Gita Satsangh Chapter 11 Revised Format - Verses 1 and 2

[Guest guest]

Namaste dear all:

 

On the basis of suggestions that I received from the members, I have

decided to reformat my presentations as follows:

 

The transliteration of the Sanskrit verses will be followed by

English translation of the entire verse by Swami Gambirananda

(Sankara Bhasya). This will be followed by an English translation of

the Sanskrit words and phrases. Along with this, the excellent

commentary by Swami Chinmayanda will be provided. Every week, I will

present two to three verses (depending on their relevance and

appropriateness) using this format. If and when necessary, I will

also provide a more detailed commentary by Swami Dayananda Saraswati

to bring the Vedantic Insights of Gita. Since this list focuses on

Sankara's Advaita Philosophy, I will not be presenting commentaries

and translation of verses due to Ramanujacharya or Madhvarcharya.

Members who want to share those translation can post such translation

and commentaries without analyzing the merits/demerits of the views

expressed by the Acharyas. All these Acharysa – Sankaracharya,

Ramanujacharya and Madhwacharya are philosophical giants with great

number of followers and believers. They have presented what they

truly believed and we have no means to judge their interpretations.

For those of us in this list, Sankara Bhasya is more appealing and

conducive to what we believe in. It will be very beneficial for all

those who follow the Satsangh to get a copy of Holy Gita by Swami

Chinmayananda which can be purchased from Chinmaya Mission

Publication or from Amazon.com. Chinmaya Mission also publishes

booklets by chapter of Bhagavad Gita with Sanskrit verses,

transliteration, meanings by verses followed by commentary. They are

sold at very nominal prices. (Holy Gita is $15.00 and Gita booklets

of 18 chapters complete set for $20.00).

 

Gita Satsangh Chapter 11 Verses 1 to 2

 

After hearing the glories of the Divine (chapter 10), Arjuna was

motivated and wanted to have the wonderful Cosmic Vision.

Arjuna Uvaacha: (Arjuna said)

 

Madanugrahaaya paramam guhyamadhyaatmasamjnitam;

Yattwayoktam vachastena moho'yam vigato mama. Verse 1

 

Sankara Bhashya (Swami Gambiranda's translation)

 

Arjuna said:

1. This delusion of mine has departed as a result of that speech

which is most secret and known as pertaining to the Self, and which

was uttered by You for my benefit.

 

Ayam, this

mahah, delusion

mama, of mine

vigatah, has departed, i.e., my non-discriminating idea has been

removed

tena, as a result of that

vacah, speech of Yours

which is paramam, most, supremely

guhyam, secret

and adhyatma-sanjnitam, known as pertaining to the Self-dealing with

discrimination between the Self and the non-Self

and yat, which

was uktam, uttered

tvaya, by You

madanugrahaya, for my benefit, out of favor for me.

 

Swami Chinmayanda's Commentary:

 

Arjuna Said: 1. By this word of the highest secret concerning the

Self, which You have spoken out of compassion towards me, my delusion

is gone.

 

In this opening stanza, Arjuna expresses his complete satisfaction at

the details regarding the glories of the Lord which were described in

the previous chapter, Arjuna appreciated that so much labor was spent

by Krishna only to bless his disciple and bring him out of delusion.

To realize the unity in the diversity is to get an inoculation

against the sorrows of plurality. The deft pen of Vyasa beautifully

registers the effectiveness of the last chapter upon a sincere

student when he makes Arjuna confess, " THIS, MY DELUSION, IS GONE. "

REMOVAL OF A DELUSION or a misunderstanding IS NOT IN ITSELF THE

ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE of the Real. Removal of delusion is one

aspect of the process of knowing the Truth. Arjuna must be rightly

feeling that his delusion --- his firm faith in the separativeness of

names and forms --- can no longer hold its grounds when his intellect

has been educated to look forward to, and detect the " presence " of

the Divine in the very world of his perceptions. But at the same

time, he has not gained any visible experience of the Unity in the

diversity; he has no personal experience of the oneness of things and

beings, although theoretically at least, his intellect has come to

accept this inherent Oneness.

 

The Pandava Prince, Arjuna, realizes that Krishna has so elaborately

explained the theme in the previous chapter only " out of compassion

towards me " (Mad-anugrahaya). This reminds us of Krishna using almost

the same term (X-2) when He explains how He, abiding in the hearts of

his devotees, destroys all their inner darkness born out of

ignorance.

 

OUT OF COMPASSION FOR ARJUNA, WHAT WERE THE SUPREMELY PROFOUND WORDS

THAT WERE GIVEN OUT BY THE LORD? LISTEN:

 

Bhavaapyayau hi bhootaanaam shrutau vistarasho mayaa;

Twattah kamalapatraaksha maahaatmyamapi chaavyayam. Verse 2

 

Sankara Bhashya (Swami Gambiranda's translation)

 

2. O you with eyes like lotus leaves, the origin and dissolution of

beings have been heard by me in detail from You. ['From You have been

heard the origin and dissolution of beings in You.'] And (Your)

undecaying glory, too, (has been heard).

 

Kamala-partraksa, O You with eyes like lotus leaves

bhava-apyayau, the origin and dissolution- these two

bhutanam, of beings

srutau, have been heard

maya, by me

vistarasah, in detail-not in brief

tvattah, from You. Ca, and

(Your) avyayam, undecaying

mahatmyam, glory, too;-has been heard-(these last words) remain

understood.

 

Swami Chinmayanda's Commentary:

 

2. The origin and destruction of beings verily, have been heard by me

in detail from You, O Lotus-eyed Krishna, and also Your inexhaustible

greatness.

 

It is natural, in a discussion between the teacher and the taught,

that at the end of a difficult lesson, on approaching the teacher

with his doubts, the student should first of all prove to him that he

has sufficiently understood the theme of the discussion. This

entitles the student to ask the teacher his doubts and get them

cleared. Following this traditional method, Arjuna is trying to show

Krishna that he has completely understood the main theme of the last

chapter. He has listened to Krishna and understood the " ORIGIN AND

DISSOLUTION OF BEINGS, AND THE GREATNESS AND THE INEXHAUSTIBLE GLORY

OF THE LORD. "

 

And yet, a doubt remains which can be removed only when his intellect

is convinced by a confident knowledge arising out of an actually

observed demonstration. The stanza is preparing to meet such a

demand. When a student, who has proved to have understood the logic

of discussion already carried out, asks a legitimate question, or

enquires after the remedy for a possible obstacle, a true teacher

must help him out of his troubles by all possible means. We shall

observe here in this chapter that the great Yogeshwara (Krishna), out

of sheer kindness, even condescends to show Arjuna the form of the

Cosmic-Man because the disciple has demanded that he must see it.

 

Harih Om!

 

Ram Chandran