SankarAcArya's bhagavad-gItA-bhAshya: Introductory Chapter

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This post has my translation of the introductory chapter of the

commentary on the bhagavad-gItA. As mentioned in earlier posts in this

series, I do not provide the original text of the commentary. Only the

translation is presented. Please refer to published books (e.g. Sri

Krishna Warrier's translation, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math) for the

original text. However, I provide important Sanskrit terms within

parantheses, and also important quotations from within the gItA. I have

adopted a free-flowing translating style for the most part, instead of

providing word-for-word meanings. This is because word order in English

syntax is very differently conceived as compared to Sanskrit. The

abbreviations BhG stand for bhagavad-gItA and MBh for Mahabharata.

 

Vidyasankar

 

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Salutation -

 

nArAyaNaH paro 'vyaktAt aNDam avyakta sambhavam |

aNDasyAntas tv ime lokAH sapta-dvIpA ca medinI ||

 

Translation -

 

"Narayana is beyond the Unmanifest (avyakta), the Egg (aNDam) is born out

of the Unmanifest. All the worlds are contained within the Egg, as also

the earth, with its seven islands."

 

Notes -

 

It is customary to begin commentaries with invocatory verses,

which usually provide information about the author, his guru and

lineage, his ishTa-devatA, etc. SankarAcArya's brahmasUtra bhAshya

is an exception to this general rule, so much so that his

disciple, padmapAda, has to explain why this is so, in the

pancapAdikA. In the bhagavad-gItA commentary, SankarAcArya simply

begins by quoting an old verse extolling Narayana, the Supreme

Lord. This salutation is especially appropriate in this

commentary, because Krishna, who taught the gItA to Arjuna, is

considered to be an incarnation of Narayana.

 

The salutation verse also refers to "avyakta", one of the

important philosophical terms used in a specific sense throughout

the commentary. The connotation attached to this term will become

clear in the main text of the commentary. Translated simply as

Unmanifest (the capital U indicates that it is conceived of as a

special entity with an ontological status), it is similar in

meaning and function to what SankarAcArya calls avyAkRta and

nAmarUpa in other texts. It refers to a root state of being of the

universe, before it is unfolded into the world of name and form.

The reality of the Supreme Brahman is also beyond that of the

universe, whether in its manifested state or in its potential,

unmanifested state. Hence, Narayana is said to be Higher than the

avyakta.

 

It is standard in various Indian texts to refer to the universe

as brahmANDa, the egg of brahman. This "Egg" is born out of the

avyakta, and contains within itself, all the seen and unseen

worlds. Of special anthropic significance is the earth, on which

human beings are born, live and die. Inasmuch as it is the locus

of human beings, for whose benefit the teaching of the gItA is

given, the earth receives special mention. According to most old

Indian sources, the seven islands of the earth are named jambU,

plaksha, kuSa, kraunca, SAka, SAlmala and pushkara. The source of

this verse is most probably the Mahabharata. With this salutation,

the introductory chapter begins to succinctly explain the

commentator's understanding of the gItA.

 

Translation -

 

1. The great Lord created the world, and desired to ensure its continued

existence. Therefore, he first created the progenitors (prajApati),

beginning with marIcI, and imparted to them the Law (dharma) of action

(pravRtti), as explained in the Vedas. Then he created others, beginning

with the seers, sanaka and sanandana, and imparted to them the Law

(dharma) of cessation-from-action (nivRtti), which is characterized by

knowledge (jnAna) and dispassion (vairAgya). The Law described in the

Vedas is two-fold, one characterized by action and the other by cessation

from action. This two-fold Law sustains the universe. This Law is to be

followed by all who value goodness, as it is conducive to the two-fold

goals of all ASramas and varNas, beginning with the brAhmaNa, namely,

prosperity (abhyudaya) and liberation (niHSreyasa).

