Preamble
In the previous 0th article I commentated on the Foreword, Preface and Introduction pertaining to this particular version of the Gita.
It appears that in doing so, I was somewhat carried away by the inconsistencies, contradictions and fancifulness of the presentation that strained credulity, that I was needlessly exuberant in my writings. This angered several people – most notably my classmates – many of whom are soaked to the gills in this Vedic literature. Result: I got thrown out of the class WhatsApp group.
Keeping this in mind, I have endeavoured not to mount the high horse as I delve into the book. Hopefully you will find my writings appearing in red, not so heated as to give you high blood pressure.
The object is Truth.
There are 18 chapters in this book.
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
Macmillan 1972
COMPLETE EDITION
with original Sanskrit text,
Roman transliteration, English equivalents,
translation and elaborate purports
His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda
Collier Books
A Division of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.
NEW YORK
Collier Macmillan Publishers
LONDON
To
ÇRÉLA BALADEVA VIDYÄBHÜÑAËA
who presented so nicely
the “Govinda-bhäñya” commentary
on
Vedänta philosophy
and we plunge into chapter 1. (all that appears hereafter in default black is mostly precis and in a few places verbatim)
Bagavat Gita is claimed to be the perfect theistic science because it is directly spoken by the supreme personality of God head lord Shri Krishna.
There seems to be a little contradiction here because in the introduction we read that only the first words were spoken by the lord.
Chapter 1 also says that this was spoken by the lord when he was present personally on this planet for the guidance of mankind.
I think this assertion needs to be impugned.
“Present personally “? Several questions arise as to the period, the place, the parentage and so on. And why was he present? “For the guidance of mankind”! Not redemption. Not salvation. Only guidance; to what?
This chapter mostly deals with battlefield phalanx. This is a battle between relatives – the Pandavas and the Kauravas; the purpose of the battle is not yet revealed. On one side is Duryodhana who is a king; yet he has to go to the commander Dronacharya on account of the seriousness of the situation. Duryodhana’s diplomatic veneer could not disguise the fear that he feels upon seeing the military arrangement of the Pandavas on the other side.
In this crazy mix up of relatives and friends Arjuna is mentioned as Dronacharya’s most affectionate and brilliant student. But he is on the opposite side!
Bheema, a general on the side of Pandavas was also as formidable as Arjuna and there are other great fighters on both sides. With name after name being added – mostly relatives – the family tree is getting extremely complicated
Enter Duryodhana’s grandfather Bhisma. This most experienced general is pitted against Bhima who is a less experience general of the Pandavas. Duryodhana was confident of his victory because of the presence of Bhisma.
All of a sudden, we see a curious scene of Arjuna’s wife Droupadi being forced t to strip naked in the presence of all the great generals, but the story is not told here in full.
And then we are told that Duryodhana was depressed because his grandfather informs him that there is no chance of victory as supreme lord Krishna was on the other side.
There was war cry from both sides and blowing of conch shells. This blowing on the side of Pandavas coming from Arjuna and Lord Krishna is described as transcendental, which assures them victory. Moreover, the chariot on which both the friends were seated was donated by Agni (the fire god) to Arjuna, and this indicated that this chariot was capable of conquering all sides, wherever it was drawn over the three worlds.
I do not yet know where the fire god comes from, with his donation and all. We will see…..
Lord Krishna directly controls the senses of living entities which are part and parcel of him.
The whole of Kaurav dynasty will be killed in the battle.
Pandavas were not afraid because lord Krishna was with them whereas Bhishma and the others were heart broken.
The emblem of Hanuman on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanuman cooperated with lord Rama in the battle between Rama and Ravana and lord Rama emerged victorious. Now both Rama and Hanuman were present on the chariot with Arjuna to help him. Lord Krishna is Rama himself and wherever lord Rama is, eternal servitor Hanuman and his eternal consort the goddess of fortune are present; therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whomsoever.
“Lord Krishna is Rama himself”! Confusing, isn’t it?
