Srimadbagvad Gita : Paraphrase & Commentary in English Author: Dr. K.S. Kang

 

Srimadbhagvad Gita: Paraphrase and Commentary in English

Author: Dr. K. S. Kang

Contents

1. Introduction & Background

2. The Dejection of Arjuna

3. The Yoga of Knowledge ( Sankhyayoga)

4. The Yoga of Action ( Karmayoga)

5. The Yoga of Knowledge and Disciplines of Knowledge & Action

6. The Yoga of Knowledge & Action

7. Self- Control

8. Knowledge of Nirguna (Brahma) & Knowledge of Manifest

Divinity

9. The Yoga of Indestructible Brahma

10. The Yoga of the Sovereign Science and the Sovereign Secret

11. Divine Glories

12. Vision of the Universal Form

13. The Yoga of Devotion

14. Field & the Knower of the Field

15. Classification of three Gunas

16. The Yoga of the Supreme Person

17. Divine and Demonical Properties

18. The Yoga of Classification of the Threefold Faith

19. Liberation through the Path of Knowledge and Surrender

 

Chapter-I

Introduction & Background

Bhagvad Gita, often referred to as The Gita is a universal song sung by Lord Vishnu through one of his incarnation Sri Krishna during the battle of Mahabharat. It is a 700 verse Hindu scripture that is the part of the great epic Mahabharata by, Chapter 24-40 of Book VI of this grand epic composed by the great Seer Veda Vyas. This part of the epic is known as Bhishma Parva, dated back to the Second Half of the first millenium BCE and is core of the holy scriptures of the Hindus though it has inspired people of various faiths in different parts of the world and in different periods of human history thus making it as the Universal song of Humanity. These 700 verses are divided into 18 chapters and originally it is composed in Sanskrit. Prior to proceeding to the chapters it is essential to know the background and basis of this work. It is set in a narrative framework of a dialogue between Pandava Prince Arjuna and guide and Charioteer Lord Krishna. At the start of the battle Arjuna faces a moral and emotional dilemma and despair about the violence and death the war will cause against his kin. So Pandava Prince turns to his childhood friend and mentor Lord Krishna for counsel. Before the war both Kaurava Prince Duryodhana and Pandava Prince Arjuna approached Lord Krishna for aid in the battle as it had become imminent after Duryodhana refusal to concede even an inch of land to Pandavas and flatly rejected Lord Krishna’s proposal to give atleast five villages to Pandavas in bid to avoid the war that will cause nothing but devastation and destruction.

When Arjuna and Duryodhana came to meet Lord Krishna he was reposing. Thinking not to disturb Krishna Arjuna sat towards Lord Krishna’s feet while Duryodhana sat at the opposite end, towards the head of Lord Krishna. When Lord Krishna woke up his eyes fell first on Arjuna and then on Duryodhana. So he gave first chance to Arjuna, as he was younger, to choose between Him and the army of Yadavas for the coming battle. This caused stress to Duryodhana thinking that Pandavas will get numerical superiority in the battle if Arjuna takes the Yadava army. But to his pleasant surprise Arjuna preferred the companionship of Lord Krishna than the Yadava army. Lord Krishna also takes pledge, so as to keep objectivity and impartiality that he will not take active part in the battle but will only act as a charioteer of the Pandava Prince’s Chariot in the battle of Kurukshetra.

When battle became imminent Kaurava ruler Dhratrashtra, who was blind requested Lord Krishna, because he knew that Krishna had divine powers, that though blind he wants to get the latest updates of the events taking place in the battle. So Lord Krishna conceded Dhratrashtra’s request by providing divine vision to Sanjaya, one of the attendants of Kaurav ruler and asked him to report every event of the battle. When Arjuna turns towards Krishna for counsel. He advises him to fulfil his Kshatriya ( warrior) duty to uphold the Dharma through selfless action. Numerous commentaries have been written on Gita with widely different views on the essentials. According to some, Gita was written by Lord Ganesha, as told to him by Veda Vyas. The setting of the Gita is the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It has been interpreted as an allegory for the ethical and moral struggles of human life. Its call for selfless actions inspired many leaders of Indian Independence Movement like Balgangadhar Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi. It represents and reflects a wide spectrum of branches of learning like history, politics, ethics, philosophy, military strategies and moral values.