Vyadha Gita, literally means Song of the Butcher, is part of Mahabharat and is actually a collection of teachings imparted by a Butcher to a Brahmin Sannyasi. This is our heritage and none less than Swami Vivekananda extolled Vyadha Gita as the essence of Karma Yoga. A Butcher , a housewife and a Brahmin Sannyasi are the three characters in this mystical story occurring in Vana Parva section and is told by Sage Markendeya to Yudhistra, the Pandava Prince.
Lord Krishna, it seems, says in Srimad Bhagavata Purana that this Butcher is someone who attained perfection /realisation/emancipation by Satsanga.
So let us dvelve a little into that incredible story where a Brahmin Sanyaasi is taught Dharma and Ahimsa by a Butcher of all the beings!! In terms of social heirarchy Vyadha is at the lowest status when compared to a brahmin and yet this story finds a prominent place in Mahabharata ,which is acclaimed as the Fifth Veda.
A young Sanyasi went to the forest,meditated, did penance. After years of Yoga practice, and hard work, he was sitting under a tree, when some dry leaves fell on his head.He looked up and saw a crane and a crow fighting on the tree-top .He angrily glanced at them at uttered" How dare you throw these dry leaves upon my head", and a flash of fire emanating from him burnt up the poor birds immly.Such was his Yogic power and he felt elated that he had acquired such powers in his grasp that could burn others if he became angry.Next day he went to a house asking for alms as per his daily ritual and cried out "Mother, give me some food". A woman from inside the house answered "Wait, I will come". In the meantime he felt angry and due to arrogance he thought to himself "This wretched woman has asked me to wait without knowing the power I have". The woman politely answered " I am neither a crow nor a crane!". The Sanyasi fell at her feet and asked her how she came to know of the incident which happened in the forest.She replied " I do not know any Yoga or meditation like you do; but ever since my birth I was ding my duty to my parents initially and now after marriage I am looking after my husband as he fell sick. I have been doing my duty cheerfully and wholeheartedly.that is all.But by doing my duty I have become illumined; thus I could read your thoughts and know what you had done in the forest.If you want to learn further you can go to such and such town and meet the Dharmavyadha(Righteous Butcher)". Sanyasi felt reluctant to go and learn from a Vyadha(Butcher) but he realised that there must be a reason behind this and so he went to meet Dharmavyadha.Vyadha was in his workplace cutting meat and the moment he saw this Sanyasi he enquired whether he was sent by the said woman. He listened to his teachings which are called Vyadha-Gita. According to Dharma vyadha
"no duty is ugly, no duty is impure. My birth placed me in these places,situations and environments. In my boyhood I learnt the trade; I remain unattached, and I try to do my duty well. I try to do my duty as a householder, and I try to do all I can to make my father and mother happy. I neither know your Yoga, nor have I become a Sannyasi, nor did I renounce this world and go into a forest; But all that you have heard and seen has come to me through my way of doing my duty without any attachment and that is my way of life".
Swami Vivekananda says that this Vydha Gita contains one of the highest flights of Vedanta. This story on Karma Yoga of doing one's duty wholeheartedly ,whatever be the station of his life ,without attachment to the results, makes one fully enlightened and leads to the realisation of the soul.
Thus Ved Vyasa unhesitatingly has called this also a Gita.
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