Bhagawad Gita - Introduction (1)

January 2, 2000

"Introductory couplet to Bhagawad Gita" -

(Translation of jagadguru Sri Adishankara's commentary)

Narayana is beyond the Unmanifest (Prakriti); the Cosmic Egg is born of the

Unmanifest. Within the Cosmic Egg are these worlds as also the earth with

its

seven isles.

Translation of the exposition on the introductory couplet

1. Having created the cosmos and seeking to ensure its existence, the

Lord

brought forth in the beginning the Progenitors Marici and the rest. Then he

imparted to them the Vedic Law of Works. Later, bringing forth others like

Sanaka and Sanandana, He imparted to them the Law of Cessation of Works,

marked

by knowledge and detachment. Indeed, the Vedic Law making for the world's

stability is two-fold: (i) embracing works; (ii) embracing cessation. The

Law

of Righteousness is what directly promotes prosperity adn emancipation of

living

beings. It is cultivated in the pursuit of progress by classes of men, set

in

different stations of life. Due to the lapse of long periods of time, the

practitioners of the Law of Righteousness came to be dominated by cravings.

Then lawlessness, arising from the decline of discriminative knowledge,

overcame

righteousness and became dominant. Therefore, with a view to ensuring the

well-

being of the world, the primal and all-pervading Agent, celebrated as

Narayana,

is held to have been born of Vasudeva from Devaki's womb by an aspect of

Himself

as Krsna in order to safeguard the spiritual power in the world or the state

of

Brahmanhood. Once the dominance of spirituality is assured, the survival of

the

Vedic Law of Righteousness is guaranteed; for, on it depends the

multiplicity of

the human classes and life-stations.

2. The Lord is in eternal possession of Knowledge, Lordliness, Executive

Power, Strength, Energy and Splendour. He has under His control His all-

pervasive Maya (Illusive Power) or Material Nature, whose essence is the

three

constituents. Thus, though unborn, immutable, Lord of beings, and, in

essence,

eternally pure, conscious and free, He appears, by virtue of His Maya, to be

embodied and born as man, for ensuring the welfare of the world. Though He

has

no private end of His own to promote, in order to further the well-being of

all

living beings, He imparted to Arjuna, submerged in a sea of grief and

delusion,

the two-fold Vedic Law of Righteousness; for, when espoused and practised by

men

rich in excellences, it is bound to flourish. The Vedic Dharma, as it was

imparted by the Lrod, has been set forth by the omniscient and venerable

Vedavyasa in 700 verses, celebrated as the Gita.

3. This science of the Gita is the quintessence of all that goes under

the

name of the Vedas, but its sense is difficult to grasp. Many have striven

to

elucidate its words, their imports, and their totality as as reasoned

treatise.

Men in general, however, have got it as a mass of self-contradictory ideas.

Noting this predicament, I shall set forth its contents, briefly explicating

the

text with due discrimination.

4. Succinctly, the purpose of the science of the Gita is to set forth the

summum bonum,

which consists in the total cessation of the transmigratory life and its

causes.

This is brought about by the Law of implementation of Self-Knoweldge,

preceded

by the renunciation of all works. Pointing to this sense of the Gita-the

Law of

Life which it inculcates-the Lord Himself has declared: "This Dharma is

indeed

adequate to lead one to the Status of Brahman." (Mahabharatha, Aswamedha

Parva,

16.12). The same context says: "Neither pursuing Dharma nor Adharma,

neither

good nor evil" (Mahabharatha, Aswamedha Parva, 19.7);

'Whoever is quiescent, firmly seated, silent, not thinking any thought"

(Mahabharatha, Aswamedha Parva, 19.1); also, "Knowledge marked by

renunciation"

(Mahabharatha, Aswamedha Parva, 43.25). In the Gita itself, at the end,

Arjuna

is bidden: "Giving up all disciplines, seek refuge in Me alone" (Bhagavad

Gita,

18.66).

