Inane Interpolations In Bhagvad-Gita (An Invocation for their Revocation)
Inane Interpolations
In
Bhagvad-Gita
(An Invocation for their Revocation)
BS Murthy
Copyright@2021BS Murthy
Cover Concept – E. Rohini Kumar
Illustration Within – Gopi Lagusani
F-9, 1-10-234, Ashok Nagar,
Hyderabad – 500 020 (India)
Other books by BS Murthy –
Benign Flame: Saga of Love
Jewel-less
Crown: Saga of Life
Crossing the Mirage – Passing through youth
Glaring Shadow - A stream of consciousness novel
Prey on the
Prowl – A Crime Novel
Of No Avail – Web of Wedlock (A novella)
Stories Varied - A Book of short Stories
Onto the Stage – Slighted Souls and other stage and radio plays
Puppets of
Faith: Theory of Communal Strife
Bhagvad -Gita: Treatise of Self –help (A translation in verses)
Sundara Kānda - Hanuman’s
Odyssey (A translation in verses)
Dedicated
to the slighted castes, whose forebear, Krishna, bestowed the
invaluable Gita upon the mankind that in due course was fouled by the vested priestly
interests.
Why Is This Book Now?
The
Manusmriti, the social doctrine of
yore, and the Bhagvad-Gita, the
spiritual tome in vogue that lay down
the discriminatory dharma (duties) of
the four social classes (castes) have
been the bugbears of the Hindu backward classes. However, to their chagrin, of
late, as the latter is being mindlessly
promoted even though the former was constitutionally debunked, they began
advocating that it too should be dumped in a dustbin.
Ironically,
the improbability of their progenitor Krishna, the architect of the Gita,
relegating his own ilk to the social margins failed to dawn upon these that
Gita supposedly slights, even to this day! Thus, their intellectuals, instead
of seeking to reclaim their priceless heritage, albeit after ridding its
interpolative garbage, tend to rubbish it a la throwing the baby with the
bathwater, and needless to say they must ponder.
Also,
it is high time that the Gita-class stop laying store by the self-aggrandizing
verses in this Vyasa’s classic, evidently inserted by their progenitors that came to
bedevil the Hindu spiritual integrity and social harmony. Likewise, the
grumblers of the dalit desertions must see the need for setting the
Hindu house in order to prevent the fractious poaching by the Church, if not to
facilitate the ‘hoped for’ return of the prodigals. So also those who take
pride that Hinduism is the only religion that reckons all faith as true, should
be concerned about the ‘in vogue’ Gita that belittles some of their caste
fellows. Besides, this work beckons the feminists to reckon the second of the
two interpolations from it cited in the cover image that degrades them in
unspeakable terms.
This
‘overdue’ work, may lead the ‘denied’ Hindu castes as well as the favored folks
for an objective approach to the in vogue Bhagvad-Gita which could dispel the
misgivings of the former and the delusions of the latter, thereby bridging the
Hindu emotional gulf with its abridged book that restores its original form.
Whether or not one concurs with its propositions, this original work could be
of interest to the students of logic and reasoning as well.
Contents
Chapter - 4: Jñāna–Karma-SanyasaYoga
Chapter - 5: Karma–Sanyasa
Yoga
Chapter - 6: Ātma
Samyama Yoga
Chapter - 7: Gjnāna
Vigjnāna
Yoga
Chapter - 8: Akshara Parabrahma
Yoga
Chapter - 9: Raja–Vidya–Raja–Guhya
Yoga
Chapter - 11: Vishvarupa-sandarsanaYoga
Chapter -13: Kshetra–Kshetragjna Vibhāga Yoga
Chapter -15: Purushottama
Prāpti Yoga
Chapter -16: Daivasura–Sampad–Vibhaga
Yoga
Chapter- 17: Shraddhatraya-Vibhaga Yoga
Chapter -18: Moksha–Sanyasa Yoga
When it comes to my tryst with Bhagvad-Gita, I may say that one thing
led to the other, but with a difference – I can share the details with the public
in this invocation for the revocation of its inane interpolations from it.
When I was around
twelve, my paternal grandfather encouraged me to read the Gita even as he
discouraged my mother from venturing into it, voicing the then prevailing view
that if women were to imbibe its philosophy, then that could undermine their
emotive self in the family fold. Given the lower levels of child awareness in
those village days, comparatively speaking that is, as I could neither share
Arjuna’s concerns nor grasp Krishna’s response, my first brush with the Gita
ended before the end of its second chapter.
However, over two
score years later, as it happened, it was a human tragedy that occasioned my
fortuitous reengagement with the Gita, eventually that was, as, in the wake of
the 2002 Godhra-Gujarat riots, the Op-eds in the print and the debates in the
idiot box exhibited the vacuity of the Indian intelligentsia. As that laid the
seeds of my Puppets of Faith: Theory of
Communal Strife that sought to
explore the role, if any, the religions play in fomenting communal discord, and
if so, in which way, which in turn compelled me to seek out the Gita that is
after perusing the Semitic scriptures. When I could see that apart from sharing
the highway of devotion to the God with the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran for
salvation, the Gita showed a subway of devotion to Duty leading up to moksha, I
found it fascinating as by disposition I am not faith-inclined for it is not a
handmaiden of reason.
It’s thus, after the
completion of that critical appraisal of the Islamic faith, Indian polity ‘n more, for which I transcreated some
selected Sanskrit slokas of the Gita
into English verses that I set out to go the whole hog for its wholesome fare. Though Glaring Shadow was in wait to come into the light for by then I had
done the novelling of Benign Flame, Jewel-less Crown and Crossing the Mirage, yet this epic
pulled me onto its translative course. However, when I checked out of its third
post, its route diversion from the set course that I came across perplexed me
no end, but nevertheless as I persevered, to my utter dismay, its sectarian
pattern became increasingly apparent. Then as it dawned on me that the epic is
not to be taken at its face value and it is worth subjecting it to some form of
scrutiny, so I looked around for precedents for guidance, but found none save
Sir Edwin Arnold’s dismissal of slokas 23 thru 28
of its eighth chapter for they imply
that “if one dies when the moon is on the ascent he would be heaven bound and,
to hell if it’s other way round”, as the ranting
of some vedānti.
It’s thus, I ploughed
my lonely furrow in the Gita’s contaminated field and in the end could manage, needless
to say with great effort, to ferret out 110 inane embedments, some of which
have long been the impediments to the spiritual and social amity of the Hindu
polity. So, I could visualize a social purpose in going public with my
discoveries through Bhagvad-Gita:
Treatise of Self-help, and thanks to Michael S. Hart, it first appeared in
the public domain as free eBook at Project
Gutenberg Self-Publishing Press only to make its way into umpteen literary
websites thereafter. It’s no less heartening that Mike Stickles has
accorded the pride of place to my work among the Gita’s translations at the Great Books and Classics site, and what is more, slowly but steadily it has
been gaining ground in the web world, that too to some acclaim.
Though not resting on
its laurels for I was engaged in creating seven more books in varied genres, including
the translation of Sundara Kānda, of Ramayana, the foremost poetic composition in the world of letters, as Hanuman’s Odyssey, in English verses, and lo, its author, Sage Valmiki, was a Shudra that
the ‘in vogue’ Gita belittles! Whatever, I left the Gita at that, but not
before supplementing its eBook with a demonstrative audio rendition, also in
the public domain. However, owing to its philosophical imprint that got etched
in my mind, all along, I have been able to fend for myself through the lows of
life without seeking His succor and support.
Now, eighteen years
later, fortuitously yet again, my childhood artist friend, E. Rohini Kumar, who
saw my Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of
Self-help, sans 110 inane
interpolations, that carried only the rest of its ‘original’ verses, as an unfinished work, goaded me to place those inanities in
the public domain for a reasoned review with a rational outlook. However, it is his hunch that the
‘overdue’ work, might lead the denied castes as well as the favoured folks for
an objective approach to Gita ‘as it is’
which could dispel the misgivings of the former and the delusions of the latter
that clinched the issue. Thus, serving the sore social need of bridging the
Hindu emotional gulf with an abridged Gita that restores its original form owes
to him for having conceptualized this Inane
Interpolations in Bhagvad-Gita - An Invocation for their Revocation for
which he conceived the cover as well, like he did for my earlier books, and now
that women too have a free rein on this masterpiece, it is hoped that the
propositions herein could be well-received, if not readily, maybe in times to
come
Bhagvad-Gita, often referred to as the Gita, comprises eighteen chapters, which, in all, contain seven hundred slokas (verses) that is not counting the unnumbered opening number of its thirteenth chapter. Though it has gained prominence on its own steam, in fact it is a part of the epochal Mahabharata, which, with over 100,000 slokas, is the longest tome in the world of letters. Moreover, this epic, probably compiled around the third century BCE, whose authorship is attributed to Vyāsa, is regarded by the Hindus as the panchama veda (the fifth Veda) and the Gita, its divine part, is celebrated by the world as an unrivalled philosophical work.
Yet it is a safe bet to aver that while
most (mainly Hindus) might have heard about it, hardly any would have read it
(much less appraised it) though it contains no more than seven-hundred verses, excluding
the above cited unnumbered one! Not only that, possibly, this classic could be
the only epic in the world that is admired without application of mind and
debunked with reasonable misgivings as it, as
it is, sanctions the inimical caste structure in the Hindu polity that is as
opposed to the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran, which seek to inculcate emotional
unity amongst their respective adherents!
Whatever, on one hand, William von
Humboldt, the philosopher of yore, eulogized it as “the most beautiful, perhaps
the only true philosophical song existing in any known tongue …. perhaps the
deepest and the loftiest thing the world has to show”, and on the other, Vijay
Mankar, the Ambedkarite of the day, debunks it is as a rotten work deserving to
be thrown into a dustbin for “it advocates inequality of man based on caste,
stigmatizes women as an inferior kind, and legitimizes violence.” Equally significantly,
neither Humboldt was alone in lifting it to the skies for he had the
illustrious company of many a Western thinker such as Arthur Schopenhauer, Albert
Einstein, Aldous Huxley, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, only
to name a few, nor Mankar lacked company to castigate it as a book of bigotry,
for Ambedkar the Dalit intellectual colossus, who piloted the Indian
Constitution, was unsparing about it.
It is possible that the Western intellectuals, who could have internalized
the Semitic religious notion of the Lord God’s alleged partiality towards his chosen
peoples, might have seen nothing perverse in Krishna’s creation of the caste
inequity in the Hindu spcial fold sanctified in the Gita thus:
Ch4,
V1
chātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛiṣhṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśhaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhyakartāram
avyayam
It is I who engineered the division of men into four varna (castes) based
on their guna (innate nature) and karma (earthly duties) but yet although I am
the creator of this system, know me to be the non-doer and eternal,
Or, maybe, they would have simply
concerned themselves with its fascinating philosophical postulations, bypassing
its alleged espousal of the caste inequities in an alien polity the nuances of
which they were unfamiliar with.
However, in contrast, the improbability
of their progenitor Krishna, the architect of the Gita, relegating his own ilk
to the social margins failed to dawn upon the Shudras that it supposedly
slights, even to this day! Thus, their intellectuals, instead of seeking to
reclaim their priceless heritage, albeit after ridding its interpolative
garbage, tend to rubbish it a la throwing the baby with the bathwater.
Well, if only they apply their mind, bearing Krishna’s advice to Arjuna in mind,
Ch18, V63
That thee heard of this wisdom
For task on hand now apply mind
iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā
vimṛiśhyaitad
aśheṣheṇa yathechchhasi tathā kuru,
then, it would be apparent to them that
their ancestral work was infested with umpteen interpolations that sanctify
their social inferiority and further the Brahmanical religious interests, which
together muddy its pristine philosophy besides affecting the sequential
conformity and structural economy.
However,
to be able to discern the Gita in proper perspective, and to be able to
visualize its fouling interpolations, one must appreciate its context in the epic
of Mahabharata that is at the threshold of the battle royale between the estranged
cousins, Pandavas ‘n Kauravas, when Arjuna, the spearhead of the former,
suffers from qualms about the prospect of slaying his kith and kin for power
and pelf.
In
this urge to usher in Gita’s votaries, as well as the sideliners, into its ancient
granary so as to enable them to segregate its grain from the interpolative
chaff, the quotes in verses are excerpted from the author’s eBook, Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of Self-help, which, as already stated, is in the public
domain, and the interpolations (in boxes) are obtained from other sources,
however, in both cases with the Sanskrit slokas
of the in vogue text.
Ch1, V28
Thus spoke Arjuna:
Disturb kinsfolk here gathered
Feel I parched, it nauseates too.
dṛiṣhṭvemaṁ sva-janaṁ kṛiṣhṇa yuyutsuṁ samupasthitam
sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṁ cha pariśhuṣhyati
Ch1, V37
See I no gain
by their end
Why then kill our kith ’n kin?
tasmān nārhā vayaṁ hantuṁ dhārtarāṣhṭrān sa-bāndhavān
sva-janaṁ hi
kathaṁ
hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava
Ch1, V38
Blinded by greed, bent on deceit
Fail they foresee, war ruins the race.
yady apy ete na paśhyanti lobhopahata-chetasaḥ
kula-kṣhaya-kṛitaṁ doṣhaṁ mitra-drohe cha pātakam.
