The Bhagavad-Gita, with the commentary of Sri Sankaracharya

508 Pages·2008·20.72 MB·English

:
BHAGAVAD-GITA
rHE
WITH THE COMMENTARY OF
SANKARACHARYA
SRI
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH
BY
MAHADEVA
A. SASTRI, b. a.,
Curator, Government Oriental Library, Mysore.
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11 >J 9i
4 J •
SECOND EDITION
REVISEP AND IMPROVED, WITH ADDITIONAL NOTES.
MYSORE
igoi.
[All Rights Reserved.
]

VEDIC RELIGION
TMB BMASAITAB-MATAA,
CARPENTIER
PRINTED AT
The G, T. A. Printing Works,
MYSORE.
fof
I
TO THE MEMORY OF
(A
A A
i.i. Sri BhamarajGndraladayarlahadur, 6i.i.i.,
I'he Late JVEaharaja of ]VIysops,
WHO TOOK AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN THE REVIVAL OF
OUR ANCIENT LITERATURE AND RELIGION.
iviSSSOl

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
Under the designation " VEDIC RELIGION " it is
proposed to publish in a series English translations of some
of the most important Ancient Scriptures of the Aryans
with such authoritative commentaries as may throw more
light upon their teachings. The Bhagavad-Gita justly
heads the series, as embodying in a most popular form the
essence of the whole Vedic Religion within a short compass.
The publication of the present volume and the possibility of
— —
prosecuting the work to me, of love further on isaltogether
due to the kindness and liberality of Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, k.c.
s. I.,*the*Hon'*ble *Sir. *S. S*ubra*hman*ya I*yer k*. c. *i. e., and
Mr. A. Ramachandra Iyer (Judge, Chief Court, Bangalore).
I have throughout attempted a literal translation of the
Bhashya, the text of the Bhagavad-Gita being also literally
translated in the light of the Bhashya. The Bhashya has
been translated in full except where a literal translation of
the Bhashya of a whole verse or even of a considerable part
of it would be a mere repetition of the translation of the
corresponding portion of the text of the Gita in which
;
case I have either altogether omitted the Bhashya or trans-
lated only those portions which rather explain the meaning
of the text than merely show in what order the words in the
text should be construed or merely give their synonymous
equivalents. Wherever a mere literal translation of the
Bhashya is not likely to bring out its full import or leaves
any room for doubt as to its meaning, I have added, in the
form of foot-notes, explanations mostly extracted from
Anandagiri's Tika, each such extract being marked(A)at the
Vm
PREFACE.
end. This Tika is always the clearest and most to the point
and is almost indispensable for a proper understanding of
some important portions of the Bhashya. An immediate
disciple of Sri-5ankaracharya as he is reputed to be, he
should also be the safest guide.
It has always been my special aim to make the Bhashya
in its English garb as clearly intelligible to a general reader
as I could, without unnecessarily departing from the
original, even as regards the structure of sentences. With
this end in view, I have introduced into the translation as
few technical terms as possible, whether of the Eastern or
of the Western philosophy and theology. Where necessary,
original Sanskrit terms have been used along with their
English equivalents. In some cases Sanskrit terms alone
have been used, inasmuch as their English equivalents are
found not to convey adequately the intended idea. The
exact sense of every such Sanskrit term will be found ex-
plained where it occurs for the first time in the Bhashya or
may be gathered from the context in which it occurs.
Even if the translation be not quite clear when read by
itself, I have no doubt that it will at least enable those who
are even slightly acquainted with Sanskrit, to understand
clearly the Bhashya in the original, especially as given in
my edition above referred to. The Bhashya, written as it
is in the author's peculiarly terse and archaic style, presents
—
in several places difificulties even as to the exact relation
of the different parts which follow one another in the course
of a discussion—which Sanskrit students who are not
thoroughly conversant with the author's style and system
PREFACE.
ix
of philosophy can scarcely overcome without the help of
Anandagiri's T(ka or some such help as the present transla-
tion affords. It is, moreover, always a distinct j,'ain to lie
thus able to study the original and avoid the errors into
which commonplace readers may fall if they should confine
themselves to the translation.
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