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Thread: Bhagavad Gita for those with just a basic understanding of Hinduism

  1. #11
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    Re: Bhagavad Gita for those with just a basic understanding of Hinduism

    Hello BloodyRose3000

    I don't recommend you start with the Bhagavad Gita. The speaker of the Gita itself told Arjuna that it is for the advanced.
    I recommend you start with Valmiki's Ramayana. This will give you an understanding of righteousness, chastity, worship,
    Dharma and avatara. All these are important parts of Sanatana Dharma. While you are reading you can talk to different
    Hindus at Temple and ask them their opinions about the parts that stand out to you.

    Specifically, I recommend a beautiful work by Krishna Dharma entitled Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love and Wisdom
    It is a big, beautiful and inspired work of art which captures the raw emotions of this epic without any of the dryness of the version
    by the State University of New York. Although the bound versions are a little pricy you can buy one used or purchase
    the paperless (Kindle) edition which can be read without an E-Reader either directly on your computer
    (after downloading free software) or online.

    Hari Aum
    Last edited by R Gitananda; 21 November 2012 at 02:35 PM.
    With our ears may we hear what is good.
    With our eyes may we behold thy righteousness.
    Tranquil in body, may we who worship thee find rest.

    AUM Peace Peace Peace

  2. #12
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    Re: Bhagavad Gita for those with just a basic understanding of Hinduism

    Namaste R Gitananda!

    This is why I love the HDF! The treasures yet to be experience and then a gemstone is found! (RG " Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma) - I am going to absolutely order this book, which I was not aware of until you shared this with us. From what I have already read about it on the internet, it is indeed a beautiful work, and I am very excited to get my hands on it.

    Here is something on the background of the author named Krishna Dharma:


    http://www.amazon.com/Krishna-Dharma...662799-3976712



    Om Namah Sivaya

  3. #13
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    Re: Bhagavad Gita for those with just a basic understanding of Hinduism

    Namaste ShivaFan

    I am looking forward to hearing about how you enjoyed the book here on HDF!

    Hari Aum
    With our ears may we hear what is good.
    With our eyes may we behold thy righteousness.
    Tranquil in body, may we who worship thee find rest.

    AUM Peace Peace Peace

  4. #14
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    Re: Bhagavad Gita for those with just a basic understanding of Hinduism

    actually bhagwad gita is the spring board for a dive in sanatan spirituality
    Start reading bhagwat gita as it is the first step in spiritual staircase.It will tell u about the sanatan dharma philosophy & will also help increase ur knowledge of the subtle world.
    First read it just like a normal book,because there is a remote chance that u will have devotee mind in sanatan dharma so early.On the second reading u will have a devote intellect as there are concepts which can only be understood when u have full devotion.
    Read Indian translators.Iskcon version is good .Avoid indologists

    http://www.gitapress.org/BOOKS/GITA/...Gita_Roman.pdf

    http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/
    Last edited by dhyandev; 27 September 2012 at 08:17 AM.
    तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।
    उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्वदर्शिनः ॥

    उस ज्ञान को तू तत्वदर्शी ज्ञानियों के पास जाकर समझ, उनको भलीभाँति दण्डवत्* प्रणाम करने से, उनकी सेवा करने से और कपट छोड़कर सरलतापूर्वक प्रश्न करने से वे परमात्म तत्व को भलीभाँति जानने वाले ज्ञानी महात्मा तुझे उस तत्वज्ञान का उपदेश करेंगे. श्रीमद्*भगवद्*गीता-4.34

  5. #15
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    Re: Bhagavad Gita for those with just a basic understanding of Hinduism

    Quote Originally Posted by R Gitananda View Post
    Hello BloodyRose3000

    I don't recommend you start with the Bhagavad Gita. The speaker of the Gita itself told Arjuna that it is for the advanced.
    I recommend the exact opposite
    तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।
    उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्वदर्शिनः ॥

    उस ज्ञान को तू तत्वदर्शी ज्ञानियों के पास जाकर समझ, उनको भलीभाँति दण्डवत्* प्रणाम करने से, उनकी सेवा करने से और कपट छोड़कर सरलतापूर्वक प्रश्न करने से वे परमात्म तत्व को भलीभाँति जानने वाले ज्ञानी महात्मा तुझे उस तत्वज्ञान का उपदेश करेंगे. श्रीमद्*भगवद्*गीता-4.34

  6. #16

    Re: Bhagavad Gita for those with just a basic understanding of Hinduism

    I must point out that Hinduism is not a scripture based religion as commonly found in the West. This concept is hard to understand for people who have not lived in India for a significant time.

    Most Hindus, follow their religion as a matter of tradition that they inherit from their parents. They worship Ganesh, Laxmi, Tirupathi Venkatesh, etc., and mainly for material benefits, such as doing well in a test or a better car, health and wealth. They visit temples, worship photo frames of Gods at home and celebrate festivals. There is no scripture that teaches any of this and none is required.

    In contrast, Westerners find it necessary for a religion to have a central holy book, which forms the basis of the religion. If not, they are lost and do not understand how such a religion would work. For this reason, when Indian saints took the religion to the west, they talked about scripture such as the Veda and the Gita (which are mainly specific to Vedanta philosophy) and thereby created a false picture that all of Hinduism is derived from these scriptures. The difference between philosophy and religion was blurred in the attempt to simply the complexity of Hinduism and model it per Semitic religions.

    The Gita particularly is a Vaishnava, philosophical text and I would disagree that it teaches Hinduism. That is not its purpose. Neither do the Vedas.

    Regards
    http://lokayata.info
    http://shivsomashekhar.wordpress.com/category/history/

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