A Wisdom Archive on Bhagavad Gita

Introduction and links to related topics

Bhagavad-gita - meaning "Song of God", The epic poem Bhagavad Gita was spoken by Krishna, part of the 2000-year-old Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, is considered by many to be the most important text in the Hindu religion. The poem takes the form of a dialogue in which the god Krishna advises the human hero Prince Arjuna before a great battle. Krishna also talks about Sankhya and Yoga, two of the six orthodox Hindu schools of thought.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - (1869-1948)
Best known by his title, Mahatma (Skt. , "great soul"), social reformer and leader of India''s nationalist movement. Gandhi advocated a chaste, modern Hinduism that rejected priests, caste, and deities and focused on Truth (Skt. satya) as God. Gandhi''s idea of self-sacrifice and asceticism (tapasya) was based on the Bhagavad Gita. With nonviolence (ahimsa) as his ideal, Gandhi developed the technique of satyagraha as a virtuous form of conflict resolution and political engagement.

Krishna - Legendary Hindu figure in the Bhagavad Gita who is said to be a human incarnation of the god Vishnu.

Karma Yoga - the yoga of action - aims at supreme consciousness through action; discussed in Bhagavad Gita

Vedanta - (Sanskrit) "Ultimate wisdom" or "final conclusions of the Vedas." Vedanta is the system of thought embodied in the Upanishads (ca 1500-600 bce), which give forth the ultimate conclusions of the Vedas.

Through history there developed numerous Vedanta schools, ranging from pure dualism to absolute monism. The first and original school is Advaita Ishvaravada, "monistic theism" or panentheism, exemplified in the Vedanta-Siddhanta of Rishi Tirumular (ca 250 bce) of the Nandinatha Sampradaya in his Tirumantiram, which is a perfect summation of both the Vedas and the Agamas. This is a dipolar reconciliation of monism and dualism which, as philosopher-statesman Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (18881975) declared, best depicts the philosophy of the Upanishads.

After about 700 ce, many other schools developed, each establishing itself through written commentaries on the major Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras. The latter text, by Badarayana (ca 400 bce), is the earliest known systematization of Vedanta, but its extremely terse aphorisms are philosophically illusive without commentary. During the "scholastic era" (700-1700), three main variations of the original Vedanta were developed:
Advaita Vedanta, or pure nondualism, exemplified by Shankara (788-820);
Vishishtadvaita Vedanta, or qualified nondualism, most fully expressed by Ramanuja (1017-1137); and
Dvaita Vedanta, expounded by Madhva (1197-1278).

Panentheism is embodied in those qualified nondual Vedanta schools that accept the ultimate identity of the soul and God. Examples are the Vishishtadvaita of Bhaskara (ca 950), the Shuddha Advaita, "pure nondualism," of Vallabha (ca 14751530) and, to a lesser degree, the Vishishtadvaita of Ramanuja.

In summary: Madhva, the dualist, conceives Brahman to be the Personal God. In his philosophy, the universe, souls and God are all separate from one another and real. Ramanuja, the qualified nondualist, also conceives Brahman to be the Personal God. In his philosophy, God must not be considered apart from the world and souls, for the three together form a one whole. The world and souls are real as the body of God, and the individual soul feels himself to be part of God.

Shankara, the strict advaitist, conceives Brahman to be the Impersonal God, the Absolute. Shankara does not deny the existence of the Personal God, known as Ishvara, but declares Ishvara to be equally as unreal as the universe and the individuality of the soul. In truth, the only Reality is the Absolute, and man is that Absolute.

To Rishi Tirumular, the panentheist, there is an eternal oneness of God and man at the level of their inner Being, but a difference is acknowledged during the evolution of the soul. Ultimately even this difference merges in identity. Thus, there is perfectly beginningless oneness and a temporary difference which resolves itself in perfect identity.

Vedanta is one of the six classical philosophies (shad darshanas) along with
Nyaya,
Vaisheshika,
Sankhya,
Yoga and
Mimamsa.

