Acharya vaibhvam.... - 8 - Summary of Bhagavad GitA

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SI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

The Bhagawad GitA is one of the most important sacred

texts for our religion. It is one of the three mast

sacred works caleed “prasthana traya”.

 

There is perhaps no other works that has been so

widely translated in so many local and foreign

languages as the Bhagavad GitA. So many innumerable

commentaries have been written on GitA, not only by

Indians, also by foreigners. The Gita is having

universal appeal among all classes of people, in India

and in overseas.

 

The GiTA occurs in Mahabharatha and is contained in

Bhishma parva from the 25th chapter to 42nd chapter.

The Mahabharatha is in fact called the fifth veda. And

hence GiTA should be called Upanishad, the most

important [or zenith] of the Vedas.

 

There is a famous sloka, which says that all the

Upanishads are cows. Lord Krishna is the milk man and

Arjuna the calf. So, the milk man Krishna milks the

cow [upanishads] and gives the milk [GitA]. This

nectar or amritha of GitA, which was originally meant

for Arjuna is fortunately made available to us, which

we enjoy

 

Using Arjuna, as an excuse, Krishna blessed us with

this GitA and is called JagadhAcharya [or Jagadhguru]

– teacher of the world. KrishNam vandhE jagadhgurum.

 

There is a famous saying that those who always think

of GitA, Ganga, Gayathri, and Govindha are not born

again in this world.

 

Bhagavad GitA means the song sung by the Bhagawaan. It

can also be interpreted to mean song pertaining to

Bhagawaan.It is estimated that there are about 3000

commentaries on the GitA. The most important ones are

those of Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva. Each acharya

has interpreted the Gita according to his system of

philosophy namely Advaita, VisishtAdvaita and Dwaita.

The followers of these acharyas like Vedanta Desika,

Anandagiri, Sridhara, Jayatirtha, Raghavendra have

also written further elaborations and commentaries of

their acharyas’ commentaries on GitA.

 

So far as the commentary on Gita is concerned,

Ramanuja has followed Yamunacharya’s Gitartha

sangraha. This text of Alavandhar or Yamunacharya

contains 32 verses, analyzing each of the 18 chapters

of the Gita and also in groups of six chapters and as

a whole. Swami Desikan has written a further lucid

commentary called “taatparya chandrika” on Ramanuja’s

commentary of the Gita, which is a veritable treasure

for us and leaves nothing behind unsaid. Taatparya

Chandirka is indispensable for proper understanding

and appreciating of Ramanuja’s commentary on the Gita.

[from Sri U Ve VN Gopladesikan Swami’s book on Srimad

Bhagavad-Gita]

 

Sriman Narayanan as per His graceful will to incarnate

as and when necessary in this material worlds to

protect good people; destroy the evil forces; and

establish righteousness; came down from his Supreme

Abode SrivaikuNtam, and manifested on this earth as

Sri Krishna in MathurA. He was easily accessible to

all and took pride in acting as the dhootha

[messenger] of PaaNdavas. PaaNdavas had to wage the

unavoidable battle with Kauravas. Sri Krishna

supporting Paandavas in their just cause, acted as the

charioteer of Arjuna.

 

Arjuna’s chariot was led into the battlefront by Sri

Krishna. Arjuna seeing his own teacher, relatives,

friends, on the opposite side, dreaded killing them in

the battle field. Troubled by such misplaced

compassion arising in him at the wrong time, he sat on

the chariot deeply confused and shaken in his mind

body, due to the mistaken thought of deeming as

unworthy his duty as a king to wage the rightful war.

 

The master of Masters, Sri Krishna chose the moment to

shower the nectarine GitA, to the world through Arjuna

[as an excuse]. He willed to remove the confusions and

distresses in the minds of all jeevathmas in general

[who are caught in the battlefield of samsaaric

afflictions pulled by conflicting desires and

thoughts], through the teachings to the confused

Arjuna standing in the thick of the battle.

 

To start with Sri Krishna taught Arjuna the essential

attributes of Jeevathma, who is different from the

body, who is eternal and who is a servant of the Lord,

the indirect means of Salvation [mOksham], namely

Karma yogam, and jnAna yogam and the direct means of

bhakti yogam, with their respective auxiliaries; Sri

Krishna left it to Arjuna to choose and ask of the

suitable Means to be adopted; Arjuna felt sorry

thinking that Krishna had not been pleased to show him

the firm Means to be adopted by him; Sri Krishna

started teaching him bhakti Yogam once firmly the

“greatest secret of all”. Arjuna’s sorrow further grew

on knowing about Bhakthi Yogam, which is very

difficult to be practised with its auxiliaries, with

the wisdom and ability required for it, to be pursued

with very great care for a long time, with its fruit

also not attainable quickly; on the pretext of

removing Arjuna’s confusion and sorrow, Sri Krishna

willed that he was the suitable receptacle through

whom He should gracefully teach to the worlds the

supremely secret Prapatti [sranagathi] which is the

Means of achieving mOksham [salvation] and also other

fruits, which does not have any auxiliary other than

what are prescribed; which is easy and which is

possible of being practiced in a moment; which can be

performed by anyone and everyone who wants mOksha

[salvation]. On hearing Sri Krishna’s teachings,

Arjuna;s confusion disappeared and he obediently

followed His commands and profusely benefited. This is

the history of the graceful coming into existence of

GitA, which is the essence of Vedanthas [upanishads]

and the most vital part of Maha bharatham.

 

The summary and essence of GitA:

 

Karumamum jnAnamun koNdu yezhun kaadhaluku Orilakku

enRu

aRumaRai uchchiyuL aadharitthu Odhum Brahmam

thirumagaLOdu varunm thirumaal enRu thaanuraiththaan

dharumam ugandha dhananjayanukku avan saarathiyE.

 

The Lord, who acted as the Charioteer for Arjuna,

Himself taught him [Arjuna] who was desirous of

Knowing the righteousness: That only Thirumaal [sriman

Narayanan] manifesting with ThirumagaL [sri

Mahalakshmi], the Supreme Soul, difficult of

attainment, praised and explained by Vedantha

difficult to be understood, Is the only target [of

attainment] through bhakti yogam [path based on bhakti

ceaselessly and uninterruptedly] which is practised

With [preceded by adherence to KarmaYogam [path based

on performance of prescribed deeds] and jnAna yogam

[path based on wisdom and enjoyment of the Soul].

[From the summary of the article appealed in

PeraruLALan few years ago- written lucidly by Sri R

Srinivasavaradan Swami]

 

Like KaNNan, the GitAchAryan, asmadhAchArya also was

born in the same star RohiNi and was named

Rajagopalan. His sowlabhyam and sowseelyam are no

different from Lord Krishna. His vaathsalyam on these

vathsaas [calves - us] is seen to be believed. [more

of this later:-)]

 

I place my head in all sincerity at the Lotus Feet of

His Holiness again and again.

 

asmadhAcharyan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

GitAchAryan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan