Bhagavad Gita - commentaries and interpretations

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Several eminent personalities have commented on

Shrimad Bhavad Gita. For the absolute scholar, the

basic difference between the commentaries has been of

advaita (non-dualism) and dvaita (dualism) which

further branch out.

 

For a beginner and learner esoteric concepts do not

matter. Indeed, one'd have to really get a taste of

all - slowly and gradually - before really knowing

which interpretation sounds most appropriate and

convincing.

 

Adi Shankaracharya's commentary is among the oldest

which is also readily available. Then there have been

Ramanuja, Vallabha, Madhava though I do not know how

and where their works can be obtained.

 

The 13th century Maratha saint Dnyaneshwar translated

the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi language so that the

common man could easily get a grasp of the same

(Sanskrit then was meant only for the learned and

so-called "upper" classes).

Filled with beautiful similies from day to day life,

it is titled "Bhavartha Deepika" with bhakti to the

Lord forming its crux.

 

In modern times, Bal Gangadhar Tilak has given his

treatise on the Gita called "Gita Rahasya" (Secrets of

the Gita). It is a huge intellectual,

research-oriented work carried out with great spirit

by the Lokamanya in the prison during the British

tenure.

 

Shri Aurobindo's work is quite famous. Then Mahatma

Gandhi had his own views.

 

Nobel Laurate Dr. Radhakrishnan has complied his

translation filled with potent commentary on the lines

of Adi Shankaracharya. His introduction to to the

Gita, comprising of about seventy pages though

difficult to grasp, provides the solid foundation

necessary for tackling the actual GITA content.

 

The late Bharat Ratna Acharya Vinoba Bhave gave his

touching "Talks on the Gita" whilst he was imprisoned

by the British in Dhule (Nashik district, Mahasashtra)

in 1934.

For a total beginner, this "Talks on the Gita" gives

an excellent, simple insight into the great epic. Shri

Vinoba, avoiding all esoteric language and jargon of

any sort has given in sweet, touching and often moving

words the meaning of each chapter.

With occassional references from Upanishads, Bible,

Quran and importantly from our routine activities one

finds it very easy to relate with the content.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--- Chandrashekhar Joglekar <cjoglekar2002

wrote:

> --- Mark Kincaid <m.kincaid wrote:

> > Dear All:

> >

> > Speaking of Bhadavad Gita....

> >

> > One of the best translations I ever read was the

> one

> > by Maharishi Mahesh

> > Yogi, which is...oh...can't remember the

> > publisher...

> > (few mins later) Here's an amazon.com.. webpage I

> > found that has it..

>

> Dera sanjayji,

>

> I would definately like to read the traslation by

> Maharshi mahesh Yogi. Thanks for providing the link.

>

> So far I read only one translation of Bhagwat geeta.

> That is from Swami Chinmayananda.

>

> Published by :Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, powai,

> India.

>

> Sincerely,

> chandra

>

>

>

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