Beginning to study Bhagavad Gita

[wcrow]

Yajvan: If you could recommend an author that would be great - I would like to start with the Katha upanishad.

"You read it once then say - that was good. Then you read it again some time later and say, wow, how'd I miss that! I still read it again and again ."

I know what you mean. First time I read the Gita it was incredible, it opened up a whole new world for me. And I haven't studied it in detail yet!

[sunyata07]

Yet I would still start with the bhāgavad gītā as it is called the cream of the veda-s. You are getting all of the knowledge in condensed form. This is a blessing.

Well said, Yajvan. I'm just going to start reading my newest copy of BG myself (translated and commented by Eknath Easwaran) and he has pretty neat analogies of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. He likens the writings of the Upanishads to a big collection of postcards, photos and letters from around the world without regard to source or circumstance - "snapshots of consciousness" he calls it, which is an apt description. But he describes BG as a map and a guidebook into the realm of the Self, with no details held back. All is there for the reader: overview of the territory, different approaches you can try on reaching the summit of Realisation, tips on avoiding pitfalls, telling you what to pack in your backpack and what to leave behind as useless baggage.

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namast� wcrow ( et.al)


You can never be disapointed by the writings of svāmī kṛṣṇānanda svāmi śivānaṇda:

svāmī kṛṣṇānaṇda on various upaniṣad-s: http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/books_3a.html
Various works from svāmi śivānaṇda : http://www.sivanandaonline.org/
I have read their works throughout the years and am a better person for doing so.


Now there is also another beacon of light that I have been blessed to read and that is svāmī muni nārāyaṇa prāsad; His translation of the kaṭha upaniṣad is most notable and worth the pursuit.
It is from D.K.Printworld (P) Ltd. , yet any good Indian book store will carry this ( including Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Katha+upanisad )
He is one of the authors I gravitate to for upaniṣadic writings.

On closing , note the brilliance of this word kaṭha.

• kaṭha is a pupil ; it is also a sage , a pupil of vaiśampāyana and founder of a branch of the yajur-veda , called after him

• If we spell kaṭha as kathā , this is defined as a conversation , speech , talking together , 'a story' .

Hence the kaṭha upaniṣad is a conversation, a story of the pupil naciketas, talking with the teacher, yama. This naciketas is naciketa 'of a man'; Yet his name is that of 'na' + 'keta' ; 'na' = not or no + 'keta' = desire.

Hence this 'man' naciketas is without desire. All this comes to surface in this upaniṣad as his non-desire for worldly things he finds of no use.

praṇām

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté sunyata07

I'm just going to start reading my newest copy of BG myself (translated and commented by Eknath Easwaran) and he has pretty neat analogies of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. He likens the writings of the Upanishads to a big collection of postcards, photos and letters from around the world without regard to source or circumstance - "snapshots of consciousness" he calls it, which is an apt description.

I was thinking about what you said above and it fits a 'vyāsa' perfectly. Vyāsa means arranger, or compiler. We think of veda vyāsa¹ , the one that arranged the veda-s (assigning various duties/sections/books to his śiṣya-s).

As we find out, the veda's were not chanted in order , nor did the 400+ ṛṣi-s of the ṛg ved have a convention and say ' you take this section, I will do this one, etc. etc. '.

The seers of truth ( including vyāsa-ji's father, sage parāśara) cognized the truth. Some perhaps wrote their words down, yet all passed them on to their śiṣya-s and they sooner or later wrote them down over time.

It is the brilliance of vyāsa-ji to organize this wisdom in such a manner that is sequential, intelligible and orderly. Hence he organized the pictures and postcards in your example to paint a mosaic of the truth, based in Being , and done from those kavi (poets, seers) that lived and breathed the truth in their lives.

praṇām

• Veda vyāsa is the one who compiled the veda-s and is also known as Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana ;
  • Kṛṣṇa= dark in complexion and Dvaipāyana suggests where Vyāsa was born:
  • dvi द्वि is 2 ; pāya पाय is water dvipa द्विप is drinking twice and dvīpa द्वीप an island , peninsula , sandbank.
    Hence born on an island where two rivers join or meet
• Other names of veda vyāsa is vādarāyaṇa or bādarāyaṇa

[NormalName]

I wanted to clarify one thing: I asked if Moshka was possible, I meant AFTER one passes away.

Meaning, what if we are able to end our cycle of rebirths, but that the amount of "work" it takes to be one with (God, the universe, etc) is essentially impossible or unbearable or "exhausting."

