the history of bhagavad gita

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    The History of Bhagavad Gita

    Sometimes it is good to ‘get back to basics’ on the philosophy of Bhagavad Gita. So I think agood place to start is the history of Bhagavad Gita. What is the Gita, where did it come from and

    how old is it

    !irstly the title of Bhagavad Gita is two Sanskrit words. Bhagavad comes from the word

    Bhagavan which referrers to the S"preme #ersonality of Godhead and ‘gita’ means song.Sometimes we hear the Gita referred to in $nglish as %&he Song of God,' and this is a reasonable

    $nglish translation of the title and it is a fairly acc"rate description of what the Bhagavad Gita is.

    &he Bhagavad Gita was spoken by (rishna, the S"preme #ersonality of Godhead, to )is friend

    *r+"na on the battlefield of ("r"ksettra aro"nd five tho"sand years ago. &he Gita has a very"ni"e position in the world as it is the only book that contains directly the act"al words spoken

     by the S"preme #ersonality of Godhead. -o" can find many religio"s and philosophical books in

    the world b"t there is no book, ecept Bhagavad Gita, which claims to contain the direct, act"alwords spoken by God. $ven in the /edic literat"res the other sections of the /edas may have

    "otes from God b"t they are written abo"t God, they describe God, rather than being a direct

    conversation with God.

    &he Gita is "ni"e in the world as it is a direct conversation between (rishna, the S"preme#ersonality of Godhead, and his friend *r+"na so we need to take this book very serio"sly and

    st"dy it very caref"lly.

    So what were (rishna and *r+"na doing on the battlefield of ("r"ksettra and how did this

    conversation between them that has now become the Gita take place

    &here was a royal family called the ("r"s which *r+"na and (rishna were both connected to.*ltho"gh all the descendents of this family were act"ally ‘("r"s’ there was a disagreement

     between the five sons of #and" and the other members of the ("r" family over who sho"ld be

    the (ing. Beca"se of this disagreement the sons of #and" became known as %#andavas'. *r+"nawas the third son of #and" and (rishna was related to and friendly with both factions of the ("r"

    family. &he #andavas wanted to settle this disp"te peacef"lly and even s"ggested that the ("r"s

    co"ld keep the kingdom and simply give them five small villages, one village for each of the#and" brothers to r"le over as they were (satriyas and needed to have at least some land. B"t the

    ("r"s re+ected this very reasonable proposal stating that they wo"ld not give the #and"s even a

     piece of land the si0e of the head of a pin. So in this way the ("r"s forced the #andavas to fight

    them and the leader of the winning gro"p wo"ld go on to become the (ing.

    !rom the point of view of military strength and the n"mber of competent generals to lead the

     battle the ("r"s led by the great and epert general Bhisma were far s"perior to the #andavas led

     by *r+"na. &herefore it appeared that the ("r"s sho"ld be able to easily defeat the army of the#andavas.

    http://prabhupadabooks.com/bghttp://prabhupadabooks.com/bghttp://prabhupadabooks.com/kbhttp://prabhupadabooks.com/bghttp://prabhupadabooks.com/kbhttp://prabhupadabooks.com/bg

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    So this is the basic backgro"nd, yo" can find m"ch more detailed information in Srila

    #rabh"pada’s Bhagavad1gita *s It Is2b"t now yo" have the general idea at least. *s I mentioned

    (rishna was friendly with both sides and both sides belonged to the ("r" family so they allknew each other and were related to each other in vario"s ways. So this is a family "arrel.

    (rishna did not want to be seen to be partial to either side so he met with *r+"na, the leader of

    the #andavas and 3"ryodhana, the leader of the ("r"s, and told them both that )e wo"ld offerhis army to one side and )e himself wo"ld be on the other side b"t )e said that )e wo"ld not

    fight. (rishna of co"rse had a very large and powerf"l army and 3"ryodhana got the first choice

    so nat"rally he choose (rishna’s army and that left (rishna, who was not going to fight, on*r+"na’s side.

