A Search For Bhagwad Gita In A Nutshell

A Search For Bhagwad Gita In A Nutshell  

By

P.R.Ramachander  

Bhagwat Gita is a very tiny part of the biggest ever epic written by man-Mahabharatha.  

It adopts the conversational style of Upanishads, with Guru giving explanations and the disciple asking doubts. According to the Hindu calendar, it was taught in the battle field by Sri Krishna who was the charioteer to Arjuna the fighter about 5000 years back. (One who leads to the one in the midst of the turmoil) Though there is no doubt that the Vedas and the Upanishads were composed earlier, Gita has become the religious book by which a Hindu identifies himself. Though the initial attempt in Gita is to teach Arjuna, the fact that” all action is done by God through any man(being)and because of this that individual  cannot claim responsibility or credit for the action carried out by him”, it is more a summary of the philosophical approaches to  the leading of day today life  and the search for ultimate truth.

    The three greatest interpreters of the Hindu religion of the post puranic era viz Adhi Shankara, Ramanujacharya  and Madhwacharya  have written commentaries to this great work  to prove that their  interpretation of Vedic principles is the only correct one. If any of these great savants thought that there was , ever a possibility of giving the essence of this great work by a few verses from it, I am sure they would have done it. To my mind they did not do it because this great book was not about one small principle but a chronicle of the latest knowledge of several approaches to the Hindu way of realization of God.

  But this did not stop others from trying to find the essence of Gita. I feel what they were all doing was similar to the blind men trying to describe the elephant. I am giving below four such approaches which seem to be well known and I want to inform the readers that the translations have been done by me, P.R.Ramachander

Saptha Sloki Gita

                      

(These seven slokas in this order from Bhagawad Gita  has been published by Gita press, Gorakpur, in their collection of stotras called  Stotraratnavali. It is supposed to represent in a nutshell , the teachings contained in the 700 slokas of  Bhagawad Gita. I understand that this Saptha Sloki Gita is being recited as a daily prayer by the Kashmiri Pundits for hundreds of years)

Bhagawan Uvacha:-

Om ithyaksharam Brahma,

Vyaharan maam anusmaran,

Ya prayathi  thyajan deham,

Sa Yathi Pramamam gathim.                                  1(8-13)

The God said:-

He who , meditates on  me,

As “Om”, which in Brahman,

While leaving this ephemeral body,

Will surely attain the most supreme state.

Arjuna Uvacha:-

Sthane Hrisikesa, Thava prakeerthya,

Jagath prahrushthya  anurajyathe cha,

Rakshamsi bheethani  diso dravanthi,

Sarve namasyanthi cha sidha sangha.                      2(11-36)

Arjuna said:-

In this state, Oh Lord, Singing about you.

The world is happy and is rejoicing,

To see the evil ones flying away with fear,

And all those devoted ones saluting you.

(This is told after seeing the Viswa Roopa  of the Lord)

Bhagawan Uvacha:-

Sarvatha pani padam thath,

Sarvatho akshi siro mukham,

Sarvatha sruthimalloke,

Sarvamavithya thishtahi.                                             3(13-14)

The God said:-

It has hands and legs everywhere,

It has eyes head and mouth everywhere,

It has ears everywhere in this world,

And it exists  as every thing in this world.

Kavim purana anusasithara-,

Manoramaneeyaam  samanusmaredhya,

Sarvasya  dhataram  machinthya roopa-

Madithya varnam  thamasa parasthath.                          4(8-9)

Think of Him , as ancient, spread everywhere,

 Ruler of all,  much subtler  part of an atom,

Protector of all with his form which is beyond thought,

With the colour of Sun and transcendental beyond dark thoughts.

Oordhwamoolamadha sakham,

Aswatham  prahooravyayam,

Chandamsi  yasya parnani,

Yastham  Veda sa Vedavith.                                                   5(15-1)

With roots above and branches Growing down,

This Banyan tree  with Vedas as its leaves,

Is everlasting and immortal,

And whosoever knows it, really  knows  the Vedas.

