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and abides in me in supreme peace.

V16 

nātyaśhnatastu yogo ā€™sti na chaikāntam anaśhnataįø„
na chāti-svapna-śhīlasya jāgrato naiva chārjuna

O Arjun, those who eat too much or eat too little, sleep too much or too little, cannot attain success in Yog.

V17 

yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-cheį¹£hį¹­asya karmasu                             
yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duįø„kha-hā

But those who are temperate in eating and recreation, balanced in work, and regulated in sleep, can mitigate all sorrows by practicing Yog. 

Besides the irrelevant above, the following verses (v41-v42) appetizing though for the yoga enthusiasts, are clear interpolations for the same reason as the preceding ones.

V41 

prāpya puį¹‡ya-kį¹›itāį¹ lokān uį¹£hitvā śhāśhvatÄ«įø„ samāįø„
śhuchÄ«nāį¹ śhrÄ«matāį¹ gehe yoga-bhraį¹£hį¹­o ā€™bhijāyate

The unsuccessful yogis, upon death, go to the abodes of the virtuous. After dwelling there for many ages, they are again reborn in the earth plane, into a family of pious and prosperous people. 

V42 

atha vā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām
etad dhi durlabhataraį¹ loke janma yad Ä«dį¹›iśham

Else, if they had developed dispassion due to long practice of Yog, they are born into a family endowed with divine wisdom. Such a birth is very difficult to attain in this world.

Hence, these irrelevant ā€˜yoga tenā€™ are clear interpolations, and if we were to concede the irreverent argument of some that they would have been incorporated later for holistic reasons, then that in itself is an admission of interpolations in the original text. 

 

Chapter ā€“ 7:  Gjnāna Vigjnāna Yoga

 

This chapter of 30 verses is about understanding the nature of the Supreme through knowing and meditation. However, v20-v23 besides breaking the continuity in the character of the discourse, advocate worship of gods for boon seeking that Krishna, as already seen, has chastised in Ch2, v42-v44. In order to  appreciate that v20-v23 are interpolations, one my see how the original narrative runs, prior to their insertion, and subsequently thereafter.

Ch7, V14

If thee forsake well and true                                   
To Me then thou come ā€™n grasp
Natures these Mine illusions. 

daivÄ« hyeį¹£hā guį¹‡a-mayÄ« mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāį¹ taranti te 

Ch7, V18

Noble as all worship Me   
The knower true is selfsame Me.

udārāįø„ sarva evaite jƱānÄ« tvātmaiva me matam
āsthitaįø„ sa hi yuktātmā mām evānuttamāį¹ gatim 

Ch7, V19                                          

Once in a while
Births after many, 
Born who knows 
I pervade worlds. 

bahÅ«nāį¹ janmanām ante jƱānavān māį¹ prapadyate
vāsudevaįø„ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaįø„

Then appear these inanities

V20 

kāmais tais tair hį¹›ita-jƱānāįø„ prapadyante ā€™nya-devatāįø„                              
taį¹ taį¹ niyamam āsthāya prakį¹›ityā niyatāįø„ svayā

Those whose knowledge has been carried away by material desires surrender to the celestial gods. Following their own nature, they worship the devatās, practicing rituals meant to propitiate these celestial personalities.

V21 

yo yo yāį¹ yāį¹ tanuį¹ bhaktaįø„ śhraddhayārchitum ichchhati
tasya tasyāchalāį¹ śhraddhāį¹ tām eva vidadhāmyaham

Whatever celestial form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I steady the faith of such a devotee in that form.

V22 

sa tayā śhraddhayā yuktas tasyārādhanam īhate
labhate cha tataįø„ kāmān mayaiva vihitān hi tān

Endowed with faith, the devotee worships a particular celestial god and obtains the

objects of desire. But in reality, I alone arrange these benefits.

