by Shobhita Suri
The Bhagavad Gita has honestly changed my life. As highschoolers, there are many ways in which my peers and I feel like we have to take on the entire world, which is extremely scary. But the Gita has kept me grounded and always provided me with a sense of safety. Just as Sri Krishna brought Arjuna out of his struggles with the Gita, it brings me out of mine as well. So I have learned verses from different chapters and participated in our annual CMA Gita Chanting competition for about 12 years.
This year, for Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda’s 108th Jayanti, a national Gita Fest was hosted on July 6-7, 2024 with opportunities to live, learn, and chant Gita. I attended the last National Gita Chanting Competition in 2015, and was excited to return after almost 10 years! There were multiple competitions this time: Gita Vocabulary, Gita Krida (gameshow), Yuva Talks (speeches), and chanting. I participated in the last two, Yuva Talks and Gita Chanting.
Balavihar students from 22 different states traveled to Chinmaya Badri in Chicago, to celebrate our beloved Gita and Gurudev’s legacy. We welcomed Swami Shantananda, Swami Sharanananda, and Swami Aparajitananda. They all made speeches about how meaningful and special this opportunity is, to be able to come together for such a divine purpose.
One of the most important things I took away was in Swami Shantananda’s speech. He said that Bhagavad Gita is like medicine, we don’t always know exactly what pill we are taking or how it affects our body, but somehow it helps us and changes us! And he applied that to the Gita too. Even if we do not know the meaning of it all, simply reading and chanting it purifies our minds. This connects back to my favorite verse of chapter 4, verse 38. It says, “Na hi jnanena sadrsham, pavitram iha vidyate,” meaning there is no purifier in this world equal to knowledge.
I based a large amount of my speech for Yuva Talks on this, as my topic was “Cultivating Conviction,” based on verses 38-40. This competition was on the first day itself, and I spoke about how Bhagavad Gita has helped me cultivate conviction and develop unwavering faith in God and in myself. Swami Aparajitananda questioned me strongly afterward, which made me look deeper and understand to a greater level. The speech contestants weren’t able to hear each others’ speeches, but we had such great conversations about these topics simply in the waiting room. I was amazed to see how important the meaning is to all of us, and how it applies differently to every individual’s life.
The next day was Gita Chanting. Everyone was assigned a time slot and waited until the judges were ready to call their group. Outside, there was a beautiful, open landscape with flowers and trees. All age groups had children practicing and perfecting their verses. In the waiting room, we talked about all parts of life and shared so many laughs. Though we had never seen these people, and probably wouldn’t see them again, we shared this unspeakable bond by coming together for one thing, Gita. The actual chanting competition was based on multiple categories, but the judges would give us the last line of a verse. We were required to chant three verses from there, and this would happen five times throughout the chapter.
Participants later went to the Abhyudaya retreat center nearby, where there were various Gita-themed activities, board games, and more! Even though everyone was nervous about how they had done, we all just relaxed and had fun as a Chinmaya family.
They announced the winners of all competitions except Gita Chanting in the closing ceremony late. And although I did not win in Yuva Talks, I won something more valuable than a trophy — knowledge. I’m extremely grateful that I got the opportunity to delve deeper into something so profound and meaningful. Now, almost a month later, I frequently think about these verses and how they will continue to stay true no matter what stage of life I am in.
Later, it was announced that I had won third place in my category for Gita Chanting! And though the prize was not the main purpose, I am extremely grateful to have been able to travel to Washington D.C. and collect my trophy from Swami Swaroopananda on July 31. It was a dream come true to have seen my work pay off and have that validation for something I love so much. And, of course, 7 year-old Shobhita in 2015 would have loved that validation too, but things happen when God wills them to be. And over these many years of practice with my mom and her explaining the meaning to me, I have learned so many life lessons like this. So my big takeaway to anyone: adults, teens, children — Live Gita! It’s amazing if you memorize it or learn the meaning, but even starting is an incredible step that will truly change your life. I have a long way to go before I even start to grasp how beautiful this text is. But Swami Mitranananda’s “Gita for Yuva” and Swami Chinmayananda’s commentary has helped me to begin this journey, and I encourage all of you to embark on it as well.
