Give your kids a purposeful existence and take care of their mental health.
Among the world’s oldest civilizations is Indian civilization. Many ancient traditions and wisdom exist on the Indian subcontinent; some of these have not yet been fully explored by contemporary science. Some of humanity’s greatest gifts have come from the ancient knowledge of India.
Numerous globally recognized scientists, philosophers, thinkers, and academics have acknowledged drawing inspiration from the extensive corpus of ancient Indian knowledge.
Scriptures include, among other things, the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Yoga, Ayurveda, and scientific findings. The Bhagvad Gita, one of the greatest philosophical and spiritual texts ever written, is one of the greatest gifts humanity has ever received. Due to the fact that it was a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Bhagwan Krishna in a battlefield of Kurukshetra. In the Indian tradition, the Bhagavad Gita, as well as the epic Mahabharata of which it is a part, is attributed to sage Vyasa.
The Bhagavad Gita is regarded by many experts as our life’s handbook. We have access to a wide range of responses to our inquiries concerning life and its pursuits. It helps you focus and clear your head so you can take action. Reading the shlokas (verses), delving into their significance, and putting them into practice in my life are all very beneficial to me personally.
I shall make an effort to focus on seven shlokas, their interpretations, and the Gurus’ commentary on them, which can be taught to kids to help them develop a positive outlook on life. After they learn a few shlokas, they will be able to settle any internal conflict, have acute focus and attention, and get the confidence to overcome any obstacles in life.
So, here are few of the shlokas, I picked up from the total 700 verses and total 18 chapters.
(1) Bhagavad Gita — Chapter 2 — Verse 47
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ||
karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi
Core philosophy: Focus on your action and not on the results
Translation:
You are not entitled to the results of your activities, but you do have the right to carry out your assigned responsibilities. Never attach oneself to inaction or believe that the outcomes of your actions are your fault.
Interpretation:
This is arguably one of the Bhagavad Gita’s most well-known shlokas.
It is frequently cited whenever the subject of karm yog is brought up since it provides profound insight into the right spirit of labor. Four guidelines for the science of work are provided in this verse: Perform your duties; don’t worry about the outcome. 2) You don’t get to appreciate the results of your activities. 3) Let go of the sense of accomplishment even when you’re working. 4) Remain apart from inaction.
(Swami Mukundananda commentary)
If you are from India, you are taught this from an early age: “Karm Karo, Fal ki Chinta mat Karo.” It basically means to focus on the action you are taking to get the objective rather than overly worrying about the outcome. Because we can be certain of our acts and know if we wish to perform them successfully or not. Nevertheless, the outcomes are unpredictable and beyond our control. It relies on a number of variables, such as the circumstances and other parties involved. It can’t rely just on the person doing it.
Pain is guaranteed to arise if we have a result-oriented mindset and the outcome does not meet our expectations.
Additionally, avoid being attached to inaction (निष्क्रियता), since we occasionally turn to it when the work is difficult and taxing. Thus, keep your passion for what you do alive.
What actions may parents take?
Consider the exam system for kids. Results won’t be what they were hoping for if they are overly preoccupied with decisions about which institution to apply to, what rank to acquire, and other such matters while neglecting their studies. Parents should teach their children to prioritize their studies, have a positive outlook, and simultaneously visualize the end result.
(2) Bhagavad Gita — Chapter 2 — Verse 20
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूय: |
अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ||
na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre
Core philosophy: Don’t be afraid of your life. Be fearless — Soul is neither born nor does it ever die.
Translation:
The soul is never born nor dies, nor does it ever stop existing after it has existed. The soul is eternal, immortal, ageless, and birthless. When the body is destroyed, it remains intact.
Interpretation:
We need to get rid of the dread of dying since it can occasionally make it difficult to take risks or pursue your goals in life.
Finding your genuine life purpose and your inner self, or what some could refer to as your “soul,” can also be beneficial.
What actions may parents take?
This kind of thinking is highly helpful in getting over the loss of close loved ones. We can comfort our children by explaining the meaning of this shloka whenever someone passes away. the sooner we agree this fact of soul transferring from one body to another, more meaningful will the perspective about life and death.
(3) Bhagavad Gita — Chapter 16 — Verse 21
त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मन: |
काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||
tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśhanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet
Core philosophy: There are three gateways to destruction— Lust, Greed, and Anger:
Translation:
Lust, rage, and greed are the three gates that lead to the soul’s self-destruction hell. Thus, everyone ought to give up on these three. These characteristics are the primary cause of all of life’s issues.
Interpretation:
A person who is filled with intense lust or desire can quickly grow greedy in an attempt to obtain more. He will become enraged from this extreme shove and lose control. He’ll hurt himself and anyone in his vicinity. Here, “naraka” might refer to a variety of things: damnation for some, self-destruction for others, or even a loss of mental tranquility.
Thus, the harmony between the mind and soul is truly upset by lust, greed, and wrath. These objects are known as the portals to hell because they obstruct the spiritual journey.
