Datta Vani by Parama Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji
We are talking about the greatness of Chapter 5
yōgayuktō viśuddhātmā vijitātmājitēndriyaḥ
sarvabhūtātmabhūtātmā kurvannapi na lipyatē॥
Paramamta said: One with a pure mind conquers the body. One should have a pure and broad mind without fear, discontentment or narrow mindedness. The equanimous one who is detached from what comes his way is happy and will have conquered the senses. The one who sees himself as the atman of all is nishkāma karma yogi. He feels the joy and sorrows of others. He is not bound by karma.
These qualities were all found in a Maharshi called Vatu. To get these qualities, we need to do Sadhana. Due to this saint, even a sinner called Pingala, his wife and the forest animals were uplifted. His story was one day narrated by Maha Vishnu to Lakshmi Devi. Vishnu said: I will tell you a special story which contains the greatness of Chapter 5
In Purukutsa was a man named Pingala born in a lineage of scholars. He did not like studies but became a good singer and a good dancer. He earned a position in the royal court. But due to evil company, he turned wicked and fell slave to bad habits.
He took a liking to a girl called Aruna who had come to see him perform. She was wicked. The more his friends cautioned him and pleaded with him to let her go, the stronger his love grew.
One day he brought her home and introduced her as their daughter in law. The parents did not approve, but he took her to a temple next door and without regard for parents, god or guru married her. After 3 months of happiness, their life slowly changed. Due to increased work pressure in the court, he barely came home. He got friendly with the female dancers. His wife found out and fights started. He began roaming with the female dancers and left his wife. That evil wife then went to another man. She called her lover and schemed to kill her husband and take away his wealth.
One day, they threw a big rock on him when he was asleep in his house. He died and went to hell, and after immense suffering, took birth as an eagle on earth. His wicked wife Aruna too became diseased all over, and died. She suffered a lot in hell and was born as a female parrot.
One day, the two came face to face. The eagle remembered its past life and chased after the parrot to kill it. It bit the parrot’s neck. The parrot also unleashed its fury and throttled the eagle’s neck with its claws. The two birds fought furiously until they were drained of energy. They fell into a human skull that had water in it. The parrot fell into the water and died. The eagle tried eat the bone that was in the skull, but the bone got stuck in its throat and it died. Both went to hell at the same time. They stood in front of Yama.
Pingala had thought about God a little when he sang. Aruna too served her husband for sometime. That is all the merit they had. Their sins were endless. They would be in eternal hell with no scope for rebirth.
The minister said: They were both with enmity at the time of death, so they cannot get any merit. All doors were closed on them, let’s keep them in hell forever.
Then, Yama said: Our thinking should always be just and fair, if not we will incur sin. They are not sinners as you say. They died in the human skill. That’s when all their sins were destroyed. The ministers were puzzled.
Yama said: That is not a human skill, that is sage Vatu’s skull. He loved Chapter 5 of the Bhagavad Gita. Therefore, as long as he lived, he did no tapas, but only chanted Ch5 all the time. He lived in the forest contemplating on the meaning of Ch5 at all times. Due to that, he gained detachment and equanimity. That is why he could live happily in the midst of cruel beasts, and venomous snakes. The cruel beasts turned gentle.He chanted Ch5 for welfare of the worlds. He would dedicate his chanting to the cows, to the beings and people. He passed away one day after chanting. However, the greatness of this chapter is that once it enters the skull of the person (that is why it is good to memorize), it will not leave. Even if you die, the Gita will be in the body. Moreover, it was a Maharshi’s skull. All animals that came in contact with the skull attained superior births.
By God’s grace, these two birds died in the skull. Even though they did not know about the Gita, they both learned Ch5 due to contact with the skull. That is a great and surprising blessing. That is why even though they are in hell, they are chanting Ch5 regularly. So, hand them over in Vishnu Loka. They cannot be in hell.
The ministers chanted slogans of victory to Yama. They too chanted Ch 5.
Vishnu said: O Lakshmi Devi, look at the two, they are here. Soon they will merge into me. Lakshmi Devi was very happy. She chanted Ch5 and prostrated to the Lord.
Mother Goddess heard this story from Shiva and got absorbed in meditation. So, everyone chant Ch5 and contemplate on its meaning.