Bluishmuse

Gītā Dhyānam is done before the study of the Bhagavad Geeta traditionally. This was composed by  Madhusudana Sarasvati , who was a philosopher in Advaita Vedānta. The nine Dhyāna Ślokās are chanted (meditated upon) as a prayer and invocation to the highest to prepare our mind and intellect to be ready for the study. The purpose of a prayer or invocation is to attune both head and heart to the higher with respect (mat-paraḥ) and love (mat-cittaḥ). When both love and respect come together (devotion), we are able to focus and receive the profound wisdom from the sacred study. Verse 1   ॐ पार्थाय प्रतिबोधितां भगवता नारायणेन स्वयम् व्यासेन ग्रथितां पुराणमुनिना मध्ये महाभारतम् अद्वैतामृतवर्षिणीं भगवतीमष्टादशाध्यायिनीम् अम्ब त्वामनुसन्दधामि भगवद्गीते भवद्वेषिणीम्   ॥ १ ॥ Om pārthāya pratibodhitāṃ bhagavatā nārāyaṇena svayaṃ vyāsena grathitāṃ purāṇa-muninā madhye mahābhāratam advaitāmṛta-varṣiṇīṃ bhagavatīm-aṣṭādaśādhyāyinīṃ amba tvām-anusandadhāmi bhagavad-gīte bhava-dveṣiṇīm  ॥ 1 ॥ Salutat

Ever since I became interested in Vedānta a few years ago, I've been yearning to begin studying the Bhagavad Gītā, perhaps because I grew up listening to the Mahabhāratā and the Bhagavad Gītā was mentioned in that context many times throughout my life. I'm grateful that today on Vijayadhasami, I've begun the study with a great group of people from around the world. Our life is a series of experiences with some happy and some sad experiences. We all naturally want to be completely happy and free from sorrow. Our ultimate goal as human beings is to be free from sorrow. Only humans have this capacity to self-reflect with our mind and intellect, to make choices, and to put effort towards achieving that ultimate goal. The means to attain liberation (freedom from sorrow) is preserved in the Vedas in Indian culture. Veda means Knowledge.  It comes from the word vid which means to know . Vedas are divided into three kāṇḍas, or sections: karma-kāṇḍa, upāsanā-kāṇḍa, and jñāna-kāṇ