Universal Message of the Bhagavad Gītā (eBook)

An exposition of the Gita in the Light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs

Ranganathananda Swami (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2021 | 1. Auflage
1474 Seiten
Advaita Ashrama (Verlag)
9788175059337 (ISBN)

Infos

Among the several modern commentaries on the Gita, this one is unique in the sense it is both down to earth and fascinatingly erudite. In explaining every verse, the author, the 13th President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, relates its real connotation and significance to not only what Shankaracharya said in his introduction to the Gita, or how Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda interpreted it in terms of practical Vedanta, but also how it conforms to the thinking of some of the greatest Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.The author also takes the readers on an enlightening voyage of discovery, where they meet Buddha, Mahavir, Tao, Christ and most of the thinkers in the West and he relates their thought by an ingenious interaction with the message of Sri Krishna. Even scientists like Einstein, famous neurologists like Charles Sherrington and poets like Wordsworth and Shelley and philosophers like Julian Huxley and Bertrand Russell are brought in by the author to give the readers an in-depth understanding of this great scripture. The author weaves every verse into the requirements of modern life and throws light on how man should lead his life while involved in his daily chores and fulfil his duties in accordance with the philosophy of action as taught by Sri Krishna.

The book contains the Sanskrit slokas in Devanagari script, their English transliteration, simple meaning in English followed by explanation in English.

Textauszug

BHAGAVAD GĪTĀ

CHAPTER 1

ARJUNA-VIṢĀDA-YOGA
THE YOGA OF ARJUNA'S GRIEF

From today we begin the study of the text of the Bhagavad Gītā, beginning from chapter 1. This is a dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. How did we get it? There is a third character, Sañjaya, who was a minister of the Kauravas, of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the blind emperor. Bhagavan Vyasa gave a special blessing to Sañjaya that, though he will be sitting in the palace with the emperor, he will be able to see and hear what was going on in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. On account of this blessing, Sañjaya is reporting what all were happening in Kurukṣetra to the emperor Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who is anxious to know what was going on. And so, you find the first chapter beginning with a question by Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच –

Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca—

‘Dhṛtarāṣṭra said:’

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सव:।
मामका: पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय॥१॥

Dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ;
Māmakaḥ pāndavāścaiva kimakurvata sañjaya — 1.1

'Tell me, O Sañjaya! Assembled in Kurukṣetra, the centre of religious activity, desirous to fight, what indeed did my people and the Pāṇdavas do?'

Oh, Sañjaya, what did those people do in the dharmakṣetra kurukṣetra? Who are 'those people'? samavetā yuyutsavaḥ, 'people gathered there with a view to fight a battle'; māmakāh pāndavāścaiva, 'my people, Duryodhana and others, and those on the other side, Yudhisthira and the other Pāṇdavas'. What did they do there?

Kurukṣetra is a town about 105 miles from Delhi, a very ancient place even at the time of the Gītā, and considered to be holy, dharmakṣetra. Even today millions of people gather there on very special occasions, and take bath in the lakes there. Today there is a university developing in that big city. That is Kurukṣetra, which is a dharmakṣetra—a place of dharma, a very holy place. In that Kurukṣetra, these two sides—my children and their people as well as Yudhisthira and his people—gathered there to fight this battle of Kurukṣetra. So, what did they do, is the question Dhṛtarāṣṭra is asking his minister, Sañjaya.

सञ्जय उवाच –

Sañjaya uvāca—

Sañjaya said:

दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवानीकं व्यूढं दुर्योधनस्तदा।
आचार्यमुपसङ्गम्य राजा वचनमब्रवीत्॥२॥

Dṛstvā tu pāṇḍavānīkam vyūḍham duryodhanaḥ tadā;
Ācāryamupasaṅgamya rājā vacanamabravīt — 1.2

'Then King Duryodhana, having seen the Pāṇdava forces in battle-array, approached his teacher Droṇa, and spoke these words:'

King Duryodhana, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son, having seen the Pāṇdava forces in battle-array, approached his teacher Droṇa, who was a teacher of archery for both the Kauravas and the Pāṇdavas, and spoke these words to him. Droṇa was highly respected like Bhīṣma; these are the two highly respected people in the Māhābhārata war.

पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम्।
व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता॥३॥

Paśyaitām pāṇduputrāṇām ācārya mahatim camūm;
Vyuḍhām drupada-putreṇa tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā— 1.3

'Behold, O Teacher! This mighty army of the sons of Pāṇdu arrayed by the son of Drupada, thy gifted pupil.'

The son of Drupada referred to, is Dhṛṣṭadyumna, who was a gifted disciple of Droṇa himself. Details are then given.

