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Shri Bhagavad-Gita 3 страницаrites, the manes(jtitariihy of these (men) do indeed fall. &c. 43. By the faults of these caste-breakers,—the authors ofinterminglement,—the ancient race-rules as well as the caste-rules of morality {dharmd) are disregarded(and broken). &c. 44. For those,from whom their clan-laws have depart ed, O Janardana!* permanent residence in Naraka® results. So do we hear. ^ &c. 45. Alas! Coveting possessions and enjoyments, 'tis strange that we thought ofcommitting atroci oussin by attempting to massacre our kinsmen! qfe &c. 46. Immense benefit it would be to me if, unresisting and unarmed, I be killed on the battle-field by the armed hosts of Dhritarashtra I' &c. 47. So saying,did Arjuna,agitated with grief,let go his arrowed-bow, and sat down in his car between the two armies."
1. Departed ancestors, to whom periodical offerings of food &c., are made by the surviving relatives,
2. See note I p. 19.
3. Places where sins have to be atoned for by = suffering. The Infernum, or the Hades.
(Saftjaya tells Dhfitarashtra). 'Partha,*—the mostnoble-minded,® the mostcompassion ate,the eternal-kinsman,and the most virtuous,—albeitoften subjected by thee, along with his brothers,to horrid actsof treachery, with intent to kill—such asfor instance,the burn ing them up in a lac-made house® &c.,—albeitthy knowing that,by him(Partha),the destruction ofallthy people is cer tain,—by the fact that he hasthe help of Parama-purusha* Himself present with him—(yet, Partha)looked on them all with feelingsoffriendship for kinsmen,and overcome by pity,and by fear lest right(orrighteousness) may suffer, he shrank within himselfand said:—'In no case whatsoever shall I fight.' Sosaying,he became mostdejected(in mind), affected with grief at the thought ofseparation from kin, and letting go hisarrowed-bow,sat himselfdown in his car. OM TA T SA T. Thus closes the First Lecture, with Ramanujds Commentaries, called,the Book of Arjuncis Mood of Melancholy, in the colloquy between Sri Krishna and Aty'una, in the Science of Yo^^a, in the Divine Knowledgeofthe Upanishads, or the Chants ofBhagavdn^ The Bhagavad-Gitd.
1. Name of Arjuna, (See note !. page 15.)
2 Or ‘deep-minded (makd- mandh).’? So-called because he knew
_ the God-ship of Krishna (Vide Bhaga- vad-vishaya vol. II, pp. 954-55).
3- Such a mansion was built in Varanavata for the reception of the Pandava princes, by Purochana, at the instigation of Duryodhana, with the object of burning them alive, when asleep, after a festival, Warned, how- ever, by Vidura, they knew the insi- dious character of the plot, and made their escape by an underground pass- age. Purochana was burnt instead. (See Makdbhirata 1. 5864).
4. Parama-Purusha = Synonym Purushotiama (See note 4, p.8.):— Purusha means etymologically He who grants abundance: “sury= bahu, sanoli=daddati.” Thus Para- ma-Purusha means the Supreme all- Giver,
THE GENEALOGICAL TREE OF DESCENT OF THE LUNAR DYNASTY. Av One of the Rishis (ancient Sages). } Sone (or Chandra,) the Moon. Budhe-t Ia or Ida, d. of Ikshvaku.? Purtravas (or Aila)+the Nymph Urvast. 5 Ayus Devayan! + Yayati+Sarmishtha : — L_——_—— Yadu (the eldest Son)* Puru, King of Pratishthana (the | | youngest son) Vrish7i Pushyanta + Sakunta}a® | Devavatha Bhasatae Andhake Hastin (built Hastinapura) Vasu or Siira Kuru | | Vasudeva, b, of Kunti (Pritha) Santanu + Satyavati i | Balarama Krishna | (Contemporaries with the Sons of Pajdu) | | |. | | Chitrangada Vichitravirya Vyasa, 7 Kripa, an adopted son, tO Amba. + Vyasa + Ambalika. ———— Dhritarashtra + Gandharj | . . Kunti + Pandu + Madri ——— 4 ‘ ' Duryodhana, and ninety nine sons. | | { Karja® Yudhishthira Anjuna Bhima Nekula Sahuldeva Abhimanya Parikshit | Janamejaya. euctiiauen( )amcenin
