They would shed blood with little to no remorse. Krishna achieves his aims. Such a thing is beyond terrible, and such ideas have been used by men in power for centuries to justify countless wars across many faiths. As a student of literature, I have an invested interest in all literature. But I also have a very critical mind. The most convincing parts about this book were the reasons Arjunja proposed for not going to war.
Jun 25, Alok Mishra rated it it was amazing. Well, to all the readers who are baffled by the 'opinions' and 'interpretations' of the authors here, who are supposedly the translators with a 'Rudimental' knowledge of the original language in which the text is present, please read The Bhagavad Gita by the Indian sages and authors who were and are well-versed in Sanskrit.
You will, then only, revel in the full knowledge and the depth. And to some of the 'readers' Well, to all the readers who are baffled by the 'opinions' and 'interpretations' of the authors here, who are supposedly the translators with a 'Rudimental' knowledge of the original language in which the text is present, please read The Bhagavad Gita by the Indian sages and authors who were and are well-versed in Sanskrit.
And to some of the 'readers' who are deeming this book as some holy text or limiting it to one religion, Hinduism, please, let me know where the world Hinduism is mentioned in this work. The Bhagavad Gita is for all - Sri Krishna loves all - those who love him are loved and those who don't love him are loved equally - he is, was and will be. We are, have been and shall be. Nothing ends - nothing begins. Sri Krishna is nothing and everything!
Has a book ever literally called to you by falling off the shelf and into your hands? When the Bhagavad Gita came through the book drop while I was working at the library, I recognized the title instantly without remembering why it was familiar, at least initially.
All I knew was that I was going to take it home and read it immediately. If none of that rings a bell, Has a book ever literally called to you by falling off the shelf and into your hands? If none of that rings a bell, then the name Mahatma Gandhi will. I read the Penguin Classics edition translated by Juan Mascaro first and while I found his language rich and beautiful at times, I prefer this edition by Ekneth Easwaran, which is clear and straightforward.
I identify strongly with the idea of becoming closer to God by renouncing the rewards of work and self-will. Overall, reading the Gita has inspired me to seek the truth in all religions and spiritual philosophies. Finding the principles in the Gita that are common to my own beliefs was enlightening. Any recommendations of what to read next would be appreciated.
Relying on internal discipline, meditate on me always. Remembering me, you shall overcome all difficulties through my grace. View all 15 comments. For to all the observations of the ancients, we have our own experience: which, if we will use, and apply, we have better means to pronounce.
It is true they opened the gates, and made the way, that went before us; but as guides, not commanders. View all 14 comments. Shelves: It's a dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and the god Krishna. They're standing between two armies; Arjuna has friends and relatives on both sides, and he asks Krishna whether he should fight. Their conversation immediately veers wildly off course, resulting in them talking philosophy for what must be hours right in the middle of a battlefield while all the other soldiers are probably like wtf dude, is this ser The Bhagavad Gita is the most famous part of The Mahabharata, India's national epic.
Their conversation immediately veers wildly off course, resulting in them talking philosophy for what must be hours right in the middle of a battlefield while all the other soldiers are probably like wtf dude, is this seriously the best time for allegorical fig trees. This is basically Aesop's Farmer and the Viper parable or the more modern scorpion-and-frog one.
It more or less works out if you believe in reincarnation, but I don't and besides I disagree with the concept of warriors, so this is not my jam. Dharma will later be used to justify the caste system: Service to others, the innate Attribute of the class of serfs Our ethics evolve but our texts keep saying the same thing, and that's the problem with taking ancient texts too seriously. But that's not to say that I found nothing valuable here.
In the discussion of duty, Krishna says: Better to do one's own duty ineptly, than another's well. And there's a lot of talk about not being too attached to "sense-objects," which means your shit, so this is basically a very early argument for the Kondo method.
And there's this, which is maybe the prettiest description of god I've ever read: This universe is strung on me as pearls are strung upon a thread. It's a pretty poem, and I'll take some of its ideas with me, and I'll leave some of them behind. That works, right? View all 6 comments. I need some time to chew on it. And, yes, perhaps just let go and let the book be -- what it already is.
View all 7 comments. It will serve them as a permanent and trustworthy companion in performing their various vocations and duties in life.
It will lift them up in moments of depression. There are about of these Upanishads altogether: chapters which deal with the ultimate reality of life and death. The Gita is the nectar, like milk, which can be consumed easily by one and all It talks to man as such. He who reads it is uplifted to a higher realm of happiness The Gita does not differentiate between and man and man on the basis of caste, colour, creed, religion or sex.