Being one with the entire universe, every single particle and string and quantum uncertainty and multiverse and pocket universe might become a burden that dwarfs what it takes to achieve Moshka.

What if such "beings" eventually beg for a body again because while life is suffering it may be in essence "easier" than Moshka.

Am I making any sense?!? Probably not!

[kd gupta]

I currently don't actually have a copy of the Gita myself - I have two that I can readily access, a penguin translation and the Bhagavad Gita "As It Is" by Prabhupada.
I would like to get a copy for myself, do you reckon this one would be good?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bhagavad-Git...7077055&sr=1-1

Unfortunatly not hardback, but there isn't a wide variety of hardback copies on Amazon.

Kd Gupta:

"Also as per Vedas human form can be achieved , three times only , 1st for knowledge 2nd for duty and 3rd for bhakti or liberation"

Are you saying that we reincarnate only three times?

Well mr wcrow
As believerji has mentioned in one post for the members not to mention their age , I agree , because it becomes much confusing to engage you students in spirituality .
Any way read ch 6/41,6/42 for three incarnations of bg .
For three births , first gyan comes�
Rasavarjam raso�pyasya param drishtwaa nivartate.
The objects of the senses turn away from the abstinent man, leaving the longing
(behind); but his longing also turns away on seeing the Supreme.

Then comes the duty�..
Jijnaasurapi yogasya shabdabrahmaativartate.
By that very former practice he is borne on in spite of himself. Even he who merely
wishes to know Yoga transcends the Brahmic word.

Then at last liberation is achieved��
Kimaachaarah katham chaitaam streen gunaan ativartate.

What are the marks of him who has crossed over the three qualities, O Lord? What is his
conduct and how does he go beyond these three qualities?

[Eastern Mind]

I wanted to clarify one thing: I asked if Moshka was possible, I meant AFTER one passes away.

Meaning, what if we are able to end our cycle of rebirths, but that the amount of "work" it takes to be one with (God, the universe, etc) is essentially impossible or unbearable or "exhausting."

Being one with the entire universe, every single particle and string and quantum uncertainty and multiverse and pocket universe might become a burden that dwarfs what it takes to achieve Moshka.

What if such "beings" eventually beg for a body again because while life is suffering it may be in essence "easier" than Moshka.

Am I making any sense?!? Probably not!

Vannakkam NN: My understanding is that after the Self has been realised many times over, it is difficult to come out to normal consciousness, not the other way around. The Self is described as the natural state of your being. So once moksha is attained, it would be easier to stay there. Then depending on which sect you follow, the end is even further, in absolute merger and loss of personal identity completely. In that case, what you talk about is obviously impossible. Frankly, I'm not sure why you are following this whole line of questioning/reasoning.

Aum Namasivaya

[NormalName]

Vannakkam NN: My understanding is that after the Self has been realised many times over, it is difficult to come out to normal consciousness, not the other way around. The Self is described as the natural state of your being. So once moksha is attained, it would be easier to stay there. Then depending on which sect you follow, the end is even further, in absolute merger and loss of personal identity completely. In that case, what you talk about is obviously impossible. Frankly, I'm not sure why you are following this whole line of questioning/reasoning.

Aum Namasivaya

First, either I posted this in an incorrect thread or the moderator did (I don't have direct post privileges yet). This was intended for a thread I started.

But thank you for your response. Here is why I asked my question about Moksha. I am reading Gandhi's commentaries on the Gita, and he stresses the importance of "work". Work unattached to its fruits, its results, but work nonetheless. He says that even God must in a sense "work" to maintain the universe (though obviously this is a very different type of "work" than ours.

So, if maintaining the universe is work, and we do attain Moksha, and we are part of this universe, part of God, witnessing-being-experiencing all this at once, constantly, every instant, eternally, never being reborn, could Moksha ITSELF be a condition that still requires work-effort-focus-meditation?

And in turn, might not those who have attained Moksha be unable to remain in that condition for all eternity>

In short, could Moksha itself not be the end of rebirth?

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namast� normalname,

I wanted to clarify one thing: I asked if Moshka was possible, I meant AFTER one passes away.

I think you are mixing this conversation in with the one you started here perhaps? http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=6509

May I recommend re-posting your question in the original area then there will be some continuity, and we can address it there.

... just an idea that would go under housekeeping.

praṇām

[c.smith]

Anybody else have some favorites in terms of the Bhagavad Gita to suggest? More study oriented as the thread starter asks. It's my turn to get deeply into the scriptures and although I'm not exactly sure where to start, the Gita has provided comfort in the storm. Being a Saivite, I'd be open to other works too.

Om Namah Sivaya!