C1, V39
Wiser
for the woes of wars
Why not Lord we rescind now.
kathaṁ
na jñeyam asmābhiḥ pāpād asmān nivartitum
kula-kṣhaya-kṛitaṁ
doṣhaṁ
prapaśhyadbhir janārdana
Ch 2, V4
Adore
as I, how dare I
Make Bhishma ’n Dron target?
kathaṁ bhīṣhmam ahaṁ sankhye droṇaṁ cha madhusūdana
iṣhubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi pūjārhāvari-sūdana ,,,
Ch2, V5
Better I go
with begging bowl
Than earn disgrace slaying them,
Would the scepter ever glitter
In the bloodstained hands of mine?
gurūnahatvā hi mahānubhāvān
śhreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣhyamapīha loke
hatvārtha-kāmāṁstu gurūnihaiva
bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān
Ch2, V6
Those us
oppose
We hate hurting,
What use war
Who victors are?
na chaitadvidmaḥ kataranno garīyo
yadvā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ
yāneva hatvā na jijīviṣhāmas
te ’vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣhṭrāḥ
Ch2, V7
About my duty
I’m in doubt
Tell me kindly what is right.
kārpaṇya-doṣhopahata-svabhāvaḥ
pṛichchhāmi
tvāṁ
dharma-sammūḍha-chetāḥ
yach-chhreyaḥ syānniśhchitaṁ brūhi tanme
śhiṣhyaste
’haṁ
śhādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
Besides, Arjuna
was also concerned about,
Ch1, V40
Die
aged en masse dharma’s votaries
Won't that let go youth ours haywire?
kula-kṣhaye praṇaśhyanti kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ
dharme naṣhṭe kulaṁ kṛitsnam adharmo ’bhibhavaty uta
Ch1, v41
Sex
ratio adverse that war ensues
Turns women
soft on caste barriers.
adharmābhibhavāt kṛiṣhṇa praduṣhyanti kula-striyaḥ
strīṣhu
duṣhṭāsu vārṣhṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkara
Ch1, V42
Fallen women
all go to hell
What is more their bastards rob
Posthumous rites of forebearers.
saṅkaro narakāyaiva kula-ghnānāṁ kulasya cha
patanti pitaro hy eṣhāṁ lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ
Ch1, V43
Liaisons low
of women wanton
Set our race on ruinous course.
doṣhair etaiḥ kula-ghnanaṁ varṇa-saṅkara-karakaiḥ
utsadyante jati-dharmaḥ kula-dharmash cha shashvataḥ
So, Lord Vishnu, the Creator, in his avatar as Krishna (lo
as Shudra), donning the role of Arjuna’s charioteer, set out to motivate the
doubting tom to fight the just war on hand, beginning with a taunt that is –
Ch2, V11
Averring as
knowing
Worried over trivia!
Reckon never wise
Dead and alive both
shrī bhagavān uvācha
aśhochyān-anvaśhochas-tvaṁ prajñā-vādānśh cha bhāṣhase
gatāsūn-agatāsūnśh-cha nānuśhochanti paṇḍitāḥ
Ch2, V12
You and Me
As well these,
Have had past
Future as well.
na tvevāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ
na chaiva na bhaviṣhyāmaḥ sarve vayamataḥ param
Ch2, V13
Wise all realize
Embodies selfsame spirit in one
From birth to death, in every birth.
dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati
Ch2, V18
Perish all bodies, Spirit not therein
Know this truth, and take up arms.
antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śharīriṇaḥ
anāśhino ’prameyasya tasmād yudhyasva bhārata
Ch2, V19
With no slayer, nor one
slain
Whoso feels that he might kill
It's in delusion that he harps.
ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ yaśh chainaṁ manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate.
Ch2, V20
Unbound being ever unborn
Ageless since it’s endless too
Goes on Spirit, beyond life-span.
na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin
nāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ
śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre
Ch2, V21
Spirit as entity hath no birth
How can thou kill what’s not born!
vedāvināśhinaṁ nityaṁ ya enam ajam avyayam
kathaṁ sa
puruṣhaḥ pārtha kaṁ ghātayati hanti kam
Ch2, V22
Change as men fade if clothes
So doth Spirit as frames are worn
vāsānsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛihṇāti naro ’parāṇi
tathā śharīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇānya
nyāni sanyāti navāni dehī.
Ch2, V26
Prima facie if thou feel
Subject Spirit is to rebirths
Why grieve over end of frame?
atha chainaṁ nitya-jātaṁ nityaṁ vā manyase mṛitam
tathāpi tvaṁ mahā-bāho naivaṁ śhochitum arhasi.
Ch2, V27
Dies as one
For like rebirth,
Why feel sad
Of what’s cyclic
jaatasya hi dhruvoo mrityu dhruvam janma mritasya
cha
tasmaadaparihaaryerthe na tvam shoochitumarhasi.
Ch2, V30
Dies not Spirit as die beings
What for man then tends to grieve!
dehī nityam avadhyo ’yaṁ dehe sarvasya bhārata
tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni na tvaṁ śhochitum arhasi
Ch 2 V31
Being a warrior dharma thine
That thee fight with all thy might.
swa-dharmam api chāvekṣhya na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyāddhi yuddhāch chhreyo ’nyat kṣhatriyasya na vidyate.
At that, had
Arjuna picked up the Gandiva, his
divine bow, and said “here we go,” perhaps the Gita would have ended then and
there, but as he remained unmoved Krishna had continued –
Ch2, V38
Shed thy sentiment, guilt unhinge
Eye not gain as wage thou war.
sukha-duḥkhe same kṛitvā lābhālābhau jayājayau
tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi
Ch2, V39
It's this knowledge that liberates
And helps thee act, with no restraint.
eṣhā te ’bhihitā sānkhye
buddhir yoge tvimāṁ śhṛiṇu
buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha
karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi
Obviously
privy to the Vedic ritualistic regimen, the bedrock of the Hindu religiosity
that comes in the way of man’s liberation, Krishna affirmed in the same vein:
Ch2, V42
Unwise use all enticing
Flowery language to further
Rituals Vedic in their scores
Not the knowledge of Vedas.
yāmimāṁ puṣhpitāṁ vāchaṁ pravadanty-avipaśhchitaḥ
veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ
Ch2, V43
Eyeing heaven with mind mundane
Go for ceremonies such in hope
Of having best of both the worlds.
kāmātmānaḥ swarga-parā janma-karma-phala-pradām
kriyā-viśheṣha-bahulāṁ bhogaiśhwarya-gatiṁ prati.
Ch2, V44
Pursue if thou wants with zeal
Instincts then would spin thy mind.
bhogaiśwvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛita-chetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate.
Ch2, V53
Stands as firm mind thy clear
Steer thou clear of path rituals.
śhruti-vipratipannā
te yadā sthāsyati niśhchalā
samādhāv-achalā buddhis tadā yogam avāpsyasi.
It was then that Arjuna broke his silence with the query –
Ch2, V54
How to spot the yogi
true
Were he there ever in the crowd?
sthita-prajñasya kā bhāṣhā samādhi-sthasya keśhava
sthita-dhīḥ kiṁ prabhāṣheta kim āsīta vrajeta kim.
Later, having heard Krishna’s exposition of the virtues of self-restraint that was after having goaded him to wage the just war without suffering any qualms about killing his kith and kin, Arjuna, in confusion, quizzed Krishna again thus:
Ch3, V1
Capping wants, if betters action
How come Thou then push for war!
jyāyasī chet karmaṇas te matā buddhir janārdana
tat kiṁ
karmaṇi
ghore māṁ
niyojayasi keśhava and then said,
Ch 3, V2
Find I hard to grasp all this
Thou be forthright, what is right.
vyāmiśhreṇeva vākyena buddhiṁ mohayasīva me
tad ekaṁ
vada niśhchitya yena śhreyo ’ham āpnuyām
The discourse between Krishna and Arjuna that follows is a
treatise of self-help containing the cumulative wisdom enshrined in the Upanishads, Brahma sutras and Yoga sastra,
however marred in the latter-period by 110 inane interpolations.
Be that as it may, did Krishna share ‘higher caste’ Arjuna’s
‘lower’ caste concerns?
Seemingly not since he averred that –
Ch9, V6
Skies in rooted wind as
spreads
Dwell in Me though disperse all.
yathākāśha-sthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān
tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni mat-sthānītyupadhāraya
But the interpolartor(s) thought differently,
Ch9, V32
māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśhritya ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśhyās tathā śhūdrās te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim
Surely, O Paartha, even those who
are born of sinful origin – women, traders, and also Shudras (labourers), they
attain the supreme state by taking refuge in me
Had Arjuna heard Krishna aver the
above that dented his concept of kula-striyaḥ (high caste women) aired in Ch1,V41 (quoted before), he would
have been truly flabbergasted, and might have even dismissed him (Krishna) from
service, for at that stage, the latter hadn’t shown his Vishvarupa (the Universal
Form) to him as in Ch10.
Then,
what about Arjuna’s concern for the posthumous rites of forebears?
Ch15, V8
Wind as carries scent of flowers
While leaving them as is where,
In like fashion Spirit from frames
Moves its awareness to rebirths,
śharīraṁ yad avāpnoti yach chāpy utkrāmatīśhvaraḥ
gṛihītvaitāni
sanyāti vāyur gandhān ivāśhayāt.
But then, notwithstanding their meager numbers, as the
Brahmins acquired an unrivalled domination over the rest, they even came to
believe that they had the power to control the gods as expostulated in the Nārāyana Upanishad!
daiva dēnam jagat sarvam / mantrā dēnantu daivatam,
tan mantram brāhmanādēnam / brāhmano mama dēvata.
It’s on god that hinges all
Mantras rein in that godhood
Controlled are those by Brahmans
Making them our own angels.
Not just that, going
by the purānās, not only the Brahmin sages and saints through yagnās ‘n yāgās ordained
the gods to fulfill theirs as well as their clients’ wishes but also were wont
to curse them when offended.
Needless to say, the Gita’s pristine text, besides
being at odds with their religious practices and social prejudices had the
potential to undermine their temporal power and social preeminence for all time
to come, and so they set out to dispose that Krishna proposed.
It is believed that the gods themselves
made the Brahmin seers of yore privy
to the Vedas, the primordial rhythms of creation, and as the communion took
place in Sanskrit, it is called devabhasha,
the language of the gods.
It is another matter though that in the latter-day Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad, the Brahmins themselves
postulated that “.. since he (man) created gods who are better than he: and
also because, being mortal, he created immortals, it is his higher creation. Whoever
knows this, comes to be in this, his higher creation.”
Be that as it may, if one were to read the Purusha Sukta (10.7.90.1-16)
of
the Rig Veda, the foremost of the
four Vedas, it would be apparent that v11- v13 are clever Brahmanical
interpolations though a clear give away. Given v13’s alleged creation of the
Brahmins from the creator’s face, it can be inferred that this sloka, and its two facilitators, were inserted
into the said sukta by them, the self-proclaimed
guardians of the divine revelations. So as to grasp this Brahmin mischief, the
relevant original hymns would come in handy.
V10
tasmad yajnat
sarvahutaha
richassamani jijignire
chandhagamsi jijignire tasmat
yajus tasmad ajayata
From that yajna (or sacrifice) wherein the Cosmic Being was
Himself the oblation, were born the riks (the mantras of the Rig-veda) and the
samans (the mantras of the Sama-veda). From that (yajna) the metres (like
Gayatri) were born. From that (yajna again) the yujas (the Yajur-veda) was
born.
V14
chandrama manaso jataha
chakshoh suryo ajayata
mukhad indrash chagnishcha
pranadvayur ajayata
From His mind was born the moon. From His two eyes was born the sun. From His mouth were born Indra and Agni. From His breath was born the air.
V15
nabhya
asidanta riksham
shirshno dyauh samavartata
padhyam bhumirdishash shrotrat
tada lokagamm akalpayan
From (His) navel was produced the antariksha (the space
between the earth and the heavens). Dyuloka (or heaven) came into existence
from His head. The bhumi (th earth) evolved out of His feet, and deek (or
spacial directions) from His ears. Similarly (the demigods) produced the worlds
(too).
V16
vedahametam
purusham mahantam
adityavarnam
tamasastu pare
sarvani
rupani vichitya dhiraha
namani
kritva abhivadan yadaste
"I
know (through intuitive experience) this great Purusha (the Supreme Being), the
wise one, who, having created the various forms and the nomenclatures (for
those forms), deals with them by those names, and who is beyond darkness and is
brilliant like the sun."
Thus, in this creative process, all are seen as arising
out of the same original reality, the Purusha,
which suggest human oneness, and that wouldn’t have gone down well with the
Brahmins, the self-proclaimed god’s own angels. So, they set out to rectify the
‘wrong’ through the three following interpolations thus:
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tasmadashva ajayata
ye ke cobhaya dataha
gavo ha jijignire tasmat
tasmad
jnata ajavayaha
From that were born the horses, as also animals (like
donkeys and mules) which have two rows of teeth. From that were born the
cattle. From that (again) were born goats and sheep.