So the Christians, the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Zoroastrians and the Hindus can derive eternal and everlasting happiness and bliss by pondering over the verses of the Gita.
It means that which is lying dormant or hidden in the innermost dark recesses of your heart. Krishna means black and dark. The Krishan consciousness is lying dormant within us He is there in the wind, in the oceans, on the earth, in the sky and in the sun. The neutrons and the protons are actually activated by the magic of His presence. He is the Presiding Deity of the Whole Universe He alone is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent.
There are three steps: 1. King Yudhishthir, the Dharamraja, ruled over the powerful kingdom of Indraprastha. But their cousin Duryodhana was jealous, and wanted to rule the kingdom for himself. His uncle Shakuni, too, was greedy and cunning. He persuaded his nephew to play a game of dice, saying that he would make the dice fall in such a way that Duryodhana would always win. One must never gamble as there is no limit to the loss one may suffer in it.
Of course this game was lost too, and the five brothers were all further exiled for twelve years. This description is highly symbolic. The battlefield represents the human body or heart, and the war being fought is the battle in each one of us, between the forces of good and evil in our hearts. He tells what has happened to Dhritarashtra, the blind king.
These stories are allegorical, and similar to parables. This section comprises the Bhagavad Gita. It conveys a deeper message than what it seems to deliver in a literal sense. The white horses representing our five sense-organs: the ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose, enabling us to gain knowledge - to hear, touch, see taste and smell are held back well under control by the pulled reins the mind. This enables the Charioteer the Pure Intellect, or our higher self, represented by Lord Krishna to guide Arunja the ego to be victorious in the battle of Mahabharta, just as we will each be victorious in the battle of our life and gain divine strength.
Traditionally every person is believed to be unique in nature. If I am a man of learning and love knowledge above everything else, my battlefield is confined to books, schools, colleges, students, debates, discussion, reading, writing, preaching and the like.
I cannot and should not go to the cricket-field as a batman to get my head struck with a bouncer. It was based upon the physical, mental and intellectual abilities of the persons concerned. A Sudra is interested in serving others. A Kshatriya can defend the weak, the innocent and the poor, and has a mission to eliminate exploitation, injustuce, tyranny, torture and crimes from society.
Liberation is not something that can be acquired or reached. It can be viewed as a synthesis of knowledge, devotion, and desireless action, forming what is appropriate for each person. The Bhagavad Gita was introduced to the world through Sanjaya, who sees and knows all the events of the battlefield. The Bhagavad Gita presents a synthesis of the concept of Dharma and yogic ideals. That is why the Gita has been called Yoga Sastra.
The setting of the Bhagavad Gita in a battlefield, is usually interpreted as an allegory for the ethical and moral struggles of the human life. Its call for selfless action inspired many leaders of the Indian Independence Movement.
I lost my earthly mother who gave me birth long ago. But this eternal mother has completely filled her place by my side ever since. She has never changed; she has never failed me. Whenever I am in difficulty or distress, I seek refuge in her bosom. These Upanishads - the verses themselves - are composed with similes and metaphors.
The Sanskrit editions of the Bhagavad Gita name each chapter as a particular form of yoga. These eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad Gita can be seen as a progressive order, by which Krishna leads Arjuna up the ladder of Yoga from one rung to another. To follow the path of Karma yoga, action is necessary. However, the action is to be undertaken without any attachment to the work or desire for results. The work is done for itself, and not for any rewards. The object of the Bhagavad Gita is to show the best way for each individual to attain self-realisation.
This can be achieved by selfless action, and controlling all mental desires and tendencies to enjoy sensory pleasures. When we dwell on things of the material world - sensory things - we become attached to them.
From this springs desire, and anger when they are not realised. This results in bewilderment, then loss of memory, and the destruction of intelligence. Thus, he says, we perish. It is our desire that invites all our worries, agonies, sufferings, headaches, heartaches and hellish turmoils. That is why Lord Krishna lays the greatest stress on desireless or unattached Action throughout the whole Gita. It is known as Karmyoga or the Yoga of selfless Action. Thus he sees that beings are expanded everywhere.
Clearly this word too has nuances of meaning. It can mean a holy instruction manual, or both the knowledge of Divinity lurking inside us, and the technique for bringing it out to be manifested. There are numerous commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita , each differing from the rest in one essential point or another.
I enjoyed this book, but even though it is intended as a simple explanation I still floundered, much as young Arunja, finding the esoteric concepts incredibly difficult to grasp, and alien to Western philosophical tradition. Clearly I have not picked up all the connotations here. Plus, as always in religious scriptures, the names of people, tribes, cultures and concepts can seem overwhelming to someone not inculcated into the religion or belief system from birth, and the endless battles rather monotonous.