The additional presence of lord Rama, Hanuman and Sita in the chariot is fanciful to say the least. Would have been a bit crowded, but there…..
Arjuna asks his charioteer to draw the chariot between the two armies so that he may see who all are present. The relationship between the Lord and His servitor is very sweet and transcendental. The servitor is always ready to render a service to the Lord, and, similarly, the Lord is always seeking an opportunity to render some service to the devotee. He takes greater pleasure in His pure devotee’s assuming the advantageous position of ordering Him. As master, everyone is under His orders, and no one is above Him to order Him. But when he finds that a pure devotee is ordering Him, He obtains transcendental pleasure, although He is the infallible master of all circumstances.
As a pure devotee of the lord, Arjuna had no desire to fight with his cousins and brothers. But there was no question of peace making either.
It was an open secret that Duryodhana wanted to usurp the kingdom of the Päëòavas by evil plans, in collaboration with his father, Dhåtaräñöra. Therefore, all persons who had joined the side of Duryodhana must have been birds of the same feather.
Oh, then this was the reason for the battle.
Arjuna is referred to further as Guòäkeça. Guòäka means sleep, and one who conquers sleep is called guòäkeça. Sleep also means ignorance. So Arjuna conquered both sleep and ignorance because of his friendship with Kåñëa. As a great devotee of Kåñëa, he could not forget Kåñëa even for a moment, because that is the nature of a devotee. Either in waking or in sleep, a devotee of the Lord can never be free from thinking of Kåñëa’s name, form, quality and pastimes. Thus a devotee of Kåñëa can conquer both sleep and ignorance simply by thinking of Kåñëa constantly. This is called Kåñëa consciousness, or samädhi.
“A devotee of the Lord can never be free from thinking of Kåñëa’s name, form, quality and pastimes”. Pastimes? From what we know, they were not exactly noble. Maybe we are mistaken.
Lord Krishna wanted to inform Arjuna that because Arjuna was the son of Partha the sister of his own father Vasudeva he had agreed to be the charioteer.
Looks like Arjuna and Krishna were cousins. Never knew that! One a god and the other human. Well,well….
On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kinds of relatives including his own father in law and many friends.
In passing we read that Arjuna was the son of Kunti!
Confusing. We just read that he is the son of Partha?
Seeing all his blood relatives lined up against him, Arjuna is both distressed and is moved with compassion.
Arjuna is trembling his bow is sleeping slipping.
Such symptoms in Arjuna were not due to weakness but to his softheartedness, a characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord.
Arjuna further thought his victory in the battle will be a cause of lamentation for him. So,
he has a mind to go to the forest and live a secluded life but as a kñatriya, he requires a kingdom for
his subsistence, because the kñatriyas cannot engage themselves in any other occupation. But Arjuna has had no kingdom. Arjuna’s sole opportunity for gaining a kingdom lay in fighting with his cousins and brothers and reclaiming the kingdom inherited from his father, which he does not like to do. Therefore
he considers himself fit to go to the forest to live a secluded life of frustration.
he considers himself fit to go to the forest to live a secluded life of frustration.
Yes, Arjuna did not want to kill his relatives and if there were any need to kill them, he decides that Krishna kill them personally; at this point he did not know the Krishna had already killed them before their coming into the battlefield and that he was only to become an instrument for Krishna.
I think the ‘killing’ here is metaphorical, not real.
Arjuna is still wavering; after all kingdoms and pleasures are derived they from are not permanent; so why should he risk his life and internal salvation by killing his own kinsmen?
“Why should he risk his life and internal salvation” Good question. I thought his life was not in danger because of Lord Krishna’s protection. “Internal salvation” is a new element. “Salvation” is not defined here; leave it be. But where is the risk, seeing Lord Krishna is with him?
