Bhagavadgita [Hardcover]

Madhusudana Sarasvati (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2000

The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit , Bhagavad G t , "Song of God"), also more simply known as Gita, is a sacred Hindu scripture,considered among the most important texts in the history of literature and philosophy.The Bhagavad Gita comprises roughly 700 verses, and is a part of the Mahabharata. The teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna, who is revered by Hindus as a manifestation of God (Parabrahman) himself,and is referred to within as Bhagavan, the Divine One. The content of the Gita is the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma about fighting his own cousins, Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita often being described as a concise guide to Hindu theology and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life. During the discourse, Lord 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 G topanisad, implying its having the status of an Upanishad, i.e. a Vedantic scripture.Since the Gita is drawn from the Mahabharata, it is classified as a Smriti text. However, those branches of Hinduism that give it the status of an Upanishad also consider it a ruti or "revealed" text. As it is taken to represent a summary of the Upanishadic teachings, it is also called "the Upanishad of the Upanishads". Another title is moksa stra, or "Scripture of Liberation".

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1038 pages
• Publisher: Advaita Ashrama; 2 edition (December 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8175051949
• ISBN-13: 978-8175051942
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,785,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The triumph of Advaita, March 25, 2008

By 

Adwaite Tiwary (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bhagavadgita (Hardcover)

This work of Madhusudan is considered (according to Advaita School) next only to that of Adi Shankara in terms of clarity and depth. It is easy to see why, the explanations provided to each stanza are very advanced in terms of philosophical debate. The author has consistently picked up every single word in the verse and provided deep insights as to how the word fits in the context.

Madhusudan was the first to "divide" Gita into three parts: Karma (first 6 chapters), Bhakti (7-12) and Gyana (13-18) Yogas. The order is implied to be sequential, Karma must be mastered to prepare for higher achievements.Bhakti has to be achieved before self-realization.

The intended audience will be students who have some prior exposure to the upanishads, if not more. I wont recommend this book to someone with no prior experience with Indian philosophy. This book, however, MUST be studied by students seriously interested in Indian philosophy after they have gained developed some background in this field.

Finally, The main purpose of the book is not to tell people how to integrate these teachings in their everyday lives. The intention of the book is to explain some concepts of the Divine Song by evaluating it from Advaita school (and refuting the views of other schools).