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Gita Sara - Part 4

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Malolan Cadambi • October 4, 2002 


Sri
SrimathE rAmAnujAya namaha
SrimathE nigamAntha mahadesikAya namaha

Dear Members,

I could not continue this series due to many academic circumstances. Well, now that they are done with (producing very good results), I will start with the frequent posting of Gita Sara translation series. As informed before, Gita Sara is a commentary by Abhinava Desika, Uttamur Viiraraghavachar. The Gitartha Sangraha of YamunAcharya provided Bhagavan Ramanuja a base and a basic framework to compose the latter's commentary on the Gita. The Gita Bhasya stands foremost in explaining and understanding the Gita of PrathamAcharya Lord Krishna.

During the course of time, Sarvatantra Swatantra, Swami Desikan composed another commentary also titled Gitartha Sangraha. Various objections were raised to this composition. Swami Desikan composed Gitartha Sangraha Raksha which is one of the five famous Raksha Granthams of SriVaishnava Sampradayam.

The Gita Sara was translated to English by Sri K Bhasyam. This book was published in 1966 by Sri Visisthadvaita Pracharini Sabha in Chennai. This series is essentially an electronic format of the English translation. I will try to have the Tamil Version online for the benefit of readers who are comfortable reading Sri Sookthis in Tamizh.

Regards,

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,

Malolan Cadambi

[ Addendum: Sri Desika's "Gitartha Sangraha" is a Tamil 
  verse summary of the meaning of the Gita, akin to Sri
  Yamunacharya's Sanskrit work.  It cannot really be called
  a commentary on the Gita proper.  The Gitartha Sangraha Raksha
  of Sri Desika is a commentary on Sri Yamuna's Gitartha Sangraha.
  The five "Raksha Granthas" are commentaries by Sri Desika on
  selected works of Sri Yamunacharya and Sri Ramanujacharya. 
  -- Moderator ]

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srIh
srIkrishnAya paramatmane namaha

Gitartha Sangraha

sva-dharma-jnAna-vaiiraghya-sAdhya-bhaktyeka-gOcharaha |
nArAyana param brahmA giitashAstre samIrItaha ||  (Verse 1)

The subject matter of Geeta Shastra is Sri Narayana, the highest Brahman within the range of the vision of Bhakti alone. Bhakti attainable only by performing one's duty(without attachment), by the acquisition of (true) knowledge and by the detachment( absence of worldly desires).

This Geeta Sastra is divided into three shatkas - parts of six chapters each. Of these the first Shatka (aggregate of six) is divided into two sub-divisions.

(1) The first two chapters (Adhyayas) deal with respectively the grief of Arjuna and necessity for a person to realise jIvatman to get rid of this grief.

(2) The next four Adhyayas get into details as to the means of realising the jeevatman. The second shatka is to be divided into two sub-divisions of three Adhyayas each. The first sub-division deals with the competency of a person to perform Bhakti Yoga and the nature of such yoga; the second sub-division deals with the methods and means to be practised for the sprouting of and the growth Bhakti. The third shatka also is divided into two parts of three Adhyayas each -- the first sub-division dealing with the truths-Tatvas and the net with Hita-the means of attaining the ultimate end(purushArtha).

This analysis is found in the beginning of the Tatparya Chandrika of Sri NigamAntha Mahadesikan in 13th Adhyaya, and his commentary on Gitartha Sangraha.

"Sva Dharma" - the duties of one's own Varna and Ashrama.

"Swa JnAna" - the knowledge of jeeva with his natural characteristic quality and also knowledge that it is ever Sesha(servant) of the Lord.

"Vairaya" - Turning away from allegiance to any thins but the lotd. this vairagya is a necessary ingredient of Karma and JnAna - the roots cayse of the means by which moksha can be attained. This leads to Atma SakshAtkara (realisation of one's own self), and then through such realisation, to the attainment of Bhakti Yoga which like the flow of oil must be constant and uninterrupted; and this must be practised every day upto the last minute of one's ;ife time. This destroys all sins and leads to salvation.

"Bhakti-eka Gochara" - attainable by bhakti alone, i.e Narayana comes within the range of Bhakti alone, or narayana is both the upaya(means) and the upeya(end).

"Narayanaha Param Brahma" Narayana is the Para-Brahman(Supreme Brahman). Brahman is only Purushottama(Narayana). Then the word Param is illustrative of the very many beneficences of the Brahman, perhaps also to refute the paksha of some people that there is sombody over and above the three moorties.

"Sastre" since Geeta sepaks the truth and the way to attain (Hita), it is purposely called as Sastra, the BEST of the Sastras.

"Sameerita" (explained fully and clearly). Note the preposition "sam".

Thus this sloka tells us what the gist of  whole Geeta Sastra is. The next three slokas tell us in brief the subject treated in the Geeta divided into three parts of six chapters each.

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Next Posting: Verse 2


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