
determination.
Intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation from old age
and death take refuge in Me in devotional service. They are actually
Brahman because they entirely know everything about transcendental
activities.
Those in full consciousness of Me, who know Me, the Supreme Lord, to
be the governing principle of the material manifestation, of the
demigods, and of all methods of sacrifice, can understand and know Me,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even at the time of death.
End of chapter 7 of Bhagwat Gita
