Prataparudra, the King of Odisha, ruled 500 years ago. At that time, Muslims ruled almost entire India. However, they were helpless. Though they had massive armies, they could not penetrate Odisha because King Prataparudra was very powerful. Lord Chaitanya, the avatar of Lord Krishna in Kali Yuga, had spread divine love through namakirtan. He planned to live in Vrindavan after taking renounced order of life but his mother stopped him saying, “Vrindavan is far away. If you go there, so far from Nabadwip, Bengal, we will never see you or hear anything about you. The same Krishna who is staying in Vrindavan is also living in Puri in the form of Lord Jagannath. So please live in Odisha which is close by.” Responding to his mother’s appeal, Lord Chaitanya made Puri his residence. He lived there for a couple of months before going on a tour to share his message in the southern and western provinces of India.
At that point of time, King Prataparudra shifted his capital from Cuttack to Puri where he heard that Saint Chaitanya was an embodiment of love and devotion, and was transforming people’s hearts so much so that even criminals, ruffians and murderers were giving up their sinful acts, and becoming saints and lovers of God.
King Prataparudra asked his guru, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, “Who is Lord Chaitanya? I want to meet him.” The teacher replied, “He is currently on a tour of South India. He may be away for some years and we do not know when he shall return.” Asked the King, “Why did you let him go?” The teacher replied, “Because He is the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the Lord of all creation and He was incarnated in this world. What powers do I have to keep him here?” The King said, “He is Krishna, God, who has incarnated on earth, when will He return? When He returns, please arrange an interview for me to meet Him.”
When Lord Chaitanya returned, the King sent him a message that he wanted to meet him. However, Lord Chaitanya declined to meet him. The Lord was a swami in a renounced order and playing this role for the benefit of mankind. He said He did not want to meet the King who is an egoistic person and controlled everything.
When King Prataparudra heard this, he said he would go to the Lord’s house with a wooden bowl as a beggar and live on the streets and wear simple clothes because, if God did not meet him in his capacity as a King, then what is the use of such kingdom? So he renounced his kingdom.
The Lord understood the King’s heart. He then showered complete mercy on the King and showed the world the King’s priority of spiritual life. This is the universal principle of every great religion.
The King became humble and served his people with great devotion and kindness. He made facilities for gurus and teachers, provided food, clothing and shelter for people, ruled efficiently, created justice department to give proper justice to people, maintained discipline and protected the people from enemies by maintaining a huge army of soldiers.
This is the essence of Bhagavad Gita, which teaches us that we should not give up our work but perform our work motivated by highest ideals.In the first chapter of Sri Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna is speaking in a very pseudo-spiritual way: “There is too much confusion in fighting this war so I am not going to fight. Krishna, my Charioteer, I am not going to fight. I am going to become a real saint and just practice meditation, whatever.” Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna, “You must perform your duty but you must transform your consciousness.” Duryodhana was fighting on one side and he was motivated by envy and greed while Arjuna was fighting in the spirit of compassion, humility and love of God.
Some people say that Gita preaches ‘work is worship’ but if that is all Gita has taught then it would not be of 700 verses. It would then be just three words: ‘work is worship’. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna speaks eloquently, scientifically, philosophically, logically how to make your work worship and that is important.
In the third chapter, Sri Krishna tells us that whatever work one has done or one does should be an offering to the Supreme. Otherwise whatever work one does is simply a cause of karmic bondage. All that you do, all that you offer and give away, all charity you perform, all austerities you perform, should be done as an offering of devotion. This is the essence of Gita.
Krishna says, “Do not be attached to the fruits of your work and do not be attached to not doing your duty.” This is subtle and difficult for many to understand: how to perform your duty and not be attached to the fruits of your work.The Absolute Truth, God, is all attractive; therefore, he has the name Krishna. Lord Brahma prayed that the Supreme Lord or Krishna has a body that is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He is the cause of all causes, says Bhagavad Gita.
So in the way the rays are related to the Sun, we are qualitatively one with God. But quantitatively, we are always subordinate to the Supreme, as eternal servants. The soul, the conscious force, the life within us, is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. When we think we are this body, we will look for the bliss through the senses and through the mind. But really what gives bliss to the soul? Love. The most fundamental need for every living being is pleasure and the essence of pleasure is to love and be loved. If you do not have that, then there is always emptiness and an unfilled quest within the heart. This is the essence of Gita and its teachings.