[Advaita-l] Number of Bhashyas written by Adi Shankara

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms Sri SKB prabhuji
Hare Krishna

>  prabhuji I respect your research and findings.  But would like to know more about the outcome of this research.  

It was in the early eighties, when I took up studies on the Mahabharata, including the dating of the Mahabharata events, I found that the Mahabharata did mention that the Bhagavad Gita contained 745 verses, which included 620 verses spoken by Lord Krishna. 

>  Where exactly mahAbhArata mentions this??  Kindly provide the exact reference.  So that interested can check the original source.  

But the commonly available version (called the vulgate version) including the Jnaneshwari version, written by Sant Jnaneshwar, contained only 700 verses, Even the Shankarabhashya on the Bhagavadgita also contained 700 verses and Lord Krishna spoke 575 verses only. 

>  what are the valid sources you have to prove them wrong!!??  Kindly elaborate.

However the Kashmiri version, brought to public notice by an European scholar had 745verses and  another version recovered from Varanasi had more than 745 verses. 

>  Please give more details about European version and 'another' version from vAraNAsi. Like publisher name, date of publication and what are all the reasons they cited to explain 'missed' verses from BG from the earlier commentaries.  

During the editing of the Mahabharata by the group of Indian scholars, during the British-Raj, a Maharashtrian professor, Dr. Belvalkar, who was professor in the Benares Hindu unversity, removed the 45 verses from the Bhagavadgita in his edited version of the Mahabharata, most likely because the Marathi version of Jnaneshwari, wrillten about 700 yers ago, also had 700 verses. 

>  Again, please give more details about Dr. Belvalkar work who deliberately removed just because he was Maharashtrian and follower of jnAneshwar!!??  Has he cited any valid other reasons for this omission??  

With detailed research I found that the Bhagavad Gita indeed had 745 verses with Lord Krishna speaking 620 verses, 

>  Please give more details about your research, where the paper has been submitted with regard to this and how it has been evaluated in traditional and scholarly circle, their objections to your findings and your clarification substantiating your stand etc. 

and interestingly Shri Gaupapadacharya, the Param-guru of Adi Shankara took one very important verse from the beginning of the second chapter of the Original Bhagavad Gita of 745 verses and used it in his *Mandukya Karika (See *Mandukyakarika verse 2.6).* That verse says that what does not exist in the beginning and at the end is necessarily non-existent in the present,* *the objects are illusory and yet they appear as if real.*

>  where exactly in the mahAbhArata aka original BG occurring this verse??  How can it be undoubtedly proved that it is in mahAbhArata original BG and only that single verse borrowed from Sri gaudapAdAchArya in his kArika?? For that matter as you know,  BG has the same verses of kathOpanishat!! 

 Around that time I also read that Adi Shankara wanted to write a bhashya on the Bhagavad Gita, but his paramguru advised him to write a bhashya on the Lalita Trishati in stated of the Bhagavadgita. 

>  where did you read this episode?? Which shankara biography please be specific with exact reference.  

After more than four decades, I don't recollect the source, where Gaudapada told Adi Shankara to write the laita Trishatii bhashya on priority, probably considering that Adi Sahankara did not have much time to live.

>  that means can we assume that the episode that you are mentioning is not there in any of the popularly available 'digvijaya-s' and through some 'source' long back you came to know this and based on that you are saying this??  And what makes you to think this very important episode is conspicuous by its absence in the popular digvijaya-s??  If I am right,  not even a single incident where bhagavatpAda met his paramaguru and had a dialogue like this in any of the biographies.  

That made it clear that  as Gaudapadacharya already used the verse from the Bhagavad Gita in his Mandukya karika, 

>  this is very strange and absurd reasoning !!  do you think just because he used only one verse from the original BG he stopped shankara from writing the commentary on more than 700 verses!!??  

he thought the  bhashya on the Bhagavad gita can wait and Adi Shankara should first write a Bhashya on the Lalita trishati, an Agama text. 

>  he could write dashOpanishad bhAshya, he could write more than 500 sUtra bhAshya, he could write 300 (trishati) nama-s of bhagavati but short of time to write geeta bhAshya!!??  

Many scholars may get surprised to hear that the Original Bhagavad Gita at the end clarifies that it has both he Agama and the Nigama teachings.

>>  I failed to see what is the relevance here to prove your stand here??  OTOH, if geeta itself having the Agama teaching why gaudapAda opted for trishati bhAshya which is again an Agama text!!  

>  I am sorry prabhuji, in short I would like to say, your statements like : I read, I researched etc. need more accurate/specific explanations / clarifications otherwise it is very difficult to say your findings have been based on conclusive evidence.  

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar