The author discusses the interpretations of Bhagavadgita by various Indian saints and scholars that include; Madhusudhana, Nimbaraka, Vallabhacharya, Aurobinbdo, Anandagiri, Tilak, Shridhara, Telang, Kabir, Tukaram and Eknath. The book lacks focus and the text is disorganized. By no means is this book an exhaustive review, but the author could have discussed the interpretations focusing on each commentator and perhaps with relevant comparative analysis. For those of you who are interested in this subject, I recommend Robert Minor's edited book, Modern Indian interpreters of Bhagavadgita for a scholarly evaluation of the subject.
A brief summary of the book is as follows: Karma is what a man inherits from his own karma from previous state of existence. Karma is an informing principle having an embodiment. Yoga empowers the mind with wisdom; yoga is not merely a contemplative type but also a virile action promoting the good of humanity. Practice evenness of mind in the performance of one's duties. Evenness of mind is enforced as the key-note of all yoga. Ramakrishna Paramahansa taught yoga for the preservation of bodily, mental and spiritual health. To escape the cycle of rebirth, Gita advocates the highest form of yoga. For Shankara, Ramanuja, and Shridhara, the intellectual pursuit (jnana yoga) is the key to finding unification with Brahman. But for Maharashtrian saints like Tukaram, Ramdas and Eknath, pure devotion is the way to spiritual success. Nimbaraka unfolds Gita as being dual and non-dual (Dvaita-Advaita) doctrine. The knowledge of Brahma and the yoga will prepare a person for freedom from rebirth by rigorous self-discipline, and by realizing the truth of Brahman. Vallabhacharya preached that the mission of the Gita is to cure man of the blindness caused by Maya. He declares that human perceptions are covered by illusion, unless the spiritual vision is gained, there is no salvation. Aurobindo observed that karma and jnana are not two quantities apart from each other but they are complementary to each other. Anandagiri believed that the knower of the self is not affected delusional effects of the gunas, but those who have not controlled the body and the senses will be compelled to karma by the three gunas; sattva, rajas and tamas.
Tilak discusses throughout his work on the question of karma versus freewill. Is freedom of a man an illusion? The world is made of prakriti and purusha, and prakriti is unaware of free will. Since cosmos is governed by the laws of physics alone, therefore there is no reason to produce a universe of predictable results. Hence karma can not be based on matter alone. Consciousness doesn't exist in classical physics and physical theories do not construct mind that can be physically described, but life is full of possibilities and potentialities, which are governed by prakriti and purusha. Soul is a power of self-existence manifesting the universe, and it is not a mechanical expression of material nature. Its natural instruments, mind, body, and life are helpless agencies of machinery which are subject to our karma. It is the eternal spirit that enjoys the complete freedom. Man is capable of attaining this state of pure existence by entering into an unconditional infinite. The philosophy of Gita is largely dominated by Sankhya thought which is fundamentally a recognition of dualism; purusha and prakriti, the self and non-self respectively. Sankhya involves both knowledge and renunciation of desire. The yogic practices demands a code of physical rules that provide some self control against passions to reach the highest state of mind and realize the moksha, the freedom from cycle of birth and death
Reference: Gita and Its Commentators by S. H. Jhabwala
A brief summary of the book is as follows: Karma is what a man inherits from his own karma from previous state of existence. Karma is an informing principle having an embodiment. Yoga empowers the mind with wisdom; yoga is not merely a contemplative type but also a virile action promoting the good of humanity. Practice evenness of mind in the performance of one's duties. Evenness of mind is enforced as the key-note of all yoga. Ramakrishna Paramahansa taught yoga for the preservation of bodily, mental and spiritual health. To escape the cycle of rebirth, Gita advocates the highest form of yoga. For Shankara, Ramanuja, and Shridhara, the intellectual pursuit (jnana yoga) is the key to finding unification with Brahman. But for Maharashtrian saints like Tukaram, Ramdas and Eknath, pure devotion is the way to spiritual success. Nimbaraka unfolds Gita as being dual and non-dual (Dvaita-Advaita) doctrine. The knowledge of Brahma and the yoga will prepare a person for freedom from rebirth by rigorous self-discipline, and by realizing the truth of Brahman. Vallabhacharya preached that the mission of the Gita is to cure man of the blindness caused by Maya. He declares that human perceptions are covered by illusion, unless the spiritual vision is gained, there is no salvation. Aurobindo observed that karma and jnana are not two quantities apart from each other but they are complementary to each other. Anandagiri believed that the knower of the self is not affected delusional effects of the gunas, but those who have not controlled the body and the senses will be compelled to karma by the three gunas; sattva, rajas and tamas.
Tilak discusses throughout his work on the question of karma versus freewill. Is freedom of a man an illusion? The world is made of prakriti and purusha, and prakriti is unaware of free will. Since cosmos is governed by the laws of physics alone, therefore there is no reason to produce a universe of predictable results. Hence karma can not be based on matter alone. Consciousness doesn't exist in classical physics and physical theories do not construct mind that can be physically described, but life is full of possibilities and potentialities, which are governed by prakriti and purusha. Soul is a power of self-existence manifesting the universe, and it is not a mechanical expression of material nature. Its natural instruments, mind, body, and life are helpless agencies of machinery which are subject to our karma. It is the eternal spirit that enjoys the complete freedom. Man is capable of attaining this state of pure existence by entering into an unconditional infinite. The philosophy of Gita is largely dominated by Sankhya thought which is fundamentally a recognition of dualism; purusha and prakriti, the self and non-self respectively. Sankhya involves both knowledge and renunciation of desire. The yogic practices demands a code of physical rules that provide some self control against passions to reach the highest state of mind and realize the moksha, the freedom from cycle of birth and death
Reference: Gita and Its Commentators by S. H. Jhabwala
No comments:
Post a Comment