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atpurusham vyadadhuhu
kadhita vyakalpayan
mukham kimasya kau bahu
kavuru padavuchayate
(Now
some questions are raised by the sages:) When the gods decided to (mentally)
sacrifice the Viratpurusha (and produce further creation), in how many ways did
they do it? What became of his face or mouth? What became of his two arms? What
became of His two thighs? What were (the products of) the two feet called?
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brahmanosya mukhamasit
bahu rajanyah kritaha
uru tadasya yadvaishyaha
padhyagam shudro ajayata
From
His face (or the mouth) came the brahmanas. From His two arms came the rajanya
(the kshatriyas). From His two thighs came the vaishyas. From His two feet came
the shudras.
So, His
face (head) produced what– Heaven or Brahmins?
Who
were born out of His belly (navel)? – Antariksha or Vaisyas?
What evolved
from his feet – Earth or Shudras?
Often
the Purusha Sukta with these
contradictions gets chanted (and heard) without anyone raising an eyebrow for
none knows Sanskrit and that’s about the Hindu spiritual tragedy. Hence, it is obvious that V11 gave a mundane twist to the divine creation to facilitate the
motivated question in V12 for the facilitation of the self-aggrandizing
answer in V13. So, one can take his pick and move on as the Kshatriyas keep the
Creator’s hands all for themselves! But the Brahmins couldn’t
have left it at that as there was also the Bhagvad-Gita to contend with; so, they
applied their interpolative hands to handle it. As would be apparent from the following dissection of the Gita ‘as it is’, similar sukta tactics were adopted to make it call their mundane bidding.
But then, what was the provocation for the Brahmins to dabble with this
philosophical discourse as well with their interpolative verses?
To start
with, Krishna averred, as already noted,
Ch9, V6
Skies in rooted wind as spreads
Dwell in Me though disperse all.
yathākāśha-sthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān
tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni mat-sthānītyupadhārayaand,
Ch6, V31
Me who sees in all beings
He’s the one that dwells in Me.
sarva-bhūta-sthitaṁ yo māṁ bhajatyekatvam āsthitaḥ
sarvathā vartamāno ’pi sa yogī mayi vartate
and these are counter to the Brahmanical innovation in the Purusha Sukta that they were specially
produced from the creator’s face, which, if allowed to propagate, would undermine the false narrative of their
preeminent birth.
Secondly, it was Krishna’s stance that,
Ch 2, V42
Unwise use
all enticing
Flowery language to further
Rituals Vedic in their scores
Not the knowledge of Vedas.
yāmimāṁ puṣhpitāṁ vāchaṁ pravadanty-avipaśhchitaḥ
veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ,
This is but an unambiguous deprecation of the Vedic
rituals that accord the Brahmins their temporal power in the religious place
that afforded them an undisputed social preeminence, which if gained ground
could have hurt them where it hurts the most.
Hence,
at some stage, they fiddled with the Gita the way they did with the Purusha Sukta, so to say, as shabbily at that, but surprisingly managed to get away
with it for all time to come, so it seems, of course, aided in no small measure
by the raise in the scriptural belief and the fall of the Sanskrit usage. But the hard rub, as is already seen,
was the attribution of the false caste narrative to Krishna with its debilitating
lower caste duties.
Ch4, V13
chātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛiṣhṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśhaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhyakartāram avyayam
It is I who engineered the division of men into four varna (castes) based
on their guna (innate nature) and karma
(earthly duties) but yet although I am the creator of this system, know me to
be the non-doer and eternal,
So, this, as noted before, is akin to that advanced by the Brahmins in the Purusha Sukata:
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brahmanosya mukhamasit
bahu rajanyah kritaha
uru tadasya yadvaishyaha
padhyagam shudro ajayata
From His face (or the mouth) came the brahmanas. From His
two arms came the rajanya (the kshatriyas). From His two thighs came the
vaishyas. From His two feet came the shudras.
Not
only that, the Brahmins, through their interpolations in the Gita, sought to
cement the caste walls by detailing the caste duties as well, cynically at that
with -
Ch 3, V35
śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt
swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ
It is far better to perform one’s natural prescribed duty, though tinged
with faults, than to perform another’s prescribed duty, though perfectly. In
fact, it is preferable to die in the discharge of one’s duty, than to follow
the path of another, which is fraught with danger.
Ch18, V45
śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt
svabhāva-niyataṁ karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣham
It is better to do one’s own dharma, even though imperfectly,
than to do another’s dharma, even
though perfectly. By doing one’s innate duties, a person does not incur sin.
Also
should be seen in this interpolative course are the yoga classes, superstitious
suppositions, tasteless assertions, and such that abound in the Gita ‘as it is’, absurdities all, seen in the
context of it having been conceived to dispel Arjuna’s reservations in joining
the battle of Kurukshetra.
Next is the aspect of structural economy and one finds the similitude though
of the benign content in many a sloka in
the same or in a different context throughout the text. Obviously, some of them
are interpolations but which were the originals and which are the imitations
could be hard to find out for they smugly fit into the overall structure.
Whatever, save lengthening the discourse, these do not belittle the same and
fortunately, not even tire the reader / listener, thanks to the exemplary charm
of Sanskrit, which, for the British philologist, Sir William Jones, ‘is of
wonderful structure, more perfect than Greek, more copious than Latin and more
exquisitely refined than either.’
Boxed here in the ‘in vogue’ Gita’s thirteen chapters are 110 verses
of deviant character or digressive nature that can be taken as interpolations
with reasonable certainty and so one may read the epic afresh by passing over
them for a refreshing experience.
Given the social mores of yore with the Vedic chores at their
core that the puranic period had
ushered in, the spiritual absorption of Gita’s inane interpolations in the Aryavarta of the bygone era is understandable,
but what prevented its Hindu adherents in the medieval period, and prevents its
Westernized votaries in the modern era, from seeing the wood for the trees?
Notwithstanding
the advent of universal education that was once their exclusive domain, as the Brahmins
continue to be Gita’s torchbearers, and since they are brought up on the Purusha Sukta’s false caste narrative, they
tend to see nothing amiss in its caste aberrations. However, to be in sync with
the times, they give politically correct hypocritical spin to its caste outrage
of chātur-varṇyaṁ by feigning as if
the varna (caste) is not meant to be
taken literally for what was implied is that it’s one’s guna (quality) and not one’s birth (caste) that is the determinative
factor in the social pecking order.
Well,
well, then what was the Brahmin resistance
about to the admit Vishwamitra, the redoubtable Kshatriya sage of yore, into
their haloed fold despite their reverence to the Gāyatri mantra that he composed! So be it but why there has
been no upward mobility even in these days of the eminent Shudras on the caste ladder,
even that of Ambedkar the intellectual colossus?
Besides,
not to speak of ‘the now’, in none of the puranic
tales, was there ever an instance of a rogue Brahmin having been relegated
to the Shudra substrata! So, the ‘caste not by birth’ innovation in circulation
is nothing but insincere hogwash to mislead.
Since
Sanskrit has long ceased to be in vogue, Hindus have come to rely on Gita’s translations
to have a grasp of it, as is the case with their other epics, if at all that is,
and the translators, for the most part, either provide a holistic meaning, wherever
possible, to its offensive verses, and when not conducive for an inoffensive
spin, then they tone down the inanities, and who cares any way.
Thus,
by not calling a spade a spade, they not only betray their intellectual dishonesty
but also preclude a public debate about the inane interpolations altogether. If
anything, when it comes to pushing these toxic insertions under the caste
carpet, the spiritual leaders excel as professional preachers, which is of no
avail as the slighted souls desist from walking over the same.
In Gita’s myriad world, are the lazy ones
content in just reciting
Ch 2, V47
karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi
Hold
as patent on thy work
Reckon thou not on royalty
With no way to ceasing work
Never mind outcome but go on.
Well,
if only it were as simple.
Though he too heard that, Arjuna didn’t
think so.
Ch3, V36
Thus
spoke Arjuna:
Why should one with right intent
Stray ever on the wayward ways!
arjuna uvācha
atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ
anichchhann api vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ
Ch3, V37
Thus spoke the
Lord:
Well, it's passion, lust ’n wrath
Drag that man on path painful.
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
kāma eṣha
krodha eṣha
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahāśhano mahā-pāpmā viddhyenam iha vairiṇam
Ch3, V38
Flame ’n mirror as shrouded
Without
let by smoke ’n dust
As
well embryo in the womb
Wisdom is by wants clouded.
dhūmenāvriyate vahnir yathādarśho malena
cha
yatholbenāvṛito garbhas tathā tenedam āvṛitam
Then again,
Ch6, V33
Thus
spoke Arjuna:
Frail being man, fail I see
Yoga Thou espouse, lasting in practice.
arjuna uvācha
yo ’yaṁ yogas tvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana
etasyāhaṁ na
paśhyāmi chañchalatvāt sthitiṁ sthirām
Ch6, V34
Can one ever tame his mind
Like the wind that yields to none?
chañchalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛiṣhṇa pramāthi balavad dṛiḍham
tasyāhaṁ
nigrahaṁ
manye vāyor iva su-duṣhkaram
Ch6, V35
Thus
spoke the Lord:
Calm ’n custom bring in ropes
Tough ask though to subdue mind.
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
asanśhayaṁ
mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ chalam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa cha gṛihyate
The Gita provides those ropes that the inane interpolations
sap.
But yet in blissful ignorance, besides the one-sloka
wonders are the silo-readers that pick a verse here and pluck another there
from the interwoven text, of course from its translations, thereby gaining
nothing in the process, save earning the membership of the Gita groups that now
abound in the social media.
Even
the earnest ones, who religiously go through the tome, come to naught for
failing to apply their ‘faith-filled’ mind to its malcontent in it that begs for
attention.
Besides
these are the gullible seekers in their scores that take their self-styled guru’s
interpretative word of Krishna’s word as the last word, and there is no dearth either
of the supply-chain translators that churn out ‘Arjuna asked this and Krishna
said that’ sort of stuff by recycling the imitative material in the book world.
One may say that these are nearer to those Arjuna had in mind when he asked
Krishna:
Ch6, v37
What
if one
Throws up all
Lacks who zeal
Hath though faith?
ayatiḥ śhraddhayopeto yogāch chalita-mānasaḥ
aprāpya yoga-sansiddhiṁ kāṅ gatiṁ kṛiṣhṇa gachchhati
However,
while the enterprising compartmentalize its interwoven philosophy of life into Gita for This and Gita for That kind of commercials
for the marketplace, it is the gift of the gabs with their vacuous lectures that take the cake as gita-chāryās. Whatever it
is, the Bard’s words - reputation is an idle and most false imposition,
oft got without merit and lost without deserving – ring true on Gita’s universal
stage, and if anything, the
ostentation of many of these belies their tenuous grasp of its profound philosophy.
Needless
to say, all these, who swear by the Gita, are no better off than those that unerringly
keep away from it by mistakenly treating the inane interpolations as its innate
philosophy. In what is an unparalleled irony, Vyāsā’s
progeny mindlessly
shun the mischievously tampered masterpiece of his! So, as the grandstanding by the thoughtless and the indignation of the mistaken
constrain the Hindu polity on either bank of its interpolated waters, it is
imperative for the left-castes to remove the rubbish from their ancestral
stream that muddles the understanding of the right-backers no less.
But still the question remains; can any arrogate to himself
the intellectuality to point fingers at the Gita ‘as it is’ that too after Adi
Shankara the philosopher vouched for it in his bhashya and Aurobindo, Gandhi, Radhakrishnan et al endorsed it in
their writings? Without any disregard for their immense intellect, the short
answer is that ‘one puts up with what one
grows up with’ and, so to say, they all dwelled on the ‘right’ bank in the
times when caste was taken as a given. Why, don’t’ we have the anecdote of Adi
Shankara in which he asked an untouchable to move farther away from him, only
to realize later it was none other than Lord Shiva in disguise as a dalit; that
should be that.
Now it’s over
to the chapter-wise interpolative detail.
Chapter - 3: Karma Yoga
The pundits and the plebeians alike aver
that the philosophy of the Gita is the practice of disinterested action, that
is apart from an unflinching devotion to the Supreme, and in that context, it
may be noted that while postulating the same,
Krishna, as was seen before, had been critical of the ritualistic aspects
of and mundane expectations from the Vedic ceremonies (Ch2, v42 -v 46 ‘n v53).
Given that the avowed philosophy of the Gita is to tend man on the path of duty
without attachment, the about turn in
this chapter, v9 - v16, to formulate
the procedural aspects of the rituals and the divine backing they enjoy (not to
be confused with bhakti that is
devotion to god) cannot stand up to commonsense not to speak of logic and reason.
Thus, it is
unthinkable that Krishna, having been unequivocal about the fallacy of the
Vedic rituals, and the lack of wisdom in those that lay store by the ceremonies
that promise rewards here and in hereafter, would have, in the same breath,
advocated the following that turn
the rational clock back in the ritualistic direction.