    So (rishna, altho"gh )e had agreed not to fight, offered to drive the chariot of *r+"na. &hat is

    how the famo"s image of Bhagavad1gita came abo"t. &he pict"re of (rishna at the front of

    *r+"na’s chariot driving it and *r+"na behind )im riding on the chariot and fighting the battle.4f co"rse *r+"na wanted )is friend (rishna on )is side and was very happy with this

    arrangement and 3"ryodhana wanted (rishna’s powerf"l army on his side so he was also happy

    with the arrangement.

    So now yo" "nderstand how (rishna and *r+"na ended "p sitting on the chariot facing theiropponents and co"sin brothers the ("r"s on the battlefield. It was a very dramatic scene. &he

    two very strong armies facing each other and ready to engage in battle. *r+"na asked (rishna to

     place his chariot between the two armies so that he co"ld see both the armies and get a clear ideaof the sit"ation before the battle commenced. So (rishna moved the chariot and *r+"na observed

    the armies and seeing so many friends and family members on both sides *r+"na became

     bewildered and decided that they sho"ld not fight in this battle. )is logic was that even if they

    were s"ccessf"l and ended "p victorio"s in the fight practically all his friends and familymembers wo"ld be killed in the battle. &herefore he was thinking the victory wo"ld be pointless

    if all his friends were killed and there was no one for him to en+oy the victory with.

    *t this point *r+"na was saying to (rishna that they sho"ld +"st leave the battlefield. (rishnasaid he was s"rprised by these sentiments of *r+"na and considered that *r+"na was acting in a

    "nmanly way and chastised him. &his is the beginning of the conversation we now know as

    ‘Bhagavad Gita’ or ‘Song of God’.

    &he Gita is not a long conversation. it comprises of only 566 Sanskrit verses and it was spokenon a battlefield as the two armies were getting ready for the war. 7aybe it took one ho"r or a

    little more and d"ring the co"rse of this conversation *r+"na came to he senses and reali0ed his

    d"ty was act"ally to s"rrender to (rishna and do what (rishna wanted, and (rishna wanted him

    to fight. *ct"ally this whole arrangement was made by (rishna so the Bhagavad Gita co"ld bespoken by )im. *r+"na is bewildered and appears to be in ill"sion b"t we "nderstand this is also

    (rishna’s arrangement. If *r+"na was not conf"sed and bewildered there wo"ld have been no

    need for (rishna to speak the Bhagavad Gita to clear "p his conf"sion. (rishna is not speakingthe Bhagavad Gita for *r+"na’s benefit only. It is for the benefit of everyone.

    *nd yo" may well ask8 %(rishna spoke this conversation to *r+"na on a battlefield five tho"sand

    years ago, how is it that we have that conversation in a book now' We have the Bhagavad Gita

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     beca"se Srila /yasadeva the great sage and literary incarnation of (rishna incl"ded this

    conversation between (rishna and *r+"na, the Bhagavad Gita, as one of the chapters of his great

    epic the 7ahabharata. So Sri /yasadeva who was a contemporary with (rishna and *r+"na afterthe battle of ("r"ksettra and the disappearance of (rishna compiled the 7ahabharata which is

    the history of the "niverse and in that book he incl"ded the f"ll details and history of the ("r"

    family and of co"rse the Bhagavad Gita is incl"ded in 7ahabharata.

    It is not that the Bhagavad Gita was invented by (rishna 9,::: years ago when )e spoke it to*r+"na. ;o. (rishna says8 %I instr"cted this imperishable science of yoga to the s"n1god,

    /ivasvan, and /ivasvan instr"cted it to 7an", the father of mankind, and 7an" in t"rn instr"cted

    it to Iksvak". &he s"preme science was th"s received thro"gh the chain of disciplic s"ccession,and the saintly kings "nderstood it in that way. B"t in co"rse of time the s"ccession was broken,

    and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.' =.?@

    )ere (rishna is giving the history of the Bhagavad Gita stretching way back to the time when

    (rishna instr"cted the same Bhagavad Gita to /ivasvan the s"n god. Srila #rabh"pada estimates

    in his p"rport that this was at least 6?: million years ago and that the Gita has eisted in h"mansociety for two million years.

    So the Bhagavad Gita was not a new book even when (rishna spoke it some 9,::: years ago.

    &hen )e was simply repeating the same thing )e ta"ght the s"n god /ivasvan aro"nd 6?:million years ago.

