Gita Bhashya -Sankara 2

Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya

(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)

INTRODUCTION

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Om Narayanah paroa)vyaktad-andam-avyaktasambhavam Andasyantastvime lokah sapta-dvipa ca medini Om. Narayana[1] is beyond the Unmanifest;[2] the Andam[3] has arisen from the Unmanifest; and these worlds[4] and the Earth,[5] comprising the seven dvipa,[6] are verily within the Andam.[7]

He, the Lord, having created this universe, and desirous of ensuring its sustenance, first created Marlci and other Prajāpatis',[8] and made them hold on to the Religious Path characterised by Action,[9] mentioned in the Veda. And then, He created others[10] such as Sanaka and Sanandana and made them adopt the Religious Path of Renunciation,[11] characterised by Knowledge and Nonattachment. This two-fold Religion enjoined by the Veda, charac­terise by Action and by Renunciation, is verily the cause of the sustenance of the universe And this Religion, being the direct cause of the prosperity as well as of the liberation of sentient beings, has been practised by Brāhmanas and others, belonging to the several castes[12] zand orders of life,[13] as they wished to secure welfare (here and hereafter).

When after a long time,[14] owing to the upsurge of desire[15] in (the minds of) its followers and the consequent diminution of discriminative knowledge, Religion became suppressed by irreligion and irreligion was increasing, He, the Original Creator Visnu, known by the name of Nārāyana intent on the maintenance of the stability of the universe, was born, as it were",[16] in amśd[17] of Vasudeva (the father) in Devaki (the mother) for the protection of the brāhmana-hood (spiritual potency) of the Earthly Brahman'.[18] For, it is only by the protection of brāhmana-hood that the Religion of the Vedas can remain preserved, since the distinctions of castesand orders of life are based on it. And being ever possessed of (infinite) knowledge, sovereignty, power, strength, valour and splendour,[19] He, the Lord controlling Māyā, the Original cause which belongs to Himself as Vi§nu and is comprised of the three gunas",[20] appears by His own Mūyā as if He were born, possessed of a body, and bestowing grace on the universe—though He is in fact the Unborn, the Indestructible, the Overlord of the entire creation",[21]

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References and Context

  1. ↑ The revered Commentator commences this important work in the tradi­tional manner with the contemplation of the Ista-Devata (one's chosen Deity),Narayana. (A) cp. But beyond the Unmanifest is the Supreme Person all-pervading and devoid of all marks, knowing whom man gets freed and attains immortality.(Ka. VI. 8)
  2. ↑ Avyaktam : This is described in XtlI-5 Com. as the Avyakrta (un-differentiatedIsvara-Sakti (Power of the Lord), otherwise called Afaya, which is the seed-force supporting the cosmic process.
  3. ↑ The Cosmic-Egg (Brahmupdam) represents Hiranyagarbha figuratively termed Mrtyu - Death- Df. and 2 Com.
  4. ↑ Within the Cosmic Egg sprang up Prajapati—Viraj, the First-born—the Being identified with the sum-total of all bodies.)Br. I-ii-2 and Com) From Viraj are formed the worlds, Bhfih and others, fourteen in all.
  5. ↑ Medinl: The earth is so called because it is mixed with the fat (medas) of the demons Madhu and Kaitabha.who were slain by Lord Visau.
  6. ↑ Jamba, Plaksa, Salmali, Kuia, Krauñca, Saka, and Puskara are the seven dvlpas (Islands)
  7. ↑ Brahmanda Purana; M.S. I. 11
  8. ↑ 7. Lords of created beings. According to Mann Smfii (1-34), they are ten in number. Sec also Bhāgavata l[-xii-2l, 22, according to which the other nine are : Atri, Augiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrgu, Vasisfcha, Daksa and N ārada.
  9. ↑ Pravflti: literally, ' tendency to go outward ' i.e., activity. (XVUI-40 Com.; see also XVII1-30 Com.)
  10. ↑ The four ' Sana's (the other two, not mentioned in the text, being Sanatana and Sanatkumāra) are the earliest teachers of Ātma-lattva (the true nature of the Self). See Bhāgavata II-vii-5.
  11. ↑ Nivrni : literally, ' tendency to come back', i.e., abstain from activity (Sec also XVI11-30 Com.).
  12. ↑ The four principal castes {vaiyas) are Brāhmana, Ksatiiya, Vaiśya and Sūdra, respectively looking after the spiritual and secular wisdom, the political governance, the economic well-being and the manual servicing of the people.
  13. ↑ The four orders' ūiminas ' are Brahmacarya, Gārhastya, Vānapraslha and Sarhnyāsa, respectively the modes of life of the religious student observing celibacy, the married house-holder, the hermit living in the forest and carry­ ing out Vedic rites and the ascetic who has completely renounced the world and all its duties, including Vedic rites.
  14. ↑ The Krta and the Treta Yugas had passed away and the Uvapara Yuga was coming to its end. (A).
  15. ↑ Kama : Thirst for distant (i.e. unattaincd) objects (VII-1J Com.). It has special reference to sexual desire.
  16. ↑ The word kila in the text has the sense of ' feigned action ' (unfettered by karma).
  17. ↑ Amśa generally means ' part'. But the K.rsna-avatāra is held to be a full incarnation of the Lord. Therefore the term ' athśena ' in the text is explained by Anandagiri as meaning ' with an inscrutable form produced by His own free will' (sveccltā-nirmitena māyā-mayena svarūpena).
  18. ↑ The revered Commentator here follows the Smfti text : ' Bhaitmasya Brahmarto guptyai Vasudevād ajijanat' (M.B. Santi 47-29). (A) ' Earthly Brahman ' refers to Vedas, Rrāhmanas and Yajaas (sacrifices) (Ndakantha). These constitute the three-fold expression of the Lord's Creative Will on earth, according to the Gitā (XV1I-23). ComPare also Com- on the names ' Brahmanyah'. ' Brahmakrt' and ' Brahma-vivardhanali' in V.S. (661, 662 anil 665), where ' Brahma ' is explained thus : ' Tapo Vedāsca Viprāica Jnānam cu Brahma-samjñitam '—by ' Brahman ' are denoted austerities, the Vedas, the Biāhmanas and Knowledge.
  19. ↑ cp. Aiśvaryasva samagrasya dharmasya yaśasah śriyah Jftūnuvairagyayoścaiva sannām bhaga itiravū (V.P. - VI-v-74). See also Com. on 111-37).
  20. ↑ See X1V-5 et. seq. and Com. for a description of the gupas. Māyū has no existence apart from, and docs not act independently of, the Lord who however is quite independent of it. Herein lies the distinction between die Māyā of the Vedānta and the Prakrti (also called Pradhāna) of the Sarhkhya school.
  21. ↑ Closely follows IV-6. See Com. thereon.