Book Review: The Gita Way- Secret recipe to achieve the purpose of life by Shweta Chandra & Santosh Srivastava

  • ISIN: 978-9380914879
  • Genre: Non-fiction / Religion
  • Publishers: General Press
  • Price: Rs. 250/- (I got this book from the author for a review)
The Gita Way' is an irreligious take on the tenets of the Bhagavad Gita. Without delving into either mythological or God-centric discourse, the book attempts to understand and explain various insights from the Gita through, in the author's words, derived theory and application. 'The Gita Way' attempts to shed light on matters of self-realisation, and identifying and following the path to achieve the purpose of life.

Within the framework of Vedic philosophy represented by Gita, this book explores:
• How to discover the swa-bhava, the inherent natural strength of our real-self?
• Is my profession aligned with my swa-bhava? What is my purpose of life?
• What is the real meaning of moksha, the liberation? How the realization of individual purpose leads us to attain supreme purpose we are born to achieve.
• How yoga of knowledge, karma and devotion is applied to realise self, stay on the path of the goal and attain the real purpose?

Unlike other books on Bhagavad Gita, 'The Gita Way' is not a chapter wise discourse. Instead it presents deduced concepts in first place supported with relevant reference from the whole Gita. For example, in the first chapter of this book, you may get a reference of last chapter of Gita relevant to the topic of discussion.

Few thought provoking quotes from the book:

"Whether we are believers or non-believers, one thing is evident: that we exist. There is no disparity in the intensity of our existence, no matter who we are. I exist, and the significance of my existence is second to none."

"Lack of knowledge is ignorance which creates fear."

"All of us have one thing common in our respective goals: to reach the peak in whatever profession we choose. The difference is in the clarity of the goal, whether it is known or yet to be known, whether it is in dreams or in action."

"Even a failure can point you in the right direction to re-approach your goal, but this is possible only if you accept failure with a stable mind."

"The consciousness of self, with self-respect, drives a larger purpose. The consciousness of self, with an inflated ego, creates an illusion in the purpose of life."

"Wealth is the reward of having achieved a goal; it is not the goal in itself. Even if we follow the path that is travelled by the person who has acquired wealth, we end up following his goals rather than our own."

"The state of indecisiveness comes when our knowledge and intellect fail to differentiate between two choices."

"There is no limit to knowledge. If we have a real quest, the whole universe is too small to explore in a lifetime. The yoga of knowledge is making knowledge work for us."

"Each one of us has something unique in us. All we need is to identify that."

"Joy comes from small things on the path to achieving the big purpose. This could be in the form of an accomplishment, an idea, love, a relationship, or even professional success."

Behind the book

Source: Amazon.IN

About the authors

Shweta Chandra, 34, a post graduate in organic chemistry, is a self-employed consultant. After working with Birla Shloka Edutech, she left the promising career in corporate world to prioritise family goals. With an inclination to learn human behaviour, she call it human science, she discovered writing on it as her full time hobby. Besides writing she is a passionate cook and a travel buff who loves travelling to places known for its heritage and cuisine.

Santosh Srivastava, 38, an MBA from S P Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai, is a marketing professional, currently heading marketing services in H & R Johnson (India) based out of Mumbai. He found himself fascinated about science of spirituality from early childhood. Along with maintaining consistent focus on professional priorities, he actively writes on various topics ranging from management to spiritualism through his blog Besides writing, he enjoys playing chess and cricket..

Me thinks

When I was sent this book for review my first reaction was that of excitement. Religion for me has always been a subject of deep interest and I have read the Gita many times in my life to understand it better. The excitement continued till the last page of the book because the authors have done a fabulous research behind their work.

Instead of sounding preachy just for the heck of it, they have backed their findings with a lot of reasoning and explanations. The real life examples of people around them helped a lot in connecting with their analysis. Once I started reading the book I found it difficult to put down as I wanted to know more. My quest ensured I finished it in one reading session by staying awake till late night.The lessons from Gita has been told by many but the practical applicability of it in real life is highlighted by very few and that is what makes this book stand out amongst the many on the same topic.

Strongly recommended to not only know our roots better but also to remember why are roots important!

Foodie Verdict

This book is like Dal Pakwan - Crunchy, spicy, tangy, delicious and every bite dripping with deliciousness!