Why is that in the Bhagavat Gita, it is said that to truly understand it, one needs to completely surrender to Krishna and accept him as the only Supreme God?
If a non-believer or a person of different faith tries to study the Gita, isn't it supposed to enlighten him instead of stating the above and giving him a negative vibe?
Well there are many ways even a non believer can get benefited.
There are many management principles in gita, some of the samples are:
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।।2.47।।Meaning: But thou hast only the right to work, but none to the fruit thereof. Let not then the fruit of thy action be thy motive; nor yet be thou enamored of inaction.
It gives how we can get strayed away.
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते।
सङ्गात् संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते।।2.62।।क्रोधाद्भवति संमोहः संमोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः।
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति।।2.63।।Meaning: When a man dwells on the objects of sense, he creates an attraction for them; attraction develops into desire, and desire breeds anger. (2.62)
Anger induces delusion; delusion, loss of memory; through loss of memory, reason is shattered; and loss of reason leads to destruction. (2.63)इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते।
तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि।।2.67।।Meaning: As a ship at sea is tossed by the tempest, so the reason is carried away by the mind when preyed upon by straying senses.
Thus by carefully understanding these verses & applying in our life, any one can get benefited.
It can be said that the following verses from Bhakthi Yoga, Chapter 12, of Bhagvad Gita, negate the presumption in the said question.
6
Whosoever hath faith in Me / And leans on Me heart ’n soul -7
Him I help to cross over / Ocean vast of births ’n deaths.8
If thou develop faith in Me / Take for granted I take thee.9
Were thee to fail develop faith / It’s not thou reached blind alley, / Ever Me having in thy mind / Practice lets thee turn the bend.10
If thou feel that’s hard as well / Indulge then in deeds Me please.11
If thou find that difficult too / Give thyself to Me Supreme / Act then with thy subdued mind /
With no thought for what follows.12
Scores thought over mere roting / Betters meditation awareness too / What helps man to find moorings / Are acts his with no axe to grind.
Excerpted from the free ebook "Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of Self-help" available in PDF at Project Gutenberg self-Publishing Press
