Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute

350 Pages·2006·1.84 MB·English

A 02 Invocation 7/6/06 3:37 AM Page 1
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[1]
A 02 Invocation 7/6/06 3:37 AM Page 2
Ma&galåchara@am
o^ pårthåya pratibodhitå^ bhagavatå nåråya@ena svaya^
vyåsena grathitå^ purå@a-muninå madhye mahå-bhårate
advaitåm~ta-var!i@(^ bhagavat(m a!$ådaßådhyåyi@(m
amba tvåm anusandadhåmi bhagavad-g(te bhavad-ve!i@(m [1]
namo ’stu te vyåsa-vißåla-buddhe
phullåravindåyata-patra-netra
yena tvayå bhårata-taila-p)r@a%
prajvålito jåna-maya% prad(pa% [2]
prapanna-pårijåtåya, totra-vetraika-på@aye
jåna-mudråya k~!@åya, g(tåm~ta-duhe nama% [3]
sarvopani!ado gåvo, dogdhå gopåla-nandana%
pårtho vatsa% sudh(r bhoktå, dugdha^ g(tåm~ta^ mahat [4]
vasudeva-suta^ deva^, ka^sa-chå@)ra-mardanam
devak(-paramånanda^, k~!@a^ vande jagad-gurum [5]
bh(!ma-dro@a-ta$å jayadratha-jalå gåndhåra-n(lotpalå
ßalya-gråhavat( k~pe@a vahan( kar@ena velå-kulå
aßvatthåma-vikar@a-ghora-makarå duryodhanåvartin(
sott(r@å khalu på@#avai ra@a-nad( kaivartaka% keßava% [6]
påråßarya-vacha% sarojam-amala^ g(tårtha-gandhotka$a^
nånåkhyånaka-kesara^ hari-kathå-sambodhanåbodhitam
loke sajjana-!a$-padair ahar-aha% pep(yamåna^ mudå
bh)yåd bhårata-pa&kaja^ kali-mala-pradhva^si na% ßreyase [7]
ya^ brahmå varu@endra-rudra-maruta-stunvanti divyai% stavair
vedai% så&ga-pada-kramopani!adair gåyanti ya% såmagå%
dhyånåvasthita-tad-gatena manaså paßyanti ya^ yogino
yasyånta^ na vidu% suråsura-ga@å devåya tasmai nama% [8]
nåråya@a^ namsk~tya, nara^ chaiva narottamam
dev(^ sarasvat(^ vyåsa^, tato jayam ud(rayet [9]
[2]
A 02 Invocation 7/6/06 3:37 AM Page 3
Auspicious Invocation
Meditation on Ír( G(tå—
O Bhagavad-G(tå, song of the Supreme Lord Himself,
You are the bestower of Arjuna’s enlightenment. You have
been woven into the scripture Mahåbhårata by the ancient
sage Ír(la Vedavyåsa. In eighteen chapters, You are the
rain of ever-flowing nectar, non-different from the Lord.
O Mother, I meditate upon You; may You graciously enter
my heart.
Obeisances unto Ír(la Vyåsadeva—
O Ír(la Vyåsadeva of formidable intelligence, whose eyes
resemble the long petals of the blooming lotus flower,
and who ignited the lamp of knowledge, filled with the
oil of the Mahåbhårata—I offer my obeisances unto you.
Obeisances unto the Lord as the chariot-driver of
Arjuna—
I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Ír( K±!@a,
who fulfills the wishes of His surrendered devotees. He
holds a driving-rod in one hand while the other is poised
in the expression of instruction, and He is the milker of
the nectar of the G(tå.
The Glories of the G(tå—
The crest-jewels of the Vedas, all the Upani!ads, are as
the cow, and the milker of the cow is Lord Ír( K±!@a, the
son of Nanda Mahåråj. Arjuna is the calf, the nectar of
the G(tå is the milk, and the fortunate devotees are the
enjoyers of that milk.
