The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is a very important ethical-text in ancient India. It captures the essence of Hinduism and offers us a glimpse of the ancient Indian civilization.

The Bhagavad Gita, believed to be written around 500 BCE, is a text from Sanskrit taken from the chapter Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata epic which contained 700 verses. Krishna was considered as the Bhagavan or the divine one.

The text centers on the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna that took place before the war of Kurukshetra started. Arjuna has mixed feelings. He was about to wage war against his own family, closest friends, relatives and beloved teachers. Krishna enlightened Arjun by offering Yogic and Vedantic philosophies providing analogies and examples. Krishna then reveals that he is the Supreme Being.

Krishna’s Advice to Arjuna

In The Bhagavad Gita, the five Pandava brothers returned from the exile only to find their 100 cousins laying claim to what is rightfully their lands. The brothers requested that their cousins, the Kauravas, return a few villages to them to prevent war. But their cousins refused. This forced Arjuna to declare war against them.

Arjuna did not want war so he talked with Krishna, one of the ten incarnations of the Universal Hindu God, Vishnu. Krishna told Arjuna in the Gita that the soul is immortal. Therefore, death on the battlefield only means the shedding of body.

Arjuna hesitated to go to war because he didn’t understand the nature of things. His fear prevented him attaining balance in dharma or universal harmony. Refusing to go to war would cause disorder because action is higher than inaction.

To prove his point, Krishna talks about the Yoga processes. Yoga enables the follower to detach from the material self and become one with his immortal self. The physical self is important but it should conform to eternal truths. The war that is about to take place is a righteous war because it is to attain justice. In essence, the Bhagavad Gita talks about focusing on the deed and not the results.

The Six Darshans

Religion and the concept of God was essential in ancient Hindu religious literature. The concept of God and how to achieve salvation was not clear in ancient Hinduism. To solve this problem, they chose Lord Krishna as the symbol of God to ‘humanize’ the idea of a Higher Being. The Gita was written to reconcile two of the six important ancient Indian philosophies (Darshans).

The Six Darshans were different to each other although their concepts revolved similarly on the ways of attaining salvation. The six Darshans are divided into three groups: Nyaya and Vaisesika; Sankhyya and Yoga; and Mimamsha and Vedanta.

The Bhagavad Gita is a marriage of the concepts of Sankhyya and Vedanta. Interestingly, Sankhyya is the basis for Buddhism while Vedanta is the basis for modern Hinduism. The Sankhyya is the oldest Darshan and Vedanta is the most important. Sankhyya followed the origin of everything. Vedanta talks about Brahman or the permanent and ultimate reality beyond what mind and reason can comprehend.

Religion, politics and society in the Ancient Indian civilization were closely intertwined. We can see in the Bhagavad Gita a society at war because of the transgression of several political and religious tenets. In essence, it was not merely a struggle over the kingdoms but more importantly, it was a fight between good and evil. This divided the once peaceful society where Arjuna lived as cousins, relatives, teachers and students clashed in their ideologies.

Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill is, undoubtedly, one of the most influential people of the century. His nonconformist ways earned him admiration and respect.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill is a great man. Born in England, he was generally regarded as the most misunderstood yet greatly admired man during his time. His policies and views may not appeal to the masses or the influential people that he worked with but few would disagree that he was the force that carried Britain during the difficult times of Second World War.

His exploits were famous, sometimes infamous. But Churchill was a force to reckon with, accepted by friends and foes alike. That he made things happened is a given.

The whole world watched in fascination at his antics, his radical strategies and nonconformist ways. Sir Winston Churchill will go down in the annals of history as a stalwart in British politics. His greatness goes beyond his accomplishments. He is great mainly for his courage, brilliance and his great vision for Britain in particular and the world in general.

Personal Background

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill led a colorful and adventurous life. He was born November 30, 1874. Perhaps, his greatest achievement was being a brilliant British politician who held the Prime Minister post of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945.

He was also a multi-awarded author being a Nobel Prize awardee in Literature for his valuable historical writings. An accomplished soldier, he was an officer of the British Army. He held a number of political and cabinet positions. He was also an excellent painter, a budding sculptor and an excellent polo player.

He married Clementine Hozier on September 12, 1908 at St. Margaret’s Westminster. They had five children: Diana, Randolph, Sarah, Marigold and Mary. His son Randolph and later grandsons Nicholas Soames and Winston followed his footsteps in politics. His daughters married politicians.

At the start of the Second World War, Churchill was the First Lord of the Admiralty. In May, 1940, he became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He supported the Allied group and led the war against the Axis powers.

The End of an Era

Knowing that he was physically and mentally deteriorating, Churchill retired in 1955. He was succeeded by his protégé Anthony Eden. He was offered the dukedom by the Queen which he respectfully declined. He still served as MP for Woodford until he stood down for the last time in 1964 General Elections.

He fought depression but was losing the battle due to his advanced age. He found comfort in the Mediterranean. He took long holidays with literary adviser Emery Reves and Wendy, Emery’s wife at French Riviera. Clementine rarely joined him in these holidays. He had eight cruises with Aristotle Onassis on the yacht Christina. When they passed Dardanelles, Onassis instructed the crew to do it during the night so Churchill would not recall unhappy memories.

US President John F. Kennedy awarded him the first Honorary Citizen of the United States in 1963 as authorized by Act of Congress. Churchill could not attend the ceremony at the White House due to his failing health so he sent his son and grandson to receive the award in his behalf.

January 15, 1965, Churchill had a stroke that made him seriously ill. He passed away nine days later at age 90, a little after eight o’clock in the morning of January 24, 1965. Such was the life and times of a great man, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill. His influence and voice still resonates even to this day.