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

[Divya Meedin]

Namaskaram Sir,

Thank you very much for the information about the book, lucid foreword, and
essential advice.

Regards,
Divya

On Mon, Jan 25, 2021 at 7:48 AM 'Kuntimaddi Sadananda' via advaitin <
advaitin at googlegroups.com> wrote:

> 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 verse and this book
> gives, simultaneously, a simple introduction to the novice, a philosophical
> understanding for the initiated, and plenty of cross-references for the
> nuanced reader. This writing is mathematically precise in unravelling the
> 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 the
> cover.
>
> ------------------------
> Following is my simple write up after the initial study of the 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 discussion group. Personally, later, when
> I was doing my Sabbatical at IIT, Madras, in 1999, 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 the Advaitin list
> resulting in many discussions by various seekers. Prof. VK is an authority
> in Mathematics and retired as the Director of the great Pilani Institute of
> Engineering and Technology. Needless to say that the current work is
> mathematically precise and embedded with the technology of application of
> Geeta’s teaching for many earnest seekers of the truth.
>
> I find this book as an encyclopedia of Sri Krishna’s teachings in Geeta.
> Every chapter deals first with the summary of its essence, identification
> of very important slokas with five stars, and extended discussion on these
> important slokas with the needed application by a seeker in his daily life.
> I am amazed at the extensive discussions of some of the important slokas,
> starting with his own father’s work on *Gitamrutamahodadhi*, which, as
> the title itself indicates, is the ocean of nectar of Geeta and which was
> published by Prof. VK himself with his father’s extended commentary. Prof.
> VK discusses some of the important topics of Geeta, from point of stalwarts
> like, 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 appropriate slokas from many texts, some I have not even
> heard of.  These include Mahopanishat, Adi Shankara’s Swatmanirupanam,
> Baadaayana Dharma Sutras, Samanyopanishat, Yogavaashishta, Narada Bhakti
> Sutras, Bhagavatam, Ramana Geeta, Soundaryalahari, and his own book, *Thoughts
> of Spiritual Wisdom*, etc.
>
> Introducing his text, Prof. VK says, *‘Reading and learning it is itself
> a Spiritual Ascent which could be steep and hard for those who have had no
> exposure to the Gita so far. So this preview aims to tell the reader about
> the Bhagavad-Gita in a most elementary way.’* – He starts with the
> statements, *“The Gita is the Upanishad of Upanishads because Krishna has
> extracted the milk of the Upanishads and given it to us in the form of the
> Gita…Gita is not just a compendium of disconnected verses of   information
> and advice. The verses have to be taken all together.”*
>
> There are many eye-opening statements, some clarifying the meaning, some
> propelling one to think deeper, some contemplative or meditative
> statements, some for constant reflection for one’s own evolution, and the
> list can go on. I am providing a few examples that made me stop and think
> deeper and use 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 are only
> for (and of) the outer self.  Your Inner Self, namely, the Atman, is never
> affected by these dualities of life or of the world.”..*
>
> “*If you just make a show of physical renunciation, but keep on mentally
> dwelling on everything of the world, then you would only be a hypocrite.
> What is wanted is mental renunciation. Though you are involved in all
> actions of the world, you should be mentally away from them. This means you
> should not attach yourself to any of your thoughts or actions. This is the
> great yoga of action. Yoga means the most efficient way of doing things”…*
>
> “*Be in oneness with your Inner Self and do all of your duties; nothing
> will touch you or pollute you. This living in identity with your Inner Self
> will give you the attitude of equanimity. An equanimous view of everything
> that you come across, whether it is men or material, is the ultimate goal
> of life.”*
>
> “*Nothing in the world takes place without the Will of the Lord, and so
> if we think that we are the ones who are doing the action, we are only
> going down the spiritual ladder.”*
>
> “*These are the arguments which Krishna uses to convince Arjuna to go
> back to his normal role in the war. But in the process of all this dialogue
> the Lord covers a large ground of Hindu philosophy and thus leaves a legacy
> of a great teaching for the entire humanity. This becomes relevant in a
> modern context. And this is what makes the Gita a scripture even for our
> daily living. Krishna’s teaching to us may be classified under the same
> five headings but in a different backdrop.”*
>
>
>
> Here are some startling advice to the earnest seekers.
>
>
>
> “*To remember the Lord at all times and be continuously aware of His
> omnipresence is what constitutes the deepest devotion to God. This path
> of devotion to the One Supreme Almighty who is also indwelling in every
> being is the second major teaching of the Gita to humanity.”*
>
> *“So the discharge of one’s duties without any attachment is the
> obligation of every one…. The methodology of dedication is technically
> called yajna, by Krishna.”…* *“Surrender even your will to God in the
> sense that thereafter you are nothing but an instrument in the hands of
> God. It is self-effacement, no doubt, but that is exactly what is meant by
> a total devotion to the Absolute.”*
>
> *“When we are carried away sky-high by our own plans for the future or by
> our achievements in the past... Never forget the Almighty. Have an
> undivided faith in the non-dual Absolute.”*
> *“When we are in a total dilemma as to what to do in a tricky situation,
> our conscience keeps telling us: Do what constitutes your duty..”*
>
> *“By thought the ego was made and so by thought the power of the ego can
> be unmade. But the thought must now be directed toward a higher entity, for
> the ego would never allow itself to be attacked.”*
>
> *“Do not ever expect anything as a result or reward in return.”*
>
> *“Renunciation is meaningful only when you don’t miss what you have
> renounced.”*
>
> *“Doing something for  the sake of some noble cause or someone whom you
> revere, is tapas.”*
> I can go on as there are endless statements that help the seeker in his
> evolution. I consider this book is a treasure house. Every earnest seeker
> has to make a sincere study of this text and follow the suggestions that
> Prof. VK provided, for his own evolution.
>
> ---------------------------------------
>
> Hari Om!
>
> Sadananda
>
>
>
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