Translation Series - Gita Bhashya - Introduction 1/3

[Guest guest]

This is the first of a scheduled three-part set on the introductory chapter

in the commentary.

 

August 1 2002, Thursday 8:25 PM, Pacific Standard Time.

Posted by Vidyasankar

 

... OM ..

 

shriimachChaN^karabhagavatpaadavirachitaM

shriimadbhagavadgiitaabhaaShyam.h

 

OM namo bhagavate vaasudevaaya

 

The commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, by Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada

Prostrations to the Lord Vasudeva

 

upoddhaataH - Introduction

____________________

 

naaraayaNaH paro.avyaktaat.h aNDamavyaktasambhavam.h .

aNDasyaantastvime lokaaH saptadviipaa cha medinii ..

 

naaraayaNaH paraH avyaktaat.h - Narayana is beyond the Unmanifest [1];

aNDam avyaktasambhavam.h - the Egg [2] issues out of the Unmanifest.

aNDasya antaH tu ime lokaaH - All the worlds are contained within the Egg,

saptadviipaa cha medinii - including the earth, with its seven islands.

 

sa bhagavaan.h sR^iShTvedaM jagat.h tasya cha sthitiM chikiirShuH

mariichyaadiin.h agre sR^iShTvaa prajaapatiin.h pravR^ittilaxaNaM

dharmaM graahayaamaasa vedoktam.h . tataH anyaan.h cha sanaka-

sanandanaadiin.h utpaadya nivR^ittilaxaNaM dharmaM GYaanavairaagya-

laxaNaM graahayaamaasa . dvividho hi vedokto dharmaH - pravR^itti-

laxaNaH nivR^ittilaxaNashcha jagataH sthitikaaraNam.h . praaNinaaM

saaxAt.h abhyudayaniHshreyasahetuH yaH sa dharmaH braahmaNaadyaiH

varNibhiH aashramibhiH shreyorthibhiH anuShThiiyamaanaH . diirgheNa

kaalena anuShThaatR^INaaM kaamodbhavaat.h hiiyamaanavivekaviGYAna-

hetukena adharmeNa abhibhUyamAne dharme pravarddhamaane cha adharme

jagataH sthitiM paripipaalayiShuH saH aadikartaa naaraayaNaakhyaH

viShNuH bhaumasya brahmaNaH braahmaNatvasya raxaNaarthaM

devakyaaM vasudevaat.h a.nshena kR^iShNaH kila sambabhuuva .

braahmaNatvasya hi raxaNe raxitaH syaat.h vaidiko dharmaH

tadadhiinatvaat.h varNaashramabhedaanaam.h ..

 

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

existence. He first created the progenitors, the leaders of the people

(prajaa - pati), beginning with Marichi, and imparted to them the Law

(dharma) characterized by action (pravR^itti), described in the Vedas.

Then he created Sanaka, Sanandana and others, and imparted to them the

Law characterized by withdrawal from action (nivR^itti), knowledge and

dispassion. Two-fold is the Law described in the Vedas - one of action

and the other of withdrawal from action - which sustains the world.

This Law is to be observed by members of all classes, beginning with

the Brahmanas, and stations in life who desire goodness, as it directly

leads to both prosperity and liberation, the highest good [3]. In course of

time, because of the rise of desires on the part of those for whom this Law

was prescribed, and the consequent diminishing of discriminative knowledge,

unrighteousness grew in strength and overcame the Law. Seeking to preserve

the world's stability, the original creator, the all-pervasive Lord

(viShNu), who is called nArAyaNa, was born to Devaki, from Vasudeva, as

Krishna, in order to protect the divine nature of the Vedas [4]. Only by

protecting this divine nature, the Vedic Law is protected, adherence to

which protects the different classes of people.

____________________

 

Notes -

-----

 

[1] Unmanifest = avyakta - This is a technical term in sAMkhya and vedAnta

schools of thought. It refers to the primordial root form of the universe,

prior to its current manifestation.

 

[2] Egg = aNDa - Literally egg, aNDa is a common term to refer to the whole

universe. The word brahmaaNDa for the universe is perhaps more familiar.

