hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
We know the bhāgavad gītā is divided into 18 chapters. Why 18 chapters not 12 or 21 or 15 or 9? My POV is offered here: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=21869&postcount=7
We also note that the bhāgavad gītā is from the mahābhārata , bhīṣma¹ parva, consisting of the 25th through 42nd chapters. There are some that see the bhāgavad gītā parva (section) starting at chapter 13, where sanjaya rushes to the king dhṛtarāṣṭra¹ to depict for him the actions that are taking place on the battlefield. Many say the bhāgavad gītā consists of 700 verses, others say 701.
If we look to this book (mahābhārata) we will find no title for each chapter offered, yet over time the theme emerges for each chapter. This is the crux of this and future posts. The chapters are called out below.
I thought to spend some time on the titles for each chapter to gain an appreciation for its naming and the wisdom that is contained in each adhyāya (chapter). Perhaps if you care to participate and point out the salient features/wisdom/insights of the chapter being discussed that would be a great contribution for discussion. Please avoid cut 'n paste, or dumping excessive information that cannot be consumed as each of the 18 chapters is offered in sequence.
Let me list out the 18 below and start with chapter one.
It seems straight forward that the 1st chapter is considered viśati , or to enter, settle down or attend the mind. It is the entrance point for the knowledge to flow. Some can consider this chapter bhūmikā or the preface , an introduction to the overall story . We can also consider this the preface (bhūmikā) of the prapāṭhaka (lecture) to follow.
- adhyāya (chapter) 1
viśāda or viśati - to enter or settle down; to mind or attend
viśate - any business, attend to; be absorbed.
Yet if we notice one thing of this notion of viśāda or viśati it has the word viśa - a tribe, or class of people; also 'of a man', embedded in it. We know that arjuna is ' of a man' and is called nara (a man , a male , a person ) in the mahābhārata. Also , in adhyāya (chapter) 1, arjuna clearly talks of his 'tribe' (viśa) as he speaks to kṛṣṇa-ji ( 26th, 27th,28th, 31st, 34th śloka-s). Hence this word viśāda or viśati becomes very versatile to depict the 1st adhyāya of the bhāgavad gītā.
Chapters 2 through 18
praṇām
- adhyāya 2
sāṁkhya ( some write sāṅkhya) yoga- adhyāya 3
karma yoga- adhyāya 4
jñāna yoga- adhyāya 5
karma vairāgya yoga- adhyāya 6
abhyāsa yoga- adhyāya 7
paramahamsa vijñāna yoga- adhyāya 8
akśara parabrahman- adhyāya 9
rāja vidya guhya- adhyāya 10
vibhūti vistara- adhyāya 11
viśvarūpa darṣana- adhyāya 12
bhakti yoga- adhyāya 13
kṣetra kṣetrajñā vibhāga- adhyāya 14
gunatraya vibhāga- adhyāya 15
puruṣottama- adhyāya 16
daivāsura sampad vibhāga- adhyāya 17
śraddhātraya vibhāga- adhyāya 18
mokṣa opadeṣa (upadeṣa)
words and references
- dhṛtarāṣṭra was the eldest son of vyāsa by the widow of vicitra-vīrya (brother of pāṇḍu and vidura) and born blind; husband of gāndhāri and father of 100 sons of whom the eldest was duryodhana
- dhṛtarāṣṭra धृतराष्ट्र means whose empire is firm , a powerful king - from dhṛta धृत held born or maintained + rāṣṭra राष्ट्र kingdom, realm , empire , dominion , district , country
- adhyāya अध्याय - is a chapter, lesson or lecture; also the proper time for readng or a lecture.
- bhīṣma happens to be one of the twelve most knowledgeable people on dharma. The bhAghavataM says that there are only twelve men in the whole world who know the ins and outs of dharma in all its subtlety. These twelve are: BrahmA, the Creator; Narada, the roving sage; Lord Siva; Lord SubrahmaNya; the sage Kapila; Manu the law-giver; the boy-devotee Prahlada; King Janaka; bhīṣma; King Bali; the boy-sage Suka, the reciter of the bhAgavatam; and Yama, the Lord of Death and Dispenser of Justice.
- Thus bhīṣma happens to be one of the twelve most knowledgeable people on dharma. It was fitting therefore that when yudhiṣṭhira at the end of the mahābhārata war wanted to know all the subtleties of all the different types of dharma, he was directed to go to bhīṣma by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself.
- More on bhīṣma here: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=15089&postcount=2
- Yudhiṣṭhira was the eldest pandava, son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti if we do not count Karna who was born first. His name is most excellent - it means yudhi or 'in battle' + sthira or 'steady, calm, unperturbed'; so yudhiṣṭhira is he that is steady or unperturbed in battle.
- Resources:
- mahaṛṣi mahesh yogī's commentary chapters 1 to 6
- abhinavagupata's commentary on the bhāgavad gītā
- Śrī Jñānadeva's Bhāvārṭa Dīpikā some call Jñāeśvarī ( his commentary on the bhāgavad gītā)
- S.rādhākṛṣṇan
- mahābhārata by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
- svāmī prabhupāda's bhāgavad gītā as it is
Bookmarks