    *ltho"gh the Bhagavad Gita is the most ancient book, it is still st"died today by millions and the

    teachings of (rishna in it are still very relevant to solving the problems we face in today’s world.&his proves the eternal val"e of the timeless knowledge (rishna shares with )is friend *r+"na.

    7y h"mble re"est is if yo" have not made a serio"s st"dy of Srila #rabh"pada’s Bhagavad Gita*s It Is please p"rchase it at8

    &he )idden &r"ths in the Bhagavad Gita

    $cerpts from #aramahansa -oganandaAs highly acclaimed two1vol"me commentary on the

    Bhagavad Gita8God Talks With Arjuna —The Bhagavad Gita: Royal Science of God-Realization

    &he Bhagavad Gita8 * niversal Script"re

    &he timeless and "niversal message of the Gita is all1encompassing in its epression of tr"th.

    http://bookstore.yogananda-srf.org/c6/c12/God-Talks-With-Arjuna-The-Bhagavad-Gita-p54.htmlhttp://bookstore.yogananda-srf.org/c6/c12/God-Talks-With-Arjuna-The-Bhagavad-Gita-p54.html

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     Bhagavad Gita means CSong of the Spirit,C the divine comm"nion of tr"th1reali0ation between

    man and his Dreator, the teachings of Spirit thro"gh the so"l, that sho"ld be s"ng "nceasinglyE.

    &he "nderlying essential tr"ths of all great world script"res can find common amity in theinfinite wisdom of the GitaAs mere 5:: concise verses.

    &he entire knowledge of the cosmos is packed into the Gita. S"premely profo"nd, yet co"ched inrevelatory lang"age of solacing bea"ty and simplicity, the Gita has been "nderstood and applied

    on all levels of h"man endeavor and spirit"al strivingFsheltering a vast spectr"m of h"man

     beings with their disparate nat"res and needs. Wherever one is on the way back to God, the Gitawill shed its light on that segment of the +o"rney.

     

    Dracking the Dode of the GitaAs -ogic Symbolism and *llegory

    &he ancient sacred writings do not clearly disting"ish

    history from symbology rather, they often intermi thetwo in the tradition of script"ral revelation. #rophets

    wo"ld pick "p instances of the everyday life and events of 

    their times and from them draw similes to epress s"btlespirit"al tr"ths. 3ivine prof"ndities wo"ld not otherwise

     be conceivable by the ordinary man "nless defined in

    common terms. When, as they often did, script"ral prophets wrote in more recondite metaphors and

    allegories, it was to conceal from ignorant, spirit"ally

    "nprepared minds the deepest revelations of Spirit.

    &h"s, in a lang"age of simile, metaphor, and allegory, theBhagavad Gita was very cleverly written by Sage /yasa

     by interweaving historical facts with psychological and

    spirit"al tr"ths, presenting a word1painting of thet"m"lt"o"s inner battles that m"st be waged by both the

    material and the spirit"al man. In the hard shell of

    symbology, he hid the deepest spirit"al meanings to protect them from the devastation of the

    ignorance of the 3ark *ges toward which civili0ation was descending conc"rrent with the end of Sri (rishnaAs incarnation on earth.

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    &he words of Hord (rishna to *r+"na in the Bhagavad Gita are at once a profo"nd script"re on

    the science of yoga, "nion with God, and a tetbook for everyday living. &he st"dent is led step

     by step with *r+"na from the mortal conscio"sness of spirit"al do"bt and weakheartedness todivine att"nement and inner resolve.

    &he Bhagavad GitaFa comprehensive metaphysical and psychological treatiseFdescribes alleperiences that will come to the spirit"al traveler on the path of emancipationE. the positive

    states the devotee is striving toward andJ the negative states that try to intimidate the devotee

    and t"rn him from his goal. C!orewarned is forearmedKC &he devotee who "nderstands the ro"tehe m"st travel will never feel "ns"re or dismayed at inevitable opposition.