The line down to l^ntanu has many omissions. The fullline is given in Professor Dowson's"Classical Diction ary ofHindu Mythology," S. V.Chandra-vamsa. Bhishma was a Son of^antanu by a former wife,the goddessGanga, whence he is sometimes called Gdngeya. Another name, .^antanava,is from his father,^antanu. (i.) They are usually numbered as seven, and are represented by the 7 stars ofthe Great Bear(Ursa Major). The hymns ofthe Vedas were revealed to them. (2.) Son ofthe Manu Vaivasvat, who was the Son of Vaivasvat,the Sun. Founder ofthe Solar dynasty. (3.) A celestial nymph mentioned in the Rig-veda. The loves of Pururavas and UrvasI are the subject of VikramorvasI,a drama by Kalidasa. (4.) From Yadu, Kfishna is called Yadava,as being a descendent. (5.) The heroine of Kajidasa's drama of that name. (6.) From him India is sometimes called Bharata- varsha,the kingdom of Bharata. (7.) Vyasa was the Son ofSatyavatI,but not^antanu. His father was the Sage Parasara: he was therefore the half brother of Vichitravlrya. (8.) Karna was the Son of Kunti,also called Pritha, by Surya,the Sun,before her marriage with Pandu. (9.) Arjuna visited Krishna at Dvaraka,and there he married Subhadra the Sister of Krishna. Abhimanyu was her Son from this marriage. He was killed in the great contest ofthe rival princes,butthe kingdom ofHastinapura descended to his son Paflkshit. The City of Hastinapura was about fifty seven miles N. E.of Delhi, on the banks of an old bed ofthe Ganges. It is now in ruins.
SRI bhagavad-gita OR THE DIVINE LAY. WITH SRI RAMANUJA'S VISISHTADVAITA COMMENTARY. LECTURE II. NAMED, SANKHYA-YOGA, OR INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE OF SOUL. Sri Ydmundchdr)'a. 'Wisdom:—(/)Souls'ternalty,(2)work ofunselfishness, 'And(j)mtnd-calm,Book Twotaught,to curehisfoolishness! Yogi S.Pdrthasdrathi Aiyangdr.
*1BHAGAYAD-GfTA WITH SRi RAMANUJA'S VISISHTADVAITA COMMENTARY. SECOND LECTURE. THE SANKHYA-YOGA. Safljaya Continued.•— % &c. 1. "Madhusudana/ seeing Arjuna so deeply moved by compassion, and eyes suffused with tears and so sad,addressed him thus:— &c. 2. 'Arjuna! What causes thee this ill-timed melan choly, hateful to philosophers, a block tp Svarga,"® and affecting(thy)reputation? "W: TPf &c. 3. Get thou not unnerved, Partha®!; it doth not become thee. Weakness of heart is undig nified. Hence, Parantapa!*, shake it off and rouse thyself up.
1. See note 4-p. 18.
2. Higher-world or celestial condi- tions of eternal unalloyed bliss = /ok- sha.
3. #.?., Arjuna (See note I, p-15). 4. Epithetic for Arjuna, signify ing ‘ the foe-harasser.’
^rl Bhagavan^ deprecates the ill-timed despondency of Arjuna, and counsels him to shake it off, and stand up for battle inasmuch as his is a sadness which is felt out of place; (a sadness) uncountenanced by wise men; (a sadness) antagonistic to higher-world® interests; (a sadness)inglorious and ignoble; and (a sadness) which can only spring from a faint heart. Arjuna not appreciating the wise counsellings of Bhagavan,—because he wasstillagitated with sentiments of friendship and pity, and with dread of what may be right and what may be wrong—,again delivered himselfthus:—
4. Madhusudana!® How can I, with darts, fight against Bhishma® and Drona?* O Striker of foes! are they not(on the other hand)fit to worship? 1. Bhagavan=Epithetic for God (See note 8 p. 10); also read Vish: Pur 43a VI-73 to 79. ‘ Bha’ implies the Cherisher and Supporter of the Uni- verse, ‘Ga’ implies, the Leader, Im- peller or Creator. ‘ Bhaga’ indicates the six properties, dominion, might, glory, splendour, wisdom and dispas- sion. ‘Va’ implies that the Spirit dwells in all, and all dwells in It.
