Translation Series - Gita Bhashya - Introduction 3/3

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Third of the three-part set on the introductory chapter in the Gita

commentary.

 

Posted on August 21, 2002, 6:50 pm, Pacific Standard Time by Vidyasankar

 

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Text -

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tasya asya giitaashaastrasya sa.nxepataH prayojanaM paraM niHshreyasaM

sahetukasya sa.nsaarasya atyantoparamalaxaNam.h . tachcha sarvakarma-

sa.nnyaasapuurvakaat.h aatmaGYaananiShThaaruupaat.h dharmaat.h bhavati .

tathaa imaM eva giitaarthaM dharmaM uddishya bhagavataa eva uktam.h -

"sa hi dharmaH suparyaapto brahmaNaH padavedane" iti anugiitaasu .

tatraiva cha uktam.h - "naiva dharmii na chaadharmii na chaiva hi

shubhaashubhii,yaH syaadekaayane liinaH tuuShNiiM ki.nchidachintayan.h,"

"GYaanaM sa.nnyaasalaxaNam.h" iti cha . ihaapi cha ante uktaM arjunaaya -

"sarvadharmaan.h pariytajya maamekaM sharaNaM vraja" iti .

 

Translation -

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The ultimate goal of the teaching of the Gita is the highest good

(niHshreyasa),

which is liberation from transmigratory existence and its cause. This comes

from the dharma of abiding in Self-knowledge, preceded by the renunciation

of

all works (sarvakarma-sa.nnyaasa). Referring to this dharma taught in the

Gita,

it is said by the Lord Himself in the Anugita [1], "This dharma is all that

one needs, to know brahman." (MBh 14.16.12). In the same text, it is said,

"Neither actively pursuing the law, nor by being lawless pursuing neither

good

nor evil" (MBh 14.19.7) [2]; "He who is firmly grounded, silent, thinking no

thoughts (MBh 14.19.9); and "Knowledge is characteric of renunciation

(14.43.25).

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

resort

to Me alone" (BhG 18.66).

 

Text -

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abhudayaartho.api yaH pravR^ittilaxaNaH dharmaH varNaan.h aashramaa.nshcha

uddishya vihitaH sa devaadisthaanapraaptihetuH api san.h

iishvaraarpaNabuddhyaa anuShThiiyamaanaH satvashuddhaye bhavati

phalaabhisandhivarjitaH . shuddhasatvasya

cha GYaananiShThaa-yogyataa-praaptidvaareNa GYaanotpatti-hetutvena cha

niHshreyasa-

hetutvam.h api pratipadyate . tathaa chemam.h eva artham.h abhisa.ndhaaya

vaxyati -

"brahmaNyaadhaaya karmaaNi,yoginaH karma kurvanti saN^gaM

tyaktvaatmashuddhaye."

 

Translation -

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The other goal of prosperity (abhyudaya), characterized by action, which is

meant

for the different classes and stations of people, 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

(iishvara-

arpaNa-buddhi), purifies one's being. Such purification makes one eligible

for

knowledge and is also conducive to the rise of such knowledge, which in turn

leads

to liberation. Thus, it is said, "Grounding all works in brahman" (BhG

5.10),

"Yogins perform works, without any sense of attachment, for

self-purification"

(BhG 5.11).

 

Text -

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imaM dviprakaaraM dharmaM niHshreyasaprayojanaM paramaarthatatvaM cha

vaasudevaakhyaM

parabrahmaabhidheyabhuutaM visheShataH abhivyaJNjayat.h vishiShTaprayojana-

sambandhaabhidheyavat.h giitaashaastram.h . yataH tadarthaviGYaane samasta-

puruShaarthasiddhiH ataH tadvivaraNe yatnaH kriyate mayaa ..

 

atra cha dhR^itaraaShTra uvaacha - "dharmaxetre" ityaadi .

 

Translation -

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

Highest

Truth that is para-brahman, also called Vasudeva, is the teaching of the

Gita, which

also 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

(purushaartha), this

endeavour to explain it is being done by me. [3]

 

And thus, Dhritarashtra said - "in the holy field" (BhG 1.1) etc. [4]

 

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Notes -

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1. The Anugita is part of the Ashvamedha-parvan (Book 14) of the

Mahabharata. Chapter

and verse numbers are given for reference, e.g. MBh 14.16.12 - this is verse

12 in

chapter 16 in the 14th book of the Mahabharata. Where verses from the Gita

are given,

the format adopted is as follows - BhG 18.66 refers to verse 66 of Gita

chapter 18.

 

2. naiva dharmii na chaadharmii na chaiva hi shubhaashubhii - This

half-verse is given

differently in the critical edition of the Mahabharata (naiva dharmii na

chaadharmii

pUrvopacitahA ca yaH). It is possible that there were multiple readings of

the verse in

different transmissions.

 

3. I have tried to conserve the usage of active and passive voices between

the Sanskrit

original and the English translation. Thus, yatnaH kriyate mayaa = endeavour

is being

done by me, etc. The resultant translation may or may not be better for it.

I would like

feedback from readers on this, via personal email.

 

4. This is the end of the introductory chapter. It introduces the first

verse of the

Gita, but Sankara Bhagavatpada has not commented on the entire first chapter

and the

first ten verses of the second chapter. The next post in this series will

therefore

begin with the commentary on verse 2.1

 

 

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