The success of Samakti Mission's eighth annual Geeta Gyan Yajna in New York was the result of nothing less than God's will, Pujyashree Bhupendrabhai Pandya's love and dedication of the organizers and the Gujurati community of New York, alike. Unable to secure the usual venue this year, the organizers finalized the specifics no more than one month before the event was held between July 15 - July 18, 2003 at the Shree Govardhannathji Mandir in Holliswood, New York. However, even on such short notice and much to the delight of Pujyashree Bhupendrabhai and the organizers, more than 200 people packed into the mandir each day to hear the four-day discourse on the Bhagavad Geeta's Chapter 8.

Each evening after the Rajbhog-catered Prasad was served, New Yorkers gathered into the mandir's main hall to listen to Pujyashree Bhupendrabhai interpret and explain the spiritual significance of the Geeta's Chapter 8, also known as Akshar Brahma Yog. While Sri Krushna's primary focus of Chapter 8 was to specially answer the list of seven questions Arjun had asked, Pujyashree Bhupendrabhai injected the potentially dry and technical subject matter with personal, everyday and relevant examples and explanations. The interest of the audience was captivated by their thirst for knowledge and the powerful delivery by Pujyashree Bhupendrabhai during the two-and-a-half hour discourse. Each evening then concluded with the recitation of aarthi.

The New York chapter of Samakti Mission has held discourses on the Bhagavad Geeta's Chapters 1 - 8 over the past eight years and plans to continue the Geeta Gyan Yajna until all 18 chapters of the Geeta are completed. The organizers have already announced that next year's event, which will continue with Pujyashree Bhupendrabhai discourses on Geeta's Chapter 9, is scheduled for the first weekend of June, 2004.

Report by : Vidhi Parikh