अत्र शूरा महेष्वासा भीमार्जुनसमा युधि।
युयुधानो विराटश्च द्रुपदश्च महारथ:॥४॥

Atra śūrā maheṣvāsā bhīmārjunasamā yudhi;
Yuyudhāno virāṭaśca drupadaśca mahārathaḥ — 1.4

धृष्टकेतुश्चेकितान: काशिराजश्च वीर्यवान्।
पुरुजित् कुुन्तिभोजश्च शैब्यश्च नरपुङ्गव:॥५॥

Dhṛṣṭaketuścekitānaḥ kāśirājaśca vīryavān;
Purujit kuntibhojaśca śaibyaśca narapuṅgavaḥ — 1. 5

युधामन्युश्च विक्रान्त उत्तमौजाश्च वीर्यवान्।
सौभद्रो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्व एव महारथा:॥६॥

Yudhāmanyuśca vikrānta uttamaujāśca vīryavān;
Saubhadro draupadeyāśca sarva eva mahārathāḥ —1.6

'Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal in battle to Bhīma and Arjuna—the great warriors Yuyudhāna, Virāta, Drupada; the valiant Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, the heroic king of Kāśi; the best of men, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Śaibya; the powerful Yudhāmanyu, and the brave Uttamaujas, the son of Subhadrā and the sons of Draupadi—lords of great chariots.'

King Duryodhana points out his own army to his teacher, Droṇa.

अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम।
नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान् ब्रवीमि ते॥७॥

Asmākaṃ tu viśiṣhṭā ye tānnibodha dvijottama;
Nāyakā mama sainyasya samjñārthaṃ tān bravīmi te—1. 7

'Now let me tell you about our own army, O best among the twice-born. I shall tell you by their names, some of the outstanding heroes on our side.'

भवान् भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिञ्जय:।
अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिर्जयद्रथ:॥८॥

Bhavān bhīṣmaśca karṇaśca kṛpaśca samitiñjayaḥ;
Aśvatthāmā vikarṇaśca saumadattiḥ jayadrathaḥ —1. 8

'First of all, you yourself, then, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, next, Kṛpa, victorious in war, Aśvatthama, Vikarṇa, Jayadratha, and the son of Somadatta.'

Karṇa is the eldest son of Kunti, the elder brother of Yudhisthira and the other Pāṇdavas, but they did not then know this truth. That was a mystery. So, Karṇa joined the Kaurava party.

अन्ये च बहव: शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविता:।
नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणा: सर्वे युद्धविशारदा:॥९॥

Anye ca bahavaḥ śūrā madarthe tyaktajīvitāḥ;
Nānāśastra-praharaṇāḥ sarve yuddhaviśāradāḥ— 1. 9

'And many other heroes also, well-skilled in fight, armed with many weapons, are here, determined to lay down their lives for my sake.'

अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्।
पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतएषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम्॥१०॥

Aparyāptaṃ tadasmākaṃ balaṃ bhīṣmābhirakṣitam;
Paryāptaṃ tvidameteṣhāṃ balaṃ bhīmābhirakṣitam — 1. 10

'This, our army, defended by Bhīṣma, is innumerable, but that army of theirs, defended by Bhīma, is easy to number, i.e., is much less.'

अयनेषु च सर्वेषु यथाभागमवस्थिता:।
भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु भवन्त: सर्व एव हि॥११॥

Ayaneṣhu ca sarveṣu yathābhāgamavasthitāḥ;
Bhīṣmamevābhirakṣantu bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi — 1.11

'Now, do this, be stationed in your proper places in the divisions of the army, and support and protect Bhīṣma alone.'

Bhīṣma is the most important person. Anything adverse happening to him, will hurt us. So, it is to be seen that he is properly protected.

तस्य संजनयन्हर्षं कुरुवृद्ध: पितामह:।
सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चै: शङ्खं दध्मौ प्रतापवान्॥१२॥

Tasya samjanayan harṣaṃ kuruvṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ;
Siṃhanādaṃ vinadyoccaiḥ śaṅkhaṃ dadhmau pratāpavān—1.12

'That oldest of the Kurus, Bhīṣma, the grand-sire, now sounded aloud a lion-roar and blew his conch, just to cheer up Duryodhana.'

Bhīṣma had taken a vow not to claim the throne for himself, though he was meant to become the king at that time, in order to please Satyavati, who was a fisher woman on the river Yamuna and the mother of sage Vyāsa, and allow her son to become the prince. So, Bhīṣma remained a celibate throughout his life; he is a man who keeps his word; so many times he was told n difficult situations to take up the throne. But he said, 'no, I don't want power.' So, Bhīṣma is considered to be a man of tremendous willpower, tremendous...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 25.8.2021
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Hinduismus
• ISBN-13: 9788175059337 / 9788175059337