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Title: Bhagavad-Gita As It Is by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ISBN: 0892131233 Publisher: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Pub. Date: 01 March, 1997 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.05
Rating: 5
Summary: The Absolute Mystery - Vedas Wisdom
Comment: With over two dozen languages and more than five million hardbound copies in print, undoubtedly, Bhagvad Gita As it is by Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the best selling and widely read classic in world literature. It reflects the main literary support for the great religious civilization of India, the oldest surviving culture in the world. This sacred book is well explained, easy to read with sanskrit shlokas well translated and pronunciations made easier. The subject of Bhagvad Gita entails the comprehension of five basic truths. First, science of god is explained and than the position of living entities, jivas. The living entity is controlled by the controller 'God head krsna' and the material nature 'prakriti' and time, the duration of existence of the whole universe and karma 'activity' are discussed. Finally, its god's wish and he makes or breaks the world! Bhagvad gita is written with 18 chapters - the conversation of krsna with Arjun as brief below:
1. Chapter One: Arjun gives up determination to fight at the battlefield of kuruksetra out of grief n pity when he sees his intimate relatives, teachers and friends in both armies ready to fight and sacrifice their lives.
2. Chapter Two: Krsna begins his teachings to Arjun and explains the distinction bet. the temporary material body and eternal spiritual soul. Characteristics of self realized person is explained.
3. Chapter Three: Karma Yoga i.e. one must engage in activity where actions can bind one to the world or liberate. Perform for the pleasure of god's will without selfish motives and attain transcendental knowledge.
4. Chapter Four: Transcendental knowledge, spiritual knowledge of the soul, of god and their relationship. Krsna explains history of Gita, purpose and significance of his periodic descents to the material world and the necessity of approaching a guru.
5. Chapter Five: Action performed and their fruits to attain peace, detachments, forbearance, spiritual vision and bliss.
6. Chapter Six: Controlling of the mind and senses and focus on concentration on god (lord is in heart)& explains the meaning of 'samadhi' full consciousness of supreme.
7. Chapter Seven: Knowledge of Absolute god. Krsna is the supreme truth and advanced souls surrender unto him in devotion.
8. Chapter Eight : Attaining the supreme god and remembering krsna in devotion whole life n at time of death, one can attain to his supreme abode, beyond material world.(This is one chapter that is always spoken in most Hindu families during ritual rites when someone dies)
9. Chapter Nine: The most confidential knowledge of bhakti - praying to godhead krsna.By reviving one's pure devotion, one returns to krsna in spiritual realm.
10.Chapter Ten: All power, beauty, grandeur or sublimity, in material or spiritual world are manifestation of krsna.
11.Chapter Eleven: Krsna grants Arjun the vision and reveals his form as cosmic universe and explains his own humanlike form is the original form of godhead and one can perceive only by pure devotion.
12. Chapter Twelve: Bhakti yoga to attain luv of krsna and they develop divine qualities.
13. Chapter Thirteen: Difference bet. body, the soul and supersoul beyond them both attains liberation from material world.
14. Chapter Fourteen:Souls are under the control of three modes i.e.qualities of material nature - goodness, passion and ignorance. How these modes act upon is well explained here.
15. Chapter Fifteen: Detaching oneself from material world and understand godhead. One who understand krsna surrenders to him and become devotional.
16. Chapter Sixteen: Difference of Divine and Demoniac nature is explained here. How to gain spiritual perfection.
17. Chapter Seventeen: Three types of faith evolving from three modes of material nature. Acts performed by those who have faith in passion and ignorance yield only impermanent, material results whereas acts performed in goodness, lead to pure faith in krsna.
18. Chapter Eighteen: The concluding part which explains the meaning of renunciation and effects of the modes of nature on human consciousness and acitivity. Surrendering to god which frees one from sins, bring enlightenment and be eternal spiritual mode.
Krsna says in Gita,
"Aham sarvasya prabhavo, Mattah sarvam pravartate
Iti matva bhajante mam, Budha bhava samanvitah" meaning "I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in my devotional service and worship me with all their hearts"
So, if you have read Bible or Koran or any religious book, Bhagvad Gita is a choice 'Absolute'to read about the 'Absolute Godhead' After all, God is a mystery and nobody ever knows who the real person is otherwise I feel, there would be no wars and only peace on earth if Bhagvad Gita Mahima (krsna's sayings) is followed by humans. A sure Pick.
