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Bhagavad Gita and Its Message

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First, a few words about the scripture (Bhagawad Gita) itself so that the importance and usefulness of this particular book becomes more evident. Bhagwad Gita, although originating from the East (India, to be specific) contains the wisdom which is universal in nature transcending all the Time, Nation and Religion. It is not 'Time' specific because although written centuries back it still holds people in awe about its applicability to modern time of strife, of friction between people of different races, of friction between nations etc. - the problems are endless... It is not specific to a 'Nation' because the philosophical thoughts in Gita are immediately applicable to human being in general, you only have to go through this commentary and see how it holds your attention when it deals with the human nature, its behavior etc. you will feel that it is talking about you as if it has been in the depths of your mind... It is not (in my opinion) any Religion specific (meaning it does not serve the cause for a particular religion), although the thoughts here are influenced by the Hindu way of thinking. Certainly when it says that "you are a manifestation of the same Ultimate Divine but you act the way you act because of the play of 'Nature' in you and your spiritual purpose in this life is to be one with That" is not a religion specific. While just going through the translation of any particular verse in this book I felt many times that I understood the meaning of that particular verse, but when I read the commentary then it impressed me that I had grasped just the word meaning as opposed to the actual, intended, real meaning. Certainly, a scripture which deals with highly profound and sublime thoughts has to be very difficult to grasp, and that is where a person like Sri Aurobindo helps. I certainly subscribe to the comment at the back of the book that 'for one who is going through Gita (using this commentary) for the first time will find Gita unfolding itself in all its Beauty, Brilliance and Glory'. A masterful work !

The Gita and the Qur'an both are texts which are in need of proper tranlsation and interpretation based on thier orthodox roots rather than the opinions of people from a time which is so far off from the original composition of these texts.

We all have our biases but one should try to censor that out when discussing a text such as the Gita as it would give a warped idea to another individual. We should give the same scope and chance for them to understand the Gita rather than provide our own conclusions as the deviation from the truth increases.

Aurobindo understood this and so gave the translation in its proper form and than pontificated on its meaning based on his understand which is seperated from the original text. This is important to note as the Gita is said to encapsulate the essence of Vedanta and Vedas which are texts that expanse a great magnitude in their literary form and no one individual can realistically claim to be the knower of their true quintessential meanings. Thus how can they generalize and make assumptions about a text which encapuslations and condenses the four vedas.

The Gita is considered the fifth Veda by many and is the most valid commentary on it (in terms of acceptance). It came from a being who taught the worship of the Cosmic Lord God who basically is not endemic to the semetic religion as one can see with this book. That is what gives this Holy Book the more beauty to those belonging to semetic religions as they see their own teachings within this book however its development (with respect to context) is independant of say texts like the Tanakh, Gospel or Qura'n.

Aurobindo composed a few other works which compare the innate nature of the religion of Gita with these semetic texts. I personally find this text an authority as he (Aurobindo) gives the Gita in its most pure and quintessential form without making the whole text deviate into another paradigm such as Yogananda did with his interpretation of Gita and Kundalini and Kriya.

Gita is not only about Yoga and Kriya, it is about a way of life. A relationship of Man and God in the context of this, the living environment. So one should not over generalize or over emphasize as that causes misinterpretation. Aurobindo's translation are free from these and he just accentuates the beauty of the Gita in its own respective context.

Truly a holy book and anyone who wants to come to terms with the Beauty of God should read this book.

As the Qur'an says, believe in the One God, the angels, the prophets, the holy books and the divine preordainment.

Therefore one should read this book along side their own respective text (if it isnt the Gita already) because it truly places a lot of issues in context of man, this world and God.

For those of you not exposed to Sri Aurobindo's writing, a quick word of caution - the text is not lucid & the flow of ideas anything but linear & compartmentalized. This is very much by design. So before you embark on this book, you have to brace yourself to encounter spiral, complex text.

And it will be worth it. For this work is not just a translation. Even, 'explanation' seems terribly reductionist. If there is way to holistically embody the complex, inter-connected ideas of the Gita & an attempt may be made to live these ideas - then this book, in my mind, may help you along.

Aurobindo also takes particular pains to ensure that the messages in the Gita are not understood as constructs in philosophy or a doctrine of conduct or an intellectual pursuit. The commentary that he provides is absolutely pivotal to start understandiing the core ideas, & even more so to connect the various ideas together. The Gita itself is organized in chapters & verses, but it is Sri Aurobindo's commentary that will start you off with grasping intellectually, at the very least, what the central ideas are & get you thinking about living in the spirit.

If you choose to read the Gita, I'd recommend this one very highly. And I'd advise patience. Plenty of it.

Sri Auorbindo wrote extensively on the Gita in his classic book Essays on the Gita. The Message of the Gita includes commentaries from Essays on the Gita. The meaning of the Gita is made clear through the commentary following the slokas.

The most truthful, profound, exact, powerful and sincere interpretation of the Gita. It would be safe to assert that only the original author of the Gita could have come up with such an interpretation. No other interpration of the Gita comes close.

The great Sri Aurobindo brings his illuminated heart and mind to this timeless dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, the greatest warrior of his time, in the Bhagvad Gita.

What does Aurobindo bring to this classic? A comprehension as vast as the sky. A sparkling clarity as bright as a summer dawn in the Himalayas. How better to say it in a few words? As a life time student of the Gita, stumbling upon Aurobindo's translation/commentary has been a real treasure. Enjoy!

having spent many years studying the Bhagavad Gita in a number of different translations, i have to say that i always come back to this particular edition as the one that i rely on. The translation is so clean and clear that it is easy to follow the line of thought presented. (This is not always the case with translations, so this is an exceptional benefit). My test case is to compare, side by side, translations of the 13th chapter which is usually very hard to understand in most editions. It was almost a revelation to read Sri Aurobindo's translation for the first time and see clearly what was being said! I also like the idea that the Sanskrit text and translation is given and separated from the commentary so that one can follow the text if one chooses, while scanning the commentary when desired.

I've read and studied several interpretations of the Gita, and this is by far the most profound of all. Aurobindo's translation is clear and readable. What makes this book invaluable is his commentary which describes the heights to which the human soul can soar, and opens vistas to the reader which defy all description. It is best to take your time with this book. Read it with your heart. Listen with your soul. And when you have finished, start over and read it again. It is a rare opportunity to be able to explore such heights. Aurobindo makes that possible in a way that only he can.

This version compared to Sri Aurobindo's 'essays on Gita' from which this is derived is the one i was looking for since long. I like the verse and meaning style with huge footnotes. The footnotes are from Sri Aurobindo's abridged essays and individual verse in sanskrit and its meaning make it open to understanding from the source for those who love Sanskrit.
Truly a great work for the nation of Bharat and the world.

Aurobindo wrote the essays on Gita during 1910s before the Mother and her insanity took over the ashram in 1920. This book contains extracts from those essays as foot notes to Aurbindo's original translation.

The footnotes and translation are an enlightening read and brilliant insights have been provided throughout the 18 chapters.

Gita is the apex of Indian Philosophy and this book is the best for English language speakers.