Srimad Bhagavadgita-Rahasya OR Karma-Yoga-Sastra -Bal Gangadhar Tilak
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CHAPTER XV
PART IV-THE RISE OF THE BHAGAVATA RELIGION AND THE GITA
I have stated in several places in the Gita-Rahasya, and also above in this Appendix, that the principal subject matter of the Gita is to harmonise the Spiritual Knowledge of the Upanisads, and the Samkhya theories about the Mutable and the Immutable, with Devotion, and' principally with Desireless Action; and thereby to fully justify the Karma- Yoga scientifically. But, those who do not realise the skilful- ness of the Gita in harmonising these various subjects, or those who have a pre-conceived notion that it will be difficult to harmonise all these subjects, get the impression that many of the statements in the Gita are mutually conflicting. For instance, these critics object that the statement in the thirteenth chapter, that all whatsoever, which exists in this world, is nothing but the qualityless Brahman, is inconsistent with the statement in the seventh chapter that all this world is nothing but the qualityful Vasudeva (7. 19) ; as also that the statement that " Friend and foe are alike to Me " (9. 29) is inconsistent with the other statement that "Jnanins and Devotees are much beloved of Me" (7. 17; 12. 19), both of which statements have been made by the Blessed Lord. But I have explained in many places in the Gita-Rahasya, that there is no real conflict between these statements, and that although it was necessary to make these apprently conflicting statements in considering the same question, once from the Metaphysical point of view and again from the point of view of Devotion, yet, the Gita has finally harmonised them from the comprehensive philosophical point of view. But, even to this explanation it is objected by some, that (i) although it is now possible to thus harmonise the Realisation of the imperceptible Brahman, with the Devotion to the perceptible Paramesvara, yet, it is impossible that there could have been any such harmonisation in the original Gita; that (ii) the original Gita was not full of conflicting statements like the present Gita, and that (iii) Vedantists or the protagonists of Samkhya doctrines interpolated statements in favour of their respective doctrines into the original Gita. For instance, Prof. Garbe says that the original Gita contained a harmonisation of Devotion with only Samkhya and Yoga; and the harmonisation of Devotion with Vedanta and with the Karma-marga of the Mimamsa School was brought about by somebody afterwards ; and he has even appended to his German translation of the Gita, a list of those stanzas, which according to him had been subsequently interpolated into the original Gita! These theories are entirely wrong in my opinion. |
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