Henry David Thoreau
Born
in Concord, Massachusetts, The United States
July 12, 1817
“In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the
Bhagvat Geeta, since whose composition years of the gods have elapsed, and in comparison with
which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial; and I doubt if that philosophy is
not to be referred to a previous state of existence, so remote is its sublimity from our conceptions.
I lay down the book and go to my well for water, and lo! there I meet the servant of the Bramin,
priest of Brahma and Vishnu and Indra, who still sits in his temple on the Ganges reading the
Vedas, or dwells at the root of a tree with his crust and water jug. I meet his servant come to draw
water for his master, and our buckets as it were grate together in the same well. The pure Walden
water is mingled with the sacred water of the Ganges.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden
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Henry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau)was an American author, naturalist,
transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, philosopher, and abolitionist who is best
known for Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil
Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to
an unjust state.
Thoreau's books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry total over 20 volumes. Among his lasting
contributions were his writings on natural history and philosophy, where he anticipated the
methods and findings of ecology and environmental history, two sources of modern day
environmentalism.
Thoreau's philosophy of nonviolent resistance influenced the political thoughts and actions of
such later figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mohandas K. Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. D. 1862.
Albert Einstein: When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God
created this universe everything else seems so superfluous.
Mahatma Gandhi: When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in
the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita
and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of
overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and
new meanings from it every day.
Madhvacarya: The Mahabharata has all the essential ingredients necessary to
evolve and protect humanity and that within it the Bhagavad-Gita is the epitome
of the Mahabharata just as ghee is the essence of milk and pollen is the essence
of flowers.
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati: The Bhagavad-Gita is not seperate from the
Vaishnava philosophy and the Srimad Bhagavatam fully reveals the true import
of this doctrine which is transmigation of the soul. On perusal of the first chapter
of Bhagavad-Gita one may think that they are advised to engage in warfare.
When the second chapter has been read it can be clearly understood that
knowledge and the soul is the ultimate goal to be attained. On studying the third
chapter it is apparent that acts of righteousness are also of high priority. If we
continue and patiently take the time to complete the Bhagavad-Gita and try to
ascertain the truth of its closing chapter we can see that the ultimate conclusion
is to relinquish all the conceptualized ideas of religion which we possess and fully
surrender directly unto the Supreme Lord.
A.C.Bhaktivedant swami Prabhupada
Bhagvad Gita is manual for human life.
Ramanuja: The Bhagavad-Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal the science
of devotion to God which is the essence of all spiritual knowledge. The Supreme
Lord Krishna’s primary purpose for descending and incarnating is relieve the
world of any demoniac and negative, undesirable influences that are opposed to
spiritual development, yet simultaneously it is His incomparable intention to be
perpetually within reach of all humanity.
Adi Shankara: From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of
human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita is the manifest quintessence of
all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures.
Prime Minister Nehru: The Bhagavad-Gita deals essentially with the spiritual
foundation of human existence. It is a call of action to meet the obligations and
duties of life; yet keeping in view the spiritual nature and grander purpose of the
universe.
Sri Aurobindo: The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race a living
creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new
meaning for every civilization.
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda evinced much interest in Bhagavad Gita. It is said, Bhagavad Gita was one
of his two most favourite books (another one wasThe Imitation of Christ). In 1888-1893 when
Vivekananda was travelling all over India as a wandering monk, he kept only two books with
him — Gita and Imitation of Christ.[7]
Sunita Williams
Sunita Williams, an American astronaut who holds the record for longest single space flight by a
woman carried a copy of Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads with her to space, said "Those are
spiritual things to reflect upon yourself,life, world around you and see things other way, I thought
it was quite appropriate" while talking about her time in space [16]
Annie Besant
"That the spiritual man need not be a recluse, that union with the divine Life may be achieved
and maintained in the midst of worldly affairs, that the obstacles to that union lie not outside us
but within us—such is the central lesson of the Bhagavad-Gītā."-Annie Besant[17]
Gabbard's first name, "Tulsi" (Sanskrit: तु लसी, IAST: Tulsī) comes from the name of the holy basil,
a plant sacred in Hinduism.[116] She is a vegetarian and a Hindu who follows Gaudiya
Vaishnavism,[10] a religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. She especially
appreciates the Bhagavad Gita as a spiritual guide,[1] and used the Gita when she was
ceremonially sworn in as a Representative.[117] Gabbard describes herself as a "karma
yogi"[118] and credits her parents with instilling the value of "karma yoga" and being of service in
her and her siblings.[29] As a Vaishnava, Gabbard looks forward to visiting India, especially the
holy sites of Vrindavan, after starting her congressional term.[119Gabbard called on Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi when he was on a visit to New York on September 28, 2014, and
presented him with a ginger flower garland from Hawaii.[125] She also gave her own copy of the
Hindu Holy Book "Bhagavad Gita" (same copy that she used to take the Oath of Office) to
Narendra Modi.[126]
