A GITA USED, A GITA ABUSED
Due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, many people are called to join the war effort, including devotees. One such Russian devotee brought a *Bhagavad-gita* with him when he was called. While in his barracks, he was able to share Krsna consciousness with another soldier and was inspired to give him his *Gita.*
As it turns out, after that gifted soldier went to the front line, he was shot by an enemy sniper and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Fortunately, the medics were able to treat and stabilize him. Grateful he was still alive, the soldier reached for his bulletproof vest, where he had kept the *Gita* in a breast pocket. As he pulled out the book, he saw that a bullet had lodged in its pages, literally saving his life. The ultimate gift.
Another *Gita *war story went quite differently.
Many years ago during the Iraq war, a devotee was distributing books at an American airport when a U.S. soldier came by his book table and gave a generous donation for the *Bhagavad-gita.* When the devotee asked him why he was so happy and enthusiastic to receive the *Gita*, the soldier told him he liked his old *Gita* so much he would read it regularly at his barracks and take notes.
But one day he went to get the *Gita *from his locker and it wasn’t there. He asked everyone if they had seen it but no luck. Then he heard one of the soldiers had taken it for target practice and was shooting at it. When he found the *Gita*, it was full of holes. He was sad but what could he do?
Then, a short time later, the soldier heard that the person who had been using the *Gita* for target practice was shot in the head during a firefight, dead. Ultimate karma, he reflected. What we do comes back to us. Now he was very happy to find his friend the *Gita* again.
