Anugita (अनुगीता)
Anugita (Samskrit: अनुगीता) is a conversation between Arjuna and Shri Krishna after the war of Mahabharata and the coronation of Yudhishthira. It occurs as a part of the Ashvamedhika Parva in the Mahabharata.
The Adhyayas 16 to 92 in the Ashvamedhika Parva of the Mahabharata are designated as the Anugita Upaparva. It begins with Arjuna's enquiry about the Bhagavad Gita to Shri Krishna.[1]
Once, after the Mahabharata war, as Arjuna was surveying the palace and rejoicing in the company of Shri Krishna, he expressed his curiosity about the topics of Bhagavad Gita that Krishna had explained to him with affection. He says,
Oh Krishna, I became aware of your greatness and divine form when the battle was about to commence. But what you had explained to me then has now disappeared from my mind. And now that you will be proceeding to Dvaraka, I feel all the more curious to know about those topics once again.[2]
Krishna embraced Arjuna and replied that indeed, a secret knowledge was imparted to him then and it was not possible for Krishna to reiterate it in whole right now. Therefore, Shri Krishna instead recounts his conversation on moksha dharma with a brahmana from the brahmaloka so that adhering to that knowledge, Arjuna may attain the highest goal.
To elaborate on moksha dharma as requested by Shri Krishna, the brahmana related the incident of Rshi Kashyapa meeting a Siddha Maharshi. Rshi Kashyapa, having heard of the Siddha Maharshi's greatness, approached him and looking upto him as his guru began serving him. In due course of time, the Siddha Maharshi also became pleased with his student Kashyapa and adviced him on the topic of Parasiddhi.
The Siddha Maharshi states,
People obtain great fruits on the earth and a good state in the devaloka on account of accumulating Punya by observance of good karmas. However, one cannot stay forever, in any of the lokas.
Describing his multiple sojourns on earth where he experienced various kinds of sorrows and bondages, Maharshi states that one day, being saddened by and scared of repeated sorrowful experiences, he resorted to the Supreme Being and renounced all worldly activities. That, having experienced the ways of this world, he attained the highest goal (Siddhi) due to the grace of the Supreme being whom he resorted to.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pandit Ramnarayanadatta Shastri Pandey, Mahabharata (Khanda 6), Gorakhpur: Gita Press.
- ↑ Kashinath Trimbak Telang (1981), The Anugita, San Diego: Wizards Bookshelf.