Gita

[iksvakave]

My interpretation of Gita ---http://gita-hinduism.blogspot.com/

MUST READ! :)

[devotee]

My interpretation of Gita ---http://gita-hinduism.blogspot.com/

MUST READ! :)

There is a word in Hindi/Sanskrit - Satyaanaash ! (Destruction of even the essence)

That is what you have done to BG's verses' meaning !! :(

OM

[Sahasranama]

Your English is highly unreadable.

[iksvakave]

Really? I didn't know you could not make sense of what I was writing. Stayaanaash? Truth destroyed? What was the truth that I destroyed?

Namaste

[iksvakave]

You said my english is not readable. What don't you understand about what I wrote? Is that everything? OR do you also think I destroyed the true essence of gita? maybe someone could help me understand the true essence of Gita.

Namaste

[iksvakave]

Do you think the english translations of Gita are readable?

Namaste

[iksvakave]

There is a word in Hindi/Sanskrit - Satyaanaash ! (Destruction of even the essence)

That is what you have done to BG's verses' meaning !! :(

OM


Stayaanaash! Truth destroyed. What truth did I destroy?
I always wished someone would teach the BG verses meaning.

What is a self-seeker?

Nasmaste

[iksvakave]

Your English is highly unreadable.

You say my English is unreadable. Is it really that bad that you could not understand? I should work on that I suppose. Is that your only comment or do you think It's satya naash as well?

Namaste!

[devotee]

Namaste Iksvakve,

Sorry, if my earlier post was too harsh. I will explain why I told so. You have translated the first verse of chapter-3 as given below :


Chapter – 3
Karma Yoga
Text #1
Jyayasi Cet-karmanas-te mata buddhir-janardana
Tat-kim karmani ghore mam niyojayasi kesava

Jyayasi : is victory
Cet-Karmanas-te : if--our actions—by you
Mata: religious thought
Buddhir: knowledge
O’ Jarnardana: Ruler of people’s god (Janardana)
Tat-kim: to that –why?
Karmani: actions we are in
Ghore: terrible
Mam: me
Niyojayasi: You are engaging
O ‘ kesava: O Vishnu (O kesava)

Meaning:
Is victory if our actions by you. O’ ruler of people’s religious thought and knowledge. To that why the actions we are in terrible? Me -- you engaging O Kesava.


In complete sentences:
Arjuna is asking Krishna: Is it victory if our actions are set by you. You are the ruler of people’s religious thought and knowledge. Therefore, why are the actions we are engaging in terrible? What am I and you engaging in O’ kesava.

What it meant to me:
Is it really victory say if you are the one engaging us in activties? You are the ruler of people’s religious thought and knowledge. So then why those actions we engage in seem terrible. He does not want to fight the war. He is asking the Krishna what are you and I engaging in this world that justifies those actions.

The real meaning is given here :

The verse is :

"Jyaayasi chet karmaNaste mataa buddhirjanaardan |
Tat kim karmaNi ghore maam niyojasi Keshsva || BG 3.1 ||

Jyaayasi = better (Jya = elder, of higher position, etc . like jyeshtha)
chet = if
KarmaNaste = KarmaNah (actions) + te (you)
mataa = considered
Buddhirjanaardan = Buddhih (intelligence, Jnaana) + janaardan (Lord of people i.e. Krishna)
Tat = then
kim = why
karmaNi = in actions
ghore = horrendous, which should be feared
maam = me
niyojayasi = engaging
Keshava = Krishna

And the full translation is :

If Jnana (or Buddhi-yoga or the path of knowledge) is considered better/superior by you as compared to the path of action (i.e. Karma yoga), then why do you engage me in this horrendous action (of fighting & killing in this war), O' Krishna ?

Why does Arjuna asks this question ? Please refer to verses 2.50 onwards in Chapter-2 of BG where Lord Krishna heaps praise on Buddhi Yoga and one who is established as Sthita-prajna ( established in Prajna/cosmic intelligence). This raises doubts in the mind of Arjuna that if Buddhi Yoga was really superior why engage in this war at all ?


I hope it makes things clear. I would advise you to look for translation of BG done by great saints, various Vaishnava Sampradayas etc. This great scripture has been very well commented upon by Sankaracharya & Sri Paramhansa Yogananda from an Advaitic point of view too.

OM

[iksvakave]

MY REPLY
Thank you for taking the time to respond and teach me about the word of Gita. I respect you for that.
These were you definitions of Sanskrit words for this verse
Jyaayasi = better (Jya = elder, of higher position, etc . like jyeshtha)
chet = if
KarmaNaste = KarmaNah (actions) + te (you)
mataa = considered
Buddhirjanaardan = Buddhih (intelligence, Jnaana) + janaardan (Lord of people i.e. Krishna)
Tat = then
kim = why
karmaNi = in actions
ghore = horrendous, which should be feared
maam = me
niyojayasi = engaging
Keshava = Krishna


Now to me if this was the case it should translate to something like this:
Better or higher in position if actions to you considered intelligence O lord of the people.
Then, why in actions horrendous me engaging in kevesa?
I realized it is my interpretation of the first line of the verse that bothers you because in the second line to me seems like both you and I are saying the same thing. Let us look at the first line again or what it should translate to as per your Sanskrit definitions: Better or higher in position if actions to you considered intelligence O lord of the people. Now does that sentence by itself make sense to you?
I know Sanskrit is not English we speak today but the verses should still make sense, it is a great epic poem from 100’s and 1000’s of years ago.
You say, the true meaning of it is this:
If Jnana (or Buddhi-yoga or the path of knowledge) is considered better/superior by you as compared to the path of action (i.e. Karma yoga), then why do you engage me in this horrendous action (of fighting & killing in this war), O' Krishna ?


