Bhagavad Gita for those with just a basic understanding of Hinduism

[BloodyRose3000]

In trying to learn more about the religion, I've read though bits of it here and there and found (somewhat surprisingly, I'll admit) to find a great deal of wisdom in it and relatively easy to read. Is this something you would recommend for someone just getting into the religion tho? Certainly, if someone non Christian came to me and said that they were reading, say the book of Wisdom, or one of Paul's letters, I'd recommend something more basic and straightforward first (like the gospel according to Mark, which was written for non jews as opposed to something like Matthew, which requires a lot insight into their culture). I don't know much about Hindu scriptures tho, so I would need some advise on how to go about studying such a thing.

[Jainarayan]

To Vaishnavas it's probably the paramount scripture. Not so much, if at all to Shaivas and Shaktas.

Here is a very easy on-line rendering by Swami Tapasyananda. I have two print versions of this, one is a pocket version.

http://scriptures.ru/bh_g_eng.htm

There is a condensed version from Swami Sivananda http://www.dlshq.org/download/gita_busy.pdf and http://www.dlshq.org/download/gita_busy.htm that will give a summary of the chapters. You could read the Gita from beginning to end, or skip around. I think it's probably better to go from beginning to end, because the teachings build.

Another good translation with commentaries is one by Eknath Easwaran. Personally I don't care for Srila Prabhupada's commentaries, because I think they are too narrow an interpretation. Though I like some of his verse phrasing.

[BloodyRose3000]

So you would recommend reading this Hindu text before, say, another scripture? Also, should I try reading it a certain way (as in , should I look for the symbolism/allegorical elements etc rather than the literal, etc)?

[Jainarayan]

I've seen people recommend reading the Upanishads first, but I found that difficult. I think the commentaries on the verses are a big help, though I don't think all the commentaries need to be read; I really don't find anything highly symbolic or allegorical.

Further, from my p.o.v., consider that the Bhagavad Gita was a very short, relatively speaking. The Mahabharata is 100,000 verses, the B.G. is about 700+ verses. It was a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna before the armies engaged in war. Imo, Krishna was getting to the point as effciently as possible.

This is all just my experience.

[BloodyRose3000]

I've seen people recommend reading the Upanishads first, but I found that difficult. I think the commentaries on the verses are a big help, though I don't think all the commentaries need to be read; I really don't find anything highly symbolic or allegorical.

Further, from my p.o.v., consider that the Bhagavad Gita was a very short, relatively speaking. The Mahabharata is 100,000 verses, the B.G. is about 700+ verses. It was a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna before the armies engaged in war. Imo, Krishna was getting to the point as effciently as possible.

This is all just my experience.

Not symbolic? From what I've read about it, I was lead to believe that a great deal of it was allegorical. For instance, when the prince was asking why he had to fight in war when he didn't like violence, and Krishna basically said that he had to do it because it was a part of his dharma as a soldier, I was lead to believe that that was an allegory for multiple things. For instance, Gandhi said it was "an allegory in which the battlefield is the soul and Arjuna, man's higher impulses struggling against evil."

I don't know if there would be much else potentially symbolic tho. I suppose if I had a copy with a commentary, that would explain more about that there.

[devotee]

Namaste BR,

Not symbolic? From what I've read about it, I was lead to believe that a great deal of it was allegorical. For instance, when the prince was asking why he had to fight in war when he didn't like violence, and Krishna basically said that he had to do it because it was a part of his dharma as a soldier, I was lead to believe that that was an allegory for multiple things. For instance, Gandhi said it was "an allegory in which the battlefield is the soul and Arjuna, man's higher impulses struggling against evil."

I don't know if there would be much else potentially symbolic tho. I suppose if I had a copy with a commentary, that would explain more about that there.

Bhagwad Gita has meaning at various levels. Advaitic Gurus have given Advaitic interpretation of Bhagwad Gita wherein the war, the characters described are all symbolic. As per that interpretation, the MahAbhArata War is a constant war going on within this universe ... it is war that Jeeva (the individualised self) has to win to realise its true nature.

However, Bhagwad Gita's literal meaning is not less profound. It emphasizes upon Karma Yoga and also talks of Bhakti Yoga and JnAna yoga. It removes a lot of doubts on what to do and what not when faced a dilemma.

Understanding the real message of Bhagwad Gita is not possible without studying Upanishads carefully. So, imho, study of Bhagwad Gita and Upanishads should go hand in hand.

OM

[Spiritualseeker]

Namaste,

Nice explanation Devotee.


I recommend reading or listening to the audio book version of The Bhagavad Gita according to Paramhansa Yogananda. He goes into the many details of the scripture, but presents it in a way people can understand.


Om Namah Shivaya

[Jainarayan]

Namaste.

Understanding the real message of Bhagwad Gita is not possible without studying Upanishads carefully. So, imho, study of Bhagwad Gita and Upanishads should go hand in hand.

OM

See, always something to learn. What I think I'll do is open Eknath's Upanishads and read along with his commentated Bhagavad Gita, both of which I have on my shelf. Eknath's Upanishads have a chapter introduction/summary at the beginning of each. I also have his uncommentated Bhagavad Gita. I've briefly thumbed through Eknath's Upanishads and found the writing clearer than Mascaron's. I think Mascaron's version is what scared me off.

Namaste,

Nice explanation Devotee.


I recommend reading or listening to the audio book version of The Bhagavad Gita according to Paramhansa Yogananda. He goes into the many details of the scripture, but presents it in a way people can understand.


Om Namah Shivaya

If that is the one I'm thinking of, it's the Essence of the Bhagavad Gita. He distilled the Gita and re-compiled it as the heart of it. I like Paramahansa Yogananda's style of writing. I'm reading Autobiography of a Yogi.

[Vasa]

Namaste,

Nice explanation Devotee.


I recommend reading or listening to the audio book version of The Bhagavad Gita according to Paramhansa Yogananda. He goes into the many details of the scripture, but presents it in a way people can understand.


Om Namah Shivaya

If it's the 1000+ page one, I have it checked out from the local SRF center and can also recommend it, though I am unsure whether Yoganandaji's views and interpretation is accepted by many of the schools. It makes perfect sense to me how he has explained it but I kind of wish I had read BG without commentary first.

[dogra]

These you tube vidoes go through the verses and are good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQEPW6qug0o