The Bhagavad-Gita is one of the most widely circulated spiritual text and it has been translated into almost all the popular languages of the world. People all over the world have read and appreciated the message conveyed in the Text. One of the best commentaries has come from a Russian saint. Some commentators like Swami Yogananda have tried to give the inner subtler meaning (antarartha) and treated the characters as symbolic of power vested in the names (shakti) and some have just used the text as a means of spreading dharma amongst the people. However the mukti or moksha aspects explained in the last chapter remains unattended..
We have an invaluable guide in the spoken words (Bhagavan uvacha..) popularly known as the Gita. These are the celestial songs according to some, and they are the path of salvation to some. Swami Shivananda of Hrishikesh Advaita Ashrama treats it as an explanation of the Vedic doctrine of So'ham' or "I Am That- unborn, eternal and immortal" Thou art that Shvetaketu" is the Upanishad doctrne. This is the "tat tvam asi" aspect of the Veda realization of which leads to "aham brahmasmi".
The Vedic aphorism- "tat tvam asi" is explained in the Gita. The first six chapters deal with 'tvam', addressed to Arjuna, the next six chapters explain who the 'tat' ('tyat') is, and the last six chapters explain how the two - the Atman and Paramatman (the 'asi' aspect) are united by yoga. The ardent disciple of Shree Krishna is bound to find salvation in the Gita. A study of the Gita, svadhyaya of Gita, or 'gitopasana', is a sure path to salvation, mukti, moksha. Thus, whoever wants to cross the ocean of sansar may use this as a boat.
The Text of the Gita runs into seven hundred verses and one; and the one normally omitted is a question asked by Arjuna. This is mostly neglected and the Chapter begins with Bhagavan uvacha, Again,most of the commentators have failed to bring out the main theme and 'go on beating round the bush', as they say. They fail to explain who is Bhagavan? Does He speak? And, if at all He speaks, in what language does He speak? How many days are required to convey the message of the Gita? Is it 18 days, or18 minutes, or 18 seconds? Where is this Kurukshetra? Is it really there near Delhi (Hastinapura) or is it in our own mind? Who are the Kurus and the Pandavas? Are they humans like us with flesh and blood, or divine powers born to no humans since they do not have either father or mother! The commentators forget that Kunti does not bear the pandava in her womb for nine months and King Pandu was dead on the very fist day of marriage! Bhagavan Krishna says He is an avatar of Vishnu, the direct descent of 'purnaprajnya', pure Consciousness. These are eternal questions that have no answer. But, an enlightened person can get the intuitional knowledge and answers to all these questions from a careful study (adhyayana) manana and chintana and can visualize in a state of transcendental meditative mode, samadhi or trance!
Some commentators have taken only one or two aspect such as karma yoga and sankhya yoga. Many commentators have failed to bring out the very essence of the Gita in "Ityekakshara brahma.." or "Om tatsat iti". Hence, there is no comprehensive authoritative commentary on the Gitopadesha, true to its substance, available to us so far. We will try to fill the gap in the study and explore the possibility of attaining moksha through gitopasana here.
There are simple techniques of study of the Gita. These are discussed one by one later.
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