 

In course of time, desires arose in the minds of those who were charged

with upholding the Law, which diminished the capacity of proper

discriminative knowledge (viveka-vijnAna). Thus, the Law was overcome by

unlawfulness (adharma), which grew in strength. Seeking to preserve the

stability of the world, and to protect the brAhmaNatva of brahman (i.e. to

teach the true nature of brahman, thereby protecting it), the original

creator (AdikartA), the all-pervasive Lord (vishNu), called nArAyaNa, was

born in the form of Krishna, as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. By

protecting the nature of brahman, the Law of the Vedas is protected,

adherence to which protects all the varNas and ASramas.

 

2. This venerable Lord of all beings is always endowed with knowledge

(jnAna), lordliness (aiSvarya), power (Sakti), strength (bala), vitality

(vIrya) and splendour (tejas). He is unborn (aja) and beyond all change

(avyaya), and is eternal, pure, enlightened, ever-liberated in nature

(nitya-Suddha-buddha-mukta-svabhAva). By His own mAyA, He acquires the

root material nature (mUla-prakRti), consisting of the three qualities

(triguNa), and appears in this world to bless it, as if He were embodied,

and as if he were born here. With no motive (prayojana) in it for Himself,

and with the sole purpose of ensuring the welfare of all beings, He

imparted the two-fold Vedic Law to Arjuna, who was drowning in an ocean of

despair and delusion. His reason is that if the Law is imparted to and

practised properly by people of excellent virtues, it will flourish in the

world. The omniscient, and highly revered sage, Vedavyasa, has presented

this dharma, as taught by the Lord, in seven hundred verses, known as the

Songs (gItA).

 

Notes -

 

The above passages show SankarAcArya's conception of the totality

of Vedic teaching as two-fold in nature. One is characterized by

action and engagement with the world (pravRtti-lakshaNa dharma),

the other is characterized by knowledge, dispassion and withdrawal

from action (jnAna-vairAgya-lakshaNa, nivRtti-lakshaNa dharma).

The goals of this two-fold teaching are also two-fold. One leads

to prosperity in the world (abhyudaya) and the other to

liberation, the highest good of man (niHSreyasa). When Arjuna, the

Pandava prince, was overcome with grief, Krishna taught him the

same Vedic two-fold dharma, in the form of the gItA, which has

come to us through the verses presented by Vedavyasa.

 

The introduction also reveals the general theistic, mythological

and social background presumed by the author of the commentary.

There is an explicit affirmation of the supreme brahman as the

Lord, while simultaneously qualifying the incarnation into the

world of human beings with an 'as if'. Mythological accounts

present some ancient sages, such as marIcI, atri, vasishTha etc.

as the first householders, and the progenitors of all mankind.

Other sons of brahman, lead by the four kumaras - sanaka,

sanandana, sanAtana and sanatkumAra, are ascetic sages, who do not

procreate. The commentator's own account of an original state of

knowledge, which is lost due to desire, is almost mythic in its

scope. The standard Indian model of varNa and ASrama in the

society of human beings is also presumed. The commentator seeks

to explain how proper adherence to the two-fold dharma, according

to one's qualifications, promotes the welfare of all beings, in

the world and beyond.

 

Now arises the question, if the Vedic dharma is two-fold, one

emphasizing action, and the other emphasizing cessation of or

withdrawal from action, is this not an internal contradiction? Is

every human being supposed to combine the two paths of action and

non-action? Or are the two kinds of teaching meant for different

people? With so many interpretations of this dharma in existence,

which one should one follow? How can all this be reconciled? These

questions seem more relevant today than ever before, as there are

numerous commentaries, translations and explanations available to

the sincere reader. The commentator proceeds to raise the

difficulties involved and to answer them, thus anticipating many

of our contemporary difficulties.

 

Translation -

 

3. The teaching of the gItA, which is the collected essence of all the

Vedas, is difficult to comprehend. Many authors have attempted to

elucidate the logic of its words, sentences and their meanings. In

general, however, people have obtained it as a set of many mutually

contradictory ideas. Therefore, I will briefly explain (saMkshepa

vivaraNa) the meaning of the text, with proper discrimination of its

purports.

 

4. The ultimate goal of the teaching of this gItA is the highest

liberation (paraM niHSreyasam) from transmigratory existence and its

cause. This comes from the dharma of abiding in Self-knowledge

(AtmajnAna-nishThA), preceded by the total renunciation of all works

(sarva-karma-saMnyAsa). The same Lord who gave us the gItA, tells us again

of this dharma, in the anugItA (Mahabharata, aSvamedha-parvaN [MBh-As.]),

thus -

 

a. This dharma is all one needs, to know brahman [MBh-As. 16. 12],

b. Neither actively pursuing the law (dharma), nor by being lawless

(adharma), nor indeed good or evil [MBh-As. 19.7],

c. He who is firmly grounded, silent, thinking no thoughts [MBh-As. 19.9]

d. Knowledge is characterized by renunciation [MBh-As. 43.25] etc.

 

In the gItA itself, in the end, Arjuna is told, "Renouncing everything,

resort to Me alone" (sarva dharmAn parityajya mAm ekaM SaraNaM vraja - BhG

18. 33).

 

5. The other goal of prosperity (abhyudaya), characterized by action,

which is meant for the varNas and ASramas, is the cause of rewards such as

the status of heavenly beings and the like. When such action is performed

without a desire for such fruits, and with a sense of dedication to the

Lord (ISvara-arpaNa-buddhi), purifies one's being. Such purification makes

one eligible for knowledge and is also conducive to the rise of such

knowledge, which yields liberation. Accordingly, it is said, "Grounding

all works in brahman" (brahmaNy AdhAya karmANi - BhG 5. 10), "Yogins

perform works, without any sense of attachment, for self-purification"

(yoginaH karma kurvanti sangam tyaktvA AtmaSuddhaye - BhG 5. 11).

 

Notes -

 

In these passages, SankarAcArya clearly sets forth the Vedantic

teaching that of the two goals of the Vedic teaching, that of

liberation is superior to that of worldly prosperity. Still, if

the lawful action is practised, with devotion, and without desire

for the fruits accruing from such action, this is secondarily

conducive to liberation. This argument is quite different in

nature from one that insists that knowledge and action *have* to

be combined on the path to liberation. Rather, it says that the

path of karma can lead to the path of jnAna, but once one is on

the path of jnAna, there is no need to travel the road of karma

again. Clearly, the way from the path of karma to that of jnAna

passes through the path of bhakti, as taught by SankarAcArya

himself, who teaches dedication to ISvara here. Thus, from the

earliest times, advaita vedAnta gives a proper place to each path,

contrary to popular misconceptions about his teaching. The

arguments about combining jnAna and karma or otherwise will be

revisited later in the commentary.

 

Translation -

 

6. This two-fold dharma, culminating in the goal of the highest

liberation, the Highest Truth that is para-brahman, also called vAsudeva,

is the subject matter of the gItA, which sets forth the goal (prayojana)

of this teaching, and the relation (sambandha) of this teaching to us.

As its study yields all the goals of man (purushArtha), I endeavour to

explain its meaning. Thus, the gItA begins, "dharmakshetre kurukshetre"

etc.

 

Notes -

 

Indian thought classifies the goals of human beings into four -

dharma (Law, right conduct), artha (prosperity), kAma (desires)

and moksha (liberation). All these goals are served by a study of

the gItA. The end of the introductory chapter also shows one

distinctive feature of all of SankarAcArya's commentaries. He

clearly explains the connection of the following

verse/sentence/word to the preceding one. The first verse in the

gItA necessarily presumes an earlier setting. In the vedAnta

tradition, the mythical and/or historical setting of the

Mahabharata war, a civil war between two sets of cousins, is seen

as an internal war that is fought in the heart of every human

being. What the Lord teaches in the gItA is relevant not only to

Arjuna before he embarks upon his war for inheritance, but to all

of us, in the internal war we fight each day. Thus, the first

verse, which refers to the field of the kurus, the geographical

site of the battles, also calls it the dharma-kshetra, the field

of Law. As one faces the contrary pulls of life, one is apt to be

confused, just as Arjuna was. The teaching of the gItA shows us a

way out of this internal confusion. Thus, it is conducive to all

the goals of mankind, from mundane desires to lawful conduct, from

worldly prosperity to liberation.

 

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