Bhagavad Gita

[NikolaiI]

In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has become accomplished in the practice of devotional service enjoys this knowledge within himself in due course of time.
BG 4.38

[Mr. Vandemar]

I am reading the Gita right now.

Is it true that Gandhi said that the most important verses were found in the second chapter (I think 55-72 or something)?

I've read the first three chapters, and I am loving it so far.

It, like Gandhi said, is as useful to me (a Catholic) as is the Sermon on the Mount.

[NikolaiI]

I was going to ask what translation you are reading, but if you are loving it then I guess it's a good one.

I'm not sure if Gandhi said that or not, but the second chapter is considered like a summary of the topics of the whole Gita. I've heard it said by devotees that the middle six chapters (7-12) are the most important part. Well, the rest is important too, but those chapters are the richest or deepest.

[Mr. Vandemar]

Translated by Eknath Easwaran

[Madhuri]

Here is a link that sometimes I refer to:

http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/chapter-01.html

[blazeofglory]

Reading the Bhagabat Gita without too much interpretation is illuminating.

There are so many interpretations of the Bhagbat Gita. I choose the Sanskrit text.

[Mr. Vandemar]

I cannot read Sanskrit.

Should I learn? Do you think it is worth it?

[NikolaiI]

I cannot read Sanskrit.

Should I learn? Do you think it is worth it?

I think you should study everything you can about it. I always recommend Srila Prabhupada's translation in Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. Prabhupada founded, I believe, 108 Krishna temples in his lifetime, as well as what this quote from wikipedia says.

It is believed that Prabhupada's most significant contribution, are his books.[53][54][55] Within the final twenty years of his life Prabhupada translated over sixty volumes of classic Vedic scriptures (such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam) into the English language.[56] For their authority, depth, and clarity, his books have won praise from professors at colleges and universities like Harvard, Oxford, Cornell, Columbia, Syracuse, Oberlin, and Edinburgh,[57] and his Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is was published by Macmillan Publishers, in 1968 and unabridged edition in 1972,[58][59][60] and is now available in over sixty languages around the world and some other books by Prabhupada are available in over eighty different languages.[24][46]

I have been studying Prabhupada's books for several months now. Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita are considered the two most important books there are, sufficient in themselves for realization of God-consciousness. Srimad Bhagavatam, because it is the story of the Fortunate One, the story about Krishna, and Bhagavad Gita because it is the direct words of the Lord Himself.

Anyway, Srila Prabhupada's books are great because they are scholarly, and they are also written by a bonafide spiritual master, a Vaisnava saint, in the line of disciplic succession going back to such as Caitanya, Madhva, Narada, and even Brahma..
(http://pavanspress.wordpress.com/200...o-the-prabhus/)

As the representative of Lord Brahma, Narada, Madhva, Mahaprabhu and of his own beloved guru maharaja, Shrila Prabhupada spread the moon-like rays of Lord Chaitanya’s sankirtan movement far beyond the borders of India. Shrila Prabhupada loved to sing Krishna’s name everywhere, broadcasting far and wide the glories of Krishna, in the mood of Sage Narada or Mahaprabhu. He is the modern patita-pavana, the deliverer of fallen souls through the power of the holy name. He came here for one purpose only, to take us back to home, back to Godhead through the transcendental potency of Krishna’s name. Therefore every deed of his life on Earth stands as the perfect representation of Sage Narada’s (lit. nara- “mankind”; da-“deliverer”). Shrila Prabhupada was a modern savior of man who knew that “There is no other way, no other way, no other way, but hari-nama in Kali-yuga.” (Naradiya Purana)

So I would recommend you find a Krishna temple if you are able, for association with saintly devotees can give one great progress very quickly. Hearing and discussing are more important than studying, although studying is very important.

Prabhupada describes in a puport to Caitanya Caritamrta, (http://www.harekrsna.com/practice/bhakti/perfection.htm)

"As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.23), there are nine kinds of devotional service: hearing (sravanam), chanting (kirtanam), remembering (visnoh smaranam), serving (pada-sevanam), worship of the Deity (arcanam), praying (vandanam), carrying out orders (dasyam), serving Him as a friend (sakhyam) and sacrificing everything for the Lord (atma-nivedanam). Although each process appears distinct, when one is situated on the absolute platform he can see that they are identical. For instance, hearing is as good as chanting, and remembering is as good as chanting or hearing. Similarly, engaging in Deity worship is as good as chanting, hearing or remembering. The devotee is expected to accept all nine processes of devotional service, but even if only one process is properly executed, he can still attain the highest position (paramahamsa) and go back home, back to Godhead.

Also in a Krishna temple you should be able to find daily classes on Bhagavad-Gita.

And just a verse from the Gita, Chapter 2 verse 46

yavan artha udapane
sarvatah samplutodake
tavan sarvesu vedesu
brahmanasya vijanatah

All purposes that are served by the small pond can at once be served by the great reservoirs of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.

[NikolaiI]

Chapter 6, Verse 11-12.
To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kusa-grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point.

[NikolaiI]

Chapter 4, Text 1
sri-bhagavan uvaca
imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit

Translation
The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.

PURPORT (HDG Srila Prabhupada http://www.asitis.com/4/1.html)

Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gita traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the royal order, the kings of all planets. This science is especially meant for the protection of the inhabitants, and therefore the royal order should understand it in order to be able to rule the citizens and protect them from the material bondage to lust. Human life is meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, in eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens by education, culture and devotion. In other words, the executive heads of all states are intended to spread the science of Krsna consciousness so that the people may take advantage of this great science and pursue a successful path, utilizing the opportunity of the human form of life.