What are parents capable of?
Parents might use the friends in their social circle as real-life examples for their kids. Alternately, parents can make up stories to help their children comprehend the significance of these shlokas. Numerous folktales describe how someone’s ruin was mostly brought about by their rage or avarice. Make them realize that having too much desire for anything is unhealthy.
(4) Bhagavad Gita — Chapter 2 — Verse 14
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु: खदा: |
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ||
mātrā-sparśhās tu kaunteya śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ’nityās tans-titikṣhasva bhārata
Core philosophy: Learn to tolerate — Nothing is permanent in this world
Translation:
The contact of the senses with sense objects gives rise to transient emotions of delight and pain, O son of Kunti. Similar to the winter and summer seasons, these are cyclical and non-permanent. O Bharat descendent, one has to learn to live with them without becoming upset.
Interpretation:
This shloka’s ultimate meaning is “nothing is permanent in this world.”
In nature, seasons come and go. Similar to pleasure, pain also passes.
A difficult moment does not last forever. A specific amount of time passes and the difficult phase ends. Understand how to put up with them without letting them get to you.
What actions may parents take?
Parents can give their children an example of a difficult time in their own past and explain to them how it went through. Parents can educate their children about the temporary nature of the current circumstance by discussing the Corona issue with them. We must exercise patience. It will go.
(5) Bhagavad Gita — Chapter 2, Verse 63
क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोह: सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रम: |
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ||
krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛiti-vibhramaḥ
smṛiti-bhranśhād buddhi-nāśho buddhi-nāśhāt praṇaśhyati
Core philosophy: The side effects of anger
Translation:
Anger causes judgment to become clouded, which confuses memories. The intellect is destroyed when the memory is confused, and one is wrecked when the intellect is destroyed.
Interpretation:
An angry individual is unable to distinguish between what is good and wrong. As a result, he negates the force of his mind, and as the saying goes, one cannot succeed in life without intelligence. It’s game over for him.
What actions may parents take?
Parents can explain how and why people fail because of their anger by using examples from history and personal experience. How an outburst of fury can cause mental confusion and undermine one’s capacity for reasoning and discernment.
(6) Bhagavad Gita — Chapter 6, Verse 5
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: ||
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
Core philosophy: The power of mind
Translation:
Use your mind’s power to elevate yourself rather than to diminish yourself, as the mind can be both an ally and an adversary of the self.
Interpretation:
It is up to us to elevate or debase ourselves. No one is able to walk us down the path of God-realization. The path is illuminated for us by saints and gurus, but we must walk it alone.
We need to establish a positive relationship with our minds if we want to excel in our pursuits. Inability to maintain mental equilibrium causes disruptions that impact both our physical and spiritual well-being.
What actions may parents take?
Children should learn about the presence and power of the mind from their parents. Parents need to learn about the many methods for keeping balance in mind. They ought to support their kids to practice regularly those methods to sharpen their minds so that they can use it in proper way to earn knowledge.
(7) Bhagavad Gita — Chapter 2, Verse 38
सुखदु:खे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ |
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि || 38||
sukha-duḥkhe same kṛitvā lābhālābhau jayājayau
tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi
Translation:
Fight for the sake of duty, treating joy and suffering, success and failure, loss and gain, equally. By carrying out your duty in this manner, you will never commit sin.
Interpretation:
Anyone acting with the aforementioned mindset or in a balanced frame of mind will not benefit from their actions.
It is a noble virtue to treat happiness and sadness equally. By striking a balance between the two, one can find calmness in any circumstance. But it takes a lot of commitment and work to achieve that frame of mind.
What actions may parents take?
It is important to teach kids not to get overly excited when they succeed and not to cry uncontrollably when they fail. They ought to be taught that happiness and sadness are part and parcels of life.
Why children?
It’s a well-known belief that a child’s brain functions like a sponge, able to take in and retain knowledge. Exists any scientific proof for this? Researchers have discovered a basic distinction in the ways that children and adults learn, which is referred to as synaptogenesis in the case of children and synapse removal or pruning in the case of adults.
As they begin to learn, children’s neurons begin to form an increasing number of connections with other neurons. The brain stores every sound an individual hears, every sensation they encounter, every action they make, and every stimulated stimulus. Because of these neuronal connections, the brain develops more quickly and with minimal effort, enabling it to learn everything and everything. We call this process of learning “synaptogenesis.”
Chanting the Gita is a wonderful foundation for a child’s future cultural interactions.
- If they have chanted and remembered during their youth, it all comes back later, even if they rebel during their teenage years and they appear unconcerned about it.
- In general, reciting shlokas enhances one’s memory and focus, which helps one perform better in school. Chanting enhances their vocal quality and expands their lung capacity in general.
- By establishing a connection between the chanter and the divine, chanting mantras can help to manifest human goals, heal the body, and safeguard the mind.
For every facet of life, there exist numerous other profound shlokas or verses.