Sarvasya chaham, hrudhi sannivishto,

Matha  smrithir  jnana mapohanam cha,

Vedaischa  sarvaii , rahameva Vedhyo,

Vedanthakruth veda vidheva  chaham.                                     6(15-15)

I live in everybody’s heart,

And from me one gets,

Memory , wisdom and forgetfulness,

And for all the Vedas , I am the one that is to be known,

For I created them and I am the one who knows them.

Manmana  bhava Mad bhaktho,

Madhyajee maam Namakuru,

Mamevaishyasi sathyam they,

Prathijane priyo asi may.                                                           7(18-65)

Concentrate your mind on me,

Always show devotion to me,

Sacrifice for me, salute me,

And I swear to you because you are dear to me,

That  definitely  you will reach me.

Chathu Sloki Gita

(Gita in four verses)

 (These 4 verses (8-11) occurring in the tenth chapter  of Bhagwad Gita viz the “essence of God” is considered by large number of savants as the essence of the Gita  but appears to me as containing a succinct definition of the  “way of devotion(Bhakthi Marga) “ of Bhagwad Gita, I am here giving the meaning of these 4 verses in a simple transparent language. Those interested in commentary are requested to visit http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/sep98/0077.html

Aaham sarvasya prabhavo,

Matha sarvam pravarthate,

Ithi mathwa bhajanthe maam,

Budha bhava samanvitha.                                                   10-8

The wise  man with devotion,

Sings praises of me  understanding that,

I am the power behind everything,

And everything works because of me.

Math chitha math gatha prana,

Bodayantha parasparam,

Kadayanthascha maam nithyam,

Thooshyanthi cha ramanthi cha.                                          10-9

The wise men thinking about me,

And devoting their lives to me,

Talk with each other about me,

And become satisfied and  happy.

Tesham sathatha yukthanam,

Bhajatham preethi poorvakam,

Dadahami budhi yogam tham,

Yena maam upayanthi they.                                                   10-10

They always sing my prayers,

With love and concentration,

And I grant them unified  wisdom,

So that they can attain  me.

Tesham yevanukambartha,

Aham agnanajam thama,

Nasayamyath  mabhavastha,

Jnana deepena bhaswatha.                                                       10-11

With great compassion for them,

Dwelling deep in their heart of hearts,

I destroy their darkness of ignorance,

With a shining lamp of wisdom.

Tri Sloki Gita

(Gita in three verses)

 (Many savants believe  that the verses number 18,17 and 18 from the chapter number 15 which details “the sign of the supreme personality” of Bhagwad Gita is the essence of Gita. I have given below the simple translation of these verses. Detailed commentary is available in  http://krishnascience.com/Vaisnava%20Library/Courses%20-%20seminars/Bhagavad%20gita/Bhagavad%20Gita%20Bhakti%20Sastri%20Degree/Bhagavadgita%20notes/Bhagavad%20Gita%20%20esence%20-%20tri%20sloki.htm

   )

Dwavimou  purushou loke,

Ksharakshara  eva cha,

Kshara sarvani bhoothani,

Kootastho aakshara eva cha.                            15-16

Two type of men exist,

The  fallible and infallible,

All living things are fallible,

And infallible among them are those,

Who are merged with the principle of God.

Uthamam purushasthwanya,

Paramathmethyudahyatha,

Yo loka trayamavisya,

Bibhartha vyaya Iswara.                                       15-17

But greatest among those is another,

Supreme self , who is said to be,

That lord who is spread all over,

And maintains the three parts of the universe.

Yasmath kshara matheetho  aham,

Aksharathapi chothama,

 Atho asmo loke  Vede cha,

Praditha purushothama.                                           15-18      

Because I am  beyond  the fallible one,

And greatest among the infallible ones,

The world and the books of Vedas,

Call me  as the most  supreme personality.

Eka Sloki Gita

(Though this sloka does not talk about the teaching of Gita, It is termed as Eka Sloki Gita, It is also included in the Vishnu Sahasranamam)

Yathra Yogeeswara Krushno,

Yatha Partho Dhanurdhara,

Thathra  srirvijayo bhoothir,

Druva neethir mama.                                            18-78

Where Krishna the God of Yogis is there,

And where Arjuna , the expert archer is there,

Wealth , victory, improvement and Justice,

Will be there definitely for ever.