BGRFBGRF GITA YAJNA 2024

The global community is in the midst of a serious crisis. Covid-19 pandemic casualties, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, widespread economic and political unrest, and other global crises including climate change have all reached record highs in recent years. People and communities all across the world have been profoundly impacted by these occurrences, and many have been made to endure unimaginable hardship as a result. There has been a dramatic rise in the number of wars occurring in the world today. More than half a million people have lost their lives in Syria's civil conflict, and millions more have been forced to flee their homes. Conflicts between diverse external and domestic forces have exacerbated instability in many places of the world. There have been many casualties from these wars, and many of them will have the physical and psychological scars of their experiences for the rest of their lives. Struggles with the economy are a serious problem in many places of the world nowadays. Many people in developing countries live in abject poverty because of unequal access to basic necessities including food, water, education, and healthcare, contributing to a worldwide rise in income disparity. The failure of governments or international organisations like the United Nations (UN) to address this economic inequity can create social dissatisfaction, which can subsequently lead to violence.

When it comes to preserving Earth for future generations, environmental deterioration is a greater danger than war or conflict. Despite frequent warnings from scientific organisations concerning the possibly catastrophic repercussions of climate change if nothing is done about it, most governments still fail to take effective action against it. Deforestation and air pollution from factories continue to threaten biodiversity, and factories continue to pollute the air we breathe. With everything working against us, it will be tough for future generations of humans to not only survive but thrive.

While it is true that the world has been caught in a web of mega-scale natural and man-made calamities in recent years, a technical breakthrough is not currently anticipated. As many as 432 catastrophic disasters occurred in 2021 alone, claiming the lives of 101,1 million people and costing an estimated US$252,1 billion owing to global warming around the planet. Wildfires have broken out all over the world in 2022, including Portugal, Argentina, France, Algeria, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. Human and animal life have been lost in greater numbers than ever before due to recent floods in Bangladesh and prolonged droughts, landslides, and floods across the Indian subcontinent. The NATURE has been disregarded by us and hence GOD according to Gita:

मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम् ।
हेतुनानेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते ॥ ९-१०॥

Meaning: By reason of my proximity, Nature produces all these, the moving and unmoving, the world wheels round and round, because of this (Ch-9, Sloka-10)

With such bleak or no prospects of recovery from a situation "where we are moving to end up living as the planet burns" due largely to erratic global climate behaviour against some dangerous but unavoidable human interventions like power generation, manufacturing goods, and denudation of forest resources, Bhagavat Gita Research Foundation, UK and Sri Sri Gita Sangha, Bangladesh truly believe that it is our modest duty now to explore areas of tranquil dwelling under the holy shelter of God by performing "Gita Yajna," a symbolic offering of our wishes into the holy fire of Brahman.

It is proposed that this year's "Yajna" in UK will be dedicated to humanity as a whole, and in particular to those affected by the increasing number of natural disasters such as Cyclones, Ocean surges, Floods, Landslides, Wildfire/Bushfire and other Climatic extremes affecting millions of people in many countries. We pray that the blazing fire of "Yajna" will reduce all such devastations, just as the Yajna Fire reduces wood to charcoal (Gita, Chapter 4, Sloka 37).

यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन ।
ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा ॥ ४-३७॥

Let’s perform the offering together with you all to make the “Yajna” the harbinger of World Peace.

The Bhagavad Gita is an ancient Indian text that has provided guidance and wisdom for centuries. It is one of the most important philosophical texts in Hinduism, and its teachings have a wide range of contemporary applications. Gita yajna is an ancient practice involving the sacrifice of something of value to God or the divine as a sign of devotion. This can take many forms, from physical offerings like flowers or food to spiritual ones like prayer or meditation. It is believed that when these offerings are made with sincerity and devotion, they generate positive energy that radiates throughout the universe, bringing serenity and harmony wherever it travels.

Gita Yajna is the recitation and offering of all 700 verses of the Holy Book Srimad Bhagavat Gita into the Fire of Brahman (Sri Krishna) while reciting "OM Sri Krishna Paramatmane Swaha" each time. Each of these offerings will be an oblation (Samidh) along with clarified butter (Ghee) to the sacred Fire (Agni) to convey our prayers to the holy feet of the Brahman, the "Yajneswara", the Absolute. The method is Brahman, the clarified butter is Brahman, and by observing Brahman in action, one is offered Brahman (Gita Chapter-4, Sloka-24):

ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ ४-२४॥

If such offerings into fire are not feasible due to various constraints, the Offering of Flowers (Puspa Yajna) is also performed, with 700 Slokas recited to the Brahman while chanting " OM Sri Krishna Paramatmana Namah."

The whole performance takes roughly five to six hours followed by chanting of “Nam Kirtan” and holy Prasad.