Re: bhāgavad gītā - research
namaste everyone.
Here are some interesting tidbits about the GItA. Thanks to Sriseshan of the Brahmins forum for the original in Tamizh.
• The bhagavad gItA is located in eighteen chapters, from chapter 25 to 42 of the bhIShma parva, the sixth book of mahAbhArata.
• There is a shoka for the count of verses in the GItA:
षट्शतानि सविम्शानि श्लोकानां प्राह केशवः ।
अर्जुनस् सप्तपन्चाशत् सप्तषष्टिन्तु संजयः ।
धृतराष्त्र श्लोकमेकं गीताय मानमुच्यते ॥
ShaTshatAni savimshAni shlokAnAM prAha keshavaH |
arjunas saptapanchAshat saptaShaShTintu saMjayaH |
dhRutarAShtra shlokamekaM gItAya mAnamuchyate ||
According to this count, bhagavAn shrIkriShNa spoke 620 verses, arjuna 57, saMjaya 67 and dhRutarAShtra one shloka. This makes the total count of shlokas 745!
• For the mahAbhArata being the fifth Veda, bhagavad gItA is its jnAna kANDa. Since the jnAna kANDa of the Vedas are also known as upaniShads, gItA gives the essence of the veda upaniShads.
• In Sanskrit, the word gItam is napuMsaka linga--neuter gender. But then the word gItA in bhagavad gItA remains as strI linga--feminine gender. The word upaniShad is also strI linga!
• Up to the fourth chapter, shrIKRShNa talks as a friend of Arjuna, and thereafter as God.
• Among the famous commentaries of the GItA are the one in Tamizh by mahAkavi BhArati, a commentary titled kaiviLakku--handheld torch, by RAjAji, karmayoga of BAlagangAdhara Tilak and anAshakti yoga by mahAtmA GAndhi.
• About the two terms yoga and kShema, GItA teaches that attaining that which is not attained is yoga and protecting what is attained is kShema; it is God who grants the two.
• The first six chapters of the GItA speak about the philosophy of the jIvAtman, the next six about paramAtman and the last six a summary of the two.
*****
रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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