Status
Available
Call number
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Publication
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (1997), Edition: Revised, 904 pages
Description
Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML: The Bhagavad Gita, one of the most sacred and venerated Hindu texts, is a series of conversations between the Lord Krishna â?? the divine one â?? and the warrior prince Arjuna in the prelude to the Kurukshetra war. Consisting of seven hundred stanzas and dealing with parables, and analogies covering the Yogic and Vedantic philosophies, it is thought by many to be the Hindu guidebook to life. The Bhagavad Gita is one installment in the Indian Epic the Mahabharata
User reviews
LibraryThing member nmarun
I'll begin by saying that my intention of reading Bhagavad Gita was not to find god, but to gain a better understanding of life.
Unfortunately, most part of the book is just blind following of Krsna - "DO THIS; DON'T DO THAT because Krsna said so". The primary goal of the book was to provide
In 9:23, it says: "Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kunti, but they do so in a wrong way.".
And the purport of 3:22 goes as: "The Supreme Lord is the controller of all other controllers, and He is the greatest of all the diverse planetary leaders. Everyone is under His control. All entities are delegated with particular power only by the Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves."
So are other gods like Jesus and Prophet in agreement with this? Indoctrination breeds religious intolerance.
It is deeply disturbing to note what Krsna thinks of women. Verse 1:40 is only concerned about women getting 'polluted', but not the fact that men are equally responsible for 'polluting' a woman. The purport that follows takes this discrimination one step further - "women are generally not very intelligent and therefore not trustworthy". Verse 9:32 considers women as 'lower birth'.
Verse 2:31 and the purport that follows seems to be written by a fanatic. Preachings like these cause people to take the law in their own hands and 'kill someone in the name of their religion'. I'm also pretty sure that organizations like PETA completely disagree with 'killing animals in the sacrificial fire benefits'.
There's also a contradictory statement made - "The animal sacrificed gets a human life immediately without undergoing the gradual evolutionary process from one form to another". So does Bhagavad Gita endorse evolution?
There are some parts of the Gita that stand out brilliantly. My best take aways from the book are versus 2:47 and 2:48 where it is mentioned that every person has to do their duties diligently and equipoised. This point should have been elaborated and stressed more to signify it's importance. Sadly, the author deviates from this topic very soon, giving an impression that it is less critical (than say praying god) to lead a better life.
Also, 18:47 clearly states that it is not your 'janma' (birth), but your 'karma' (deeds) that decides your caste. On the whole, chapter 18 is the best chapter where it clarifies what are the requisites if you claim yourself to be a brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya or a sudra.
Can we lead a moral life independently and in absence of god? Can we ignore religion, thus removing all the divisions among humans and build a peaceful world? I think yes, but this is not the book to provide answers to such questions.
Unfortunately, most part of the book is just blind following of Krsna - "DO THIS; DON'T DO THAT because Krsna said so". The primary goal of the book was to provide
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enlightenment to the ignorant and those in suffering. Instead all it does is to drive people in believing that 'follow Krsna and all your problems will go away'. Hmm.. I don't think so.In 9:23, it says: "Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kunti, but they do so in a wrong way.".
And the purport of 3:22 goes as: "The Supreme Lord is the controller of all other controllers, and He is the greatest of all the diverse planetary leaders. Everyone is under His control. All entities are delegated with particular power only by the Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves."
So are other gods like Jesus and Prophet in agreement with this? Indoctrination breeds religious intolerance.
It is deeply disturbing to note what Krsna thinks of women. Verse 1:40 is only concerned about women getting 'polluted', but not the fact that men are equally responsible for 'polluting' a woman. The purport that follows takes this discrimination one step further - "women are generally not very intelligent and therefore not trustworthy". Verse 9:32 considers women as 'lower birth'.
Verse 2:31 and the purport that follows seems to be written by a fanatic. Preachings like these cause people to take the law in their own hands and 'kill someone in the name of their religion'. I'm also pretty sure that organizations like PETA completely disagree with 'killing animals in the sacrificial fire benefits'.
There's also a contradictory statement made - "The animal sacrificed gets a human life immediately without undergoing the gradual evolutionary process from one form to another". So does Bhagavad Gita endorse evolution?