V23

 antavat tu phalaį¹ teį¹£hāį¹ tad bhavatyalpa-medhasām

devān deva-yajo yānti mad-bhaktā yānti mām api

But the fruit gained by these people of small understanding is perishable. Those who worship the celestial gods go to the celestial abodes, while my devotees come to me

Now back to good sense with 

Ch7, V24   

Unmanifest Am State Supreme 
But saddle Me with form uncouth.

avyaktaį¹ vyaktim āpannaį¹ manyante mām abuddhayaįø„
paraį¹ bhāvam ajānanto mamāvyayam anuttamam

Ch7, V25 

Dull in delusion wonā€™t perceive 
Me thatā€™s unborn veiled from them.

nāhaį¹ prakāśhaįø„ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvį¹›itaįø„
mÅ«įøho ā€™yaį¹ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam  

Hence, undoubtedly v20 ā€“v23 can be taken as inane interpolations. 

 

Chapter - 8: Akshara Parabrahma Yoga

 

This 28-verses chapter deals with an un-wavering devotion to the Supreme to attain Him besides the science of meditation to realize the Brahman towards the same end.  It can be seen below how v5 places the cart before the horse, and why v9-v14 too, are interpolations that is going by their content thatā€™s out of context. 

However, the interpolations that take the cake are the superstitious v23-v27 that pollute an otherwise thought-elevating work, and as already noted, it was to Sir Edwin Arnold credit that he deleted these from his timeless The Song Celestial.    

So, to see all these interpolations in their improper place, one may appreciate the text and the context of this chapter that opens with Arjunaā€™s query to Krishna thus:

Ch8, V1

O Lord appraise whatā€™s Brahman  
Lies what within ā€™n backs action  
Nature of deities besides the beings.

kiį¹ tad brahma kim adhyātmaį¹ kiį¹ karma puruį¹£hottama
adhibhÅ«taį¹ cha kiį¹ proktam adhidaivaį¹ kim uchyate

Ch8, V2                                                                                                                                           

What is that guides bodily acts,
What makes yogis realize Thee?  

adhiyajƱaįø„ kathaį¹ ko ā€™tra dehe ā€™smin madhusÅ«dana
prayāį¹‡a-kāle cha kathaį¹ jƱeyo ā€™si niyatātmabhiįø„

And thus spoke Krishna,

Ch8, V3

Self-Imperishable is Brahman 
But dwells it yet there in beings   
Brings that forth is Act Supreme.  

akį¹£haraį¹ brahma paramaį¹ svabhāvo ā€™dhyātmam uchyate
bhÅ«ta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaįø„ karma-sanjƱitaįø„

Ch8, V4

Perish as beings all in time

Spirit that lasts of them is Me.

adhibhÅ«taį¹ kį¹£haro bhāvaįø„ puruį¹£haśh chādhidaivatam
adhiyajƱo ā€™ham evātra dehe deha-bhį¹›itāį¹ vara

Now note this -

V5 

anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaįø„ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaį¹ yāti nāstyatra sanśhayaįø„ 

Those who relinquish the body while remembering Me at the moment of death will come to Me. There is certainly no doubt about this.

And going by the following, the above is a prehash of the same -

Ch8, V6

In the end the way one tends
Charts that future course he takes.

yaį¹ yaį¹ vāpi smaran bhāvaį¹ tyajatyante kalevaram
taį¹ tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaįø„

Ch8, V7

If thou act with this in mind
In the end thou gain Me true,
By My word now opt for war
With thy strength ā€™n skill I gave. 

tasmāt sarveį¹£hu kāleį¹£hu mām anusmara yudhya cha
mayyarpita-mano-buddhir mām evaiį¹£hyasyasanśhayam

Ch8, V8

Me they reach whoso keep
On Me focus as they work.

