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)
)
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.
