Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā

1120 Pages·2011·5.98 MB·English

Śrīmad
Bhagavad-gītā
Composed by
Çréla Kåñëa Dvaipäyana Vedavyäsa
booKs by
Çré ÇrémaD bhaKtiVeDänta näräyaëa GosVämé mahäräja
Arcana-dīpikā Letters From America
Beyond Nīrvāṇa Maharṣi Durvāsā & Śrī Durvāsā-āśrama
Bhajana-rahasya Manaḥ-śikṣa
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindu-bindu My Śikṣā-guru and Priya-bandhu
Bhakti-rasāyana Navadvīpa-dhāma-māhātmya
Bhakti-tattva-viveka Navadvīpa-dhāma Parikramā
Brahma-saṁhitā Nectar of Govinda-līlā
Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta (Vol. 2.1) Origin of Ratha-yātrā
Butter Thief Our Eternal Nature
Caitanya Mahāprabhu – The Original Our Gurus: One in Siddhänta,
Form of Godhead One at Heart
Camatkāra-candrikā – A Moonbeam Pinnacle of Devotion
of Complete Astonishment Prabandhāvalī
Controlled by Love Prema-sampuṭa
Dāmodara-līlā-mādhurī Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā
Dāmodarāṣṭakam Rāga-vartma-candrikā
Discerning the True Sentiments Rāya Rāmānanda Saṁvāda
of the Soul Saṅkalpa-kalpadrumaḥ
Distinctive Contribution of Secrets of the Undiscovered Self
Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī Secret Truths of the Bhāgavatam
Essence of All Advice Shower of Love
Essence of Bhagavad-gītā Śikṣāṣṭaka
Eternal Function of the Soul Śiva-tattva
Fearless Prince Ślokāmṛtam
Five Essential Essays Ślokāmṛtam-bindu
Gauḍīya Gītī-Guccha Soul of Book Distribution
Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism versus Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava
Sahajiyāism Gosvāmī – His Life and Teachings
Gaura-vāṇī Pracāriṇe Their Lasting Relation
Gift of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu To Be Controlled by Love
Gīta-govinda True Conception of Guru-tattva
Going Beyond Vaikuṇṭha Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi-kiraṇa
Gopī-gīta Upadeśāmṛta
Guru-devatātmā Utkalikā-vallarī
Happiness in a Fool’s Paradise Vaiṣṇava-siddhānta-mālā
Harināma Mahā-mantra Veṇu-gīta
Harmony Śrī Vraja-maṇḍala Parikramā
Hidden Path of Devotion Walking with a Saint ( , ,
Impressions of Bhakti , )
Jaiva-dharma Way of Love 2007 2008
Journey of the Soul Rays2 0o0f 9Th2e0 1H0armonist (periodical)
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çré çré guru-gauraìgau jayataù
Śrīmad
Bhagavad-gītā
With the Bhävänuväda of
Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura’s
Sārārtha-varsinī-tīkā
. .
and the
Sārārtha-varsinī Prakāśikā-vrtti
. . .
(the commentary which illuminates the
Särärtha-varñiëi-öékä and which includes excerpts
from Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s
Rasika-rañjana Commentary)
by
Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja
vr.ndāvana • new delhi • san francisco
© 2015 Gaudiya Vedanta Publications.
Some Rights Reserved.