    &he Spirit"al Battle and ltimate /ictory in $veryday Hife

    &he timeless message of the Bhagavad Gita does not refer only to one historical battle, b"t to the

    cosmic conflict between good and evil8 life as a series of battles between Spirit and matter, so"l

    and body, life and death, knowledge and ignorance, health and disease, changelessness andtransitoriness, self1control and temptations, discrimination and the blind sense1mind....

    &he devotee sho"ld analy0e his daily mental and physical actions to determine +"st how m"ch of

    his life is r"led by the egoAs ignorance

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    &he GitaAs Balanced #ath8 7editation #l"s Light *ctivity

    Hord (rishnaAsJ life demonstrates the ideal not of ren"nciation of actionFwhich is a conflicting

    doctrine for man circ"mscribed by a world whose life breath is activityFb"t rather the

    ren"nciation of earth1binding desires for the fr"its of action.E 7an sho"ld so train his mind byconstant meditation that he can perform the necessary d"tif"l actions of his daily life and still

    maintain the conscio"sness of God within....

    Sri (rishnaAs message in the Bhagavad Gita is the perfect answer for the modern age, and any

    age8 -oga of d"tif"l action, of nonattachment, and of meditation for God1reali0ation. &o work

    witho"t the inner peace of God is )ades and to work with )is +oy ever b"bbling thro"gh theso"l is to carry a portable paradise within, wherever one goes.

    &he path advocated by Sri (rishna in the Bhagavad Gita is the moderate, medi"m, golden path,

     both for the b"sy man of the world and for the highest spirit"al aspirant. &o follow the path

    advocated by the Bhagavad Gita wo"ld be their salvation, for it is a book of "niversal Self1reali0ation, introd"cing man to his tr"e Self, the so"lFshowing him how he has evolved from

    Spirit, how he may f"lfill on earth his righteo"s d"ties, and how he may ret"rn to God. &he GitaAs

    wisdom is not for dry intellect"alists to perform mental gymnastics with its sayings for the

    entertainment of dogmatists b"t rather to show a man or woman living in the world, ho"seholder or ren"nciant, how to live a balanced life that incl"des the act"al contact of God, by following

    the step1by1step methods of yoga.

    &he $ternal Science of La+a -oga

    In the beginning of creation and the advent of man, the Infinite impregnated )is intelligent

    creative Dosmic $nergy

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    himself ordained me to spread this holy science of God1"nion....

    *ny devotee who will em"late *r+"naFepitome of the ideal discipleFand perform his rightf"ld"ty with nonattachment, and perfect his practice of yoga meditation thro"gh a techni"e s"ch as

     !riya oga" will similarly draw the blessings and g"idance of God and win the victory of Self1reali0ation.

    *s God talked with *r+"na, so will )e talk with yo". *s )e lifted "p the spirit and conscio"snessof *r+"na, so will )e "plift yo". *s )e granted *r+"na s"preme spirit"al vision, so will )e

    confer enlightenment on yo".

    We have seen in the Bhagavad Gita the story of the so"lAs +o"rney back to GodFa +o"rney each

    one m"st make. 4 divine so"lK like *r+"na, C!orsake this small weakheartedness

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    In India at the holy land of ("r"ksetra.

    Why is the land of !uruksetra so holy?

    Beca"se of benedictions given to (ing ("r" by Brahma that anyone dying in

    ("r"ksetra while performing penance or while fighting in battle will be promoteddirectly to the heavenly planets.

    Where is the Bhagavad-Gita to "e found?

    In the mon"mental, historical epic 7ahabharata written by /edavyasa.

    What is the historical epic #aha"harta?

    &he 7ahabharata is the most vol"mino"s book the world has ever known. &he

    7ahabharata covers the history of the earth from the time of creation in relation toIndia. Domposed in 6::,::: rhyming "atrain co"plets the 7ahabharata is seven

    times the si0e of the Illiad written by )omer.

    Who is $edavyasa?

    /edavyasa is the divine saint and incarnation who a"thored the Srimad Bhagavatam,

    /edanta S"tra, the 6:N #"ranas, composed and divided the /edas into the Lik, -a+"r,

    *rtharva and Sama /edas, and wrote the the great historical treatise 7ahabharata

    known as the fifth /eda. )is f"ll name is (rishna 3vaipayana /yasa and he was the

    son of sage #arasara and mother Satyavati.

