PERSPECTIVES ON THE GITA

There are as many perspectives as the number of commentaries that are available to us and each one is worth a careful study. However, it is necessary to keep in mind the situation and the basic principles before delving deep into these views. As already stated, the words of God are the sounds or vibration of sound in waves of different frequencies. These are explained in the Samudra manthan at the beginning of creation. This symbolic presentation is enough for us to know how the universe came into existence. (See Padma Purana and Vishnu Purana for details).

   The commentators on the Gita have adopted different principles like “tat tvam asi”, (Swami Shivananda), Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga Sutra (Swami Yogananda), Karmayoga way of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Gandhiji, Bhakti-pradhana (Devotion-oriented) versions of Sri la Prabhupada, or Jnyanyoga-oriented (Upanishad way of Ramakrishna Mission) or simply Dhyana-Yoga way as described here. There is nothing wrong in all these different versions as long as the central theme of liberation of the embodied soul is kept intact. For fear of plagiarism, many authors have given wrong interpretations of the words of God. Thus, a proper perspective has to be developed out of all these different views keeping in view ‘the future of mankind’. It has to be borne in mind that the Kaliyuga started after the Mahabharata war (as per the mythology) is going to end disastrously and the present humans only have to develop spiritually and become the seed for the next Satya (Krita)yuga. This needs Atmajnyana. 

  The principle of “tattavmasi” is the central theme in the Gitopaesha. The Bhagavad-Gita is the yogopanishad that deals with Brahmavidya, It is also Atmopanishad and Bhavanopanishad. It imparts the fundamental principle of ‘unity consciousness’,(Krishnaprajnya), sthitaprajnyatva or 'oneness'- ‘samyak-prajnya’. the state of a  'Sthitaprajnya' is beautifully explained by the Lord in the Gita. See sthithaprajnyasya ka bhasha samadhisthasya Keshava |