2. See note 4, p.18.
3% 4. Both are preceptors of Pandavas and Kauravas. Bhishma ts the son of Sdntanu (See Geneal : Tree at end of Lec: I) and is a Ksha- triya. He is called Bhishma or ‘‘ the Dreadful ” because of his vow in abdi- cating the kingdom of his father in favor of a step-mother’s sons. He is one of the leading characters of the Mahabharata, a model of faithfulness and loyalty. In the preat war he became the gencralissimo of the Kaurava army. He was mortally wounded by Arjuna on the toth day.
Drona is a Brahma‘a by birth, the son of Rishi Bharadvaja. After his leaving the court of Pafichala in disgust, he was entrusted by Bhishma with the education of the five Padus and the hundred young Kuru princes. He assumed command ‘of the Kuru army alter Bhishma’s disablement.
4. That is, Bhishma and Drona.
5, Than killing these noble-souled teachers, it is in this world by far nobler to subsist by mendic ancy; than,that by killing them I should have to taste blood-tainted happiness of riches and lusts.
6. Those same hosts of Dhfitarashtra, by killing whom we desire not to live,are confronting us. We do not know whether we may conquer them,or they us. Which then is better for us? (begged food or blood-bought food ?) 7. My disposition troubled as to whether it is not .selfishness(to kill and live), whether it is not sin(to kill), and lacking the knowledge as to what Dharma consists in, I ask Thee. Tell me decisively as to what is best. (For), am I not Thy disciple? Command Thou roe, Thy ser vant ijirapanna).^ ^ &c. 8. Though I obtain unrivalled sway over this prosperousearth,though I obtain even sove reignty over the Suras,® 1 do yet indeed fail to see that which could assuage my sense- withering* affliction.' Safljaya continued:— 1. Prapanna is a term which will be found fully explained in the sequel, (Lects: viii, ix and xii).
2. Meaning atfiliction or grief which deprives one of his faculties.
3. Or Devas, the celestials,
4. See note 2, p: 13 (a name of God).
5- Epithetic for Arjuna meaning ‘* the Sleepless,”
9. So speaking to Hpshikesa,* Gudakesa' the
Harasseroffoes,saying to Govinda*: ' I will not fight', kept silent. Strange indeed! (Arjuna said):—'How can I slay venerable teachers, such as Bhishma and Drona? The pleasures to which they are wedded,how am I better to enjoy, by taking their places? Pleasures, aye! dripping with their blood! Let it be that we prepared for war and withdrew, and that the hosts of Dhfitarashtra put a violent end to us;for itseems to me more honorable to be killed by those not knowing right and wrong, than an unjust victory obtained by our destroyingthem.Sosaying,and reverentlyand mosthumbly approaching the feet of Bhagavan, Arjuna appealed tohim thus:—'What isdecidedly the best for me,—Thy disciple and Thy-refuge-seeker—deign to tell me.* Finding Arjuna thushelpless by misplaced sentimentsoffriendshipandsym pathy; finding him mistaking a lawful ksJiatriya war to be unrighteous; and seeing him also suppliant, desiring to know what is Right(dharma); Bhagavan Faramapurusha thought that the infatuation under which Arjuna was labouring would not leave him unless the knowledge was imparted to him that the pro.secution ofa(lawful) warfare preceded by a knowledge ofdtmd (soul)—but carried on without any interest in the result—.would itselfconstitute the means to self-realization {dtvta-prdpti). And in this manner was this Science ofthe Soul {vis., BHAGAVAD- GTTA)introduced by the All-perfect and Supreme Spirit. It is this that the verse: "Git was introduced to Partha, who refuge sought, Fearing rights'wrong,by misplaced love and pity caught,"* declared. I. Govinda i vide note 3, p. 18. 2. 5th verse, Vamuntlcharya's GiliXriha-Sangraha,
Safljaya continued:— &c. 10. "BharataM with a smiledid Hfishikesa'regard him (Arjuna), who thus stood sad between the two armies; and He spoke to him these words:— Beholding Arjuna overwhelmed with grief at not knowing the distinction between the true nature of body (matter) and soul and yetdiscoursing in a fashion that one,with a knowledge ofsoul existing as apart from body,would adopt,—a position of conflicting views for Arjuna—; beholding him, suddenly languishing into inactivity when both the armies were ready toengage in war, Paramapurusha lectured to him smilingly, commencing frorn verse: • Never at all was,that I was not &c;® and ending with,
1. Dhrita:ashtra.
2, See note 2, p.13.
3- The 12th verse, Lec: ii.
4. The 66th verse, Lec: xvili (the last Book of Bh: Gita).
5. Yoga here means method, path or means, ‘ Aarma-Yoga’ is thus ‘the Method of Works’ or doing deeds of virtue as inculcated in Scrip- tural and other ethical] codes.
6. ‘ /JA&dna- Yoga’ is ‘the Method of Knowledge,’ 7. ‘ Bhakti-Yoga’ is ‘the Method of Loving Devotion.’ By these Me- thods one is to snow (1) his Soul, (2) Jnow his God, and (3) find them. I use the word ‘ find’ so that it might suit the wohksha-idea of any of the three Schools, Dvaita, Advaita or Vis- ishtadvaita.
Throughcut my translation, I retain the original expressions Harma- Yoga,
J Nina- Yoga, and Bhakti- Yoga, as for as possible, the convenience of which will be evident.
I shall deliver thee from all sins &c.'*; embodying thethree-fold doctrines ofKarma- Yoga'^,Jfldna- Yoga,^ and Bhakti-Yoga'',which arethe Meansfor acquiring the true knowledge of Atma(soul)Paramatma^ (Supreme Soul=God),and for attaining them. Smilingly means,(that Krishna discoursed on these most abstruse subjects of philosophy and religion)as if it were but a plea.sant recreation. Sri Bhagavan (Krishna), to Arjuha;— II. 'Thou dost mourn for those thou shouldst not mourn for. Yetdost thou speak words ofwisdom. Thewisegrieve not either as respects bodies{gatd- sftn)* or as respects souls {agdtdsilH^— atmS).
1. Supreme Spirit, the Unexcelled or the Peerless Spirit.
2. Gatdesu; asu=life, gata=en- tered ; hence that which life enters in- to is gatdsu, or matter (body) which life-energy vivifies. All matter can only form, cohere, separate, organize, transform &c., only by means of the life-force.
3- Atma, islit: se/f, it means soul, spirit,ymind,God &c., accordingto con- text. I would prefer to keep ihe origi- nal term where it is likely to mean either individual soul or God, or that which is ‘spirit,’ as differentiated from ‘matter.’ Where it means“ individual spirit,’ I translate 4tmi as ‘soul’ ins-: tead of ‘self.’
Thou dost lament for those regarding whom thou hast no reason to lament. Judging by thy own utterances in such verses as "Verily the manes ofthese men fall, deprived of (offerings oQfood, water,rites &c" (i-42)., thou sayest wise words,implying that thou art enlightened enough on the subject of the distinction between the nature of body and the nature of soul. To those then who are knowers of this distinction between body-nature and soul-nature, there can never be the slightest reason for expressions of grief. Body as body being, a lifeless thing, and soul as soul being life itself, neither can be the cause for any regret, to those who under stand their true natures. Grief to thee is a contradic tion;foron the one hand, thou givest vent to it where thou hast to destroy these (men before thee); but that grief hath no place when thou dost descant on ques tions of dharma and adharma(or moral and non-moral questions), inasmuch as such questions can only arise on atleasta hypothetic knowledge ofa distinction between soul and body. It is thus evident, thou dost not khow the nature of body, nor the nature ofthe eternal soul, nor dost thou seem to know those righteous laws {dharma) which regulate why wars are undertaken. For when righteousness is the basis ofall principles of warfare, engagement therein is itself a means for soul-realization. The secret consists in not embarking on war (or any other undertaking)witha motiveforreward. A war conduc ted thus with no (selfish) interest in the result(but solely conducted as a matter of duty, a duty demanded for the righting of wrongs),is surely a passport to realize the true nature ofsoul. , The soul is not that which springsanew intoexistence, as a product ofmaterial combination(or organization), nor is it one that passes into extinction(or annihilation)when but a material process dissolves,called death. For soul has neither births nor deaths. Henceas respectsthe soul,thou hast no cause to lament; nor hast thou cause tolamentfor body, for by nature it is insentient and is in constant flux. The inherent characteristics of bodies are such that at one time they come into being and at another time go out of being (/. e.y according to the ideas oursenses give us regar ding matter). To begin with, listen to the nature ofsouls.
The particles ‘es’ and ‘eva’ (meaning ‘never at all?) emphasize. God’s eternality. Though souls are also eternal, this emphasis is wanting in their case inasmuch as to show that souls are sudjectto transmigration, whereas God is #of. Cf: this verse with St John’s Revelation I-8 ‘‘ I am Alpha aud Omega, the beginning and the ending,” saith the Lord, ‘‘which is and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
1. de, as demas, or spirits, we are ali eternal a parte ante. z. Eternal a parte post.
3. This is the 97th name of God, meaning etymologically the Instant- aneous Saviour of the faithful.
4. The rith name of God; one etymology is the Un-excelled or Peer- less Spirit. |
5- The §63rd name of God, mean- ing the All-good, All-worshipful ; see also note I, p.28,
12. Never at all^ was,that 1 was not,or thou or these rulers of men(were not^). Never (will we all) again not going to be" hereafter. As for Me,the Universal Lord (Sarvesvara') there is never' nay'to My having been in all the eternity anterior to the present. 1 always tvas. So is thys.:lf and all these in thy front:-allsouls(in short)under Mycontrol{isitavyaJi) and informers of bodies {kshetrajHas). Nor are all of us,— Myself,thyselfand all,—not going to be in the future. We shall all be for ever in the futureeternity. As indubitably Bver-existent am I,—the Universal Lord (Sarvesvara),"-the Supreme Spirit (Paramatma)*,so also should you all, the matter-informing souls, be understood as ever-existent. It is thus evident that (i) the fact of the soul being distinct from Bhagavan' Sarvesvara (God), and (2) the fact of the multiety of souls, have been declared (in this verse) by Bhagavan" Himself. Foi^ this is an occasion when(likethe teachertohis pupil),eternal truthsareimpart ed to one with the object ofremoving the cover of all his ignorance. And on such an occasion, the distinctions such as/,thou, we ail, &c.,are made(thus showing thatsoulsare many and they are different from God,and it is this that Kfishna is now teaching Arjuna). (A briefstatement ofobjections to the interpretations above made,and refutations thereof now follow):— ist. Aupadhika-bheda-vada^or the Controversy which holds the doctrine that all duality is caused by upudhi > (limitations or conditions):— In the matter ofthe Controversy that duality(or that souls are different from God) is caused by upadhi^ we ask why,at a time when instruction of veritable monistic knowledge has to be imparted, the up&dhiattitude,(that of Krishna being different from Arjuna and so on)is still maintained (by Krishna)—an attitude clearly warranting the dualistic doctrine? Why any upadhi should, at such time, be allowed at all to interfere with the monistic truth?
1. Abrief explanation of these tech- nical terms and of the nature of the controversies of the Indian philosoph- ers is very necessary to enable the reader to intelligently follow Ra@ma- nuja’s arguments :—~
Upa the is that which limits, binds, conditions, circumscribes, environs, veils, obscures, contracts, dulls, fetters &c., or that which, in short, checks, bridles, restricts or obstructs freedom, and is that by which Unity is supposed to appear as Duality or Multiplicity.
Aupidhika-bheda-tdda, is the argument of the Monistic (aduazta) Philosophers asserting that all the dua- lity (or plurality or diversity) manifest- ed in the Universe is due to Up&dhi orsomeinexplicable limiting condition. This argument belongs to the Schools of Yadava and Bhiaskara. Read Commty : to xiii-2.