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is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-
No Derivative Works 4.0 international License.
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Within purports, translations of quoted verses that are marked
with an asterisk (*) are by Çré Çrémad bhaktivedänta svämé mahäräja
©bbt international. all rights reserved.
Cover artwork ©Çyämaräné däsé. Used with permission
Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, 4th edition
First edition: 5,000 copies, Gaura Purëimä, 2000
second edition: 5,000 copies, Gaura Purëimä, 2003
third edition: 5,000 copies, Kartik, 2011
Fourth edition: 5,000 copies, may 2015
Printed at samrat offset Pvt. Ltd.
Okhla Industrial Estate (India)
isbn 978-1-935428-92-3 1-935428-92-6
Library of Congress Control number 2015939397
british Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. a catalogue
record for this book is available from the british Library
Cataloging in Publication Data--DK
Courtesy: D.K. agencies (P) Ltd. <[email protected]>
Bhagavadgītā. English & Sanskrit.
Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā : with the bhāvānuvāda of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī
Ṭhākura's Sārārtha-varṣiṇī commentary and the Sārārtha-varṣiṇī prakaśika
commentary (which includes excerpts from Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's
Rasika-rañjana commentary) by Śrī Śrimad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī
Mahārāja. -- 3rd ed.
p. cm.
In Sanskrit (Devanagari and roman); translation and introductory matter
in English.
Includes indexes.
ISBN 9781935428398
1. Bhagavadgītā--Commentaries. I. Viśvanātha Cakravartin.
Sārārthavarṣiṇi. English. II. Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa, 1921-
Sārārthavarṣinīprakāśikā. English. III. Ṭhākkura, Bhaktibinoda.
Rasikarañjana. English. IV. Title.
DDC 294.5924047 23
Dedicated to my Holy Master
çré gauòéya-vedänta-äcärya-kesaré nitya-lélä-praviñöa
oà viñëupäda añöottara-çata
Śrī Śrīmad
Bhakti prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī mahārāja
the best amongst the tenth generation
of descendants in the bhägavata-paramparä
from Çré Kåñëa Caitanya Mahäprabhu,
and the founder of the Çré Gauòéya Vedänta Samiti
and its branches throughout the world

Contents
Foreword
by Çré Çrémad bhaktivedänta Vämana Gosvämé mahäräja xvii
Introduction
by Çré Çrémad bhaktivedänta näräyan.a Gosvämé mahäräja xxix
Preface
to the Fourth english edition li
Prelude to the Mahäbhärata War liii

