Monthly Archives: December 2021

Srimad Bhagavad-gita —The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute

Introduction

वन्दे श्रीगुरुगौराङ्गौ राधागोविन्दसुन्दरौ ।
सगुणौ गीयते चाथ गीतागूढार्थगौरवम् ॥

vande śrī-guru-gaurāṅgau rādhā-govinda-sundarau
sa-guṇau gīyate chātha gītā-gūḍhārtha-gauravam

Bowing down to the holy feet of Sri Guru, Sri Gauranga, and Sri Sri Radha-Govindasundar, all accompanied by Their associates, I sing the glories of the hidden treasure of Srimad Bhagavad-gita.

Since Srimad Bhagavad-gita is very familiar to the learned society, an acquaintance of the conceptions of this edition may be given here. We are followers of the school of thought descending from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, so this edition is based on the Sri Gita commentaries of the pre-eminent, exalted Sri Gaudiya Vaisnava Acharyas — Sri Visvanath, Sri Baladev, and Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur.

By the grace of our worshipful Spiritual Master, Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupad, and from indications in the commentaries given by the aforementioned great pure devotees, in places some new light has been shed, revealing deeper meanings. The devoted reader will appreciate this particularly with regard to the four verses (10.8–11) which were described by Sri Visvanathpad as the four essential verses (chatuh-sloki) of the book.

Generally, Sri Gita is known as an excellent study of the science of religion. The language of Sri Gita is simple and sweet; its mood is grave, extensive, and radical; its thought is succinct, lucid, and impartial; and its logic is sound and natural. The eloquence of the prologue, epilogue, exposition, review, analysis, synthesis, and delivery of Sri Gita is unprecedented and charming in the extreme. Sri Gita is activation for the lazy, courage for the fearful, hope for the hopeless, and new life for the dying. Sri Gita unifies and sustains all ranks, whether revolutionary, occultist, optimist, renunciationist, liberationist, or full-fledged theist. From the atheist of grossly crude vision to the most elevated saint, the essential conceptions of all classes of philosophers are illustrated with clear and powerful logic. The devotees of the Lord (bhagavad-bhaktas) and persons on the paths of action, knowledge, and yoga (karmis, jnanis, and yogis) will each find the essence of their paths dealt with in a comprehensive and illuminating manner, and thus the book is highly esteemed by all.

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