    Why is the #aha"harata known as the fifth $eda?

    Beca"se it is revealed in the /edic script"re Bhavisya #"rana III./II.II that the fifth

    /eda written by /edavyasa is called the 7ahabharata.

    What are the special characteristics of the #aha"harata?

    &he 7ahabharata has no restrictions of "alification as to who can hear it or read it.

    $veryone regardless of caste or social position may hear or read it at any time./edavyasa wrote it with the view not to ecl"de all the people in the worlds who are

    o"tside of the /edic c"lt"re. )e himself has eplained that the 7ahabharata contains

    the essence of all the p"rports of the /edas. &his we see is tr"e and it is also written in

    a very intrig"ing and dramatically narrative form.

    What a"out the Aryan invasion theory "eing the source of the Bhagavad-Gita?

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    &he *ryan invasion theory has been proven in the 6MM:s not to have a shred of tr"th

    in it. Indologists the world over have reali0ed that the *ryans are the )ind"s

    themselves.

    What is the si%e of the Bhagavad-Gita?

    &he Bhagavad1Gita is composed of 5:: Sanskrit verses contained within 6N chapters,

    divided into three sections each consisting of si chapters. &hey are (arma -oga the

    yoga of actions. Bhakti -oga the yoga of devotion and Qnana -oga the yoga of

    knowledge.

    When was the Bhagavad-Gita spoken?

    &he 7ahabharata confirms that Hord (rishna spoke the Bhagavad1Gita to *r+"na at

    the Battle of ("r"ksetra in P6P5 B.D.. *ccording to specific astrological references in

    the /edic script"res, the year P6:? B.D. is the beginning of kali y"ga which began P9years after the battle 9::: years ago.

    What is the opinion of western scholars fro ancient ties?

    *ccording to the writings of both the Greek and the Lomans s"ch as #liny, *rrian and

    Solin"s as well as 7egastathanes who wrote a history of ancient India and who was

     present as an eyewitness when *leander the Great arrived in India in P?R B.D. was

    that before him were 69= kings who r"led back to R555 B.D. &his also follows the

    /edic "nderstanding.

    When was the Bhagavad-Gita first translated into &nglish?

    &he first $nglish edition of the Bhagavad1Gita was in 65N9 by Dharles Wilkins in

    Hondon, $ngland. &his was only 65= years after the translation of the (ing Qames

    Bible in 6R66.

    Was the Bhagavad-Gita also translated into other languages?

    -es. &he Bhagavad1Gita was translated into Hatin in 6N?P by Schlegel. It was

    translated into German in 6N?R by /on )"mbolt. It was translated into !rench in 6N=R by Hassens and it was translated into Greek in 6N=N by Galanos to mention b"t a few.

    What was the original language of the Bhagavad-Gita?

    &he original lang"age of the Bhagavad1Gita was classical Sanskrit from India.

    Why is 'riad often written "efore the Bhagavad-Gita?

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    &he word Srimad is a title of great respect. &his is given beca"se the Bhagavad1Gita

    reveals the essence of all spirit"al knowledge.

    (s history aware of the greatness of 'riad Bhagavad-Gita?

    )istorically many very etraordinary people s"ch as *lbert $insten, 7ahatma Gandhi,3r. *lbert Schweit0er, )erman )esse, Lalph Waldo $merson, *ldo"s )"ley,

    L"dolph Steiner and ;ikola &esla to name b"t a few have read Srimad Bhagavad1Gita

    and were inspired by its timeless wisdom.

    Who is )ualified to read 'riad Bhagavad-Gita?

    Srila Baladeva /idyabh"sana a 6Rth cent"ry saint from the Brahma 7adhva /aisnava

    Samparadaya has stated that those who are pio"s and reverent, those who are of

    controlled senses and those sincerely performing their daily spirit"al d"ties are

    "alified to read Srimad Bhagavad1Gita.

    What can "e learned "y the study of 'riad Bhagavad-Gita?

    *cc"rate, f"ndamental knowledge abo"t God, the "ltimate tr"th, creation, birth and

    death, the res"lts of actions, the eternal so"l, liberation and the p"rpose as well as the

    goal of h"man eistence.