 

[3] liberation, the highest good = niHshreyasa - Literally, niHshreyasa is

that compared to which there is nothing better. In the context of advaita

vedAnta, liberation is the highest good. Hence my translation.

 

[4] to protect the divine nature of the Vedas = bhaumasya brahmaNaH

braahmaNatvasya raxaNaarthaM - In my earlier attempt at translation, I had

translated this phrase differently, but that turns out to have been wrong

(http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9810a&L=advaita-l&P=765).

Dr. A. G. Krishna Warrier of the Adyar Library, whose translation has been

published by Sri Ramakrishna Math (Madras, 1983), translates as follows -

"in order to safeguard the spiritual power in the world or the state of

Brahmanhood." The reason for my choosing to translate as I have done are the

following.

 

In the Mahabharata itself, the Shantiparvan has at least two occurrences of

the phrase bhauma brahma, where it refers to the Vedas. One of these verses

is a reference to the birth of Krishna as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva -

 

yaM devaM devakii devii vasudevaad ajiijanat .

bhaumasya brahmaNo guptyai diiptam agnim ivaaraNiH .. 12.47.18 ..

 

It seems to me that Shankara has this reference in mind when he uses the

phrase "bhaumasya brahmaNaH". The fact that he immediately refers to the

vaidika dharma in the next sentence reinforces the idea that this phrase

refers to the Vedas in the commentary also.

 

_______________

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[Guest guest]

Namaste Vidya,

 

Thank you for starting the postings with this important

Introduction, which many translations of the Gita fail to include!

 

One short addendum to the Footnote #4:

 

In the translation by Alladi Mahadeva Shastry [1897; 7th ed. 1977,

Samata Books, Madras(Chennai)], he has this:

 

"....for the preservation of the 'earthly Brahman' of spiritual life

(braahmaNatva) on the earth"............

 

In his footnote, he refers to Anandagiri's Commentary and mentions

the same verse from Mahabharata as the source.

 

Neelakantha's commentary on Mahabharata explains the 'bhaumasya

brahman' to mean ' the Vedas, the braahmaNaas, and yaj~nas or

sacrifices. '

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

 

 

advaitin, "Vidyasankar Sundaresan" <vsundaresan@h...>

wrote:

>

> This is the first of a scheduled three-part set on the introductory

chapter

> in the commentary.

Seeking to preserve

> the world's stability, the original creator, the all-pervasive Lord

> (viShNu), who is called nArAyaNa, was born to Devaki, from

Vasudeva, as

> [4] to protect the divine nature of the Vedas = bhaumasya brahmaNaH

> braahmaNatvasya raxaNaarthaM - In my earlier attempt at

translation, I had

> translated this phrase differently, but that turns out to have been

wrong

> (http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9810a&L=advaita-

l&P=765).

> Dr. A. G. Krishna Warrier of the Adyar Library, whose translation

has been

> published by Sri Ramakrishna Math (Madras, 1983), translates as

follows -

> "in order to safeguard the spiritual power in the world or the

state of

> Brahmanhood." The reason for my choosing to translate as I have

done are the

> following.

>

> In the Mahabharata itself, the Shantiparvan has at least two

occurrences of

> the phrase bhauma brahma, where it refers to the Vedas. One of

these verses

> is a reference to the birth of Krishna as the son of Devaki and

Vasudeva -

>

> yaM devaM devakii devii vasudevaad ajiijanat .

> bhaumasya brahmaNo guptyai diiptam agnim ivaaraNiH .. 12.47.18 ..

>

> It seems to me that Shankara has this reference in mind when he

uses the

> phrase "bhaumasya brahmaNaH". The fact that he immediately refers

to the

> vaidika dharma in the next sentence reinforces the idea that this

phrase

> refers to the Vedas in the commentary also.

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

Monnier Williams also gives the meaning of "veda" for brahman joined

with bhauma.

 

Pranams.

 

Madathil Nair

_________________________________

 

 

advaitin, "Vidyasankar Sundaresan" <vsundaresan@h...>

wrote:

> [4] to protect the divine nature of the Vedas = bhaumasya brahmaNaH

> braahmaNatvasya raxaNaarthaM -