Obeisances unto Lord Ír( K±!@a—
I bow unto the lotus feet of Ír( K±!@a, the son of Vasudeva,
the vanquisher of the demons Ka^sa and Chå@)ra, the
joy of mother Devak(, and the universal teacher.
[3]
A 02 Invocation 7/6/06 3:37 AM Page 4
[4] Ír(mad Bhagavad-G(tå
The river of the battle of Kuruk!etra—
One bank is Bh(!ma, the other Dro@åchårya; Jayadratha
is the water; the sons of Gåndhår(, the blue lotus flower;
Íalya, the crocodile; K~pa, the waves; Kar@a, the shore;
Aßvatthåmå, Vikar@a and company, the fearful sharks;
Duryodhana, the whirlpool; and Keßava is the boatman
of this river of the battle that was crossed by the På@#avas.
The Mahåbhårata as a lotus flower—
These words of Ír( K±!@a Dvaipåyana Vyåsadeva, the son
of Paråßara Muni, are a perfect lotus flower. The mean-
ing of the G(tå is the beautiful fragrance of this lotus, the
various episodes are its stamens, and the enlightening
narrations about the Supreme Lord are its nectar. In this
world, the pure devotees are the bees who day after day
delight in drinking the nectar of the lotus flower. May
this Mahåbhårata lotus, the vanquisher of all evils in this
age of Kali, graciously bestow auspiciousness upon us.
Obeisances unto the Supreme Lord—
I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord whose
glories are sung with celestial prayers by the gods Brahmå,
Varu@a, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts; whose glories are
sung by the verses of the Vedas along with their six
auxiliary books and the Upani!ads; whose glories are sung
by the bråhma@as that sing the Såma-Veda; who the yog(s
see within their hearts absorbed in meditation; and whose
infinite glories are inconceivable to all beings, whether gods
or demons.
Before reciting the scriptures that can conquer material
existence, we offer obeisances unto the Supreme Lord who
is known as Nåråya@a, Nara and Narottama; the goddess
of learning Saraswat(; and the great sage empowered by
the Lord to reveal the scriptures, Ír(la Vyåsadeva.
A 03preface&intro 7/6/06 3:43 AM Page 5
All Glories to Ír( Guru and Ír( Gaurå&ga
Preface
[Publisher’s Note, first Bengali Edition,
Appearance Day of Lord K±!@a, 1961]
Unique in its wide publication and extensive circulation,
the Ír(mad Bhagavad-gita appears in various languages,
both in India and other countries, along with the com-
mentaries of former great saints as well as modern
scholars. The commentaries of the prominent Vai!@ava
•chåryas such as Ír( Råmånuja, Ír(mat Madhvamuni, and
Ír( Ír(dhar Swåm(påd are most noteable, whilst among
the proponents of jåna-mårga, or the monistic path, the
commentaries of Ír(mat Ía&karåchårya and Ír( Madhu-
s)dan Saraswat( are well-known. The commentaries of
Ír(yuta Båla Ga&gådhar Tilak and Ír( Aurobindo favour
the school of karma-yoga, or the path of action, and are
also familiar to modern scholars. Great thinkers of both
East and West have ardently sung the glories of Ír( G(tå,
being inspired by the ideals of its teachings.
However, the achintya-bhedåbheda-siddhånta, theology
of ‘inconceivable oneness and difference’ as revealed by
the proponents of Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu—Gau#(ya
•chåryas Ír(la Vißvanåth Chakravart( and Ír(la Baladev
Vidyåbh)!a@a, is concluded by the learned devotees to
be most favorable to exclusive devotion. The devotees also
embrace Ír(la Bhaktivinoda ¢håkur’s Bengali commentary
of Ír( G(tå as a harmonious, spiritual mine of the treasure
of divine love for Ír( K±!@a {K±!@a-prema}, the fifth and
transcendental goal of life, beyond the four general
human objectives of religion, wealth, sense enjoyment
and liberation.
[5]