Gita Rahasya -Tilak 485

Srimad Bhagavadgita-Rahasya OR Karma-Yoga-Sastra -Bal Gangadhar Tilak

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CHAPTER XIV
THE CONTINUITY OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE GITA

"pravrtti- laksanam dharmam rsir narayano 'bravit' I [1]

It will have been noticed from the Exposition made by, me so far that the Bhagavadglta, that is to say, the Upanisad sung by the Blessed Lord, has promulgated the following doctrine, namely, that

  1. acquiring complete Equability of Reason by Realising the universal identity of the Atman in all created things, whether by the Contemplation on the Absolute Self or by Devotion, while being engaged in Action, and
  2. continuing to perform all the various duties which

have befallen one in worldly life according to the injunctions of the Sastras, even after the acquisition of that Equability of Reason, without thinking of taking up Asceticism [2], is the highest goal[3] or the best path of living one's life for man in this world. Nevertheless, as the order in which this Exposition has been made in this book, is different from the order adopted in the Gita, it is necessary to consider succinctly in what way the whole of this subject- matter has been arranged in the Gita. Any subject-matter can be dealt with in two ways ; the one is the scientific method, and the other is according to the Puranas.

Out of these, the method of explaining how the funda mental principles of the doctrine to be established can be derived from things which everybody easily understands by logically arranging and putting forward all the pros and cons of the doctrine under discussion, is known as the scientific (sastriya) method. Geometry is an excellent example of this method, and the method adopted in the Nyaya-Sutras or the Vedanta-Sutras falls into this class. Therefore, wherever the Bhagavadgita refers to the Brahma-Sutras or to the Vedanta- Sutras, it is stated that the subject-matter expounded in those Sutras has been expounded in the form of intentional and definite propositions; cf., brahma-sutra padais caiva hetu- madbhir viniscitaih [4], i.e., " this subject-matter has been expounded by stating the reasons (hetu), and the conclusions, in absolutely definite words (pada) in the Brahma Sutras " — Trans. But although, the exposition of the subject matter in the Bhagavadgita is scientific, yet, it has not been made in this, that is, in a scientific way. The subject-matter in the Gita has been described in the easy and entertaining form of a conversation between Sri Krsna and Arjuna ; and therefore, at the end of each chapter, we find the words "Sri krsnarjuna samvade " [5], which show the method of exposition adopted in the Gita, after the words " bhagavadgita supanisatsu brahmavidyayam yogasastre ", (i.e., " of the Science of Yoga, included in the cult of the Brahman, expounded in the Upanisad sung by the Blessed Lord" — Trans).

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References And Context

  1. Mahabharata, Santi. 217. 2."The Rsi Narayana has preached an Energistic (pravrtti la) doctrine (dharma)". This Rsi is one of the two Rsis Nara and Narayana ; and it has been mentioned before that Arjuna and Sri Krsna were their respective incarnations. I have quoted in the foregoing pages the statement in the Mahabharata that the Narayaniya doctrine has been advocated in the Gita.
  2. samnyasa
  3. purusartha
  4. Gi. 13. 4
  5. i.e., "in the conversation between. Sri Krsna and Arjuna "—Trans.)

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