Rating: 5
Summary: BG As It Is faithful to Lord Krishna's message
Comment: I have read Bhagavad-Gita As It Is from cover to cover, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The book is a translation and commentary of a religious text dating back to over 5,000 years ago. It covers some essential points of the Vedic religion (popularly known as Hinduism to the lay public), stressing devotion to a personal God who is endowed with transcendental attributes. I recommend this text to anyone who is interested in a fresh perspective on spirituality, one devoid of sterile impersonalism or atheistic bias. However, one must be prepared to put aside one's preconceived notions about the Gita, and instead evaluate the translator's arguments on the basis of evidence from the Gita itself. This is as it should be. No philosophy which claims to follow the Gita, no matter how interesting it may sound, can truly be accepted as such if it cannot be reconciled with the Gita itself.
I would also like to comment briefly on some rather harsh comments made by another reviewer in a message entitled "blind leading the blind." A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami claims to come in a disciplic succession of spiritual leaders which originated from a different tradition (Maadhva) than his own (Gaudiiya). He never claims to follow the Maadhva commentaries or philosophical worldview, and the distinction between these two schools of Vaishnavism is hardly any secret. One should not read too much into Prabhupada's comment that "Bhagavad-Gita As It Is is received in this disciplic succession." The Gaudiiya Vaishnava view emphasizes that a spiritual leader must have the mercy of a guru before becoming one himself, even if he is preparing to start a distinct Vaishnava tradition. The reviewer who seeks to make a stink over this issue is more likely basing his remarks on narrow-minded sectarian bias rather than an objective appraisal of the book on its own merits.
It should also be admitted that the Vedic models of astronomy are not entirely consistent with the modern paradigms. That A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami follows the former should not be a cause for ridicule. Instead, we should respect him. For regardless of our own personal view, it is clear that Bhaktivedanta Swami has faithfully followed the Vedic conclusions in this matter instead of changing them to suit Western (and Western-influenced) audiences. One need not agree with his conclusions to admire his uncompromising faith in the Vedas, a faith which is sadly missing from many Westernized practitioners of the religion.
Rating: 5
Summary: Bhagavad-gita As It Is stands above all other translations.
Comment: His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a pure devotee of Krishna, gave the western world this eternally inspirational text. It contains his devotional ectasies and is a true guide to one who is very sincerely seeking spiritual truth. To read this book is to be guided personally by His Divine Grace into a higher state of consciousness - purely devoted to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.
Someone who has a pre-concieved philosophical fixation will probably not be able to enter into the sublimity of this transliteration due to a challenging spirit. The same holds true for anyone who is looking to blindly follow a religious mandate. Bhagavad-gita requires not only candid inquiry and thought to understand its deep message - it also requires a qualified teacher who is authorized in disciplic succession.
AC Bhaktivedanta Swami is such a qualified teacher as he is directly initiated into a disciplic lineage that began with Sri Krishna Himself who spoke the Gita to Arjuna 5000 years ago.
Without the natural respect and submission that should accompany the reader when imbibing the words of such a great teacher one might feel dissapointed by his commentaries.
This book is not for anyone who desires to use 'spirituality' and spiritual understanding as a means to aggrandize themself. In the hands of Bhaktivedanta Swami, Bhagavad-gita's message of unalloyed devotion remains intact and accessable to the sincere at heart.
I found it interesting that most of the reviews for Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It Is are weighted to either extreme. This holds true with the text wherin (Chapter Sixteen) the divine and demoniac qualities of man are explained:
Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance-these qualities belong to those of demoniac nature, O son of Prtha.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
In this verse, the royal road to hell is described. The demoniac want to make a show of religion and advancement in spiritual science, although they do not follow the principles. They are always arrogant or proud in possessing some type of education or so much wealth. They desire to be worshiped by others, and demand respectability, although they do not command respect. Over trifles they become very angry and speak harshly, not gently. They do not know what should be done and what should not be done. They do everything whimsically, according to their own desire, and they do not recognize any authority. These demoniac qualities are taken on by them from the beginning of their bodies in the wombs of their mothers, and as they grow they manifest all these inauspicious qualities.
One might argue that His Divine Grace is being harsh himself by writing such a purport. I understand this to be a conteptuous misconception stemming from an ideology which is not able to distinguish between the love offered by a genuine well wisher and the personally motivated criticism one generally can experience in materially competitive life. The kitten feels safe in the teeth of the mother cat whereas the rat feels the jaws of death.
This book invited me to take a good look at myself and what I desire. It opened the door to a higher plane of understanding centered not around my frustrated attempts to seek pleasure in this world; but instead it gave me the neccessary understanding to focus on the even more natural inclination to love purely - a propensity that can only be reposed with Krishna. This simultaneously reveals my actual identity as a loving servant of the Supreme Lord.
Find out who you are - read Bhagavad Gita As It Is today!
your servant,
Ekendra das
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