Contents
Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya
(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)
INTRODUCTION
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by nature Eternal, Pure, Intelligent, and Free. Out of sheer grace towards living beings (His creatures), there being no personal interest of His own, He imparted knowledge of the two Paths of the Vedic Religion to Arjuna[1] who was submerged in the vast ocean of sorrow and delusion—feeling that Religion would attain widespread growth only when grasped and put into practice by persons of exalted qualities.[2] That Religion as taught by the Lord, the omniscient and adorable Veda-Vyāsa incorporated together in seven hundred verses called Gltās.[3] This well-known Gitā-Śāstra is the epitome and essence of the teaching of all the Vedas and its meaning can be discerned only with great difficulty. Even though it has been commented upon by several (commentators), by construing the meaning word by word and sentence by sentence, and with the aid of logical arguments[4] with a view to bringing out its import, I have observed that it has been comprehended by the common people as an eclectic composition of diverse contradictory doctrines. I am (therefore) writing a brief commentary for determining the precise import with correct judgment. Final Beatitude, characterised by the complete cessation of samsāra[5] with its root-cause, is in brief the object of this wellknown Gitā Śāstra (Scripture of Gita); and that is attained ; and that is attained through the Religion (Dharma)whose dominant note is fixity in SelfKnowledge, preceded by Samnyāsa, complete renunciation of all karmas (action). So also, referring to this Religion which is the purport of the Gita, the Lord Himself has said in the Anu-Gltās:[6] |
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References and Context
- ↑ The third among the Pāndava princes, and a dear friend of the Lord (see Xl-41 and 42, and XVĪII-64).
- ↑ cp. 111-21.
- ↑ Vyāsa incorporated Hie Uita hi the division " Bhihma Parva " of his epic Mahabharata. See colophons at end of chapters.
- ↑ According to Indian Logic (Turka-śāstra), the (ive-membercd syllogism comprises Pratijaā (statement of the proposition to be proved), hctu (the reason for an inference—middle term), udāharana (illustration), upanaya (the applica tion to the case in question), and nigamana (the deduction; conclusion).
- ↑ Succession of births ; metempsychosis.
- ↑ Forming chapters 16 to 51 of the" Aśvamedha-parva " of the Mahābhārata.