A loving and careful study of this work shall confer happiness and prosperity on the readers. Lord Krishna is ever smiling to bless them! The text is in 44 chapters, varying in length from half a side to a dozen or more pages. The illustrations by shri N. Vikram are quite beautiful, using traditional Hindu stylised images and vivid authentic colours.
There are plenty of them, each filling slightly over half a page of this large format book. This song divine is being sung in every heart ceaselessly, but we have no ears to listen to it. The ears and all other senses need to be tuned to catch the divine message being delivered within our own bosoms. They will prove and asset to themselves as well as to the entire humanity.
Feb 04, Riku Sayuj rated it it was amazing Shelves: spiritual , religion , gita , great-books-quest , classics , direct-phil , epic-related , myth-religion , philosophy , epics. But these particulars are not my measure; All these I better in one general best. This big difference with this version is that it reads as a narrative.
Also this one published by Nilgiri Press mirrors the same books 'The Dhammapada' and 'The Upanishads' in structure, content layout, and book design.
There is a lengthy introduction pgs. The story of Arjuna and Krishna is broken down into 18 chapters. I think this version and the 'Bhagavad-gita As It Is' are both very good in their own right. This version is clearly written and reads very quickly.
The A. Note that while Khair has a tripartite division of the Bhagavad Gita, his analysis is more subtle than that of Deussen as he argues that the third author mixed up the different parts which disguises the divisions. Of course, Kosambi puts the final rendition of the Gita much later to the Gupta period rather than the highpoint of the Buddhist period as Khair does.
The ideas common to Kosambi and Khair are that a there are multiple authors and b that the text evolves over time as it responds to different circumstances prevailing as per the struggle between Buddhism and Brahmanism while Khair alone contributes the idea that c the Third Author adds to and edits the text to give it a sort of unity.
This makes sense if we see that the First Author is not joining a battle against Buddhism but expounding the Upanshadic doctrine in a concise way. It is like a catechism for young students. Once we are beyond 2. Hence, we begin with a mention of Sankhya in 2. He is also a didactic writer expositing what has to be learnt. His style is dispassionate. He uses words such as jnanin, munih, yatih, yogin but sparsely.
This is also a teaching text, meant for select audiences. The second or third century BCE which Khair gives as the likely date is the high point of the spread of Buddhism with Ashoka having given royal patronage to Buddhism.
Maharishi's translation and commentary on the first six chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita is meant to be "a complete guide to practical life, that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level. This edition by Juan Mascaro, a sensitive Sanskrit scholar, is aimed "to give, without notes or commentary, the spiritual message of the Bhagavad Gita in pure English. This is a translation by an author who thinks the Gita is "a handbook for self-realization and a guide to action" that "offers something to every seeker after God, of whatever temperament, by whatever path.
The reason for this universal appeal is that it is basically practical Translator Jack Hawley uses everyday prose to walk the Western reader through the difficult concepts of the Gita, covering a wide range of topics, from healing inner pain to celebrating life. Engaging even for the cursory reader! Renowned for his innovative interpretations of classic spiritual texts, Stephen Mitchell here provides an artistic rendition of the Gita that will shed new light for modern Western readers.
The book includes a short but enlightening introduction that explains the context and importance of the Bhagavad Gita in the canon of important spiritual texts. This unique version by Jean Griesser employs a simple story line, coupled with photographic montages and colorful paintings, to illustrate the concepts of the Gita for children above 4. A great way to introduce your children to the eternal values and virtues. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.
Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Skip to main content. Module 3: Exploring Axiology. Search for:. The first reason Krishna mentions is that because atman the Self is eternal; it is a mistake to think that one can actually kill someone. What actually happens is that people are sent to the next stage of reincarnation. Both are ignorant; there is neither slayer nor slain. You were never born; you will never die. You have never changed; you can never change.
Unborn, eternal, immutable, immemorial, you do not die when the body dies. Arjuna is a member of the warrior class; the battle is the very reason of his existence within this particular order now. The third reason Krishna gives is that inaction is impossible.
Withdrawing from battle is in itself a conscious decision; not choosing is still a choice. This is, in a way, a criticism of some world-views, such as asceticism, which claim that leaving everything behind is inaction.
Withdrawing from society is always a deliberate act. Another reason given by Krishna is that the source of evil is not in actions, but in passion and desires, the intentions behind the actions. This brings the dialogue to the last reason.
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