In this millennium, the sun-god is known as Vivasvan, the king of the sun, which is the origin of all planets within the solar system. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated:

yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam
raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah
yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

"Let me worship," Lord Brahma said, "the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Krsna], who is the original person and under whose order the sun, which is the king of all planets, is assuming immense power and heat. The sun represents the eye of the Lord and traverses its orbit in obedience to His order."
The sun is the king of the planets, and the sun-god (at present of the name Vivasvan) rules the sun planet, which is controlling all other planets by supplying heat and light. He is rotating under the order of Krsna, and Lord Krsna originally made Vivasvan His first disciple to understand the science of Bhagavad-gita. The Gita is not, therefore, a speculative treatise for the insignificant mundane scholar but is a standard book of knowledge coming down from time immemorial.

[mazHur]

where do you get deer skin from?? Won't the WWF folks dislike the idea??

Is it not possible to do the yoga less expensively than suggested? Atleast I dont have a dear skin nor can afford to buy one!

[NikolaiI]

Chapter 6, Verse 5.
A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.

Chapter 6, Verse 6.
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.

Chapter 6, Verse 4.
A person is said to be have attained to yoga when, having renounced all material desires, he neither acts for sense gratification nor engages in fruitive activities.

Chapter 6, Verse 2.
What is called renunciation is the same as yoga, or linking oneself with the Supreme, for no one can become a yogi unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification.

Chapter 6, Verse 3.
For one who is a neophyte in the eightfold yoga system, work is said to be the means; and for one who has already attained to yoga, cessation of all material activities is said to be the means.

Chapter 6, Verse 1.
The Blessed Lord said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic: not he who lights no fire and performs no work.

[mazHur]

I really fail to understand the message of Geeta

if all were to become mystics and renounce this world then who, yes who will work?? There would have been no internet, no planes, no nuclear weapons , no food science, no fashion, no architechture if all or most of people followed the path suggested by Geeta.

We are born to live and struggle in this world without harming others.

[NikolaiI]

I really fail to understand the message of Geeta

if all were to become mystics and renounce this world then who, yes who will work?? There would have been no internet, no planes, no nuclear weapons , no food science, no fashion, no architechture if all or most of people followed the path suggested by Geeta.

We are born to live and struggle in this world without harming others.

I am sorry you missed the point, but thank you for trying anyway.

If you would be so humble as to accept you may have misunderstood, I would explain for you.

Work is actually a major component to the philosohpy of the Gita, and it is never said you should not work. This is a major part of it, and you are actually supposed to work in Krishna consciousness. I will explain more later.

[NikolaiI]

All purports and translations are taken from Bhagavad-Gita As It Is (http://vedabase.net/bg/), by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.


Chapter 5, Verses 1-2

Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, first of all You ask me to renounce work, and then again You recommend work with devotion. Now will You kindly tell me definitely which of the two is more beneficial?

The Personality of Godhead replied: The renunciation of work and work in devotion are both good for liberation. But, of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of work.

PURPORT (to verse 2)

Fruitive activities (seeking sense gratification) are cause for material bondage. As long as one is engaged in activities aimed at improving the standard of bodily comfort, one is sure to transmigrate to different types of bodies, thereby continuing material bondage perpetually. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.4-6) confirms this as follows:

nūnaḿ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam
asann api kleśa-da āsa dehaḥ
parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto
yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam
yāvat kriyās tāvad idaḿ mano vai
karmātmakaḿ yena śarīra-bandhaḥ
evaḿ manaḥ karma-vaśaḿ prayuńkte
avidyayātmany upadhīyamāne
prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve
na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat

"People are mad after sense gratification, and they do not know that this present body, which is full of miseries, is a result of one's fruitive activities in the past. Although this body is temporary, it is always giving one trouble in many ways. Therefore, to act for sense gratification is not good. One is considered to be a failure in life as long as he makes no inquiry about his real identity. As long as he does not know his real identity, he has to work for fruitive results for sense gratification, and as long as one is engrossed in the consciousness of sense gratification one has to transmigrate from one body to another. Although the mind may be engrossed in fruitive activities and influenced by ignorance, one must develop a love for devotional service to Vāsudeva. Only then can one have the opportunity to get out of the bondage of material existence."

Therefore, jñāna (or knowledge that one is not this material body but spirit soul) is not sufficient for liberation. One has to act in the status of spirit soul, otherwise there is no escape from material bondage. Action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not, however, action on the fruitive platform. Activities performed in full knowledge strengthen one's advancement in real knowledge. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mere renunciation of fruitive activities does not actually purify the heart of a conditioned soul. As long as the heart is not purified, one has to work on the fruitive platform. But action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically helps one escape the result of fruitive action so that one need not descend to the material platform. Therefore action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always superior to renunciation, which always entails a risk of falling. Renunciation without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete, as is confirmed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.258):

prāpañcikatayā buddhyā
hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ
mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo
vairāgyaḿ phalgu kathyate

"When persons eager to achieve liberation renounce things related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, thinking them to be material, their renunciation is called incomplete." Renunciation is complete when it is in the knowledge that everything in existence belongs to the Lord and that no one should claim proprietorship over anything. One should understand that, factually, nothing belongs to anyone. Then where is the question of renunciation? One who knows that everything is Kṛṣṇa's property is always situated in renunciation. Since everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, everything should be employed in the service of Kṛṣṇa. This perfect form of action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is far better than any amount of artificial renunciation by a sannyāsī of the Māyāvādī school.