భగవద్గీతా - అష్టమ అధ్యాయ పారాయణ మహిమ • Datta Vani • పూజ్య శ్రీ స్వామీజీ • Pithapuram • 21 Jan 2025

Datta Vani - Parama Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji
We will talk about the greatness of Bhagavad Gīta chapter 8 through the story of Bhāva Sharma.
kiṁ tadbrahma kimadhyātmaṁ kiṁ karma puruṣōttama!
adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ prōktaṁ adhidaivaṁ kimucyatē॥8.1 ||
Arjuna asked Sri Krishna: O Purushōttama, what is Brahma, what is Adhyātma, what is Karma, what is it that is called Adhibhūtam, what is called Adhidaivam?
Shiva narrated the story about the greatness of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 to Mother Parvati: O Parvati, Near the South Sea, was a village called Amāntakam where lived a scholar called Bhāva Sharma. He fell into wicked company and turned a sinner. When he died, he went to hell, and suffered all the punishment there. He wished to be born a human again, but his merit fell short and he was born a palm tree. Owing to study of Vedas in his prior life, he had some jñāna.
One day, a demonic couple named Kushabala and Kumati appeared near the tree. They had sinned more than Bhāva Sharma in their prior life. The husband Kushabala was well educated and lived dharmically initially, and had no desire to earn money. But his wife Kumati was mad about money and always tormented him. Frustrated, Kushabala gave up his dharma and accepted alms at a Kshetra. Afraid of his wife’s torment, he also accepted forbidden charities. He began taking away the rice and the money on the corpses in Kāsi. He sold the remaining firewood. He also accepted donations of bulls. She was not satisfied. She too began accepting lowly charities and got a lot of money. They built a lot of houses. The neighbors saw their evil ways and tried to reason with them to turn towards God instead. The couple sent them away angrily. One day, the couple died and went straight to hell. That day, hell was overflowing and the couple had no place to stand. Therefore, the couple turned into evil spirits (pishāca) and fell under the palm tree. Bhāva Sharma who was in the form of the tree saw them. He wondered how these good people who did not lie or deceive or gamble or kill anyone, turn into evil spirits.
Kumati asked her husband why they turned into evil spirits despite not committing grave sins. Kushabala replied: We accepted others’ sins through their charity. There are good and bad charities. There are certain rules to accept charity. Japa, tapa must be done by the recipient. We should pray that the donor and the recipient be well. Rituals like Deva Darshana, Nadi Snāna, Tatāka Snāna should be done.
When we accept sinful charity, we should do even more rituals. But we were lusting for money and accepted good and bad charities.
The wife realized the mistake but wondered: We did not dictate the kind of charity. We lived fairly, but why did we get such a sinful birth.
The husband said: We committed the sin with full awareness. Donors give charity to get rid of their sins. Good dāna is okay. But bad dāna should be accepted with rules of Japa and other rituals. You kept hounding me for money. So, I fell from dharma, received evil charity. Half of my sin came to you and you also got this birth. We took the sins of the donors. That is why we had no place in hell and fell to earth as evil spirits.
The wife had tears and sought forgiveness. The husband said that only Brahma Jñāna could free them from this birth. The wife said: This sounds new to me. What is Brahma, Adhyātma, Karma…
The husband was surprised to hear those familiar words. Bhāva Sharma was also startled. Kushabala and Kumati repeatedly chanted the first line of Chapter 8.
Bhāva Sharma realized this line was from Bhagavad Gita Ch 8. Bhāva Sharma wondered if chanting just one like this would bear any fruit. Immediately, a wonderful event took place. The couple lost their evil form and stood as humans. A divine plane came and took them to heaven. Surprised, Bhāva Sharma prayed: “O Lord, forgive me, I misunderstood the Gita’s power. Even merely chanting ‘Gi’ or ‘Ta’ is enough, it is said. That one line sent the demonic couple to heaven, why would it not send me?”
He too began chanting the first line repeatedly. He lost the tree form and was shining as a scholar. He remembered his past life, went to Kasi and did penance for Sri Hari. Sri said to Lakshmi: “He only chanted one line of Chapter 8 repeatedly. So, what fruit must I give him? Lakshmi said: He has the devotion and faith that are important. So, give him the big fruit of moksha. Sri Hari agreed and gave him moksha.
Hearing this story, Parvati said: O Gita Mata, prostrations to you, to Chapter 8, and the first line of Chapter 8
So, everyone must chant and listen to the Gita. Those who cannot chant, think of the words in the Gita. Hold on to whatever you hear in the Gita, and keep thinking of it all the time. Paramātma bestows great fruit.
Bhagavad Gīta is a way of life. One shloka of Gīta is enough. Open to any page, learn the meaning of the shlokas, you will find the answer you need.