Dear Reader,
Here is the first installment of the Gita for children that we promised you in the last issue. We hope you have given the children a short introduction on the Mahabharatha war. In case you have any questions, write to h2h@radiosai.org.

CHAPTER 1

1. Dhritarashtra tells his friend Sanjaya, “Please tell me, O Sanjaya, what my sons and those of my brother Pandu are about to do on the battlefield in Kurukshetra?”
   
   
2. Sanjaya replies: “O King! Your eldest son Prince Duryodhana is approaching Battle Commander Dronacharya, the Guru of your sons as well as the Pandavas. I can now see Duryodhana speaking to Dronacharya. He says: ‘O Master! Please take a good look at our brave army with so many renowned warriors. They have come from different places to support us and to fight for us. Please Sir, make sure that venerable Bhisma, our Commander-in-Chief, is well protected, at all cost’.”
   
   
3. Sanjaya continues: “And now, all the great warriors on the two sides are blowing their respective conches, signalling their readiness to commence battle. I can also see Krishna and Arjuna blowing their conches.”
   
   
4. “Arjuna is seated in a chariot with Krishna Himself acting as the charioteer. Flying from that chariot is a standard bearing the figure of Hanuman.”
   
   
5. “Arjuna is now telling Krishna: ‘Krishna, please drive the chariot to a spot midway between the two armies. I want to get a close look at our enemies, the evil Kauravas’.”
   
   
6. “Krishna drives the chariot to the midway region as requested by Arjuna and says, ‘There, Arjuna, take a good look at your adversaries’.”
   
   
7. “Arjuna slowly surveys the warriors assembled on the two sides. And what does he see? Nothing but his grandfather, his teachers, his cousins and various other relatives, his friends and so on. Some are lined up on one side and the rest on the other.”
   
   
8. “Arjuna is deeply troubled by what he is seeing and says: ‘Krishna, as I look around me, I see nothing but kith and kin. Do I have to kill people of my own blood for the sake of a mere kingdom? No Krishna, I cannot slaughter my friends, relatives and elders. What pleasure can there be in such killing? What benefit? On the contrary, it is a sin to win a kingdom after butchering one’s own people’.”
   
   
9. ‘Maybe the Kauravas are blinded by greed and want to wage war but I do not have to do so. I do not have to be blinded similarly by greed, jealousy and all the rest of it. I just cannot fight. It is better that my enemies strike me than I kill them.’
   
   
10. Reporting all this, Sanjaya tells Dhirtarashtra, “I can now see Arjuna dropping his bow and sinking into his chariot, filled with deep anguish.”

CHAPTER 2

1. Sanjaya continues and tells Dhritarashtra: “Krishna is now beginning to say something to Arjuna, who appears to be drowned in sorrow.”
   
   
2. Krishna says, ‘Arjuna, how come you have suddenly become so remorseful at this very last minute? You can’t quit now; it is too late for that! You must cast aside your doubts and misgivings. Get up and enter into battle!’
   
   
3. Arjuna asks, ‘Krishna, how is that possible? Bhisma over there is my grandfather! Are You asking me to shoot arrows at my own grandfather who has showered so much love on me?’
   
   
4. ‘And over there is my Guru, Dronacharya? How can one kill one’s own Guru? Can there be a greater sin?’
   
   
5. ‘Frankly Krishna, I cannot see any great purpose in this war. I am very confused at present. To fight or not to fight – that is my question!’
   
   
6. ‘Krishna, I seek refuge in You. Totally surrendering to You, I pray to You for guidance.’
   
   
7. With a broad smile on His face, Krishna replies, ‘Arjuna, you are acting like a perfect fool! You are mourning the death of your relatives etc., even before they have died!’
   
   
8. ‘Do you know anything about life, death, and what happens after death? You obviously do not, for if you did, you would not be chickening out like you are trying to do now. Let Me drive some hard facts into your thick skull!’
   
   
9. ‘Arjuna, your big problem is that like everyone else, you think you are the body. You are also used to seeing bodies being born and die. Since all these images have got stuck in your Mind, you are now worrying about death.’
   
   
10. ‘Now listen to this carefully. Neither you nor I are the body, though we both possess them. I wear My body like a dress and so do you.’
    
    
11. ‘Now who is this “I” that is wearing the body? It is the Atma Arjuna, it is the Atma! By the way, there is no such thing as My Atma, your Atma and so on. It is the same Atma that is present everywhere, wearing many dresses. There is only one Atma, period.’

(To be continued….)