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yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
tad-arthaṁ
karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samāchara
Other than those actions performed
for yajna, this world gets bound by action. Therefore, O Kaunteya, perform
actions in that regard, without attachment. In so far as the spirit of the
rituals is concerned, so far so good, but then comes
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saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛiṣhṭvā purovācha prajāpatiḥ
anena prasaviṣhyadhvam eṣha vo ’stviṣhṭa-kāma-dhuk
In ancient times, Prajaapati created humanity along with yajna. He said
“through this (yajna) let everyone prosper, and may it become your
fulfiller of wishes”.
However, if it was the
Lord that so readily changed his mind in the above and the two succeeding verses,
then it would lend credence to Allah’s over and again abrogation of his own
diktats in the Quran! But at the mundane level, it can be inferred that the
interpolator was just mindless, and so are those that fail to discern this and
other ‘divine’ contradictions that abound in the Gita in vogue.
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devān bhāvayatānena te
devā bhāvayantu vaḥ
parasparaṁ
bhāvayantaḥ śhreyaḥ param avāpsyatha
You will make the deities prosper
through this (yajna), and the deities will make you prosper. By mutually making
each other prosperous, you will attain the highest good.
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iṣhṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ
tair
dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ
The deities, nourished by yajna, will also provide you the objects you
desire. One who consumes these objects without offering them to others, he is a
thief.
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yajña-śhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ santo muchyante sarva-kilbiṣhaiḥ
bhuñjate te tvaghaṁ pāpā ye pachantyātma-kāraṇāt
The spiritually-minded, who eat food that is first
offered in sacrifice, are released from
all kinds of sin. Others, who cook food for their
own enjoyment, verily eat only sin.
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annād
bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
All living beings subsist on food, and food is
produced by rains. Rains come from the performance of sacrifice, and sacrifice
is produced by the performance of prescribed duties.
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karma
brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi brahmākṣhara-samudbhavam
tasmāt sarva-gataṁ brahma nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣhṭhitam
The duties for human beings are
described in the Vedas, and the Vedas are manifested by God himself. Therefore,
the all-pervading Lord is eternally present in acts of sacrifice
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evaṁ pravartitaṁ chakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ
aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati
O Parth, those who do not accept their responsibility in the cycle of
sacrifice established by the Vedas are sinful. They live only for the delight
of their senses; indeed their lives are in vain.
However, in contrast to the above postulations, it is pertinent to note that while describing the Omnipresence of the Supreme
Spirit in Ch10,V22, it has been averred that among the
Vedas, the Supreme Spirit is Sama Veda that, symbolizes music but not Rig
or Yajur Veda, both associated
with ritualism.
Ch10, V22
I am the Sama of Vedas
It’s Me Indra, god of gods
Of all organs, mind is Me
And so life in all beings.
vedānāṁ sāma-vedo ’smi devānām asmi vāsavaḥ
indriyāṇāṁ manaśh chāsmi bhūtānām asmi chetanā
And
again, in v25 of the said
chapter, it is averred that among the sacrifices, He is tapo yagjna, prayer muted, and
not Asvamedha, the horse
sacrifice.
Ch10, V25
Bhrugur I am the well-realized
So Am ‘Om’ that sound supreme,
Of rituals Am
prayer muted
Himalayas high that kiss the skies.
maharṣhīṇāṁ bhṛigur ahaṁ girām asmyekam akṣharam
yajñānāṁ
japa-yajño ’smi sthāvarāṇāṁ himālayaḥ
Hence, it can
be said without any contradiction that the eight above cited verses are no more
than mere interpolations for the purpose already stated.
Now, over to
the rest of the rest of the interpolations in this chapter thus:
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yas tvātma-ratir
eva syād ātma-tṛiptaśh cha mānavaḥ
ātmanyeva cha santuṣhṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate
But those who rejoice in the self, who are illumined
and fully satisfied in the self, for them, there is no duty.
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naiva
tasya kṛitenārtho
nākṛiteneha
kaśhchana
na chāsya sarva-bhūteṣhu kaśhchid artha-vyapāśhrayaḥ
Such self-realized souls have nothing to gain or lose either in
discharging or renouncing their duties. Nor do they need to depend on other
living beings to fulfill their self-interest.
Clearly
intended to exonerate the Brahmins from the tedious menial occupations, the above
two verses v17-v18 are out of
context as well, even in the interpolated text, which, along with the preceding
ones, as can be seen below, unambiguously break the continuity of the discourse
between v8 ‘n v19
Ch3, V8
Lest thee should stake survival
Turn thy back not on thy work.
niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ
śharīra-yātrāpi cha te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ
Ch3, V19
Ever thee act at par duty
Let that be thy goal of life.
tasmād
asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samāchara
asakto hyācharan karma param āpnoti pūruṣhaḥ
Then comes this
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utsīdeyur ime lokā na
kuryāṁ
karma ched aham
sankarasya cha kartā syām upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ
If I ceased to perform prescribed actions, all these worlds would perish.
I would be responsible for the pandemonium that would prevail, and would
thereby destroy the peace of the human race.
which is but an analogy of
Ch3, V23
Were I to
fail to self-exert
Man
might follow suit as well
yadi
hyahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ pārtha sarvaśhaḥ,
This thus is an interpolation.
Then this mischief monger
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śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt
swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ
It is far better to perform one’s natural prescribed duty, though tinged
with faults, than to perform another’s prescribed duty, though perfectly. In
fact, it is preferable to die in the discharge of one’s duty, than to follow
the path of another, which is fraught with danger.
This
motivated insertion (and its convenient
cousin V47 in Ch18) obviously
meant to confine the Shudras to the menial work, read together with its preceding
and succeeding ones in the text, is contextually out of place in this
egalitarian discourse, fouled by the motivated interpolations, and any
whitewashing of the cynical intent by Gita’s diehards in rationalizing these with
holistic spins won’t cut much ice.
Ch3, V34
Pays it to see grips avarice
Senses those thine nature tends.
indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāga-dveṣhau vyavasthitau
tayor na vaśham āgachchhet tau hyasya paripanthinau
Ch3, V36
Thus spoke Arjuna:
Why should one with right intent
Stray ever on the wayward ways!
arjuna
uvācha
atha
kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ
anichchhann api vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ
That’s about the interpolations in this chapter.
Chapter - 4: Jñāna–Karma-SanyasaYoga
This
chapter of 42 verses that deals with the spiritual knowledge and practical
wisdom is replete with interpolations, including the damning chātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛiṣhṭaṁ (v13) the first of the caste-centric precepts in the Gita
‘as it is’. The
plain reading of this verse would have us believe that the
Lord Himself had created the four-caste system, of Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya,
and Shudra, to suit their innate inclinations towards respective callings of
social and spiritual life in this world. And then, as a rider that is vague at
the very best; Krishna says that though he is the author of it all, he should
not be deemed as the doer. These so-called caste characteristics and duties later
figure in v41-v48 of the
concluding eighteenth chapter, a long wait indeed, and they are discussed
therein.
So, it is
imperative that we try to see whether the following verses actually belong to the original
text, or are latter-day insertions, meant to sanctify the Aryan caste credo
with the underpinning of 'exclusivity of duties' through the venerated Gita,
however, keeping in mind the Brahmanical self-aggrandizing mischief in
the Purusha Sukta.
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ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāns tathaiva bhajāmyaham
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ pārtha sarvaśhaḥ
In whatever way people surrender unto me, I
reciprocate with them accordingly. Everyone follows my path, knowingly or
unknowingly, O son of Pritha.
It
should not be lost on one that this return of favour by the Lord is juxtaposing
to the stated detachment of His as espoused thus in
Ch 4, V14
Detached Am from what happens
It's this knowledge that frees man
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛihā
iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate
Hence,
v11 could be nothing but an
interpolation, and so also,
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kāṅkṣhantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ
kṣhipraṁ hi mānuṣhe loke siddhir bhavati karmajā
In this world, those desiring success in material
activities worship the celestial gods, since material rewards manifest quickly.
On
the other hand, this ritualistic verse that is akin to,
Ch7, V20
kāmais tais tair hṛita-jñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ
taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya prakṛityā niyatāḥ svayā
Those whose knowledge has been carried away by
material desires surrender to the celestial gods. Following their own nature,
they worship the devatās,
practicing rituals meant to propitiate these celestial personalities,
as
would be seen therein, is in itself an interpolation.
Now
arrives the totally out of context Spoiler-in-Chief
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chātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛiṣhṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśhaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhyakartāram avyayam
It is I who engineered the division of men into four varna (castes) based
on their guna (innate nature) and karma (earthly duties) but yet although I am
the creator of this system, know me to be the non-doer and eternal.
As
already seen, this alleged godly caste-ing of man goes against the grain of the
His creation exemplified by –
Ch9,
V6
Skies in rooted wind as spreads
Dwell in Me though disperse all.
yathākāśha-sthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān
tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni mat-sthānītyupadhāraya.
Ch6, V31
Me who sees in all beings
He’s the one that dwells in Me.
sarva-bhūta-sthitaṁ yo māṁ bhajatyekatvam āsthitaḥ
sarvathā vartamāno ’pi sa yogī mayi vartate
As
broached before, one school of thought tends to view chātur-varṇyaṁ as a way of
general differentiation amongst men. However, apart from what was earlier
discussed on this subject, this ingenious argument cannot cut much ice
since common sense suggests that Krishna would have been well aware that such a
turn of phrase is bound to be viewed by man only in caste colours rather than
in ethereal terms. That being the case, he would have been circumspect in his
word choices to convey his scheme of things governing man’s birth if they
aren’t really as narrow as the Aryan caste credo.
Or,
is the chātur-varṇyaṁ his real will, whether one likes it
or not? The answer could be found in his averments as one goes through the Gita
that is by skipping its interpolative turns. The four types of beings he
identified by their nature and disposition are - the virtuous, the vile, the
passionate, and the deluded. Isn’t the proposition that people of a given
nature and disposition could be bracketed into a single caste so absurd? Why, in
every family, of any of the four castes, one sees assorted natures and myriad proclivities
among its members, and that being the case, could have Krishna, the Jagadguru been so naive as not to know
about it at all!
However the clinching evidence that the three above
verses are interpolations is provided by the preceding and the succeeding ones
of this contentious verse as –
Ch4, V7
Wanes if good ’n vile gain reign
Know it's then that I come forth.
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmyaham
Ch4, V8
It’s thus I from time to time
Manifest here to uproot ill
And uphold well for public good.
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām
dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge
Ch4, V9
Grasp who this true self of Me
Are bound to become one with Me.
janma karma cha me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna
Ch4, V10
So with who lead poised life
Reining in their base instincts.
vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām
upāśhritāḥ
bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ.
Now read the
next three out of context verses that follow-
V 11 - In whatever way people surrender unto me, I
reciprocate with them accordingly. Everyone follows my path, knowingly or unknowingly,
O son of Pritha.
V12 - In this world, those desiring success in material
activities worship the celestial gods, since material rewards manifest quickly.
V13 - It is I who engineered the division of men into four varna (castes)
based on their guna (innate nature) and karma (earthly duties) but yet although
I am the creator of this system, know me to be the non-doer and eternal.
It
may also be noted that while V11 is a replica of V9, V12 is a worn out
ritualistic hymn and V13 comes from nowhere, without rhyme or reason, with its
second line being the borrowing of the first line of the succeeding v14 and the
last one a rehash of the verse of the seventh chapter that follows it hereunder
–
Ch4, V14
Detached Am from what happens
It's this knowledge that frees man.
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛihā
iti māṁ yo
’bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate.
And onto –
Ch7, V12
Virtue, passion so too delusion
Send I forth though all of them
Come to dwell
in none of them
ye chaiva sāttvikā
bhāvā rājasās tāmasāśh cha ye
matta eveti tān viddhi na tvahaṁ teṣhu te mayi
So,
going by Krishna’s narrative up to V10, it is left for man to make it to the Him
and in V14 he’s
detached from the goings on in this world, so his alleged creation of the four
castes that too based on group nature does not jell, and moreover, he had
stated that
Ch6, V5
Noble or
naughty it’s thy make
Self thus thine but shapes thyself
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
Now the following v24 to v32
that are of religious / ritualistic nature, like in the previous chapter,
clearly are out of context besides being prejudicial to the Gita’s philosophical
character. Moreover, prior to this seemingly interpolated body of eleven slokas, the nature of the
Supreme Spirit and the conduct of those who realize it are dealt with as
follows:
Ch4,V20
He that content leans on none
Resigned he lives in thick of things.
tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgaṁ nitya-tṛipto nirāśhrayaḥ
karmaṇyabhipravṛitto ’pi naiva kiñchit karoti saḥ
Ch4,V21
Mind if keeps thy greed at bay
It’s no sin thou meet thy needs.
nirāśhīr yata-chittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ
śhārīraṁ
kevalaṁ
karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣham
Ch4,V22
One that truly well realized
Happy being with his share
Rids of envy from his mind
Easy he feels ever engaged
Treats he alike grief ’n joy
Wins ’n losses not to speak.
yadṛichchhā-lābha-santuṣhṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ
samaḥ
siddhāvasiddhau cha kṛitvāpi na nibadhyate
Ch4, V23
Acts of man to favour none
Grace they have of deeds selfless.
gata-saṅgasya muktasya jñānāvasthita-chetasaḥ
yajñāyācharataḥ karma samagraṁ pravilīyate
After the self-actualization clues is this recurring ritualistic regimen that’s an anathema to Krishna!
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brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā
For those who are completely absorbed in God-consciousness, the oblation is Brahman, the ladle with which it is offered is Brahman, the act of offering is Brahman, and the sacrificial fire is also Brahman. Such persons, who view everything as God, easily attain him.
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daivam evāpare yajñaṁ yoginaḥ paryupāsate
brahmāgnāvapare yajñaṁ yajñenaivopajuhvati
Some yogis worship the celestial gods with material offerings unto them. Others worship perfectly who offer the self as sacrifice in the fire of the Supreme Truth.
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śhabdādīn viṣhayānanya indriyāgniṣhu juhvati
Others offer
hearing and other senses in the sacrificial fire of restraint. Still others
offer
sound and other
objects of the senses as sacrifice in the fire of the senses.
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sarvāṇīndriya-karmāṇi prāṇa-karmāṇi chāpare
ātma-sanyama-yogāgnau juhvati jñāna-dīpite
Some, inspired by knowledge, offer the functions of
all their senses and their life energy in the fire of the controlled mind.
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dravya-yajñās
tapo-yajñā yoga-yajñās tathāpare
swādhyāya-jñāna-yajñāśh cha yatayaḥ sanśhita-vratāḥ
Some offer their wealth as sacrifice, while others offer severe austerities
as sacrifice. Some practice the eight-fold path of yogic practices, and yet
others study the scriptures and cultivate knowledge as sacrifice, while
observing strict vows.
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apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ prāṇe ’pānaṁ tathāpare
prāṇāpāna-gatī
ruddhvā prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ
Still others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath
in the incoming breath, while some offer the incoming breath into the
outgoing breath. Some arduously practice prāṇāyām and restrain the incoming
and outgoing breaths, purely absorbed in the regulation of the life-energy.
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apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇān prāṇeṣhu juhvati
sarve ’pyete yajña-vido yajña-kṣhapita-kalmaṣhāḥ
Yet others curtail their food intake and offer the
breath into the life-energy as sacrifice. All these knowers of sacrifice are
cleansed of their impurities as a result of such performances.
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yajña-śhiṣhṭāmṛita-bhujo yānti brahma sanātanam
nāyaṁ
loko ’styayajñasya kuto ’nyaḥ kuru-sattama
Those who know the secret of sacrifice, and engaging
in it, partake of its remnants that are like nectar, advance toward the
Absolute Truth. O best of the Kurus, those who perform no sacrifice find no
happiness either in this world or the next.
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evaṁ bahu-vidhā yajñā vitatā brahmaṇo mukhe
karma-jān viddhi tān sarvān evaṁ jñātvā vimokṣhyase
All these different kinds of sacrifice have been described in the Vedas.
Know them as originating from different types of work; this understanding cuts
the knots of material bondage.
What
is more, the discontinuity in the discourse, brought about by the body of the
above interpolative verses, would be self-evident if we read the
preceding v23 (cited already) and the succeeding v33 of this very chapter:
Ch4, V23
Acts of man to favour none
Grace they have of deeds selfless.
gata-saṅgasya muktasya jñānāvasthita-chetasaḥ
yajñāyācharataḥ karma samagraṁ pravilīyate
Ch4, V33
Better wise deeds than acts selfless
Wise thus strive to better themselves.
śhreyān dravya-mayād
yajñāj jñāna-yajñaḥ parantapa
sarvaṁ
karmākhilaṁ pārtha jñāne parisamāpyate
And then this
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tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśhnena sevayā
upadekṣhyanti
te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśhinaḥ
Learn the Truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him with
reverence and render service unto him. Such an enlightened Saint can impart
knowledge unto you because he has seen the Truth.
This
indeed is laughable to say the least for not only was Krishna imparting divine
wisdom to Arjuna at that very moment that is but also is absurd in the context
of the discourse fashioned to set the latter’s fears at rest in the battlefield
itself, then and there.
Chapter
5: Karma–Sanyasa Yoga
What characterizes the interpolations in this chapter of 29 verses is the tasteless ‘Omnipresence of the Supreme in Brahmins, cows,
elephants, dogs and dog eaters’ of v18, which could be but an interpolation as
it ill-behoves Krishna’s eloquence and his sophistication of expression seen
throughout the genuine text.
Moreover,
V27-v28 that deal with yogic practices and V29, which asserts the Supreme as the beneficiary of sacrificial
rituals, are but interpolation for reasons that bear no repetition.
In
response to Arjuna’s plea at the very outset, Krishna delves into the renunciation
of action.
Ch5,
V1
Pray
be clear, as Thee aver
Act ’n give up in selfsame breath.
sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛiṣhṇa punar yogaṁ cha śhansasi
yach chhreya etayor ekaṁ tan me brūhi su-niśhchitam
Then,
Krishna sets the tone for the self-help with the opening statement thus:
Ch5, V2
Give up all ’n thou be freed
So’s
the case with selfless work
But know latter scores much better.
sannyāsaḥ karma-yogaśh cha niḥśhreyasa-karāvubhau
tayos tu karma-sannyāsāt karma-yogo viśhiṣhyate
Continuing in the same vein, Krishna
affirms that –
Ch5, V17
In clear conscience ’n fairness
Gives man freedom faith in Him.
tad-buddhayas tad-ātmānas tan-niṣhṭhās tat-parāyaṇāḥ
gachchhantyapunar-āvṛittiṁ jñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣhāḥ
Next appears the silly and tasteless description of the Omnipresence
of the Supreme in Brahmans, cows, elephants, dogs, and dog eaters! Wonder if this is not an idiotic
interpolation, then what it is only the blind votaries of the Gita ‘as it is’ can explain
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vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śhuni chaiva śhva-pāke cha paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśhinaḥ
The truly learned, with the eyes of divine knowledge, see with equal
vision a Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater.
In
contrast, the succeeding verse is the true successor of the former (V17).
Ch5, V19
Keeps who equity ever in thought
Faultless being attains he Brahman.
ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo yeṣhāṁ sāmye sthitaṁ manaḥ
nirdoṣhaṁ hi samaṁ brahma tasmād brahmaṇi te sthitāḥ
Now, over to the other interpolations -
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sparśhān kṛitvā bahir bāhyānśh chakṣhuśh chaivāntare bhruvoḥ
prāṇāpānau
samau kṛitvā
nāsābhyantara-chāriṇau
Keeping external sense objects
outside, and eyes in the center of the eyebrows, and also equalizing the
incoming and outgoing flow of breath inside the nostrils;
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yatendriya-mano-buddhir
munir mokṣha-parāyaṇaḥ
vigatechchhā-bhaya-krodho yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ
That person who has restrained his senses, mind and intellect, and whose
ultimate goal is liberation, who is devoid of desire, fear and anger; that
person is also a monk, he is ever liberated.
The v27 that
deal with yogic practices and v28 for its ascetic association with it would not
fit even in the Gita’s spiritual space and thus are but interpolations for
reasons that bear no repetition.
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bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśhvaram
suhṛidaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śhāntim ṛichchhati
Having realized Me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the
Supreme Lord of all the worlds and the selfless Friend of all living beings, My
devotee attains peace.
This Supreme as the beneficiary of the sacrificial rituals is but an
interpolative hat, and thus these four verses are nothing but inane
interpolations.
Chapter
- 6: Ātma
Samyama Yoga
This chapter of 47 verses
deals with all aspects of self-control needed for renunciation in action. Here
Arjuna’s queries as to what would be the fate of man in his efforts at self-
control were he to fail midway, (v37). Even if it were the case, assures Krishna, still one wouldn't
come to grief here or hereafter (v40). In this context of the
renunciation in action, the yoga-class that follows (v10-v17) informative
though, is but a square peg in the round philosophical
hole that this discourse is, and so the following verses are but interpolations,
even going by what is stated in the very opening verse by Krishna:
Ch6, V1
Forego none if forsake chores
Eye not gain ’n thou be freed.
anāśhritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ
sa sannyāsī cha yogī cha na niragnir na chākriyaḥ
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yogī yuñjīta satatam
ātmānaṁ
rahasi sthitaḥ
ekākī yata-chittātmā nirāśhīr aparigrahaḥ
Those seeking
Yogice state must reside in seclusion, constantly engaged in meditation
with a controlled mind and body, getting rid of
desires and possessions for enjoyment.
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śhuchau deśhe pratiṣhṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ
nātyuchchhritaṁ nāti-nīchaṁ chailājina-kuśhottaram
To practice Yog, one should make an āsan (seat) in a sanctified
place, by placing kuśh grass,
deer skin, and a cloth, one over the other. The āsan should
be neither too high nor too low.
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tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛitvā yata-chittendriya-kriyaḥ
upaviśhyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātma-viśhuddhaye
Seated firmly on
it, the yogi should strive to purify the mind by focusing it in meditation with
one pointed concentration, controlling all thoughts and activities.
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samprekṣhya nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ diśhaśh chānavalokayan
He must hold the
body, neck, and head firmly in a straight line, and gaze at the tip of the
nose, without allowing the eyes to wander.
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praśhāntātmā
vigata-bhīr brahmachāri-vrate sthitaḥ
manaḥ sanyamya mach-chitto yukta āsīta
mat-paraḥ
Thus,with
a serene, fearless, and unwavering mind, and staunch in the vow of celibacy,
the vigilant yogi should meditate on me, having me alone as the supreme goal.
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yuñjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī niyata-mānasaḥ
śhantiṁ
nirvāṇa-paramāṁ mat-sansthām adhigachchhati
Thus,
constantly keeping the mind absorbed in me, the yogi of disciplined mind
attains nirvāṇ, and abides in me in
supreme peace.
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nātyaśhnatastu yogo
’sti na chaikāntam anaśhnataḥ
na chāti-svapna-śhīlasya jāgrato naiva chārjuna
O
Arjun, those who eat too much or eat too little, sleep too much or too little,
cannot attain success in Yog.
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yuktāhāra-vihārasya
yukta-cheṣhṭasya karmasu
yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā
But those who are temperate in eating and recreation,
balanced in work, and regulated in sleep, can mitigate all sorrows by
practicing Yog.
Besides the irrelevant above, the
following verses (v41-v42) appetizing though for the yoga enthusiasts, are clear
interpolations for the same reason as the preceding ones.
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prāpya puṇya-kṛitāṁ lokān uṣhitvā śhāśhvatīḥ samāḥ
śhuchīnāṁ
śhrīmatāṁ
gehe yoga-bhraṣhṭo ’bhijāyate
The unsuccessful yogis, upon death, go to the abodes
of the virtuous. After dwelling there for many ages, they are again reborn in
the earth plane, into a family of pious and prosperous people.
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atha vā yoginām eva
kule bhavati dhīmatām
etad dhi durlabhataraṁ loke janma yad īdṛiśham
Else, if they had developed dispassion due to long practice of Yog, they
are born into a family endowed with divine wisdom. Such a birth is very
difficult to attain in this world.
Hence, these irrelevant ‘yoga ten’ are clear interpolations,
and if we were to concede the irreverent argument of some that they would have
been incorporated later for holistic reasons, then that in itself is an
admission of interpolations in the original text.
Chapter – 7: Gjnāna Vigjnāna Yoga
This chapter of 30 verses is about understanding the nature of the Supreme through
knowing and meditation. However, v20-v23 besides breaking the continuity in the character of the
discourse, advocate worship of gods for boon seeking that Krishna, as already
seen, has chastised in Ch2, v42-v44. In order to
appreciate that v20-v23 are
interpolations, one my see how the original narrative runs, prior to their
insertion, and subsequently thereafter.
Ch7, V14
If thee forsake well and true
To Me then thou come ’n grasp
Natures these Mine illusions.
daivī hyeṣhā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te
Ch7, V18
Noble
as all worship Me
The knower true is selfsame Me.
udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam
āsthitaḥ sa
hi yuktātmā mām evānuttamāṁ gatim
Ch7,
V19
Once
in a while
Births after many,
Born who knows
I pervade worlds.
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ
sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
Then appear these inanities
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kāmais
tais tair hṛita-jñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ
taṁ taṁ niyamam āsthāya prakṛityā niyatāḥ svayā
Those whose knowledge has been carried away
by material desires surrender to the celestial gods. Following their own
nature, they worship the devatās,
practicing rituals meant to propitiate these celestial personalities.
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yo yo yāṁ yāṁ tanuṁ bhaktaḥ śhraddhayārchitum ichchhati
tasya tasyāchalāṁ śhraddhāṁ tām eva vidadhāmyaham
Whatever celestial form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I
steady the faith of such a devotee in that form.
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sa tayā śhraddhayā
yuktas tasyārādhanam īhate
labhate cha tataḥ kāmān mayaiva vihitān hi tān
Endowed with faith, the devotee worships a
particular celestial god and obtains the
objects of desire. But in reality, I alone
arrange these benefits.
