Gita Rahasya -Tilak
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
"The Bhagavata religion has been traditionally handed down by Vivasvan to Manu and by Manu to Iksvaku". These two traditions are consistent with each other[1] And in as much as the traditions of two different religions cannot be the same, one comes to the necessary conclusion, on seeing this unity of traditions, that the Gita religion and Bhagavata religion must be one and the same. But this matter does not depend on inference alone. Because, in the exposition of the Narayaniya or Bhagavata religion which is to be found in the Mahabharata itself, Vaisampayana has described the summary of the Gita to Janamejaya in the following words ;- evam esa mahan dharmah sa te purvam nrpottama I kathito Harigitasu samasavidhikalpitah || [2] that is ; "Oh excellent king, Janamejaya ! this magnificent Bhagavata religion together with its ritual was described by me to you concisely on a former occasion namely, in the Harigita, that is, in the Bhagavadgita. ' ' And in the second foilowing chapter, it is clearly stated that this exposition of the Narayaniya religion :- samupodhesvanikesu Kurupandavay or mrdhe I Arjune vimanaske ca gita Bhagavata srayam II [3] that is ; " was made by the Blessed Lord when during the fight between the Kauravas and the Pandavas both the armies had become ready for war and Arjuna had become dejected i.e. 'vimanaska.' " From this it follows beyond doubt that the word " Harigita " in this place means the Bhagavadgita and nothing else. Thus, the preceptorial tradition of these two religions is the same. This " Bhagavata " or " Narayaniya " religion which has been twice mentioned in the Gita as being the subject matter of exposition, has the other names of " Satvata " or " Ekantika " religion, and where that religion is being expounded in the Mahabharata, its two-fold quality is described thus :- Narayanaparo dharmah punaravrttidurlabhah I pravrttilaksanas caiva dharmo Narayanatmakah II[4] that is ; " this Narayaniya religion is such as obviates re-birth (punar-janma) i. e. gives complete Release (moksa) and is also Energistic ( pravrttipara)" and then it is clearly explained how this religion is Energistic. The word Energism " (pravrtti) is understood in popular acceptance as meaning, performing desirelessly the duties which pertain to one's status in life, according to the arrangement of the four castes, without taking up Asceticism {samnyasa). It, therefore, follows that the sermon given in the Gita to Arjuna is of the Bhagavata religion and, in as much as that religion is Energistic, it also follows that the -writer of the Mahabharata looked upon that advice also as Energistic. Nevertheless, it is not that the Gita. contains only the Energistic Bhagavata religion. Vaisampayana has further said to Janamejaya : yatlnam capi yo dharmah m te purmm nrpottama I kathito Harigilasu samasavidhikalpitah II that is : — " this Bhagavata religion and side hy side with it ( capi I the renunciatory religion of ascetics (samnyasi) together with the relative ritual has, excellent King, been explained hy me to you before in the Bhagavadgita ". [5]
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