You are here: SriPedia - SriRangaSri - Archives - Dec 2006

SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00017 Dec 2006

 
Dec 2006 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


SI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all, 

The Bhagawad GitA is one of the most important sacred
texts for our religion. It is one of the three mast
sacred works caleed ?prasthana traya?. 

There is perhaps no other works that has been so
widely translated in so many local and foreign
languages as the Bhagavad GitA. So many innumerable
commentaries have been written on GitA, not only by
Indians, also by foreigners. The Gita is having
universal appeal among all classes of people, in India
and in overseas. 

The GiTA occurs in Mahabharatha and is contained in
Bhishma parva from the 25th chapter to 42nd chapter.
The Mahabharatha is in fact called the fifth veda. And
hence GiTA should be called Upanishad, the most
important [or zenith] of the Vedas. 

There is a famous sloka, which says that all the
Upanishads are cows. Lord Krishna is the milk man and
Arjuna the calf. So, the milk man Krishna milks the
cow [Upanishads] and gives the milk [GitA]. This
nectar or amritha of GitA, which was originally meant
for Arjuna is fortunately made available to us, which
we enjoy 

Using Arjuna, as an excuse, Krishna blessed us with
this GitA and is called JagadhAcharya [or Jagadhguru]
? teacher of the world. KrishNam vandhE jagadhgurum. 

There is a famous saying that those who always think
of GitA, Ganga, Gayathri, and Govindha are not born
again in this world. 

Bhagavad GitA means the song sung by the Bhagawaan. It
can also be interpreted to mean song pertaining to
Bhagawaan.It is estimated that there are about 3000
commentaries on the GitA. The most important ones are
those of Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva. Each acharya
has interpreted the Gita according to his system of
philosophy namely Advaita, VisishtAdvaita and Dwaita.
The followers of these acharyas like Vedanta Desika,
Anandagiri, Sridhara, Jayatirtha, Raghavendra have
also written further elaborations and commentaries of
their acharyas? commentaries on GitA. 

So far as the commentary on Gita is concerned,
Ramanuja has followed Yamunacharya?s Gitartha
sangraha. This text of Alavandhar or Yamunacharya
contains 32 verses, analyzing each of the 18 chapters
of the Gita and also in groups of six chapters and as
a whole. Swami Desikan has written a further lucid
commentary called ?taatparya chandrika? on Ramanuja?s
commentary of the Gita, which is a veritable treasure
for us and leaves nothing behind unsaid. Taatparya
Chandirka is indispensable for proper understanding
and appreciating of Ramanuja?s commentary on the Gita.
[from Sri U Ve VN Gopladesikan Swami?s book on Srimad
Bhagavad-Gita]

Sriman Narayanan as per His graceful will to incarnate
as and when necessary in this material worlds to
protect good people; destroy the evil forces; and
establish righteousness; came down from his Supreme
Abode SrivaikuNtam, and manifested on this earth as
Sri Krishna in MathurA. He was easily accessible to
all and took pride in acting as the dhootha
[messenger] of PaaNdavas. PaaNdavas had to wage the
unavoidable battle with Kauravas. Sri Krishna
supporting Paandavas in their just cause, acted as the
charioteer of Arjuna. 

Arjuna?s chariot was led into the battlefront by Sri
Krishna. Arjuna seeing his own teacher, relatives,
friends, on the opposite side, dreaded killing them in
the battle field. Troubled by such misplaced
compassion arising in him at the wrong time, he sat on
the chariot deeply confused and shaken in his mind
body, due to the mistaken thought of deeming as
unworthy his duty as a king to wage the rightful war. 

The master of Masters, Sri Krishna chose the moment to
shower the nectarine GitA, to the world through Arjuna
[as an excuse]. He willed to remove the confusions and
distresses in the minds of all jeevathmas in general
[who are caught in the battlefield of samsaaric
afflictions pulled by conflicting desires and
thoughts], through the teachings to the confused
Arjuna standing in the thick of the battle. 

To start with Sri Krishna taught Arjuna the essential
attributes of Jeevathma, who is different from the
body, who is eternal and who is a servant of the Lord,
the indirect means of Salvation [mOksham], namely 
Karma yogam, and jnAna yogam and the direct means of
bhakti yogam, with their respective auxiliaries; Sri
Krishna left it to Arjuna to choose and ask of the
suitable Means to be adopted; Arjuna felt sorry
thinking that Krishna had not been pleased to show him
the firm Means to be adopted by him; Sri Krishna
started teaching him bhakti Yogam once firmly the
?greatest secret of all?. Arjuna?s sorrow further grew
on knowing about Bhakthi Yogam, which is very
difficult to be practised with its auxiliaries, with
the wisdom and ability required for it, to be pursued
with very great care for a long time, with its fruit
also not attainable quickly; on the pretext of
removing Arjuna?s confusion and sorrow, Sri Krishna
willed that he was the suitable receptacle through
whom He should gracefully teach to the worlds the
supremely secret Prapatti [Sranagathi] which is the
Means of achieving mOksham [salvation] and also other
fruits, which does not have any auxiliary other than
what are prescribed; which is easy and which is
possible of being practiced in a moment; which can be
performed by anyone and everyone who wants mOksha
[salvation]. On hearing Sri Krishna?s teachings,
Arjuna;s confusion disappeared and he obediently
followed His commands and profusely benefited. This is
the history of the graceful coming into existence of
GitA, which is the essence of Vedanthas [Upanishads]
and the most vital part of Maha bharatham.  

The summary and essence of GitA:

Karumamum jnAnamun koNdu yezhun kaadhaluku Orilakku
enRu 
aRumaRai uchchiyuL aadharitthu Odhum Brahmam 
thirumagaLOdu varunm thirumaal enRu thaanuraiththaan
dharumam ugandha dhananjayanukku avan saarathiyE.

The Lord, who acted as the Charioteer for Arjuna,
Himself taught him [Arjuna] who was desirous of
Knowing the righteousness: That only Thirumaal [Sriman
Narayanan] manifesting with ThirumagaL [Sri
Mahalakshmi], the Supreme Soul, difficult of
attainment, praised and explained by Vedantha
difficult to be understood,  Is the only target [of
attainment] through bhakti yogam [path based on bhakti
ceaselessly and uninterruptedly]  which is practised 
With [preceded by adherence to KarmaYogam [path based
on performance of prescribed deeds] and jnAna yogam
[path based on wisdom and enjoyment of the Soul].
[From the summary of the article appealed in
PeraruLALan few years ago- written lucidly by Sri R
Srinivasavaradan Swami]

Like KaNNan, the GitAchAryan, asmadhAchArya also was
born in the same star RohiNi and was named
Rajagopalan. His sowlabhyam and sowseelyam are no
different from Lord Krishna. His vaathsalyam on these
vathsaas [calves - us] is seen to be believed. [more
of this later:-)]  

I place my head in all sincerity at the Lotus Feet of
His Holiness again and again.  

asmadhAcharyan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam
GitAchAryan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo narayana
dAsan


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 


 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    mailto:SriRangaSri-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    mailto:SriRangaSri-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list