[Advaita-l] Thus Spake Krishna - by Prof. V.Krishnamurthy.

[Kuntimaddi Sadananda]

PraNAms to everybody.
Prof. V. Krishnamurthy book on 'Thus Spake Krishna' is published now by the Indic Academy using Nationpress publishers. The book should be available on Amazon. Prof. VK is one of the moderators of the Advatin list and has contributed significantly by providing extensive discussions on various topics of Advaita. ----------------------------

Thus Spake Krishna
By Prof. V.Krishnamurthy (Prof. VK)

“Is Bhagavat Geeta difficult to understand? Take any verseand this book gives, simultaneously, a simple introduction to the novice, aphilosophical understanding for the initiated, and plenty of cross-referencesfor the nuanced reader. This writing is mathematically precise in unravellingthe jargon, making Krishna’s teachings accessible and relevant for you today.You may feel that Krishna Himself is talking to you in an intimate way,motivating into working towards your own spiritual evolution.” Says on thecover. 

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Following is my simple write up after the initial study ofthe book, which he graciously included in the book. -----------------
It is a blessing indeed to write this foreword to Prof. V.Krishnamurty’s book, ‘Thus Spake Krisha.’ I have known him, popularly known as Prof. VK, first through Advaitin online discussiongroup. Personally, later, when I was doing my Sabbatical at IIT, Madras, in1999, he was also kind enough to arrange my talk on ‘The Logic of Spirituality’at the Sanskrit College in Chennai. He transcribed the talk and posted on theAdvaitin list resulting in many discussions by various seekers. Prof. VK is anauthority in Mathematics and retired as the Director of the great PilaniInstitute of Engineering and Technology. Needless to say that the current workis mathematically precise and embedded with the technology of application ofGeeta’s teaching for many earnest seekers of the truth. 

I find this book as an encyclopedia of Sri Krishna’steachings in Geeta. Every chapter deals first with the summary of its essence,identification of very important slokas with five stars, and extendeddiscussion on these important slokas with the needed application by a seeker inhis daily life. I am amazed at the extensive discussions of some of theimportant slokas, starting with his own father’s work on Gitamrutamahodadhi,which, as the title itself indicates, is the ocean of nectar of Geeta and whichwas published by Prof. VK himself with his father’s extended commentary. Prof.VK discusses some of the important topics of Geeta, from point of stalwartslike, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Sri Arabindo, Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi,Shree Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Dr. Mahadevan, Shree Kanchi Kamakoti Swamigal,Shree Satya Saayi Baaba, the great musician Shree Tyagarajan, etc. He quotes appropriateslokas from many texts, some I have not even heard of.  These include Mahopanishat, Adi Shankara’sSwatmanirupanam, Baadaayana Dharma Sutras, Samanyopanishat, Yogavaashishta,Narada Bhakti Sutras, Bhagavatam, Ramana Geeta, Soundaryalahari, and his ownbook, Thoughts of Spiritual Wisdom, etc. 

Introducing his text, Prof. VK says, ‘Reading and learningit is itself a Spiritual Ascent which could be steep and hard for those whohave had no exposure to the Gita so far. So this preview aims to tell thereader about the Bhagavad-Gita in a most elementary way.’ – He starts withthe statements, “The Gita is the Upanishad of Upanishads because Krishna hasextracted the milk of the Upanishads and given it to us in the form of theGita…Gita is not just a compendium of disconnected verses of   information and advice. The verses have tobe taken all together.”

There are many eye-opening statements, some clarifying themeaning, some propelling one to think deeper, some contemplative or meditativestatements, some for constant reflection for one’s own evolution, and the listcan go on. I am providing a few examples that made me stop and think deeper anduse it for my own sadhana. 

“Pleasure and pain, like and dislike, happiness and misery,heat and cold, friend and foe, honour and dishonour– all these dualities areonly for (and of) the outer self.  YourInner Self, namely, the Atman, is never affected by these dualities of life orof the world.”.. 

“If you just make a show of physical renunciation, butkeep on mentally dwelling on everything of the world, then you would only be ahypocrite. What is wanted is mental renunciation. Though you are involved inall actions of the world, you should be mentally away from them. This means youshould not attach yourself to any of your thoughts or actions. This is thegreat yoga of action. Yoga means the most efficient way of doing things”…

“Be in oneness with your Inner Self and do all of yourduties; nothing will touch you or pollute you. This living in identity withyour Inner Self will give you the attitude of equanimity. An equanimous view ofeverything that you come across, whether it is men or material, is the ultimategoal of life.”

“Nothing in the world takes place withoutthe Will of the Lord, and so if we think that we are the ones who are doing theaction, we are only going down the spiritual ladder.” 

“These are the arguments which Krishna uses toconvince Arjuna to go back to his normal role in the war. But in the process ofall this dialogue the Lord covers a large ground of Hindu philosophy and thusleaves a legacy of a great teaching for the entire humanity. This becomesrelevant in a modern context. And this is what makes the Gita a scripture evenfor our daily living. Krishna’s teaching to us may be classified under thesame five headings but in a different backdrop.” 

 

Here are some startling advice to the earnest seekers.

 

“To remember the Lord at all times and becontinuously aware of His omnipresence is what constitutes the deepest devotionto God. This path of devotion to the One Supreme Almighty whois also indwelling in every being is the second major teaching of the Gita tohumanity.”

“So the discharge of one’s duties withoutany attachment is the obligation of every one…. The methodology ofdedication is technically called yajna, by Krishna.”… “Surrendereven your will to God in the sense that thereafter you are nothing but aninstrument in the hands of God. It is self-effacement, no doubt, but that isexactly what is meant by a total devotion to the Absolute.”

“When we are carried away sky-high by our own plans for thefuture or by our achievements in the past... Never forget the Almighty. Have anundivided faith in the non-dual Absolute.”
“When we are in a total dilemma as to what to do in a trickysituation, our conscience keeps telling us: Do what constitutes your duty..”
“By thought the ego was made and so by thought the power ofthe ego can be unmade. But the thought must now be directed toward a higherentity, for the ego would never allow itself to be attacked.”

“Do not ever expect anything as a result orreward in return.”

“Renunciation is meaningful only when youdon’t miss what you have renounced.”

“Doing something for  the sake of some noble cause or someone whomyou revere, is tapas.”
I can go on as there are endlessstatements that help the seeker in his evolution. I consider this book is atreasure house. Every earnest seeker has to make a sincere study of this textand follow the suggestions that Prof. VK provided, for his own evolution. 
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Hari Om!
Sadananda