5. Teh Vedic Law of Works, promoting prosperity in the world, and

enjoined on

the classes and life-stations, promotes the purification of the mind when it

is

observed with a sense of dedication to God and without expectation of

rewards;

though normally i.e. when done with desire for fruits, it leads its

practitioners to the higher stations of heavenly beings and so forth. It

also,

indirectly, subserves the attainment of emancipation (when performed without

desire for fruits), since such work purifies the mind and the purified mind

becomes fit for practising the discipline of knowledge which, in due course,

generates the liberating knowledge itself. Keeping this idea in mine, the

Lord

declares in Bhagavad Gita 5.10 & 5.11:

"The Yogins work without attachment for purifying the mind".

6. The science of the Gita, thus elucidating especially the two-fold law

of

the Vedas, is aimed at emancipation; also, it sets forth the ultimate Truth

that

is synonymous with Vasudeva, the content of Supreme Brahman. Hence it is

equipped with a specific goal, relation and content. Since its mastery

yields

all values of life, I am endeavouring to explicat it.

January 2, 2000

namaste,

Some supplemental notes from the translation by Shri Allady Mahadeva

Shastry (first publ. in 1897, 7th ed. 1977) would be of interest, as he has

also included many comments by Anandagiri.

" This is a pauranic verse speaking of the Antaryamin, the Inner Guide and

Regulator of all souls. It is quoted here by the commentator in order that

he may begin his important work, after the orthodox pattern, with the

contemplation of his favorite God(Ishta-Devata), namely Narayana, and

further with a view to show that the Purana(archaic history), the

Itihas(ancient tradition), and the Gita teach one and the same

doctrine.Narayana is, in the popular conception, the Creator who was

brooding over the waters just before the beginning of Creation. Cf. Manu

I:10.

According to subtler conception, Narayana is the Antaryamin, the Divine

Being in whom all embodied souls have their being. He is not a creature of

the Avyakta, but far transcends it. He is not a creature of the Avyakta-the

Avyakrita,Maya,the undifferentiated matter,-out of whuich, when in apparent

union with Ishvara, is evolved the principle of Hiranyagarbha, here spoken

of as Anda or the Mundane Egg, which is composed of the five simple

rudimental elements of matter. An intermingling of the five rudimental

elements of matter gives rise to the principle of the Viraj, of which are

formed the Earth and all the other lokas or inhabited regions.[Anandagiri].

The seven Dvipas or insular continents are Jamba, Plaksha, Kusa, Kraucha,

Saka, Salmala, and Pushkara (Vishnu Purana). "

[ to be cotd.

----Original Message Follows----

"Madhava K Turumella" <madhava

advaitin

Bhagawad Gita - Introduction (1)

Sun, 2 Jan 2000 16:40:00 -0800

"Introductory couplet to Bhagawad Gita" -

(Translation of jagadguru Sri Adishankara's commentary)

------

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focusing on non-duality between mind and matter. Searchable List Archives

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January 3, 2000

supplemental notes cotd.]

[The asterisked comments are Shri Sastry's translations of

Ananandagiri's gloss.]

----Original Message Follows----

"Madhava K Turumella" <madhava

advaitin

Bhagawad Gita - Introduction (1)

Sun, 2 Jan 2000 16:40:00 -0800

"Introductory couplet to Bhagawad Gita" -

(Translation of jagadguru Sri Adishankara's commentary)

Due to the lapse of long periods of time,

*** i.e. when the Krita and Treta yugas had been over and the Dvapara yuga

was approaching its end.

born of Vasudeva from Devaki's womb by an aspect of

Himself (a.nshena)

*** in an illusory form created by His own

will[svechchhaanirmitena-maayaamayena svarupeNa]

as Krsna in order to safeguard the spiritual power in the world or the state

of

Brahmanhood. Once the dominance of spirituality is assured, the survival of

the

Vedic Law of Righteousness is guaranteed; for, on it depends the

multiplicity of

the human classes and life-stations.

*** Kshatriyas and others require the help of the brahmanas, the spiritual

class, in the performance of sacred rites and in the study of scriptures.

He has under His control His all-

pervasive Maya (Illusive Power) or Material Nature, whose essence is the

three

constituents. Thus, though unborn, immutable, Lord of beings, and, in

essence,

eternally pure, conscious and free, He appears, by virtue of His Maya, to be

embodied and born as man, for ensuring the welfare of the world.