Vedanta is also called Uttara Mimamsa, "upper or later examination," as distinguished from Purva Mimamsa, which concerned itself solely with the earlier portions of the Veda. Other important schools of Vedanta include the Dvaitadvaita, "dual-nondualism,"of Nimbarka (ca 1150), and the Achintya Bhedabheda, "unthinkable difference-nondifference," of Chaitanya (1485-1534).
See: acosmic pantheism, pantheism, Advaita Isvaravada, dvaita-advaita, monistic theism, Madhva, panentheism, Ramanuja, Tirumantiram, Vallabha.

Bhagavad Gita - ("Lord''s Song"): the oldest full-fledged yoga book found embedded in the Mahabharata and containing the teachings on karma yoga (the path of self-transcending action), samkhya yoga (the path of discerning the principles of existence correctly), and bhakti yoga (the path of devotion), as given by the God-man Krishna to Prince Arjuna on the battlefield 3,500 years or more ago

Vaishnavism - (Sanskrit) "Way of Vishnu." One of the four major religions, or denominations of Hinduism, representing roughly half of the world''s one billion Hindus. It gravitates around the worship of Lord Vishnu as Personal God, His incarnations and their consorts.

The doctrine of avatara (He who descends), especially important to Vaishnavism, teaches that whenever adharma gains ascendency in the world, God takes a human birth to reestablish "the way." There are either 10, 22 or 34 avataras of Vishnu, according to various scriptures. The most renowned avataras were Rama and Krishna. The last to come will be Kalki, the harbinger of a golden age on Earth.

Vaishnavism stresses the personal aspect of God over the impersonal, and bhakti (devotion) as the true path to salvation. The goal of Vaishnavism is the attainment of mukti, defined as blissful union with God''s body, the loving recognition that the soul is a part of Him, and eternal nearness to Him in Vaikuntha, heaven.

Foremost among Vaishnava scriptures are the Vaishnava Agamas, Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana. Among the earliest schools were the Pancharatras and the Bhagavatas.

The five major contemporary schools (founded between 1000 and 1500) are those of Ramanuja (Sri Vaishnavism), Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Chaitanya. Philosophically they range from Madhva''s pure dualism to Vallabha''s lofty monistic vision.

Krishna - ("Puller"): an incarnation of God Vishnu, the God-man whose teachings can be found in the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata-Purana

Arjuna - One of the heroes of the Indian epic Mahabharata, considered to be the greatest warrior of all. He was the friend and devotee of Lord Krishna, who revealed the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to him on the battlefield.

Sanat Sujatiya - Sanat Sujatiya (Sanskrit). A work treating of Krishna’s teachings, such as in Bhagavad Gita and Anugita.

Vaishnavism - (Sanskrit) "Way of Vishnu."

One of the four major religions, or denominations of Hinduism, representing roughly half of the world''s one billion Hindus.

It gravitates around the worship of Lord Vishnu as Personal God, His incarnations and their consorts. The doctrine of avatara (He who descends), especially important to Vaishnavism, teaches that whenever adharma gains ascendency in the world, God takes a human birth to reestablish "the way." There are either 10, 22 or 34 avataras of Vishnu, according to various scriptures. The most renowned avataras were Rama and Krishna. The last to come will be Kalki, the harbinger of a golden age on Earth.

Vaishnavism stresses the personal aspect of God over the impersonal, and bhakti (devotion) as the true path to salvation. The goal of Vaishnavism is the attainment of mukti, defined as blissful union with God''s body, the loving recognition that the soul is a part of Him, and eternal nearness to Him in Vaikuntha, heaven. Foremost among Vaishnava scriptures are the Vaishnava Agamas, Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana. Among the earliest schools were the Pancharatras and the Bhagavatas.

The five major contemporary schools (founded between 1000 and 1500) are those of Ramanuja (Sri Vaishnavism), Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Chaitanya. Philosophically they range from Madhva''s pure dualism to Vallabha''s lofty monistic vision.