Gita Mahatmya (Glories of Gita) by Adi Shankaracharya

Lord Krishna - Radha Ramanji of Vrindavan

 TEXT 1

gita-shastram idam punyam, yah pathet prayatah puman

vishnoh padam avapnoti, bhaya-shokadi-varjitah.

One who, with a regulated mind, recites with devotion this Bhagavad-gita scripture which is the bestower of all virtue, will attain to a holy abode such as Vaikuntha, the residence of Lord Vishnu, which is always free from the mundane qualities based on fear and lamentation.

TEXT 2

gitadhyayana-shilasya, pranayama-parasya ca

naiva santi hi papani, purva-janma-kritani ca

If one reads Bhagavad-gita very sincerely and with all seriousness, then by the grace of the Lord the reactions of his past misdeeds will not act upon him.

TEXT 3

maline mocanam pumsam, jala-snanam dine dine

sakrid gitamrita-snanam, samsara-mala-nashanam

One may cleanse himself daily by taking a bath in water, but if one takes a bath even once in the sacred Ganges water of Bhagavad-gita, for him the dirt of material life is altogether vanquished.

TEXT 4

gita su-gita kartavya, kim anyaih shastra-vistaraih

ya svayam padmanabhasya, mukha-padmad vinihsrita

Because Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gita. In the present age, people are so absorbed in mundane activities that it is not possible for them to read all the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gita, will suffice, because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and especially because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 5

bharatamrita-sarvasvam, vishnu-vaktrad vinihsritam

gita-gangodakam pitva, punar janma na vidyate

By drinking the Ganges waters of the Gita, the divine quintessence of the Mahabharat emanating from the holy lotus mouth of Lord Vishnu, one will never take rebirth in the material world again. In other words, by devotionally reciting the Gita, the cycle of birth and death is terminated.

TEXT 6

sarvopanishado gavo, dogdha gopala-nandanah

partho vatsah su-dhir bhokta, dugdham gitamritam mahat

All the Upanisads are like a cow, and the milker of the cow is Lord Shri Krishna, the son of Nanda. Arjuna is the calf, the beautiful nectar of the Gita is the milk, and the fortunate devotees of fine theistic intellect are the drinkers and enjoyers of that milk.

TEXT 7

ekam shastram devaki-putra-gitam

eko devo devaki-putra eva

eko mantras tasya namani yani

karmapy ekam tasya devasya seva

There need be only one holy scripture-the divine Gita sung by Lord Shri Krishna: only one worshipable Lord-Lord Shri Krishna: only one mantra-His holy names: and only one duty-devotional service unto that Supreme Worshipable Lord, Shri Krishna.

According to Yudhishthira, How can a man become happy and rich?

Yudhishthira answering questions asked by Yaksha 

One of my answers in Quora.

My friend, the answers to your question can be found in the Mahabharata, Aranya Parva, 311–12 in which, King Yudhishthira encounters the Lord of Death, Yama Dharmaraj. Yama, who initially appears as a Crane and then identified himself as a Yaksha and finally in the end confirms that he is the Lord of Justice Yama.

The questions 17, 33 and 64 which in themselves are set of multiple questions talk about happiness and Yudhishthira answers them accordingly.

17.The Yaksha asked, - “What is that which, if renounced, makes one agreeable? What is that which, if renounced, leads to no regret? What is that which, if renounced, makes one wealthy? And what is that which if renounced, makes one happy?”

Yudhishthira answered, - “Pride, if renounced, makes one agreeable; wrath, if renounced leads to no regret: desire, if renounced, makes one wealthy: and avarice, if renounced, makes one happy.”

***So, for one to be happy and rich - one needs to give up Pride, wrath, desires and finally Avarice (extreme greed for wealth or material gain).

33.The Yaksha asked, - “Who is truly happy?

Yudhishthira answered, -A man who cookes in his own house, on the fifth or the sixth part of the day, with scanty vegetables, but who is not in debt and who doesn’t stir from home, is truly happy.

***It’s interesting that those days of Yore itself, Debt is such a big thing. Now a days, Debt is a part of our everyday life. Credit cards, Store Credits, Home Loans for 25 to 30 yrs and so on and we wonder why we are not happy?

64. By leaving which, man will be able to lead a happy life?

By leaving out miserliness, man would be able to lead a happy life.

***A miser is a person who is reluctant to spend, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts and some necessities, in order to hoard money or other possessions.(Wiki)

Interestingly, In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna gives few other meaning for a miser. For example, 2.49 "buddhau saranam anviccha,krpanah phala-hetavah" - Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers.

Also, in 2.7 Arjuna admits that he is overcome by miserly weakness and surrenders to Lord Krishna to instruct what is best for him.

Please note that, I have used the Mahabharata Translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli.