GITA MAHATMYAM - CHAPTER - II - THE SECRET OF PEACE

In a village called Purandara, there lived a pious man named Deva Sharma. He had acquired great name and fame for the good deeds that he had done. But somehow he lacked one thing — peace of mind. He approached a number of people seeking their advice as to how he could obtain peace of mind. But all was in vain.

When thus Deva Sharma was lost in despair, an ascetic happened to pass through the village. Deva Sharma met him in privacy and sought his guidance. The ascetic looked at him intensely for a while and said:

"O Brahmin! There is a dense forest in the neighbourhood of Punyapura, and a river flows quietly through this forest. On the banks of this river there is a big stretch of rocks. You will find a shepherd named Mitraavaan resting in a cavern in this rocky stretch. Go and seek him out, and pose your problem to him. He alone can show you the path to peace."

Deva Sharma hastened to Punyapura and without much difficulty found out Mitraavaan. After salutations he said to Mitraavaan: "I am coming from the village Purandara. I am desperately in search of mental peace. Please be kind enough to bless me and guide me."
Mitraavaan looked at the face of Deva Sharma and slowly closed his eyes and went into a state of deep meditation.
His face shone with the brilliance of spiritual splendour. Deva Sharma folded his hands in salutation to this rare yogi.
When he woke from his meditation, Mitraavaan addressed Deva Sharma and said: "O learned Brahmin! There was a time when I too had wandered about in search of peace. At last I came here and found it. I will narrate it in detail, from the very beginning."
"On the banks of the river Godavari, in a place called Pratishtaana, there lived a wicked fellow, Durdama. When he died he was reborn in the same place in a brahmin family. He married a woman who turned out to be a bad character. She was promiscuous by nature and a girl was born to her through her relationship with other men. As the girl grew up, the Brahmin realised that she was not born of him, and so he drove away his wife from the house but kept the girl. The woman wandered about in the forests, killing people and animals. After a few years, the girl drove away the old brahmin from the house. He also wandered about in the jungles.

These two people were born as animals in their next birth the brahmin as a tiger and the woman as a sheep in my flock. Once a tiger chased a sheep of my flock. The sheep bleated piteously and ran towards the bank of this river flowing in front of us. I ran with my stick to drive the predator away. As soon as the sheep and the tiger reached the river bank, they stopped and looked at each other. A strange calm overtook them, and they both appeared to have lost fear and enmity. I was intrigued, and watched their movements.

The sheep said: 'You must be really hungry. You can eat me up.'

'No I don't feel hungry', said the tiger. 'On the other hand, a feeling of love and pity for you arises in my bosom.'

I was taken aback. I walked up and looked at them.

'What makes you forget mutual enmity?' I enquired.

'We don't know', they said.

I just could not understand what was happening.

'I know it', came a voice from above. 'If you wish to know, listen.'

That was an old monkey sitting calmly on the branch of a tree.

'Of course we wish to know', said all three of us together.

'Do you see that stretch of rocks yonder?', asked the monkey as it started to tell the secret. 'That is indeed a sacred place. Long, long ago there lived a man on that rocky stretch named Sukarma. He was very eager to serve his guests who came up there, Once, a very pious man happened to be his guest. Pleased by the hospitality and sincerity of Sukarma, the pious man asked him to seek a boon from him.

'I do not seek anything for me', said Sukarma. 'I wish that all men be happy and peaceful.'

'The pious man was glad at Sukarma's wish. He then took up a chisel and hammer and carved out a message on the rocks.'

Addressing the three listeners, the monkey asked:

'Can you see what is written on the rocks there? Go and read it. It is the second chapter of the Bhagawad Geeta. On account of the spiritual power imparted by the pious man and the glory of the second chapter of Geeta, all living beings coming within the precincts of this rocky stretch and riverbank, are able to overcome the negativities in them such as lust, anger, fear, jealousy, greed, arrogance, etc. They also overcome hunger and thirst, and all pairs of opposites which torment men at the physical, mental and intellectual levels. On account of Sukarma's meritorious deeds and his grace, this tiger and sheep have forgotten their animalistic instincts and have become 'Satwic' in nature.'

After saluting the old wise monkey, the sheep, and the tiger I went near the rocks and started studying and contemplating on the second chapter of the Geeta. The sheep and tiger have since passed away and attained the higher worlds. I am awaiting my turn here.
O brahmin! if you wish to have true mental peace which you are searching, please read and contemplate upon the second chapter of the Geeta" said Mitravaan. Deva Sharma thereafter engaged himself to the study of the second chapter of the Geeta.

I have narrated the glory of the second chapter too. Now listen, O Indira (Lakshmi) to the glories of other chapters