Fallible

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,Radhikesh wrote:

 

> > According to Bhakta Ivar ksara meaning fallible refers to the material

> > body which is perishable.

 

It seems clear that kshhara indicates the conditioned living entities, rather

than merely their material bodies. Lord Krishna says, "sarvaaNi bhuutaani"

and the word bhuuta has been used in the Gita most commonly to refer to the

embodied jivas (over a dozen times) including just earlier in the chapter

(15.7). (See 5.7, 5.25, 6.29, 6.31, 8.19, 10.20, 10.39, 11.15, 15.7, 12.4,

13.17, 13.31, 13.35, 16.6.)

 

There have also been at least a half a dozen verses discussing the

conditioned living entities earlier in the chapter. Therefore, taking kshhara

as referring to the bound jivas is much more consistent with the chapter and

the book, than is a reference to material bodies (or material elements or

ghosts).

 

Furthermore, major acharyas themselves clarify that kshhara refers to the

embodied -jiva-s:

 

Ramanuja's Gita bhasya 15.16 says: "Of these two , the Persons designated by

the term perishable (kshhara) are beings conjoint with non-conscient matter of

modifiable nature, from Brahma down to a blade of grass, who can be signified

also by the term jiivas (individual selves). Here the term Purushha is used in

singular to indicate the common single condition of being conjoined with

non-conscient matter."

 

Commenting on 15.16, Ramanuja explicitly identifies 'kshharaakshhara' with

'baddha-mukto-purushhaabhyaam'--the bound and liberated selves.

 

Madhva's Gita-bhasya says: "Perishable creatures are Brahma and other jivas."

 

Madhva's Gita-tatparyanirnaya says: "Brahma, Rudra and others all being

subject to the destruction of the bodies are the Perishable." (side note-

Madhva takes akshhara as Laksmi devi)

 

Visvanatha Cakravarti's SaaraarThavarshhaNi says kshara refers to the all

creatures--jivas fallen in beginningless ignorance from Brahma down to a blade

of grass. (sarvaaNi bhuutani eko jiva eva anaadyabidyayaa

svaruupa-bicyutaH... brahmaadi-sthaavaraantaani bhuutaani)

 

Baladeva Vidyabhusana's Gita-bhushhana says kshhara refers to all living

entities (bhuutaani) from Brahma down to a blade of grass (sarvaaNi

brahmaadi-stambaantaani bhuutani kshhara) and akshhara refers to the liberated

souls (muktastvakshharaH).

 

All these four acharyas as well as Srila Prabhupada are clearly taking kshhara

as referring to conditioned living beings and not matter.

 

Regarding Sridhara Swami, there should be some caution with taking the

Vireswaranada's edition as authoritative, for some reaons i mentioned in the

BG 2.29 thread,especially given that the source of his Sanskrit edition

(Chowkhamba 1901) seems to differ from another Sanskrit (by Sampurnanand

University 1990) for some verses' purports.

 

That aside, here is the Sanskrit for 15.16 commentary (same in both

editions), can anyone translate it to see if the translation by Swami

Vireswarananda quoted by Ivar Prabhu is correct?

 

| taavevaa'ha tatra kshharaH purushho naama sarvaaNi bhuutaani

brahmaadisthaavaraantaani shariiraaNi avivekilokasya shariireshveva

purushhatvaprasiddheH |

 

Vireswarananda's translation:

 

> Of these, the being called perishable is all these creatures (consists of

> bodies beginning with that of Brahma down to immovable things, for the>

ignorant commonly use the word 'person' with respect to bodies only).

 

 

ys

Gerald Surya