the Mahabharata as a spiritual scripture

[Guest guest]

Is there any tradition of understanding the Mahabharata as a spiritual scripture

rather than as an epic?

Is there some tradition of theological interpretation of the Mahabharata from

the Shaiva/Shakta view?

[Guest guest]

Dear Alexandra

 

Although the subject is spiritual and of Sanskrit and I am not too

good in both this field. Nevertheless, I wanted to share my views

about Mahabharat and Ramayan. Both epics in my opinion were not mere

historical account of some Kula/Vansha but must have some spiritual

angle to it. Vasudevanand Saraswati, Shri Guruji(2nd SarasanghChalak

Of RSS), MAhatma Gandhi all have said that these epics(specially

Gita) is non-historical and is spiritual. So let me do just one

attempt.

 

Atha Shrimad Bhagwad Gita

 

 

Every time Gita is dissussed it is usually belived that it is an

Historical account of ancient India. I strongly belive otherwise. The

entire Mahabharat and Ramayan is full of some unbeliveable stories

and one has to understand them in some different persepctive rather

than the usual one. I wanted to share my thoughts about Gita that

make it to be non-historical. It is may humble and sincere effort

towards that and hope that you will give a thought to it as well.

 

In Mahabharat and as well in Ramayan there are instances about Buddha

Bhikkus and Buddha Shramanas. That clearly shows that there must be

such Bhikkus or Shramanas present that time when these two epics were

written.

 

This also means that Bhuddha philosophy and traditions there to must

be present for some ample peroid before the creations of Ramayan and

Mahabharat.Actually it can be said that mental rejection of Arjun in

the middle of the battle field skillfully depicted by Ved Vyas to

show the genaral way of thinking prevailing at that time.Dejection

and sarrow are key concepts in Buddha philosophy. Initial mental

frame of Arjun is clear indication of the Buddha thought.So Gita

basically starts with the strong influenced of the thinking of the

Buddha.Keeping this historical account of the social status of the

time when Gita was written we may require to go through Gita again

with different angle.

 

Atha Shrimad Bhagwad Gita(First Canto)

 

Before starting to understand the purport of the first stanza of Gita

we have first to understand the meaning of the initial heading, "Atha

Shrimad Bhagwad Gita". The very first 'Atha' word suggest that there

must be some such philosophical approch to the problem Gita has tried

to expalin and tackle. Ved Vyas starts with the word 'Atha' because

he kept the philosophy of life in a different way than the previous

ones(Budhha). The word 'Atha' points to some other school of

philosophy which was that of Upnishadas and hence at the end of every

canto of the Gita the word 'Upnishadsu' has been written. Gita is

also an Upanishad. Upnishadas were written to explain the difficult

knowledge of the Vedas written in short aphorisms of the original

divinity. Time passed and the knowledge written in the Upnishads also

became difficult for the common man to understand. It is through that

Badarayana wrote his 'Vedantra Sutra' or 'Brahma Sutra' which tried

to reconcile the philosophical thoughts written in many Upnishads.

The Upnishads are mostly of renunciation thoughts to make them more

wordly and practical Ramayan and Mahabharat epics were written. These

two epics because of their fictional type of description, became very

popular. Again we belive that Ramayan and Mahabharat are historical

events where as if analysed properly turns out to be classical

poetical work of Maharishi Valmiki and Ved Vyas. This whole

social and spiritual picture was clear to Ved Vyas and hence he writes

'Atha' in very begining of the Gita.

 

Then comes the word 'Shrimat'. 'Shri' means opulant and 'Mat' means

opinion or intelligence which is needed in practical philosophy. The

word 'Bhagwat' comes next. 'Bhag' means Wel-being and 'Vat' means the

state accordingly. Hence Bhagwat means a state of complete well-

being. The last word is 'Gita'verbally meaning a poem that is to be

sung. There is an alphabet 'Ga' in Gita. 'Ga' means speed and 'Git'

means momentum towards the desired end. Such speed towards the

desired end is called 'Gita'.

 

Thus 'Shrimat Bhagwat Gita' means opulant intelligence speeding

towards the desired end of wel-being. The process of 'Git' is two

fold. The person can individually go towards the effect of the song

he sings and secondly he can take with him the persons emmotionally

towards the same desired end of the song who hear him.This is the

meaning of 'Git' and such an advancing stage towards welfare is

termed as 'Gita' by Ved Vyas. Hence Gita is a social science of

behaviour leading towards the desired end of wel-being.

 

It is belived that metre of Gita is 'Anustubha' which is even today is

greatly lulling,melodious,gracious and profound. A person who hears

the 'Anustubha Chhand' loses himself in a deep profound ecstacy

though he may be of any school of melody. And that may be the inner

urge of Ved Vyas.

Anustubha is coined through two subwords one 'Anu' and

second 'Stubha'. 'Anu' means to follow and 'Stubha' means that

desired stage of pursuit. Every canto of Gita begins with Atha and

ends with 'Om tat sat eti' meaning that is true in this way only. The

begining is made through Atha and end with Eti meaning in this way or

like this. By 'Eti' Ved Vyas wants to suggerst that it is the only

way of salvation and wel-being if one goes by that way. Gita is no

historical account or individual chivalry.Every canto begins

with 'Atha' and ends with 'Eti', 'Atha' means the teachings of

previous thinkers and 'Eti' means his own opinion. And whatever has

been said in the canto is totally surrendered to the Brahma and

hence the end is glorified with the words 'Om tat sat eti'.

 

Hence we may say that Gita is a practical philosophy of life that

requries a soar of tendencies as displayed by Ved Vyas through

Mahabharat. With this context only we may require to re-examine some

cantos of Gita.

 

 

Thanks a lot for your Time and Space.

 

AmolMandar

 

 

, "Alexandra Kafka"

<alexandra.kafka@a...> wrote:

> Is there any tradition of understanding the Mahabharata as a

spiritual scripture rather than as an epic?

> Is there some tradition of theological interpretation of the

Mahabharata from the Shaiva/Shakta view?