Inquiries Into the Absolute: Digest 154, Arjuna and the Parampara

[Guest guest]

Digest 154, February 3rd, 2006. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

**You are welcome to send in your questions to HH Romapada Swami at

iskcondc with the word "Question" included in the subject line.

 

Arjuna and Parampara

********************

 

Several Questions:

Going through a discussion on Bhagavad-Gita, we discussed regarding "Why

Krishna had to start a new parampara?" During the discussion we encountered

many complex understandings.

 

Krishna says in beginning of Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 4, He chose Arjuna as the

first one to get the knowledge of Bhagavad-Gita for the new parampara. Now our

concerns are:

 

Q1: If Arjuna is the first one to receive Bhagavad-Gita in new parampara, why

his name is not mentioned in disciplic succession as Srila Prabhupada mentioned

32 names for disciplic succession of Bhagavad- Gita?

 

Q2: In the disciplic succession mentioned by Srila Prabhupada, Brahma is the

first one to receive the knowledge from Krishna. Are the texts exactly the same

with what we have in Bhagavad-Gita As It Is or only the essence (meaning) is

the same? If the texts are same then did Krishna tell Brahma about Mahabharata?

 

Q3: Vyasadev is the one who wrote Bhagavad-Gita. Did Mahabharat actually take

place or was it just Vyasadev's realization or vision? Or did Vyasadev get As

It Is from Narada?

 

Actually all these questions lead us to confusion as we cannot understand the

connections.

 

Answers: All of these questions are answered if the underlying understanding

about the system of 'parampara' is clear. The parampara is an unbroken chain of

disciplic succession where each member transparently represents the previous

teachers without adding, deleting or modifying the parampara message with their

personal agenda. The parampara is not just a series of "parrot-like"

transmitters, but faithful representatives who can impart realized

transcendental knowledge to their students in a manner suitable to their

understanding.

 

Undoubtedly, the Bhagavad-gita text itself is preserved as it is. But more

importantly the charge of the parampara is to preserve the essential meaning of

the text as intended by the original speaker, Lord Krishna Himself. As Srila

Prabhupada said, "No obscure meaning should be 4-screwed out of (the text)."

 

It is not difficult to conceive how, even when the original text is preserved,

the meaning of the words can be grossly misunderstood or even completely

eclipsed by the interpretations of a speaker motivated by anything other than

the desire to exclusively represent the speaker's interest. This is practically

demonstrated in the myriad different interpretations on Bhagavad-Gita.

Prabhupada qualified his translation as Bhagavad-gita "As It Is" not because it

was a lexicographic translation but because this edition is completely faithful

to its original speaker Lord Krishna and His message as handed down by the

succession of acharyas.

 

By the same principle, it follows that the spiritual master is not *necessarily

literally* the one from whom we may have heard the recitation of Gita, but he

who imparts the understanding and realization of transcendental knowledge

within the disciple's heart (as happens when one reads Srila Prabhupada's

books).

 

With that understanding in place, we can now look at the history of the

Bhagavad-gita's being written.

 

Vyasadeva's spiritual master was Narada, and yet he personally witnessed the

entire episode of the Battle at Kurukshetra, a true historical event. Vyasadeva

himself was physically involved in many events in the Kuru dynasty. Although

not personally present at the battle scene, he had access to the events at

Kurukshetra just as, by his mercy, Sanjaya had access to witness the battle

from Dhritarashtra's quarters. Along with Arjuna, Vyasa was also simultaneously

the recipient of the Gita which he recorded and transmitted through his

disciples. He should be known as tri-kalajna, or one who is conscious of time

past-present-future.

 

Since the time of the Vyasa's compiling Mahabharata and Bhagavad-gita, it has

been handed down to us through the mercy of his direct disciple Madhvacarya, in

whose line came Lord Caitanya and his followers up to Srila Prabhupada; this

particular lineage of disciplic succession is mentioned in the beginning of

Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

 

 

-----

This digest on the web:

http://iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest154

 

All previous digests in one file (with responses to about 400 questions):

http://iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest00

 

Responses to Some Frequently Asked Questions (Karma, free-will, demigods, Lord

Siva, why are we here, how to control the mind, Deity worship, marriage, Jesus

Christ, spiritual and material relationships and morality of Lord Krsna's

conjugal pastimes, spiritual master, spirit soul/jiva/living entity):

http://www.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?digestname=digest999_faq

 

To , or change/add your email address please send email to

iskcondcr Please reply to this email at iskcondcr if you

choose to discontinue receiving these digests. If you have received the

"Inquiries Into the Absolute" digests despite requesting removal in the past,

please let us know immediately by emailing us at iskcondcr These

functions are currently not available at the ISKCON DC website or by emailing

admin (AT) iskcondc (DOT) org.

-----

** A brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami is available at:

http://www.prastha.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/renderphilo.pl?ndx=2

** This and all previous digests are available on the web** They can be

accessed at: http://www.iskcondc.org -> Inquiries into the Absolute

http://www.iskcondc.org/cgi-bin/renderphilo.pl?ndx=132

ISKCON DC Philosophy Website:

http://www.prastha.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/renderphilo.pl

Related Sites: http://www.romapadaswami.com, http://www.caitanya.com

-----

 

This email has been sent to you by the ISKCON temple of Washington D.C. Our

contacts are:

Email: iskcondcr

Web Address: http://www.iskcondc.org

Postal Address: 10310 Oaklyn Drive, Potomac, MD 20854-3932