Chapter Summaries
by Çré Çrémad bhaktivedänta näräyan.a Gosvämé mahäräja
Chapter 1 – Sainya-Darçana
observing the armies 1
Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä consists of eighteen chapters that
culminate in the message of bhakti, or devotion to the supreme
Lord. From arjuna’s behaviour on the battlefield, it seems that
he is immersed in lamentation. Kåñëa explains that the eternal
function of the soul has nothing to do with the function of
body, dynasty and caste, although those who falsely identify
the body as the real self cannot understand this. as long as the
living entity remains bound by the deluding material energy
(mäyä) and misidentifies his body as his self, he is forced to
undergo the miseries of lamentation, delusion, fear and so on.
it is therefore imperative that he accept the shelter of a spiritual
master who is conversant with the truth.
Chapter 2 – Säìkhya-Yoga
yoga through Distinguishing the soul from the body 49
When the living entity accepts the shelter of a bona fide guru,
he realizes his own ignorant condition. he then tries to become
free from the illusory traps of the deluding potency by giving
ix
Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä
up his own conceptions and respecting the instructions of the
spiritual master. the bona fide guru is a seer of the truth, a
devotee who has pure, exclusive love for the Lord. therefore,
he is free from the four defects of illusion, error, imperfect
senses and deception. When a practitioner of bhakti hears
instructions from the lotus mouth of the all-merciful spiritual
master, he understands the difference between the soul and
the material body. he also realizes the ill-effects of sense
enjoyment and becomes attracted to hearing the conceptions,
characteristics and glories of the sages, whose minds are fixed
in transcendence. then, by the influence of saintly association,
an awareness sprouts within his heart of the need to attain
conclusive knowledge of the absolute truth.
Chapter 3 – Karma-Yoga
yoga through the Path of action 157
When the living entity has heard Çré Kåñëa’s instructions, he
understands that the path of spiritual advancement whereby the
fruit of one’s pious action is offered to the Lord (karma-yoga)
consists of endeavours in service to him that are performed
without selfish desire. if the heart is full of desires for sense
enjoyment, accepting the garb of a renunciant is not actual
renunciation but hypocrisy, and it can never bring auspiciousness.
the living entity should perform his prescribed duty as service
to bhagavän, because performing that duty for sense enjoyment
produces no auspicious result. Performance of prescribed duty,
such as Vedic sacrifices, can award mundane sense pleasure, but
such pleasure is temporary and mixed with distress. offering the
Lord the fruit of one’s actions, however, purifies the heart. it is
therefore auspicious to abandon negligence of one’s prescribed
duty as well as abandon sinful acts and the selfishly motivated
performance of one’s duty, and instead selflessly perform that
duty, offering its result to bhagavän.
Chapter 4 – Jïäna-Yoga
yoga through transcendental Knowledge 221
the Fourth Chapter begins with instructions on the path of
spiritual advancement through transcendental knowledge
(jïäna-yoga). it first explains that one can only obtain genuine
x
Contents
knowledge of the truth by receiving the mercy of çré gurudeva,
who has seen that truth. the process of receiving this mercy is
to hear from a person in a bona fide disciplic succession. that
transcendental knowledge cannot possibly be attained through
mundane learning, intelligence or knowledge. this chapter also
explains that an incarnation of the supreme Lord appears in
every millennium. the birth and activities of the Lord are divine,
and it is foolish and offensive to consider them mundane. one
attains this knowledge of the absolute truth in the association
of a self-realized spiritual master. one gradually hears from
him about the unique characteristics of communion with the
Lord through such knowledge and its superiority over linking
with him by offering him the fruit of one’s work. a person can
easily cross over the ocean of birth and death by taking shelter of
authentic knowledge. the practitioner who doubts this cannot
make progress. one who lacks this conclusive knowledge of
the truth will become fallen and deviate from the path. he will
become trapped again in the cycle of fruitive action.
Chapter 5 – Karma-Sannyäsa-Yoga
yoga through renunciation of action 287
Upon attaining knowledge of the truth, the practitioner becomes
qualified to connect with the supreme through the renun-
ciation of prescribed duty. at that time, he realizes that real
renunciation means to give up attachment to prescribed action
and its fruits. For one whose heart is still impure, it is both
proper and beneficial to adopt the practice of offering the fruit
of one’s work to the Lord, remaining detached from both the
process and its result, rather than completely renouncing the
work itself. selflessly offering of the results of one’s prescribed
duty to the Lord bestows the qualification to attain the nature
of brahma, or God; and those who know God attain peace.
Chapter 6 – Dhyäna-Yoga
yoga through the Path of meditation 321
the practitioner understands from the instructions of the
spiritual master who has seen the truth that one can only
meditate on the supreme Lord when the heart has been
purified. a genuine mystic (yogé) or renunciant is devoid of
xi
Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä
mundane desire, because no one can attain perfection in yoga
as long as one still desires material enjoyment. it is necessary
to regulate eating and recreational activities to attain perfection
in yoga. this perfection means (1) seeing the supreme Lord as
the indwelling witness in the hearts of all living entities, and
(2) realizing that all living entities exist only due to the support
and shelter of the Lord. it is also clearly stated in this chapter
that a devotee of the Lord is superior to a fruitive worker, an
empiric philosopher and a mystic.
Chapter 7 – Vijïäna-Yoga
yoga through realization of transcendental Knowledge 369
Constant study of these instructions leads one to the firm
understanding and realization that bhagavän Çré Kåñëa alone
is the ultimate limit of the supreme absolute reality and
that there is no absolute reality other than him. only by
surrendering exclusively to his lotus feet can one become free
from the bondage of the deluding material energy. Four types
of people have no qualification to engage in worship of the
supreme Lord because they perform impious acts: the foolish,
the lowest among mankind, those whose nature is demoniac,
and those whose knowledge is covered by illusion. Conversely,
four classes of people are endowed with spiritual merit and
can therefore engage in worship of him: the inquisitive, the
distressed, those who desire wealth, and those desirous of
liberation. in this world, the devotees of the Lord are most
rare. one does not attain one’s eternal welfare by worshipping
various demigods and goddesses.
Chapter 8 – Täraka-Brahma-Yoga
the yoga of absolute Deliverance 419
only those who are exclusively devoted to the supreme Lord
can know tattvas, or fundamental spiritual principles, in
regard to the Lord’s featureless aspect (brahma-tattva), fruitive
action (karma-tattva), the basis of this material manifestation
(adhibhüta-tattva), etc. one-pointed devotees can easily attain
Kåñëa (Gétä 8.14). Devotees of the supreme Lord never take
rebirth (Gétä 8.16). one can only attain him by exclusive
devotion (Gétä 8.22).
xii