As a natural devotee of the Lord, Arjuna did not like to retaliate against his miscreant cousins and brothers, but it was the Lord’s plan that they should all be killed. The devotee of the Lord does not
retaliate against the wrongdoer, but the Lord does not tolerate any mischief done to the devotee by the miscreants. The Lord can excuse a person on His own account, but He excuses no one who has done harm to His devotees. Therefore the Lord was determined to kill the miscreants, although Arjuna
wanted to excuse them; saintly persons are advised to forgive. Such injunctions for saintly
persons are more important than any political emergency. Arjuna considered that rather than kill his own kinsmen for political reasons, it would be better to forgive them on grounds of religion and saintly behavior. He did not, therefore, consider such killing profitable simply for the matter of temporary
bodily happiness.
retaliate against the wrongdoer, but the Lord does not tolerate any mischief done to the devotee by the miscreants. The Lord can excuse a person on His own account, but He excuses no one who has done harm to His devotees. Therefore the Lord was determined to kill the miscreants, although Arjuna
wanted to excuse them; saintly persons are advised to forgive. Such injunctions for saintly
persons are more important than any political emergency. Arjuna considered that rather than kill his own kinsmen for political reasons, it would be better to forgive them on grounds of religion and saintly behavior. He did not, therefore, consider such killing profitable simply for the matter of temporary
bodily happiness.
This reminds me of the adage “more loyal than the king”! Arjuna does not want to kill whereas Lord Krishna does!!
But there is a more profound element: “forgiveness”. “Saintly persons are advised to forgive”. Great, but the basis of forgiveness is not mentioned. According to the Bible we can set the degree to which we want forgiveness from God, for this sentence ends with the phrase ” as we forgive those who trespass against us”. The onus then, is on us! There is little point in importuning God with our feverish and pathetic pleas for forgiveness when He has already given the handle in our hand.
Let’s leave it at that.
A kñatriya is not supposed to refuse to battle or gamble when he is so invited by some rival party. Under such obligation, Arjuna could not refuse to fight because he was challenged by the party of Duryodhana. In this connection, Arjuna considered that the other party might be blind to the effects of such a challenge. Arjuna, however, could see the evil consequences and could not accept the challenge. Obligation is actually binding when the effect is good, but when the effect is otherwise, then no one can be bound.
Considering all these pros and cons, Arjuna decided not to fight.
Considering all these pros and cons, Arjuna decided not to fight.
Oh, such a tumult in his heart!
We elder members are responsible for purifying process in the family beginning from birth to death but on the death of the elder members such family traditions on occasion may stop and the younger members may develop irreligeous habits and thereby lose the chance for spiritual salvation.
Interesting, the mention of “spiritual salvation”! How is this to be attained? Not specified.
Children and women require protection by the elder members of the family by being engaged in various religious practices; women will not be misled into adultery. According to Cäëakya Paëòit, women are generally not very intelligent and therefore not trustworthy. So, the different family traditions of
religious activities should always engage them, and thus their chastity and devotion will give birth to a good population eligible for participating in the varëäçrama system. On the failure of such varëäçrama-dharma, naturally the women become free to act and mix with men, and thus adultery is indulged in
at the risk of unwanted population. Irresponsible men also provoke adultery in society, and thus unwanted children flood the human race at the risk of war and pestilence.
religious activities should always engage them, and thus their chastity and devotion will give birth to a good population eligible for participating in the varëäçrama system. On the failure of such varëäçrama-dharma, naturally the women become free to act and mix with men, and thus adultery is indulged in
at the risk of unwanted population. Irresponsible men also provoke adultery in society, and thus unwanted children flood the human race at the risk of war and pestilence.
Not a very nice view of women, what? “Not very intelligent” “indulging in adultery”…………….
Women, are you taking this lying down?