***The special stress laid here on Maya as belonging to and being under the

control of Ishvara is chiefly intended to impress the idea that Maya does

not exist or act independently of Brahman, the Ishvara. He is quite

independent of Maya, unlike the individual souls who are subject to its

influence. The followers of the historical school of the Sankhya-darshana

hold, on the other hand, that Matter and Spirit, Prakriti and Purusha, are

two distinct principles, the former bein as real as the latter and acting in

unison with it.

[concluded.

January 4, 2000

namaste,

As a New Year greeting, may I also add the sublime verses of

giitaa-maahaatmyam.h (from varaaha-puraaNa) starting with:

praarabdhaM bhujyamaano hi giitaabhyaasarataH sadaa .

sa muktaH sa sukhii loke karmaNaa nopalipyate ..

One who is ever engaged in studying and practising the teachings of Gita, is

indeed liberated and blissful in this life, even while

reaping the fruits of his past deeds; and will not be tainted by other

actions.

Regards,

Sunder

----Original Message Follows----

Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy

advaitin

Re: Bhagawad Gita - Introduction (1)

Tue, 4 Jan 2000 10:24:45 -0330 (NST)

namaste and wishing you all a well-contented Year 2000.

In addition to the excellent introductions to bhagavadgItA given

by shri Madhava and shri Sundar, let me add a few lines showing the

gItA is the essence of the teaching of the upanishads

1. bhagavadgItA as teaching the mahAvAkyA 'tat tvam asi'

The main teaching of the upanishads is the identity of brahman and

Atman. Of the mahAvAkyAs (great statements) of the upanishads [prajnAnam

brahma (Consciousness is brahman); tat tvam asi (That you are); ayamAtmA

brahma (this Atman is brahman); aham brahmAsmi (I am brahman)], the

statement tat tvam asi is the instructional mahAvAkya where the guru

instructs the disciple of the implied meanings of tat and tvam and

their identity.

BhagavadgItA has eighteen chapters, which can be divided into three

parts (called ShaTkams) of six chapters each. The first part describes

the tvam aspect (e.g. BG 2.20 na jAyate mriyate vA kadAcit.h... he is

never born, nor does he die at any time ...; BG 2.30 dehI nityam

avadhyo'yam... the dweller in the body of everyone is eternal and can

never be slain...; etc). The second part (chapters 7 to 12) deals with

the tat (e.g. BG 7.6 ... aham kr^tsnasya jagataH prabhavaH pralayastathA

.... I am the origin of all this world and its dissolution as well;

BG 10.20 aham AtmA guDAkesha.. I am the SELF.. etc). The third part

(chapters 13 to 18) deal with the identity of tat and tvam (e.g. BG 13.2

kshetrajnam cA'pi mAm viddhi... know Me as the Knower of the field in all

fields...; BG 15.7 mamai'vA'Msho jIvaloke... a fragment of My own self,

having become a living soul, eternal... etc). Thus, bhagavdgItA is

interpreted as explaining tat tvam asi.

2. bhagavadgItA as acceptable for all followers of spirituality

In vedas, the jnAna of identity of Atman and brahman, as a result

of bhaktiyoga and that bhaktiyoga due to genuine karmayoga is expressed

at quita a few places. Patanjali's yoga sutras based on bhakti, and

jaimini's mimAMsa based on karma have their basis on such statements

from the vedas. Vyasa's brahma sutras deal with the same identity

(of brahman and Atman) based on the upanishads. BhagavadgItA is often

interpreted as the first six chapters dealing with the first step (karma

yoga), middle six chapters dealing with the second step (bhaktiyoga)

and the final six chapters dealing with jnana, the essential for moksha.

3. analogy

One of the verses in bhagavadgItA dhyAna shlokas is

sarvopanishado gAvo dogdhA gopalanandanaH

pArthO vatsaH sudhIrbhoktA dugdhaM gItAmr^taM mahat.h

All the upanishads are the cows; the milker is krishna, the cowherd-boy;

pArtha (Arjuna) is the calf; men of purified intellect are the drinkers

of milk; milk is the great nectar of the gItA.

Thus, the teaching of the upanishads and the bhagavadgItA are the same;

gItA is much more accessible to all.

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

------

Discussion of the True Meaning of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy

focusing on non-duality between mind and matter. Searchable List Archives

are available at: http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/ Contact Email

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January 4, 2000