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antavat tu
phalaṁ teṣhāṁ tad bhavatyalpa-medhasām
devān deva-yajo yānti mad-bhaktā yānti mām api
But the fruit gained by these people of small
understanding is perishable. Those who worship the celestial gods go to the
celestial abodes, while my devotees come to me
Now back to
good sense with
Ch7,
V24
Unmanifest Am State Supreme
But saddle Me with form uncouth.
avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ manyante mām abuddhayaḥ
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mamāvyayam anuttamam
Ch7, V25
Dull in delusion won’t perceive
Me that’s unborn veiled from them.
nāhaṁ prakāśhaḥ sarvasya
yoga-māyā-samāvṛitaḥ
mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam
Hence, undoubtedly v20 –v23 can be taken as inane interpolations.
Chapter
- 8: Akshara
Parabrahma Yoga
This 28-verses chapter
deals with an un-wavering devotion to the Supreme to attain Him besides the
science of meditation to realize the Brahman towards the same end. It can be seen below how v5 places the cart
before the horse, and why v9-v14 too, are
interpolations that is going by their content that’s out of context.
However, the interpolations that take the cake are the superstitious v23-v27 that pollute an otherwise thought-elevating work, and as already
noted, it was to Sir Edwin Arnold credit that he deleted these from his
timeless The Song Celestial.
So, to see all these interpolations in their improper
place, one may appreciate the text and the context of this chapter that opens
with Arjuna’s query to Krishna thus:
Ch8, V1
O Lord appraise what’s Brahman
Lies what within ’n backs action
Nature of deities besides the beings.
kiṁ tad brahma kim adhyātmaṁ kiṁ karma puruṣhottama
adhibhūtaṁ cha
kiṁ
proktam adhidaivaṁ kim uchyate
Ch8, V2
What is that guides bodily acts,
What makes yogis realize Thee?
adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko ’tra dehe ’smin madhusūdana
prayāṇa-kāle
cha kathaṁ
jñeyo ’si niyatātmabhiḥ
And thus spoke Krishna,
Ch8, V3
Self-Imperishable is Brahman
But dwells it yet there in beings
Brings that forth is Act Supreme.
akṣharaṁ brahma paramaṁ svabhāvo ’dhyātmam uchyate
bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-sanjñitaḥ
Ch8, V4
Perish
as beings all in time
Spirit
that lasts of them is Me.
adhibhūtaṁ kṣharo bhāvaḥ puruṣhaśh chādhidaivatam
adhiyajño ’ham evātra dehe deha-bhṛitāṁ vara
Now
note this -
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anta-kāle cha mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ
prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāstyatra sanśhayaḥ
Those who relinquish
the body while remembering Me at the moment of death will come to Me. There is
certainly no doubt about this.
And
going by the following, the above is a prehash of the same -
Ch8, V6
In the end the way one tends
Charts that future course he takes.
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajatyante kalevaram
taṁ tam
evaiti kaunteya sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
Ch8, V7
If thou act with this in mind
In the end thou gain Me true,
By My word now opt for war
With thy strength ’n skill I gave.
tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu mām anusmara yudhya cha
mayyarpita-mano-buddhir mām evaiṣhyasyasanśhayam
Ch8, V8
Me they reach whoso keep
On Me focus as they work.
yam yam vapi smaran
bhavam tyajatyante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah
So,
as v5, places the v8 cart before the horse, here comes v3’s expansion of after the closure of the subject
as above
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kaviṁ purāṇam anuśhāsitāram
aṇor aṇīyānsam anusmared yaḥ
sarvasya dhātāram
achintya-rūpam
āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt
He who is omniscient, timeless, the commander, subtler than the subtlest,
protector of all, incomprehensible, brilliant like the sun, beyond darkness,
(one) contemplates (him).
Now follows a mixture of lectures on yoga, meditation, celebicy etc.
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prayāṇa-kāle manasāchalena
bhaktyā yukto yoga-balena chaiva
bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśhya samyak
sa taṁ
paraṁ
puruṣham
upaiti divyam
At the time of departure, endowed with devotion, an unwavering mind, as
well as the power of yoga, fully establishing the praanaas in the centre of the
eyebrows, he attains that supreme divine person.
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yad akṣharaṁ veda-vido vadanti
viśhanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ
yad ichchhanto brahmacharyaṁ charanti
tat te padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣhye
Scholars
of the Vedas describe Him as Imperishable; great ascetics practice the vow of
celibacy and renounce worldly pleasures to enter into Him. I shall now explain
to you briefly the path to that goal.
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arva-dvārāṇi sanyamya mano hṛidi nirudhya cha
mūrdhnyādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām
Restraining all the gates of the body and
fixing the mind in the heart region, and then drawing the life-breath to the
head, one should get established in steadfast yogic concentration.
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oṁ ityekākṣharaṁ brahma vyāharan mām anusmaran
yaḥ
prayāti tyajan dehaṁ sa yāti paramāṁ gatim
One who
departs from the body while remembering Me, the Supreme Personality, and
chanting the syllable Om, will attain the supreme goal.
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ananya-chetāḥ satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśhaḥ
tasyāhaṁ
sulabhaḥ
pārtha nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ
O Parth, for those
yogis who always think of Me with exclusive devotion, I am easily attainable
because of their constant absorption in Me.
And here we
have the v23-v27 superstitious
kit, the pièce de résistance that was broached
at the beginning of this chapter introduction, and before, which, if
literally taken, would imply that if one dies when the moon is on the ascent he
would be heaven bound and, to hell, if it’s other way round. So, Sir Edwin
Arnold, one of the foremost to translate the Gita that was way back in 1885, dismissed
these as the work of some vedānti and thought it fit, justifiably at
that, not to include them in his The Song Celestial, of course, along with the tailpiece v28.
In this connection it may be noted that the relationship between
the state, in which a person dies, and his imminent rebirth is covered in Ch14, v14 ‘n v15, which are seemingly
authentic.
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yatra kāle tvanāvṛittim āvṛittiṁ chaiva yoginaḥ
prayātā yānti taṁ kālaṁ vakṣhyāmi bharatarṣhabha
But,
(there exists) the path of no return for a yogi who is leaving his body, and
also the path of return, I shall speak about those, O scion of the Bharatas.
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agnir jyotir ahaḥ śhuklaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam
tatra prayātā gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ
Fire, light, day, the bright
(fortnight of the month), the northern movement comprising six months; those
people who have departed through that path, knowers of brahman attain brahman.
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dhūmo rātris tathā kṛiṣhṇaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā dakṣhiṇāyanam
tatra chāndramasaṁ jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate
Smoke, night, darkness and the
southern movement comprising six months; the yogi (travels through) that path,
attains the light of the moon, to return.
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śhukla-kṛiṣhṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śhāśhvate mate
ekayā yātyanāvṛittim anyayāvartate punaḥ
For, bright and dark, both these
paths have been known since eternity. By one, the traveller does not have to
return, by the other, he has to return again.
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naite sṛitī pārtha jānan yogī muhyati kaśhchana
tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna
Yogis who know the secret of these two paths, O
Parth, are never bewildered. Therefore, at all times be situated in Yog (union with
God).
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vedeṣhu yajñeṣhu tapaḥsu chaiva
dāneṣhu
yat puṇya-phalaṁ pradiṣhṭam
atyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā
yogī paraṁ
sthānam upaiti chādyam
The yogis, who know this secret, gain merit far beyond
the fruits of Vedic rituals, the study of the Vedas, performance of sacrifices,
austerities, and charities. Such yogis reach the Supreme Abode.
It is worth
noting that v1- v4, v6- v8 and v15-v22 of this
chapter, if read together would bear an unmistakable continuity of argument
that these thirteen interpolations as above deprive it.
Chapter
- 9: Raja–Vidya–Raja–Guhya
Yoga
,
This
chapter of 34 verses describing various ways of
attaining the Supreme lends itself readily for interpolations, and what is more
given the seemingly incomplete exposition of the promised dharma in v2,
possibly in the in vogue Gita, there could be some omissions that the original had
contained.
At the outset alert, Krishna tells Arjuna
Ch9, V1
Thus spoke the Lord:
Unenvied as thou I would tell
The art of leading fruitful life.
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
idaṁ tu
te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣhyāmyanasūyave
jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt,
So,
it goes without saying that until and unless one overcomes his envious
tendencies, ‘the art of leading fruitful life’ that Krishna revealed would be
of no avail, but neither Gita’s commentators nor the gita-chāryās seldom, if ever, stress upon this enabling
condition for grasping Gita’s philosophy!
However,
hoping that our readers would have grasped the import of Krishna’s above
averment for their self-enlightenment; now back the Gita’s interpolative course
with the following verses.
Ch9, V2 ,
Supreme secret that’s sacred
Profound dharma for mankind
Fair and simple, practicable.
rāja-vidyā
rāja-guhyaṁ pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakṣhāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam
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sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya
prakṛitiṁ yānti māmikām
kalpa-kṣhaye
punas tāni kalpādau visṛijāmyaham
At the end of one kalp, all living beings merge
into My primordial material energy. At
the beginning of the next
creation, O son of Kunti, I manifest them again.
As can be seen, the above contravenes the following (Ch8, v15-v16) besides echoing
the interpolative v18
-
v19 of this
chapter.
Ch8, V15
Having come to stay with Me
Get they rid of births and deaths.
mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśhāśhvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ sansiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
Ch8, V16
Journey to
Brahman holds return ticket
Journeys back none abode from Mine.
ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino ’rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate
Next comes v15 but before that, so as to see it in its
interpolative colours, we must view its preding prisinte substance as under
Ch9, V13
With Me in mind well-meaning
See they beings sourced in Me.
mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛitim āśhritāḥ
bhajantyananya-manaso jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam
Ch9, V14
With right intent ’n focus
Such Me worship with true faith.
satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaśh cha dṛiḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaśh cha māṁ bhaktyā nitya-yuktā upāsate
Now
comes the ritualistic version of v14
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jñāna-yajñena chāpyanye
yajanto mām upāsate
ekatvena pṛithaktvena bahudhā viśhvato-mukham
Others,
offering the sacrifice of knowledge, worship me with oneness, separateness and
also multifaceted diversity.
Apparantly,
this is to facilitate v16 to v19 that are but the forerunners to V20 of the next Ch10, and the
ritualistic V20-V21 of this one
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ahaṁ kratur ahaṁ yajñaḥ svadhāham aham auṣhadham
mantro ’ham aham evājyam aham agnir ahaṁ hutam
It is I who am the Vedic ritual, I am the sacrifice,
and I am the oblation offered to the ancestors. I am the medicinal herb, and I
am the Vedic mantra. I am the clarified butter, I am the fire and the act of
offering.
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pitāham asya jagato mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ
vedyaṁ
pavitram oṁkāra ṛik sāma yajur eva cha
Of this universe, I am the
Father; I am also the Mother, the Sustainer, and the Grandsire. I am the
purifier, the goal of knowledge, the sacred syllable Om. I am theRigVeda, Sāma
Veda, and the Yajur Veda.
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gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣhī nivāsaḥ śharaṇaṁ suhṛit
prabhavaḥ
pralayaḥ
sthānaṁ
nidhānaṁ
bījam avyayam
I am
the Supreme Goal of all living beings, and I am also their Sustainer, Master,
Witness, Abode, Shelter, and Friend. I am the Origin, End, and Resting Place of creation; I am the Storehouse and Eternal Seed.
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tapāmyaham ahaṁ varṣhaṁ nigṛihṇāmyutsṛijāmi cha
amṛitaṁ chaiva mṛityuśh cha sad asach chāham arjuna
I
radiate heat as the sun, and I withhold, as well as send forth rain. I am
immortality as well as death personified, O Arjun. I am the spirit as well as
matter.
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trai-vidyā māṁ soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpā
yajñair iṣhṭvā svar-gatiṁ prārthayante
te puṇyam
āsādya surendra-lokam
aśhnanti divyān divi deva-bhogān
Those who are inclined to the fruitive activity
described in the Vedas worship Me through ritualistic sacrifices. Being
purified from sin by drinking the Soma juice,
which is the remnant of the yajñas,
they seek to go to heaven. By virtue of their pious deeds, they go to the abode
of Indra, the king of heaven, and enjoy the pleasures of the celestial gods.
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te taṁ bhuktvā swarga-lokaṁ viśhālaṁ
kṣhīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśhanti
evaṁ
trayī-dharmam anuprapannā
gatāgataṁ
kāma-kāmā labhante
When they have enjoyed the vast pleasures of
heaven, the stock of their merits being exhausted, they return to the earthly
plane. Thus, those who follow the Vedic rituals, desiring objects of enjoyment,
repeatedly come and go in this world.
Now it may be seen that the
following v23-v25 are but interpolative exrtrapolations of -
Ch9, V22
Those as meditate ’n worship
Them I take My wings under.
ananyāśh chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣhāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣhemaṁ vahāmyaham
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ye
’pyanya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ
te ’pi mām eva kaunteya yajantyavidhi-pūrvakam
Even
those devotees who worship other deities, filled with faith, they also worship
me only, O Kaunteya, (but) incorrectly.