According to the rules and regulations of fruitive activities, there is a need to offer periodical food and water to the forefathers of the family. This offering is performed by worship of Viñëu, because eating the remnants of food offered to Viñëu can deliver one from all kinds of sinful actions. Sometimes
the forefathers may be suffering from various types of sinful reactions, and sometimes some of them cannot even acquire a gross material body and are forced to remain in subtle bodies as ghosts. Thus, when remnants of prasädam food are offered to forefathers by descendants, the forefathers are released
from ghostly or other kinds of miserable life. Such help rendered to forefathers is a family tradition, and those who are not in devotional life are required to perform such rituals. One who is engaged in the devotional life is not required to perform such actions. Simply by performing devotional service, one can
deliver hundreds and thousands of forefathers from all kinds of misery.
the forefathers may be suffering from various types of sinful reactions, and sometimes some of them cannot even acquire a gross material body and are forced to remain in subtle bodies as ghosts. Thus, when remnants of prasädam food are offered to forefathers by descendants, the forefathers are released
from ghostly or other kinds of miserable life. Such help rendered to forefathers is a family tradition, and those who are not in devotional life are required to perform such rituals. One who is engaged in the devotional life is not required to perform such actions. Simply by performing devotional service, one can
deliver hundreds and thousands of forefathers from all kinds of misery.
Now this seems similar to the concept of Purgatory in Christianity quoted below from Wikipedia:
“Purgatory (Latin: purgatorium, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French)[1] is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations, an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification.[2] The process of purgatory is the final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.[3] Tradition, by reference to certain texts of scripture, sees the process as involving a cleansing fire. Some forms of Western Christianity, particularly within Protestantism, deny its existence. Other strands of Western Christianity see purgatory[4] as a place, perhaps filled with fire. Some concepts of Gehenna in Judaism resemble those of purgatory.
At the Second Council of Lyon in 1274, the Catholic Church defined, for the first time, its teaching on purgatory, in two points:
- some souls are purified after death;
- such souls benefit from the prayers and pious duties that the living do for them.
The council declared:
[I]f they die truly repentant in charity before they have made satisfaction by worthy fruits of penance for (sins) committed and omitted, their souls are cleansed after death by purgatorical or purifying punishments, as Brother John has explained to us. And to relieve punishments of this kind, the offerings of the living faithful are of advantage to these, namely, the sacrifices of Masses, prayers, alms, and other duties of piety, which have customarily been performed by the faithful for the other faithful according to the regulations of the Church.“
I do not believe this pracrice continues any longer in any branch of Christianity.
Then the text moves on:
The four orders of human society, combined with family welfare activities as they are set forth by the institution of the sanätana-dharma or varëäçramadharma, are designed to enable the human being to attain his ultimate salvation. Therefore, the breaking of the sanätana-dharma tradition by irresponsible leaders of society brings about chaos in that society, and consequently people forget the aim of life—Viñëu. Such leaders are called blind, and persons who follow such leaders are sure to be led into chaos.
“The breaking of the sanätana-dharma tradition by irresponsible leaders of society brings about chaos in that society” (Thol. Thirumavalavan of the VCK beware!!). This is the very basis and rationale for the caste system in India.
“The aim of life—Viñëu”. This is puzzling, since we have been talking so much about Krishna with an occasional mention of Rama.
The” aim of life” cries out for clarification.
Arjuna bases his argument not on his own personal experience, but on what he has heard from the authorities. That is the way of receiving real knowledge. One cannot reach the real point of factual knowledge without being helped by the right person who is already established in that knowledge.
There is a system in the varëäçrama institution by which one has to undergo the process of ablution before death for his sinful activities. One who is always engaged in sinful activities must utilize the process of ablution called the präyaçcitta. Without doing so, one surely will be transferred to hellish planets to undergo miserable lives as the result of sinful activities.
There is a system in the varëäçrama institution by which one has to undergo the process of ablution before death for his sinful activities. One who is always engaged in sinful activities must utilize the process of ablution called the präyaçcitta. Without doing so, one surely will be transferred to hellish planets to undergo miserable lives as the result of sinful activities.
The last three sentences in bold letters bear similarity to the Christian faith. But the process of “ablution” or “prayachitta” is not explained here whereas the Bible leaves one in no doubt that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son (described elsewhere as the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the whole world) cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
Listen to this beautiful music on this theme:
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