There are some parts of the Gita that stand out brilliantly. My best take aways from the book are versus 2:47 and 2:48 where it is mentioned that every person has to do their duties diligently and equipoised. This point should have been elaborated and stressed more to signify it's importance. Sadly, the author deviates from this topic very soon, giving an impression that it is less critical (than say praying god) to lead a better life.
Also, 18:47 clearly states that it is not your 'janma' (birth), but your 'karma' (deeds) that decides your caste. On the whole, chapter 18 is the best chapter where it clarifies what are the requisites if you claim yourself to be a brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya or a sudra.
Can we lead a moral life independently and in absence of god? Can we ignore religion, thus removing all the divisions among humans and build a peaceful world? I think yes, but this is not the book to provide answers to such questions.
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LibraryThing member apbthoreau
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Gita" redirects here. For other uses, see Gita (disambiguation).
The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit à¤à¤—वदॠगीता, Bhagavad GÄ«tÄ, "Song of God") is one of the most important Hindu scriptures. It is revered as a sacred scripture of Hinduism,[1][2] and
The content of the Gita is the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic[5] and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita often being described as a concise guide to Hindu philosophy and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi describes it as a lighthouse of eternal wisdom that has the ability to inspire any man or woman to supreme accomplishment and enlightenment. [6] During the discourse, Krishna reveals his identity as the Supreme Being Himself (Svayam bhagavan), blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring vision of his divine universal form.
The Bhagavad Gita is also called GÄ«topaniá¹£ad, implying its having the status of an Upanishad, i.e. a Vedantic scripture.[7] Since the Gita is drawn from the Mahabharata, it is classified as a Smá¹›ti text. However, those branches of Hinduism that give it the status of an Upanishad also consider it a Å›ruti or "revealed" text.[8][9] As it is taken to represent a summary of the Upanishadic teachings, it is also called "the Upanishad of the Upanishads".[1] Another title is moká¹£aÅ›Ästra, or "scripture of liberation".[10]
"Gita" redirects here. For other uses, see Gita (disambiguation).
The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit à¤à¤—वदॠगीता, Bhagavad GÄ«tÄ, "Song of God") is one of the most important Hindu scriptures. It is revered as a sacred scripture of Hinduism,[1][2] and
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considered as one of the most important philosophical classics of the world.[3] The Bhagavad Gita comprising 700 verses, is a part of the Mahabharata. The teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Krishna, who is regarded by the Hindus as the supreme manifestation of the Lord Himself,[3] and is referred to within as Bhagavan—the divine one.[4] The Bhagavad Gita is commonly referred to as The Gita for short.The content of the Gita is the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic[5] and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita often being described as a concise guide to Hindu philosophy and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi describes it as a lighthouse of eternal wisdom that has the ability to inspire any man or woman to supreme accomplishment and enlightenment. [6] During the discourse, Krishna reveals his identity as the Supreme Being Himself (Svayam bhagavan), blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring vision of his divine universal form.
The Bhagavad Gita is also called GÄ«topaniá¹£ad, implying its having the status of an Upanishad, i.e. a Vedantic scripture.[7] Since the Gita is drawn from the Mahabharata, it is classified as a Smá¹›ti text. However, those branches of Hinduism that give it the status of an Upanishad also consider it a Å›ruti or "revealed" text.[8][9] As it is taken to represent a summary of the Upanishadic teachings, it is also called "the Upanishad of the Upanishads".[1] Another title is moká¹£aÅ›Ästra, or "scripture of liberation".[10]
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LibraryThing member cw2016
Dharma, the way of a warrior, action vs. renunciation, and the nature of God are the themes explored in this timeless conversation taken from the Hindu epic - the Mahabharata. Set on the eve of war, Krishna, (God in human form) and Arjuna (a warrior), discuss the duties of life and the spiritual
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heights of those duties. Krishna lets Arjuna know that there are many paths, but all of them end in love and devotion to one's Higher Power. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1968 (English: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)
Physical description
904 p.; 5.75 inches
ISBN
9780892131235
Local notes
DS
Other editions
Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ as it is by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupÄda (Paper Book)
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KRSNA the supreme personality of Godhead. Part 1, A summary study of Srile Vyasadeva's Srimad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami