[Advaita-l] How to approach Sankara's Gita Bhasya?,

[Srikrishna Ghadiyaram]

hariH Om !!

--- Aravind Mohanram <psuaravind at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Actually I wanted to know if there is a specific way
> enjoined by the acharya himself, besides being
> open-minded/objective. For example, in the beginning
> of Gita As It Is Srila Prabhupada says one should
> read the Gita scrutinizingly with the help of a
> devotee without any personally motivated
> interpretations. 

Obviously, one needs to approach a text with keen
sense of objectivity. If scrutinizing is the attitude,
I do not know if one will get any where. I guess
'scrutiny' has a negative connotation. Also, you must
see if the author is contradicting himself. That means
one should accept that Bhagavan Srikrishna did not
contradict his teachings of 2 nd 3 rd chapter in his
12 th chapter. 

I tend to believe that Arjuna did not
accept/understand  Bhagavan's teachings of 2 nd
chapter, so he had to continue with 16 more lessons.
So, one should explain all the remaining 16 chapters
without contradicting the 2 nd chapter message. 

Why with the help of a devotee ?? I guess, a devotee
is already biased. So, pick any one who has sufficient
background in Sanskrit and has ability to consistently
read the entire text with ONE dependable logic.

You may have freedom to pick even a devotee of Lord
Siva or Muruga and still arrive at the same meaning. 

Om Namo Narayanaya !!

Srikrishna
 
>I was looking for something similar
> to this suggestion. If you think you have already
> answered this, fine and thanks again. 
>  
> Aravind. 
> 
> Ravi <ravi at ambaa.org> wrote:
> My 2c on this.
> 
> 1. Almost everyone has precconceived notions and
> biases. These notions 
> interfere in seeing the truth in the text
> objectively. To start with 
> one should be aware of these biases, if one wants to
> give a honest and 
> open enquiry into truth. Otherwise, one may not
> benefit from it.
> 
> 2. From what little I know about you, you seem to
> interested in worship 
> of krishhNa. shriimad bhagavad giita is a very tough
> work and at times 
> quite confusing. That is not a place to start if you
> are not already 
> open enough to consider advaita-vedAnta. The best
> place to start to get 
> familiar with vedAnta for you is devotional works on
> vishhNu with 
> definite advaita-vedAnta leaning. Just give some
> books, vishhNu 
> sahasranaama bhaashhya of shankara, prabodha
> sudhakara attributed to 
> shankara, naaraayaNiiyam etc. This I am saying based
> on my personal 
> experience.
> 
> I would not have given an objective and open look
> into 
> vishishhTaadvaita but for the work on shrii
> miinaaxii called aananda-
> saagara-stavaH by niilakaNTha diixita. I was so much
> biased against 
> shriivaishhNava religion and vishishhTaadvaitam, I
> was blind to seeing 
> anything valuable there. But God sent this book
> (aananda-saagara-
> stavaH) which was a devotional work on my
> ishhTa-devata and also very 
> nicely explains sharaNagati maargam. Now I read
> books (or at-least look 
> at them) with more open mind. Hence, I think you
> should start into 
> advaita-vedaanta from a devotional work. 
> 
> 
> 3. The books by gambhiraananda and krishna warrier
> are both good books. 
> I have the latter. But there in one key to
> understand giita from the 
> point of advaita-vedaanta. shankara makes it clear
> in the preface and 
> you should keep this in mind as you read. If not,
> shankara's position 
> will not make sense to you. This key is: vedic
> dharma is two-fold -- 
> pravrtti and nivrtii maarga. The adherent of these
> two are different. 
> That is these cannot be practised simulataneously.
> The qualifications 
> or adhikaari laxanam for these classes are so
> different. Hence, you 
> should understand what is said to whom. Not confuse
> one with another. 
> This same approach adopted by shankara for iishaa
> vaasya upanishad 
> makes it very clear and understandable. Even though
> krishna tells 
> arjuna of all options, he advises him to follow
> pravrtti maarga. This 
> two-fold divison. differences in their
> qualification, and that they 
> cannot be mixed is very important from the point of
> view of advaita-
> vedanta. pravrtti maarga followed as per the
> guidelines of bhagavaan, 
> will either prepare the disciple to undertake
> nivrtti maarga or lead 
> him directly to brahma loka and then to krama mukti
> (gradual 
> liberation). 
> 
> These are my opinions. And it is needless to say
> that I may be wrong. 
> So beware!
> 
> 
> Ravi
> www.ambaa.org 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> want to unsubscribe or change your options? See:
>
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
> Need assistance? Contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
> 
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Find out what made the Top Yahoo! Searches of 2003
> _______________________________________________
> want to unsubscribe or change your options? See:
>
http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
> Need assistance? Contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org


__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Find out what made the Top Yahoo! Searches of 2003
http://search.yahoo.com/top2003