Some Brilliant Expositions of the Bhagavadgita - cogitations

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Some Brilliant Expositions of the Bhagavadgita - Professor Ranade's

observation (Source: Bhagavadgita as a Philosophy of God Realization,

Prof. R. D. Ranade, published by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 3rd. ed.

1982 , $8.00).

 

Let us now go on to consider certain noteworthy observations made

recently by different scholars on the teachings of the Bhagavadgita.

We shall begin by calling to mind what Mr. Divatia has said about the

unending spiral movement in spiritual life. The spiritual evolution of

humanity always goes on upwards, according to him, in a spiral and it

is an Avatara which carries it to its summit.

 

The spiritual evolution of humanity moves in cycles, but this cycle is

not a vicious circle; it is the circle of a serew or spiral, which at

the end of each circulatory motion, takes us upwards. When evil goes

on accumulating, each cycle is moving to its inevitable end and a new

force ( Avatara ) arises which destroys the accmulated evil and

completes the cycle." Ibid. p. 135.

 

M. W. D. P. Hill. Mr. Hill in his Introduction to the Bhagavadgita

makes some very fine remarks. The whole world is regarded as a

puppet-show in which the producer, the scenery and the spectator are

all Brahman. But let us not be satisfied with this delusion, he says,

Let us not regard the performance as absolutely unreal. Let us hope

that it constitutes at least a partial reality.

The universe is a puppet-show, Brahman is sole producer, Brahman is

scenery and players, Brahman is sole spectator, The universe is

supportively self- deluded. The means of production is the power of

delusion ; scenery and puppets are Brahman, self: stamped with `name

and form'. Like every thorough- going monistic system, the system of

the Bhagavad- gita robs the universe of meaning. Personality, free-

will, . good and evil, even Avataras are incidents in an idle show.

The performance is renewed day after day ; with each night the curtain

falls. ... But to say that the universe is void of meaning is not to

say that the performance is unreal. The Gita follows rather that

doctrine which allows to the universe temporary reality as such. The

Bhagavadgita, p. 27.

 

Shri C. Rajagopalachari. Among some of the fine remarks made by Shri

Rajagopalachari in his edition of the Bhagavadgita, there is one which

refers to the verse, .... In his explanation of the verse, he tells

us how we are to regard that there is an identity between God and the

Laws of Nature and that the Laws of Nature constitute the Will of God.

" Notwithstanding the fact that God supports and governs all, we are

ignorant of it. The Laws of Nature are the Will of God. His Will is

manifested in the shape of what we see directly or by investigation

but which we choose to call the Laws of Nature. God is the Law and the

Law is God. He rules through the Law, and it seems as if the Law rules

and not He." The Bhagavadgita, p. 41.

 

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. Dr. Radhakrishnan tells us how divine birth

occurs in the case of every one of us. Vasudeva and Devaki, the father

and the mother of Krsna, ought to be allegorically interpreted.

Vasudeva means Suddha Sattva and Devaki means Daivi Prakrti. Divine

birth, therefore; took place not only in the case of Krsna, but ought

to take place in the case of everyone of us. He says : "Krsna is said

to be born of Vasudeva and Devaki. The Bhagavata describes Vasudeva as

and Devaki is Daivi Prakrti or divine nature. When the divine birth

takes place within us, the scales fall from our eyes, the bolts of the

prison open. The Lord abides in the heart of 'every creature and when

the veil of that secret sanctuary is withdrawn, we hear the Divine

voice, receive the Divine light, act in the Divine power." The

Bhagavadgita, p. 36.

 

Mrs. Annie Besant. Mrs. Besant in her usual oratorical fashion sums up

the teachings of the Bhagavadgita by telling us that we must bid

goodbye for ever to all grief and sorrow, realising the oneness in all

things: I When we have realised the oneness of God, the world and

humanity, where will grief remain ? She asks. "But one Lord is the

object of all devotion, but one Lord is the subject of all wisdom, but

one Lord is the source of all activity. One Lord and therefore one

humanity; one Lord and therefore oneness through the entire body of

the Lord; one Lord, one world, one brotherhood, that is the outcome of

our study, Thus on from age to age, from universe to universe; and

where, I say again, where is grief, where delusion, when we have thus

seen the Oneness ?" Four Lectures on the Bhagavadgita, p.123.