New Delhi: Hours after the Indian Air Force killed a “very large number of terrorists” at a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp across the border in Balakot, Prime Minister Narendra Modi got off his armoured car to travel to an ISKCON temple event in south Delhi.
In a short video of the trip released by a news agency, Mr Modi was seen being greeted by people. A young man greeted him by touching his feet, many others came to pose for photographs with him. At the event later, Prime Minister Modi turned a page of the world’s largest Bhagwad Gita, over 2.8m big and weighing 800kg, to mark its launch.
Speaking at the event, Mr Modi didn’t make any direct reference to the air strike. But he did talk of the many lessons that the Bhagwad Gita held for everyone.
Like saving the earth from devils and enemies of humanity. “This is the message that we are trying to give,” he said to a loud cheer from his audience.
Dubbed as the “Astounding Bhagavad Gita”, the book is billed as the “largest principle sacred text ever to be printed.”
Speaking about the holy book of Hindus, Mr Modi urged people to not be divisive and asked them to look beyond feelings of “yours and mine.”
In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Mr Modi said: “In order to save the earth from enemies of humanity, God’s power has always been with us. And we are trying to send across this message with proof to evil souls and devils.”
The Prime Minister said he had presented a copy of the Bhagwat Gita to former US President Barack Obama too. “The Gita has been a guiding light over a thousand years, from gyaan (knowledge) to vigyaan (science).”
The copy of the sacred book unveiled by Mr Modi has an artistic touch of 18 exquisite paintings and an innovative elegant layout. It was printed in Milan, Italy, on YUPO synthetic paper so as to make it untearable and waterproof.
The Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita, is a sacred text, revered by the Hindus, and is part of the epic Mahabharata, containing the teachings of Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Modi said that from the smallest Gita to the biggest Gita, there have been uncountable initiatives to spread its knowledge.
He said: “Lokmanya Tilak spread the knowledge of Gita in Marathi and Gujarati. Gandhiji read the Gujarati version of it in jail. For Gandhiji, Gita and Satyagraha were an inseparable part of life. Gita is not just dharam grantha, it’s jivan grantha too. Gita shows us the way to “seva” (service) and “samarpan” (sacrifice). Gita is world’s ‘dharohar’. It has helped everyone see the correct path.”
The Prime Minister said the Gita preserved the heritage of this nation. A German philosopher had acknowledged the values highlighted in Gita when India was still fighting for Independence.
He said whether one was a Yogi or an ordinary person, one will get all his or her questions answered in Gita. “Remember Gita Shlokas in the time of distress,” he said, while adding “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikaas is the result of these values from Gita.”
Mr Modi further said: “Let’s look at politics beyond the feelings of what’s yours and mine. Let’s not be divisive. Our government has given momentum to the movement for Yoga and Ayurveda.”