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ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā cha prabhureva cha
na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaśh chyavanti te
For I am the recipient and also the
lord of all sacrificial rituals, but they do not know me in essence. That is
why they fall.
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yānti deva-vratā devān
pitṝīn yānti pitṛi-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām
Those who worship deities attain the deities, those who worship ancestors
go to the ancestors, those who worship spirits attain the spirits, but those
who worship me attain me.
It may be noted that for
all spiritual purposes, this chapter would have ended thus:
Ch9, V30
Start
as wicked My worship
Take them all as well realized.
api chet su-durāchāro
bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
Ch9, V31
Tend
I them then turn even
Devout Mine none go restive.
kṣhipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śhaśhvach-chhāntiṁ nigachchhati
kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśhyati
But then we have the inane extension to the above as under:
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māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśhritya ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśhyās tathā śhūdrās te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim
Surely, O Paartha, even those who are born of sinful origin – women,
traders, and also Shudras (labourers), they attain the supreme state by taking
refuge in me.
This, to say the
least, is reprehensible for it is not
only caste-ist but also sexist besides being obnoxious, and there must be
something drastically wrong with those votaries of the Gita ‘as it is’, who believe that Krishna
would have indeed held that view.
Whatever, the moot point is, if as implied,
Brahmin and Kshatriya women (no exemption is given to them as they are clubbed
with Vaisyas and Shudras, men and women together) were to be born of sinful
womb (actually it is paapa-yoni, sinful
vulva, in the sloka), it goes without
saying that their male siblings would not have been any differently born, but it
is yet stated in the same vein that Brahmin men are worship-worthy! Yet this
nonsensical verse is taken as Krishna’s word, equally senselessly by the
Shudras, who have come to grudge the Gita on that score as well!
But lo, in the very
next chapter, Krishna is that which makes
woman’s glory!
Ch10, V34
I’m the death that devours all
As well brings forth that beings
Besides what makes woman’s glory
mṛityuḥ sarva-haraśh chāham udbhavaśh cha bhaviṣhyatām
kīrtiḥ
śhrīr vāk cha nārīṇāṁ smṛitir medhā dhṛitiḥ kṣhamā
And here follows some
prevarication, as if, to dilute V32’s obnoxity.
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kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣhayas tathā
anityam asukhaṁ lokam imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām
What then to speak about kings and sages with meritorious deeds? So,
having come to this transient and joyless world, engage in devotion unto Me.
Now maybe
to assuage the hurt feelings is,
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man-manā bhava
mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣhyasi
yuktvaivam ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ
Always think of Me,
be devoted to Me, worship Me, and offer obeisance to Me. Having dedicated your
mind and body to Me, you will certainly come to Me.
This was
indeed borrowed from the following.
Ch18, V 65
If one remains to Me firm
It’s My promise I take him
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣhyasi
satyaṁ te
pratijāne priyo ‘si me
Needles to say, the above cited fourteen verses are but
inane interpolations deserving to be blue-penciled like the others in this
codification for rectification.
Chapter - 11: Vishvarupa-sandarsanaYoga
This
55 verses chapter is about the Omnipresence of the Supreme Spirit, and owing to the improbability of their being, v9-v14, make
an amusing reading. V3 states that Krishna grants Arjuna the divine sight
required to espy Vishvarupa (His
Universal Form). Of course, the ESP that Vyāsa granted Sanjaya (Ch18, V75) was to enable him to monitor the goings on at the battleground in
order to appraise Dhrutarāshtra
the blind king about the same.
Thus,
only from Arjuna’s averments could have Sanjaya gathered what he (Arjuna) was
divining of the Vishvarupa, which
obviously was beyond his (Sanjaya’s) own espial. But v9-v14 would have him talk
about the Vishvarupa as if he himself
was witnessing the same, even before Arjuna uttered a word about it. However, v29
which seeks to emphasize what was already pictured in v28, albeit with an unnecessary
as well as an inferior, though not silly, simile is but an interpolation.
Having heard about the Glories of the Supreme from Krishna in the previous chapter, Arjuna said
–
Ch11, V4
If Thou so feel, I’m worthy
Let me espy, Thy True Self.
manyase yadi tach chhakyaṁ mayā draṣhṭum iti prabho
yogeśhvara tato me tvaṁ darśhayātmānam avyayam
At that Krishna said –
Ch11, V5
Divine I let thee, divinity
Mine
Of hues varied colours ’n kinds.
paśhya me pārtha rūpāṇi śhataśho ’tha sahasraśhaḥ
nānā-vidhāni divyāni nānā-varṇākṛitīni cha
Ch11, V6
Find Adityās, twelve therein
Vāsus eight,
and Aswin twins
Rudrās eleven ’n Maruts four-nine
Wonders umpteen none else seen.
paśhyādityān vasūn
rudrān aśhvinau marutas tathā
bahūny adṛiṣhṭa-pūrvāṇi paśhyāśhcharyāṇi bhārata
Ch11, V7
May thou discern in My frame
Much more than thy thought would take.
ihaika-sthaṁ jagat kṛitsnaṁ paśhyādya sa-charācharam
mama dehe guḍākeśha yach chānyad draṣhṭum ichchhasi
Ch11, V8
Bestow thee that ESP
Helps
which espy form Supreme
Beyond the pale of god’s own sight.
na tu māṁ śhakyase draṣhṭum anenaiva sva-chakṣhuṣhā
divyaṁ
dadāmi te chakṣhuḥ paśhya me yogam aiśhwaram
As
already discussed at the beginning of this chapter, in spite of his inability
to espy the Vishvarupa,
and before Arjuna had uttered a word about it, Snajaya went on describing
it as if he himself was espying it.
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evam uktvā tato rājan
mahā-yogeśhvaro hariḥ
darśhayām āsa pārthāya paramaṁ rūpam aiśhwaram
O King, then having spoken this,
Hari, the great Yogeshwara, showed the supreme form of Ishvara to Paartha.
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aneka-vaktra-nayanam
anekādbhuta-darśhanam
aneka-divyābharaṇaṁ divyānekodyatāyudham
With
several faces and eyes, showing several marvellous sights, wearing several
divine
ornaments,
armed with several divine uplifted weapons.
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divya-mālyāmbara-dharaṁ
divya-gandhānulepanam
sarvāśhcharya-mayaṁ devam anantaṁ viśhvato-mukham
Wearing divine garlands and clothes, anointed
with divine fragrances, all of these wonderful (sights) were shining and
infinite, with faces on all sides.
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divi sūrya-sahasrasya bhaved yugapad utthitā
yadi bhāḥ sadṛiśhī sā syād bhāsas tasya mahātmanaḥ
Should thousands of
suns happen to rise in the sky simultaneously, their blaze would resemble the
light of that magnificent one.
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tatraika-sthaṁ jagat kṛitsnaṁ pravibhaktam anekadhā
apaśhyad deva-devasya śharīre pāṇḍavas tadā
Then, the Paandava saw the entire
universe with many divisions located in one place in the body of that lord of
lords.
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tataḥ sa vismayāviṣhṭo hṛiṣhṭa-romā dhanañjayaḥ
praṇamya
śhirasā devaṁ kṛitāñjalir abhāṣhata
Thereafter,
filled with bewilderment, his hair standing on end, Dhananjaya, with folded
hands, bowed his head to the lord and began to speak.
In view of Sanjay’s ‘visual’ limitations, this amusing account of his is
improbable for its ever happening on two more counts –
Having
seen Vishvarupa, Arjuna described it in similar terms and more that is after Sanjaya
gave him the mike
Ch11, V15
In Thou find I
Brahma on lotus,
Gods and sages
Beings ’n serpents!
paśhyāmi devāns tava deva dehe
sarvāns tathā bhūta-viśheṣha-saṅghān
brahmāṇam
īśhaṁ
kamalāsana-stham
ṛiṣhīnśh cha sarvān uragānśh cha divyān
Ch11, V16
With no beginning
End none sighted,
Boundless find I
In Thee universe!
aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ
paśhyāmi tvāṁ sarvato ’nanta-rūpam
nāntaṁ na
madhyaṁ na
punas tavādiṁ
paśhyāmi viśhveśhvara viśhva-rūpa
Ch11, V17
Find I
blinding
Light that blazing
From Thy diadem
Club and discus!
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ chakriṇaṁ cha
tejo-rāśhiṁ sarvato dīptimantam
paśhyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣhyaṁ samantād
dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam
So
on, and
Ch11, V31
Who art Thou, this Terrible Thing!
For what avail, mission this Thine!!
Gripped now am with urge to know.
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo
namo ’stu te deva-vara prasīda
vijñātum ichchhāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ
na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛittim
Then, Krishna averred:
Ch11, V47
As
thou please Me, so I’ve shown
Form My Endless, none else seen.
mayā prasannena
tavārjunedaṁ
rūpaṁ
paraṁ
darśhitam ātma-yogāt
tejo-mayaṁ
viśhvam anantam ādyaṁ
yan me tvad anyena na dṛiṣhṭa-pūrvam
Ch11, V48
Take
to penance
Or pore over four Vedas
None that helps to see this Form.
na veda-yajñādhyayanair na dānair
na cha kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ
evaṁ-rūpaḥ śhakya ahaṁ nṛi-loke
draṣhṭuṁ tvad anyena kuru-pravīra
Ch11, V49
Having
beheld My bewildering Form
Now ease with My Form Normal.
mā te vyathā mā cha
vimūḍha-bhāvo
dṛiṣhṭvā rūpaṁ ghoram īdṛiṅ mamedam
vyapeta-bhīḥ prīta-manāḥ punas tvaṁ
tad eva me rūpam idaṁ prapaśhya
Then Krishna added,
Ch11, V52
Ever craved gods ’n angels too
Just to behold what thee beheld.
su-durdarśham idaṁ rūpaṁ dṛiṣhṭavān asi yan mama
devā apy asya rūpasya nityaṁ darśhana-kāṅkṣhiṇaḥ
Ch11, V53
Austerities
well Vedic grasp
Charity,
as well ritual regimen
Get
none to what thou had seen.
nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā na dānena na chejyayā
śhakya evaṁ-vidho draṣhṭuṁ dṛiṣhṭavān asi māṁ yathā
So, we have Krishna’s word that none else in the
universe but Arjuna had witnessed Vishvarupa. Also, Sanjaya had stated towards the very end of the Gita
that –
Ch18, V75
It’s
with Vyasa’s grace I've heard
This peerless art of yogic life
Which Lord Krishna taught Pārtha.
vyāsa-prasādāch chhrutavān etad guhyam
ahaṁ
param
yogaṁ
yogeśhvarāt kṛiṣhṇāt sākṣhāt kathayataḥ svayam
Needless
to say, if per chance, Sanjaya had an improbable peep at the Vishvarupa, he wouldn’t have
forgotten that celestial experience in a hurry and would have surely recalled
it, and mentioned it in the above verse. Besides, he was not known to have lied
at any stage in his Kurukshetra reportage in the Mahabharata, these v9–v14 are
unquestionable interpolations that have all along been seemingly escaping the
attention of one and all! Hope this singular circumstance would enable Gita’s
admirers as well as detractors to see that in the present form it cannot be
taken at its face value for good or bad.
One may see how the inferior v29 as under,
inserted after Vyāsa’s profound v28,
exhibits the interpolator’s unmistakable limitation of imagination:
Ch11, V28
Rivers as run, towards the seas
So these armies, towards Thy mouths.
yathā
nadīnāṁ
bahavo ’mbu-vegāḥ
samudram evābhimukhā dravanti
tathā tavāmī
nara-loka-vīrā
viśhanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti
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yathā pradīptaṁ jvalanaṁ pataṅgā
viśhanti nāśhāya samṛiddha-vegāḥ
tathaiva nāśhāya viśhanti lokās
tavāpi vaktrāṇi samṛiddha-vegāḥ
Like moths enter a blazing fire with great speed for their destruction,
so also do these people enter your mouths with great speed for their
destruction.
Hence, though these seven interpolative
verses, as such are not detrimental to Gita’s philosophical essence, just the
same they prove the point that it was tampered with poetically as well.
Chapter
-13: Kshetra–Kshetragjna
Vibhāga
Yoga
This
chapter of 35 verses deals with the body and spirit
in the first half, and for the rest, about Prakruti (Nature) and Purusha (Supreme Spirit). One might notice that v10,
advocating asceticism to which Krishna was opposed, won't jell with the
rest, either contextually or philosophically, and thus should be seen as an
interpolation.
V22, which states that the Supreme Soul lay in beings as a sustainer,
consenter, enjoyer and overseer, contravenes its very nature expostulated in Ch15,
v16-v18. Besides, as can be seen, it also affects the continuity between v21
and v23 in this, and v30, akin to v15 is an irrelevant interpolation.