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajatyante kalevaram                                         
tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

So, as v5, places the v8 cart before the horse, here comes v3ā€™s  expansion of after the closure of the subject as above

V9 

kaviį¹ purāį¹‡am anuśhāsitāram         
aį¹‡or aį¹‡Ä«yānsam anusmared yaįø„

sarvasya dhātāram achintya-rūpam
āditya-varį¹‡aį¹ tamasaįø„ parastāt

He who is omniscient, timeless, the commander, subtler than the subtlest, protector of all, incomprehensible, brilliant like the sun, beyond darkness, (one) contemplates (him).

Now follows a mixture of lectures on yoga, meditation, celibacy etc. 

V10  

prayāį¹‡a-kāle manasāchalena
bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena chaiva
bhruvor madhye prāį¹‡am āveśhya samyak
sa taį¹ paraį¹ puruį¹£ham upaiti divyam

At the time of departure, endowed with devotion, an unwavering mind, as well as the power of yoga, fully establishing the praanaas in the centre of the eyebrows, he attains that supreme divine person.

V11 

yad akį¹£haraį¹ veda-vido vadanti
viśhanti yad yatayo vÄ«ta-rāgāįø„
yad ichchhanto brahmacharyaį¹ charanti
tat te padaį¹ saį¹…graheį¹‡a pravakį¹£hye

Scholars of the Vedas describe Him as Imperishable; great ascetics practice the vow of celibacy and renounce worldly pleasures to enter into Him. I shall now explain to you briefly the path to that goal.

V12 

arva-dvārāį¹‡i sanyamya mano hį¹›idi nirudhya cha

mÅ«rdhnyādhāyātmanaįø„ prāį¹‡am āsthito yoga-dhāraį¹‡Äm 

Restraining all the gates of the body and fixing the mind in the heart region, and then drawing the life-breath to the head, one should get established in steadfast yogic concentration.

V13 

oį¹ ityekākį¹£haraį¹ brahma vyāharan mām anusmaran       
yaįø„ prayāti tyajan dehaį¹ sa yāti paramāį¹ gatim 

One who departs from the body while remembering Me, the Supreme Personality, and chanting the syllable Om, will attain the supreme goal.

V14 

ananya-chetāįø„ satataį¹ yo māį¹ smarati nityaśhaįø„
tasyāhaį¹ sulabhaįø„ pārtha nitya-yuktasya yoginaįø„

O Parth, for those yogis who always think of Me with exclusive devotion, I am easily attainable because of their constant absorption in Me.

And here we have the v23-v27 superstitious kit, the piĆØce de rĆ©sistance that was broached at the beginning of this chapter introduction, and before, which, if literally taken, would imply that if one dies when the moon is on the ascent he would be heaven bound and, to hell, if itā€™s other way round. So, Sir Edwin Arnold, one of the foremost to translate the Gita that was way back in 1885, dismissed these as the work of some vedānti and thought it fit, justifiably at that, not to include them in his The Song Celestial, of course, along with the tailpiece v28.

In this connection it may be noted that the relationship between the state, in which a person dies, and his imminent rebirth is covered in Ch14, v14 ā€˜n v15, which are seemingly authentic.

V23 

yatra kāle tvanāvį¹›ittim āvį¹›ittiį¹ chaiva yoginaįø„
prayātā yānti taį¹ kālaį¹ vakį¹£hyāmi bharatarį¹£habha

 

But, (there exists) the path of no return for a yogi who is leaving his body, and also the path of return, I shall speak about those, O scion of the Bharatas.

V24

agnir jyotir ahaįø„ śhuklaįø„ į¹£haį¹‡-māsā uttarāyaį¹‡am

tatra prayātā gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janāįø„ 

Fire, light, day, the bright (fortnight of the month), the northern movement comprising six months; those people who have departed through that path, knowers of brahman attain brahman. 

V25                                                                                                                                       

dhÅ«mo rātris tathā kį¹›iį¹£hį¹‡aįø„ į¹£haį¹‡-māsā dakį¹£hiį¹‡Äyanam
tatra chāndramasaį¹ jyotir yogÄ« prāpya nivartate

Smoke, night, darkness and the southern movement comprising six months; the yogi (travels through) that path, attains the light of the moon, to return.

