To begin with its my first article on the blog, i hope to continue from now on. Recently i completed my thesis on A Study on the concept of Human Being in Bhagavad-Gita which is connected to Indian philosophy as you know it. i just wanna to share with you few of my reflections and insights which i thought would be something new and interesting for you my friends. lets go ahead and read what is it.........
MY CONVERSATION ON THE GITA WITH SWAMI NIKHIL PRABDHU AND SWAMI ROHIT
The following transcription of my interview took place with two Brahmin priests, Swami Nikhil Prabhu and Swami Rohit. They are disciples of Swami Shikshastakam Das (1976). Two of them hail from Bombay region. They completed their post graduation in Hindu Scriptures, and were specialized in the Gita. They teach in ashrams and colleges in and around Nashik.
Papireddy: Swami Nikhil Prabhu could you tell me why was Kurukshetra chosen as the main battlefield. (I say ‘main’ because I understand it as a world war....)? It was obviously considered a holy place even before Krsna and Arjuna’s sacred conversation, some five thousand years ago. In fact, as I recall, it is specially stated that this was a holy place even before the Gita revelation.
Swami Nikhil Prabhu: Kurukshetra is a place near the present city of Delhi, southeast of Thanesar, and very close to Panipat. It is part of the larger area called Dharmakshetra. It was considered sacred because it lay at the confluence of two of Indian’s most holy rivers, the Yamuna and the Saraswati. This is one of the reasons.
Of course, the holy dialogue of Krsna and Arjuna which is totally spiritual is not limited to time and space, which are material factors. So Kurukshetra was always a holy place, for the transcendental conversation that took place millions of years ago with Vivaswam, the sun-god, would one day transpire between Krsna and Arjuna. So the place was always considered holy, even prior to the time of Lord Krsna and Arjuna.
Papireddy: In the essence, the Gita concludes by telling us to surrender to the One Supreme God- Krsna by acts of devotion and chanting His name. It really seems just like Christianity. The conclusion is essentially the same I feel. What do you say Prabhu? Actually this last instruction of the Gita is my favourite “Abandon all varieties of religion and simply surrender unto Me,” Lord Krsna says “I’ll protect you from all sinful reactions.” This was mysterious to me. What does it mean exactly? I think it means that one must ultimately give up conventional religiosity and surrender to God. Then if this is what Lord Krsna means, I must agree to the fact that these instructions delightfully articulate the highest and final teaching of all religious traditions.
Swami Nikhil Prabhu: No doubt, it is a very exalted teaching. The Ramanuijites also considered this as the charama-shloka, or “The final verse,” of the Gita. But you will be surprised to learn that it is definitely not the highest teaching.
Papireddy: Do you believe that the Gita is applicable or connected to this current century of the people?
Swami Nikhil Prabhu: Sincerely I say yes. Why do I say this, and what makes me to say this is practically if we look in today’s world the Gita is not applicable in practice. Today we see the technologies changing at a non-stoppable pace, the science, machines, media, so on and so forth. These changes according to the times and needs of the people, but the teachings of Gita will remain as a holy scripture guiding the people to the way to liberation. For that matter this applies even so any other scripture: Bible, Quran, Puranas, etc.
Papireddy: What is the teaching of Gita on renunciation? Arjuna is a great king who wants to give up his opulence, and becomes attracted to renunciation. But Lord Krsna will not allow him to artificially renounce it. This is interesting. Doesn’t the Gita ultimately teach renunciation?
Swami Rohit: Yes, but it teaches complete renunciation. The type of renunciation to which we are accustomed is incomplete. And it is dry. To give up the amenities of this world does not necessarily make one a lover of God. The Gita, therefore, teaches that real renunciation is not to give up the things of this world, but to utilize them in the service of Krsna. This according to the Gita is the highest renunciation. To give up more than the fruits of one’s work, to give up the furtive mentality is renunciation that is to work with devotion for Lord Krsna. This is real renunciation and it is this kind of renunciation that Lord Krsna was trying to bring Arjuna to understand.
Papireddy: What do you think about the modern commentaries and books on the Gita? Do they give the essence of the Gita or do they water down?
Swami Rohit: Unfortunately, the more important commentaries are unknown to modern readers, Anugita, the Gitamahatmyas. Jayatirtha who comes in the Brahma-madhua Sampradaya wrote an important commentary on the Gita.
Papireddy: I’ve never seen these.........
Swami Rohit: More important still are the commentaries of Vishvanath, Chakravarti, Thakar and Baladeva Vidyabhushana, for these are Brahma-Madhua-Gaudiya commentaries and as such bring out the highest conclusions of love of God.
Papireddy: I am caught by surprise in not being aware of these commentaries.
Swami Rohit: They are not available in English. But these are the traditional, long established Gita commentaries on the Gita. You see, the bogus interpretations work in such a way as to obscure the Gita’s real message, including its most important commentaries. Today one can penetrate the Gita’s mystery with the help of the book Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This is the definitive edition, with original Sanskrit, word for word transliteration, English translation, and lengthy purports. The sum and substance of all traditional commentaries can be found in this version and here it is.
Papireddy: Thank you.
Details
The interview took place on 25th November 2009. The venue was at International Society of Krishna Consciousness at Dwraka, Nashik.
Swami Nikhil Prabhu was born in 1986 in Bombay. He completed post graduation in Puna University. Currently taching in K.T.H.M College.
Swami Rohit was born in 1984 in Bombay. He completed post graduation in Puna University. Currently taching in B.Y.K College.