Ramanuja may now be followed.
2. Sruti is the Vedas, the Aryan Scriptures or Revelations. I shall use the Samsknit term itself throughout my translation, as it is convenient.
3. Ka: Up: ii-§, 13, and Sve: Up: vi-13.
4- This argument belongs to the Sankara School. It maintains that the dual appearance of the universe is unreal, The unreality is caused by ignorance,
The teaching then, of Bhagavan,indicating the dualistic position(that souls are many,and they are distinct again from God)is thus a veritable axiom. That such is the case, receives support from such ^mti* texts as: 'That Eternal among the eternals, that Intelligent among the intelligents that One among the many,is He who grants desires&c.'» 2nd. AjMna-krita-bheda-drishti'Vada,or the Contro versy that the perception ofduality is caused by ajAdna (ignorance or nescience or a-knowledge):—*
Ifthis be the case, then we contend that for Parama- purusha (Supreme Spirit=God),—Who has definite know ledge of all things, and Who must be credited with the absence of all ignorance inasmuch as He ought to possess the true experiential knowledge,which (according to you) isthatrt/w^(soul)is(one,because),attributeless{nirviseskay^ immutable {kutasthd)», eternal (nityaJ'&c.,(for Parama- purusha,who possessesthis monistic knowledge)to deceive Himself by believing in the dualistic position caused by ignorance, and then to practically teach it to others, is most untenable. Ifit be again contended that the persistence of dual notion in Paramapurusha—in Whom the true monistic knowledgeis inherent—is no objection, as in the case ofa burnt cloth*, we reply that this cannot be a tenable ground.Foranexample,wesay thatin amirage,which is not water, the notion that it is water may continue, but no one would(with that dua/notion)attempt to pursue the mirage in order to fetch water therefrom! Hence even though duality may persist(according to you)even after it has been proved false by monistic knowledge, yet no one with the conviction of the certainty that dualism is unreal, would yet deliberately proceed to (the same.) (Because, teaching from the monistic stand-point is impossible,as demandsthe recognition,attheoutset,ofa real duality between person and person, between thing and thing).
1. Mirvisesha :=void of attributes or qualities.
2. Kilastha :=the immovable or the steady, the stable.
3. Milya:=the eternal, or that which is not affected by time. These three terms put together mean the noumenal, which is beyond sface, causality and time.
4. The idea is that when a piece of cloth is burnt, and is left undisturb- ed, it still retains the semblance of the cloth, the texture, form &c., so that though it is burnt up, the appearance that it is cloth still persists. And so it is argued that ‘though monistic know- ledge is in God,dual knowledge still persists-in Him.* Thus the Monistic Philosopher contends,
1. Jsvara is the term which, in preference, Ramanuja uses to denote God, in all his philosophical discus- sions; CAzt being used for individual soul, meaning ‘sentient or intelligent or conscious’, and 4-cAezt for matter or that which is #of sentient, of in- telligent, zof conscious.’ d-chit, chit and Jsvara thus constitute the ?atza- traya, or the Three Verities, or the Three necessary Postulates of Exist- ence. It is well to remember this terminology. Also /svara or the a//- perfaet Lord is Parabrahm Itself in the Visishtadvaita literature, not the Lower Brahm of the Advaita as distin- guished from theHigher Brahon. The Vedanta-Siitras make no such distinc- tions (vide: G. Thebaut’s Vedanta- siitras.)
2. Sastra means laws, learning, and therefore spiritual laws or science embodied in the Vedas or Srutis &c.
3. See note 2. p. 35 Sruti is what is keard, or that body of spiritual knowledge—the Vedas—which is han- ded down by oral instruction from tea- cher to pupil, _- SMA NTL
4. Smtitd is that which is renem- dered, suchas the Institutes of Manuand others, who remembered the explana- tions of the Vedas and embodied them into their Institutes.
5- Mund: Up: I-1-9. Means ‘ Generic ’ and ‘Specific’ knowledge.
6. Svet: Up: VI-8, 7. Bh: GI: VII-26.
Nor can you maintain that Isvara^ was once ignorant, and that He cameto possess true knowledge(/. monistic
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