Your definition of Jnana – was people’s king. Now does that translate to buddhi –yoga or path of knowledge. Where does Krishna compare it to path of action or karma. What type of comparison does he use? Where does Krishna mention yoga? What about the verses where he actually says yogena?
The full meaning you gave me sounds like something someone came up in efforts to understand Gita. I am sorry to say that but my greatest respects to them. Greatest respects!
To me BuddhirJanardana --- Means intelligence is janardarna. He is the ultimate intelligence. We are but specs in his universe.
Thank you for pointing out that my meaning for Jyaayasi might not be right. I know that also.
Thank you for really taking the time to talk to me about this. I will respect you always for that. J
What is advaita philosophy? Doesn’t it make you mad that I am “translating Gita” and I don’t know what Advaita is because it upsets me a great deal.

Namaste




















Namaste Iksvakve,

Sorry, if my earlier post was too harsh. I will explain why I told so. You have translated the first verse of chapter-3 as given below :



The real meaning is given here :

The verse is :

"Jyaayasi chet karmaNaste mataa buddhirjanaardan |
Tat kim karmaNi ghore maam niyojasi Keshsva || BG 3.1 ||

Jyaayasi = better (Jya = elder, of higher position, etc . like jyeshtha)
chet = if
KarmaNaste = KarmaNah (actions) + te (you)
mataa = considered
Buddhirjanaardan = Buddhih (intelligence, Jnaana) + janaardan (Lord of people i.e. Krishna)
Tat = then
kim = why
karmaNi = in actions
ghore = horrendous, which should be feared
maam = me
niyojayasi = engaging
Keshava = Krishna

And the full translation is :

If Jnana (or Buddhi-yoga or the path of knowledge) is considered better/superior by you as compared to the path of action (i.e. Karma yoga), then why do you engage me in this horrendous action (of fighting & killing in this war), O' Krishna ?

Why does Arjuna asks this question ? Please refer to verses 2.50 onwards in Chapter-2 of BG where Lord Krishna heaps praise on Buddhi Yoga and one who is established as Sthita-prajna ( established in Prajna/cosmic intelligence). This raises doubts in the mind of Arjuna that if Buddhi Yoga was really superior why engage in this war at all ?


I hope it makes things clear. I would advise you to look for translation of BG done by great saints, various Vaishnava Sampradayas etc. This great scripture has been very well commented upon by Sankaracharya & Sri Paramhansa Yogananda from an Advaitic point of view too.

OM

[devotee]

I am sorry for my post which I made thinking that you are trying to understand the correct meaning of the verses. Now, I think I know what is in your mind.

Please forgive me for my intrusion.

OM

[devotee]

Namaste Iksvakave,

I had thought that I would not respond but after reading your pm, I decided otherwise.

Actually, as I get it, you have valid doubts in your mind & accordingly you are trying to see the message in Gita verses. As you know, BG is not prose but written in condensed verses (perhaps to help the students memorise them, as writing and keeping notes was very difficult in times when this was writen, but I am not sure).

The meaning I have given has not been offered by someone who is struggling to know the meaning of BG, as you have assumed. It is the well accepted meaning by the Vedantists and the great scholars of BG, as far as I know. You may like to translate it the way you want and get a different meaning but the meaning so drawn should match the context. If what you have translated is correct then it should match the answer that Lord Krishna gives after this verse. He says :

Lokesmin dwividhaa nishthaa puraa proktaah mayaanagha |
Jnaanyogena sankhyaanaam, Karmayogena yogInaam || 3.3||

If the question has nothing to do with Karma-yoga and Jnaanyoga then why does Lord Krishna refer to it ?

Anyway, I am not here to win an argument. You are free to have your own meaning of the verses, if it helps.

OM

[iksvakave]

Hello!

Thank you for trying to explain the right meaning of Gita. Some one promised they would teach the actual word of Gita. I am doing my own interpretation because I find it more meaningful for me however I am more interested in knowing the actual word of Gita.

Jnanayogena ------ is not jnanayogena as in people. Aunt told me it's gyna yogena. I asked why it's not written that way. I know gyna yoga. I heard my grandpa say gynam quite a few times. The concept of yoga being attached to it is new to me. Am I right on this? That jnayogena is actually gyanayogena? I know it's not spelled that way. I think that's why I didn't understand it when you were trying to explain it to me.

I am sorry you had to read my interpretations. The problem I have is I don't understand Gita reading it by myself. It makes no sense to me and I don't have anyone to explain it to me.


I am going to bolg the my notes from learning Gita from my aunt. Sorry, to say this there is something a miss for me. Gita just speaks to me differently sometimes. So I think I am still going to do my own work with it. Sorry, if you feel it's staya naash.

Thank you for saying you are free to have your own meaning if it helps. I think that makes you a bigger person. I would rather you tell me what's wrong with what I am doing. I am not hear to win any argument either. I would probably lose in heart beat. I signed up for this forum so that I can learn.

Iksvakave