V26 

śhukla-kį¹›iį¹£hį¹‡e gatÄ« hyete jagataįø„ śhāśhvate mate
ekayā yātyanāvį¹›ittim anyayāvartate punaįø„

For, bright and dark, both these paths have been known since eternity. By one, the traveller does not have to return, by the other, he has to return again.

V27

naite sį¹›itÄ« pārtha jānan yogÄ« muhyati kaśhchana

tasmāt sarveį¹£hu kāleį¹£hu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna

Yogis who know the secret of these two paths, O Parth, are never bewildered. Therefore, at all times be situated in Yog (union with God).

V28 

vedeį¹£hu yajƱeį¹£hu tapaįø„su chaiva
dāneį¹£hu yat puį¹‡ya-phalaį¹ pradiį¹£hį¹­am
atyeti tat sarvam idaį¹ viditvā
yogÄ« paraį¹ sthānam upaiti chādyam

The yogis, who know this secret, gain merit far beyond the fruits of Vedic rituals, the study of the Vedas, performance of sacrifices, austerities, and charities. Such yogis reach the Supreme Abode.

It is worth noting that v1- v4, v6- v8 and v15-v22 of this chapter, if read together would bear an unmistakable continuity of argument that these thirteen interpolations as above deprive it.

  

Chapter - 9: Rajaā€“Vidyaā€“Rajaā€“Guhya Yoga,

 

This chapter of 34 verses describing various ways of attaining the Supreme lends itself readily for interpolations, and what is more given the seemingly incomplete exposition of the promised dharma in v2, possibly in the in vogue Gita, there could be some omissions that the original had contained.

At the outset alert, Krishna tells Arjuna

Ch9, V1 

Thus spoke the Lord:
Unenvied as thou I would tell
The art of leading fruitful life.

śhrī bhagavān uvācha
idaį¹ tu te guhyatamaį¹ pravakį¹£hyāmyanasÅ«yave
jƱānaį¹ vijƱāna-sahitaį¹ yaj jƱātvā mokį¹£hyase ā€™Å›hubhāt,

So, it goes without saying that until and unless one overcomes his envious tendencies, ā€˜the art of leading fruitful lifeā€™ that Krishna revealed would be of no avail, but neither Gitaā€™s commentators nor the gita-chāryās seldom, if ever, stress upon this enabling condition for grasping Gitaā€™s philosophy!

However, hoping that our readers would have grasped the import of Krishnaā€™s above averment for their self-enlightenment; now back the Gitaā€™s interpolative course with the following verses.

Ch9, V2 ,

Supreme secret thatā€™s sacred     
Profound dharma for mankind  
Fair and simple, practicable.

rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaį¹ pavitram idam uttamam                                    
pratyakį¹£hāvagamaį¹ dharmyaį¹ su-sukhaį¹ kartum avyayam 

V7 

sarva-bhÅ«tāni kaunteya prakį¹›itiį¹ yānti māmikām
kalpa-kį¹£haye punas tāni kalpādau visį¹›ijāmyaham

At the end of one kalp, all living beings merge into My primordial material energy. At

the beginning of the next creation, O son of Kunti, I manifest them again.

As can be seen, the above contravenes the following (Ch8, v15-v16) besides echoing the interpolative v18 - v19 of this chapter.

Ch8, V15

Having come to stay with Me
Get they rid of births and deaths.

mām upetya punar janma duįø„khālayam aśhāśhvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaįø„ sansiddhiį¹ paramāį¹ gatāįø„ 

Ch8, V16

Journey to Brahman holds return ticket 
Journeys back none abode from Mine. 

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāįø„ punar āvartino ā€™rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate  

Next comes v15 but before that,

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