Bhagavad-gita 2.29 according to Sridhara Svami

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>[As the self, which is all-pervading and of the nature of eternal knowledge

>and bliss, is supernatural, one is bewildered at seeing it, being overcome

>by its incomprehensibility, like one seeing something impossible like

>magic.]

 

This commentary seems to be Swami Viresvaranada's commentary rather than

Sridhara Swami's. This verse 2.29 is used a lot by the Mayavadis. Swami

Vireswarananda seems to be one of them. He talks about the self as ALL

PERVADING and that is why one is bewildered by seeing it etc. etc. This

statement in parantheses seems to be Vireswarananda's comment not Sridhara

Swami's. The Mayavadis foolishly end up distorting the purports by the

great Vaisnava acaryas like Sridhara Swami. Factually they should leave them

alone because they can never understand them and if they do so it is just

like milk poisoned by the lips of the serpent. And Sanatana Goswami says

that devotees should refrain from such commentaries so I personally feel

(open for comments) there may be no necessity of posting such things on

Krsna Katha conference then what to talk of posting this on a conference

like BG Translation Guide.

 

In this verse 2.29 tranlation & purport, Srila Prabhupada basically speaks

about the atomic soul. Prabhupada says that the existence of the soul is

bewildering not because it all-pervading but due to the following two

reasons:

 

(1)"The fact that the atomic soul is within the body of a gigantic animal,

in the body of a gigantic banyan tree, and also in the microbic germs,

millions and billions of which occupy only an inch of space, is certainly

very amazing. Men with a poor fund of knowledge and men who are not austere

cannot understand the wonders of the individual atomic spark of spirit, even

though it is explained by the greatest authority of knowledge, who imparted

lessons even to Brahma, the first living being in the universe. Owing to a

gross material conception of things, most men in this age cannot imagine how

such a small particle can become both so great and so small. So men look at

the soul proper as wonderful either by constitution or by description."

 

(2)"Some people who are inclined to hear about the soul may be attending

lectures, in good association, but sometimes, owing to ignorance, they are

misguided by acceptance of the Supersoul and the atomic soul as one without

distinction of magnitude."

 

It seems Viresvarananda is himself bewildered because he is a victim of the

second case i.e Mayavada philsophy. It also seems that he is using the name

of Sridhara Swami to propogate his atheistic ideas.

 

Srila Prabhupada knows that this verse is used by the Mayavadis that is why

he mentions in the last para of the purport:

 

"The easiest process for understanding the subject matter of self, however,

is to accept the statements of the Bhagavad-gita spoken by the greatest

authority, Lord Krsna, without being deviated by other theories."

 

In case Viresvaranda is from a bona-fide Vaisnava sampradaya still he seems

to be influenced by impersonalistic & speculative ideas.

 

>ne realizing this [self, with

>the help of the precepts of the Scriptures and the teacher],

 

Again he comments on this. He says that one who realizes the soul from the

guru or scriptures, he sees it as a wonder. But Prabhupada (who also

studied Sridhara Swami's commentary) mentions that only the materialistic

persons or mayavadis are wonderstruck or bewildered by the soul. There is no

where stated in the sanskrit verse itself, translation or purport by

Prabhupada that the realized soul also gets wonderstruck, amazed or

bewildered due to the existence of the soul. Infact it is stated in verse

Bg. 2.13 that as the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from

boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at

death. A SOBER PERSON IS NOT BEWILDERED BY SUCH A CHANGE.

 

>ne realizing this [self, with

>the help of the precepts of the Scriptures and the teacher],

 

He just mentions two scriptures & the teacher. First of all is it any

teacher? Secondly he does'nt mention God anywhere which seems that the

all-pervading soul is ultimately everything or God.

 

Svarupa Damodara Goswami pointed so many anamolies just in the nandisloka of

that professional reciter brought by Bhagavan Acarya which the other

devotees could not detect earlier. So even an intelligent person (upto the

platform of the Mahabhagavata as in CC) can be bewildered by the word

jugglery of the Mayavadis then what to talk of us.

 

Your servant,

Nayana-ranjana dasa br.