Bhagavad Gita (भगवद्गीता)
The Purpose of Gita
It is sad that the Kurukshetra lies within us. Once born, there is no escape from this Kurukshetra within us. Lord Krishna guides us to face it boldly and defeat the rajasic and tamasic tendencies within us. And the Gita is the greatest guide he bestowed on us.[1] Talking of the Gita, Gita Mahatmya (as in the Padma Purana) says,
सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः । पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥४॥[2]
sarvopaniṣado gāvo dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ । pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīrbhoktā dugdhaṁ gītāmr̥taṁ mahat ॥4॥
Meaning: All the Upanishads are cows; the Milker is Krishna, the cowherd boy; Partha (Arjuna) is the calf; men of purified intellect are the drinkers, the milk is the great nectar of the Gita.[1]
Commentaries on the Gita
Gita has numerous commentators from all philosophies and Sampradayas.[1]
| Commentator | Commentory |
|---|---|
| Sri Ramanuja | Gita Bhashya |
| Vedanta Desika | Tatpariya Chandrikai |
| Vadi Kesari Azhagiya Manavala Jeeyar | Venba Padal |
Talking about the commentaries on Gita, K.S.Narayanacharya says, "My own conviction is that the best commentary on the Gita is the entire Mahabharata and the context of a physical war, which manifested itself as an expression of a larger civilizational crisis of
- Duty v/s Inaction,
- Loyalty to evil v/s An original path seeking, which looks like a revolution and so on."[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://hindu-sanathana-dharma.blogspot.com/
- ↑ Abhinavagupta (March 1987), Shrimad Geetartha Sangraha, Kashmir: Normal Press.
- ↑ Narayanacharya K.S. (December 2013), The Main Thrust of Gita Thought, Bangalore: Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Introduction.