It
may be noted that inexplicably though, the first verse of this chapter, is
either omitted from some texts or retained, but traditionally ‘unnumbered’ in
others, for reasons none explained, which reads thus:
Ch13, V0
Thus spoke Arjuna:
What is nature ’n its role,
What is spirit ’n its nature,
What is frame ’n who lords it
What makes feeling ’n sixth sense?
arjuna uvācha
prakṛitiṁ puruṣhaṁ chaiva kṣhetraṁ kṣhetra-jñam eva cha
etad veditum ichchhāmi jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ cha keśhava
So be it, now
to,
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asaktir anabhiṣhvaṅgaḥ putra-dāra-gṛihādiṣhu
nityaṁ cha
sama-chittatvam iṣhṭāniṣhṭopapattiṣhu
Single-pointed devotion in me through unwavering yoga, going to solitary
locations and disinterest in the assembly of people.
Maybe
it’s a way for Nirvana but certainly out of place in the context of Krishna
motivating Arjuna to fight a just war, and thus should be seen as an
interpolation. Before going to the interpolated
v22, a reading of its preceding and succeeding verses is needed
to appreciate its digressive nature.
Ch13, V20
It’s Nature that tends beings
Binding Spirit to one’s own acts
prakṛitiṁ puruṣhaṁ chaiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api
vikārānśh cha guṇānśh chaiva viddhi prakṛiti-sambhavān
Ch13, V21
Spirit that lay in beings all
Inclines to one’s attitudes,
With the ethos it imbibes
Tends it one to like rebirth.
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛitve hetuḥ prakṛitir uchyate
puruṣhaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛitve hetur uchyate
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puruṣhaḥ prakṛiti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛiti-jān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
He
who is the witness, the permitter, the nourisher, the experiencer, the master
and who is also spoken of as the supreme self, is the supreme Purusha in this
body.
Ch13, V23
Gets one freed, as he grasps
Aspects Nature ’n Spirit as well.
upadraṣhṭānumantā cha bhartā bhoktā maheśhvaraḥ
paramātmeti chāpy ukto dehe ’smin puruṣhaḥ paraḥ
Hence, owing to its digressive nature v22 is an
interpolation.
Then to
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prakṛityaiva chakarmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśhaḥ
yaḥ
paśhyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśhyati
When he realizes that the variety of beings is established in the one,
and it is only an evolution of that (one), he then attains brahman. It can be
seen that the above is akin to v15 of this chapter and thus it is an irrelevant interpolation as
well.
Ch13, V15
In beings all ’n objects too
Within He lies, without as well,
If one comes to grasp this well
It’s perception that’s Supreme.
ṛiṣhibhir bahudhā gītaṁ chhandobhir vividhaiḥ pṛithak
brahma-sūtra-padaiśh chaiva hetumadbhir viniśhchitaiḥ
Chapter
-14: Gunatraya–Vibhaga
yoga
This diagnostic
27 verses chapter details
the three human proclivities - virtue, passion, and delusion, and it may be
noted that v3, v4, and v19 that deal
with the Nature and the Spirit are interpolated digressions. So as to pin down
the interpolative v3 ‘n v4, one may read the opening verses of this chapter
with Krishna’s averment.
Ch14, V1
Pass I now thee that knowledge
With which sages free themselves.
paraṁ bhūyaḥ pravakṣhyāmi jñānānāṁ jñānam uttamam
yaj jñātvā munayaḥ sarve parāṁ siddhim ito gatāḥ
Ch14, V2
Knows whoso this reaches Me
Keeps thus births ’n deaths at bay.
idaṁ jñānam upāśhritya mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
sarge ’pi nopajāyante pralaye na vyathanti cha,
Now
these two interpolations,
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mama yonir mahad brahma
tasmin garbhaṁ dadhāmy aham
sambhavaḥ
sarva-bhūtānāṁ tato bhavati bhārata
The total material substance, prakṛiti, is the womb. I impregnate it
with the individual souls, and thus all living beings are born.
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sarva-yoniṣhu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ
brahma mahad yonir ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
O son of Kunti, for
all species of life that are produced, the material nature is the womb, and I
am the seed-giving Father.
It
may be noted that the above two verses are about His role in the birth of beings
that as seen, he had unerringly denied, and also, starting with the next (V5) till the very
end (barring v19 that follows) this chapter is about human proclivities.
Ch14, V5
To tie the Spirit ’n body tight
Uses Nature as its threads
Virtue, passion as well delusion.
sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ prakṛiti-sambhavāḥ
nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam
Ch14, V6
Spirit
as well gets well enticed
By
the charms of life well-led
Steeped
in wisdom and virtue.
tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt prakāśhakam anāmayam
sukha-saṅgena
badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena chānagha
Hence, it can be said that v3 ‘n v4 are not only digressive but also uncharacteristic interpolations.
Likewise, in dealing with
v19, we should focus on
its preceding and the succeeding verses.
Ch14, V18
Echelons
virtuous reach higher
Remain
‘as is where’ passionate
Go
down ladder ever the deluded.
ūrdhvaṁ gachchhanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣhṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛitti-sthā adho gachchhanti tāmasāḥ
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nānyaṁ guṇebhyaḥ kartāraṁ yadā draṣhṭānupaśhyati
guṇebhyaśh
cha paraṁ
vetti mad-bhāvaṁ so ’dhigachchhati
When wise persons see that in all works there
are no agents of action other than the three guṇas, and they know me to
be transcendental to these guṇas, they attain my
divine nature,
thus breaking the
narrative flow only to be succeeded by,
Ch14, V20
Out of orbit if thou go
Of Nature that grips thy mind
Freed be thou of recurring births.
guṇān etān atītya trīn dehī deha-samudbhavān
janma-mṛityu-jarā-duḥkhair vimukto ’mṛitam aśhnute
It can be seen that besides
being intrusive, v19 is also a modified version of the penultimate verse of
this chapter
Ch14, V26
It’s by capping his nature
Wavers he not from the path
That which truly leads to Me
And in end he turns Brahman.
māṁ cha yo ’vyabhichāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān
samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
More
so, it is only in these three interpolative verses that we see Krishna’s personal
involvement whereas in the rest of the text he presents
himself as an impersonal being.
Chapter -15: Purushottama Prāpti
Yoga
This
unique chapter of 20 verses deals with the indwelling
spirit and the Supreme Spirit, and the perishable man and the imperishable Purusha (Supreme Spirit). It can be seen that v9, v12, v13, v14, and v15 are clear
digressions after the fascinating proposition in,
Ch15, V8
Wind as carries scent of flowers
While leaving them as is where,
In like fashion Spirit from frames
Moves its awareness to rebirths.
śharīraṁ yad avāpnoti yach chāpy utkrāmatīśhvaraḥ
gṛihītvaitāni
sanyāti vāyur gandhān ivāśhayāt
Then, here follows this obvious interpolation.
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śhrotraṁ chakṣhuḥ sparśhanaṁ cha rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva cha
adhiṣhṭhāya manaśh chāyaṁ viṣhayān upasevate
Using the sense perceptions of the ears,
eyes, skin, tongue, and nose, which are grouped around the mind, the embodied
soul savors the objects of the senses.
Hence, sans v9, in continuity
to v8, the narrative runs thus,
Ch15, V10
Know not fools in lifetime theirs
Nature of Spirit thus lies in them
But ever on move from frame to frame.
utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam
vimūḍhā
nānupaśhyanti paśhyanti jñāna-chakṣhuṣhaḥ
Ch15, V11
This by striving wise realize
Fail though naive in spite of it.
yatanto yoginaśh chainaṁ paśhyanty ātmany avasthitam
yatanto ‘py akṛitātmāno nainaṁ paśhyanty achetasaḥ
that is broken yet again by the
digressions in V12 thru V15 thus:
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yad āditya-gataṁ tejo jagad bhāsayate ’khilam
yach chandramasi yach chāgnau tat tejo viddhi māmakam
Know
that I am like the brilliance of the sun that illuminates the entire solar
system. The radiance of the moon and the brightness of the fire also come from Me.
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gām
āviśhya cha bhūtāni dhārayāmy aham ojasā
puṣhṇāmi chauṣhadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ
Permeating the earth, I nourish all living beings
with My energy. Becoming the moon, I nourish all plants with the juice of life.
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ahaṁ vaiśhvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṁ deham āśhritaḥ
prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ pachāmy annaṁ chatur-vidham
It is I
who take the form of the fire of digestion in the stomachs of all living
beings, and combine with the incoming and outgoing breaths, to digest and
assimilate the four kinds of foods.
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sarvasya chāhaṁ hṛidi sanniviṣhṭo
mattaḥ smṛitir jñānam apohanaṁ cha
vedaiśh cha sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛid
veda-vid eva chāham
I am seated in the hearts of all living beings, and from Me come memory, knowledge,
as well as forgetfulness. I alone am to be known by all the Vedas, am the
author of the Vedānt, and the knower of the meaning of the Vedas.
As
can be seen, after the above digressive spell, v16 ‘n v17 put the discourse back on its logical course thus:
Ch15, V16
Perish all beings though in time
Perishes not the Spirit in them
dvāv imau puruṣhau loke kṣharaśh chākṣhara eva cha
kṣharaḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭa-stho ’kṣhara uchyate
Ch15, V17
Self Mine Highest that
sustains
Is but different from that One
uttamaḥ puruṣhas tv anyaḥ paramātmety udāhṛitaḥ
yo loka-trayam āviśhya bibharty avyaya īśhvaraḥ
Hence, the
marked verses in boxes are but interpolations
Chapter -16: Daivasura–Sampad–Vibhaga Yoga
This chapter
of 24 verses deals with all aspects of virtue and
evil including how they affect human life. However, V19 which
implies that the Lord condemns to hell those who hate Him reads thus:
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tān
ahaṁ dviṣhataḥ krūrān sansāreṣhu narādhamān
kṣhipāmy
ajasram aśhubhān āsurīṣhv eva yoniṣhu
These cruel and hateful persons, the
vile and vicious of humankind, I constantly hurl into the wombs of those with
similar demoniac natures in the cycle of rebirth in the material world.
But
it may be appreciated that this characteristic of the Semitic God that’s alien
to the forgiving-natured Hindu deities (barring Satyanarayana Swamy, a
relatively recent addition to the pantheon, who punishes those that slight him
but yet prone to recompense after repentance) is an innovative interpolation
that contravenes Krishna’s affirmative averments to the contrary thus-
Ch4, V14
Detached Am
from what happens
It's this knowledge that frees man.
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛihā
iti māṁ yo
’bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate
Ch5, V15
Takes not Supreme credit or fault
Grasp none have of this uncouth.
nādatte kasyachit pāpaṁ na chaiva sukṛitaṁ vibhuḥ
ajñānenāvṛitaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ
Ch6, V31
Me who sees in all beings
He’s the one that dwells in Me.
sarva-bhūta-sthitaṁ yo māṁ bhajatyekatvam āsthitaḥ
sarvathā vartamāno ’pi sa yogī mayi vartate
Ch7, V12
Virtue, passion so too delusion
Send I forth though all of them
Come to dwell in none of them.
ye chaiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāśh cha ye
matta eveti tān viddhi na tvahaṁ teṣhu te mayi
Ch9, V29
None I favour; slight I none
But devout Mine all gain Me true
samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣhu na me dveṣhyo ’sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣhu chāpyaham
and other
such averred in many a context in the Gita makes this interpolation the odd
thing out therein.
Be
that as it may, since He is the indweller in all beings, as postulated by Him, won’t
the interpolative proposition of v19 amount to self-condemnation!
Chapter - 17: Shraddhātraya-Vibhāga Yoga
This
chapter of 28 verses deals with the spiritual as well as the temporal aptitudes
of man. It may be noted that, v11-v13 that deal with the virtuous, the
passionate and the deluded in ritualistic sense, and v23 -v28 concerning Om, Tat, Sat and Asat, of the Vedic hymns are clear interpolations for reasons the
readers are familiar with. However, v7 - v10 that deal with the food habits of
the virtuous, the passionate, and the deluded would pose a problem in
determining whether or not they are interpolations. Can eating habits be linked
to the innate nature of man in an infallible manner? Perhaps, some future
research and analysis might resolve the universality or otherwise of this
averment, and till then, it is appropriate to reserve the judgment on these.
Now to the text as Arjuna asks,
Ch17, V1
None the regard for scriptures
Who tend to manage life their well
What Thou say of such of beings
Virtuous, passionate or merely deluded.
arjuna uvācha
ye śhāstra-vidhim utsṛijya yajante śhraddhayānvitāḥ
teṣhāṁ niṣhṭhā tu kā kṛiṣhṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ
and Krihna begins to clarify
Ch17, V2
It’s one’s nature that tends him
To be virtuous, passionate, or deluded
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
tri-vidhā bhavati śhraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā
sāttvikī rājasī chaiva tāmasī cheti tāṁ śhṛiṇu
Then, after Krishna plays his
part as a dietician in v7 - v10, come these ‘sacrificial’ ten.
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aphalākāṅkṣhibhir yajño vidhi-driṣhṭo ya ijyate
yaṣhṭavyam eveti manaḥ samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ
Sacrifice
that is performed according to the scriptural injunctions without expectation
of rewards, with the firm conviction of the mind that it is a matter of duty is
of the nature of goodness.
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abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ dambhārtham api chaiva yat
ijyate bharata-śhreṣhṭha taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam
O best
of the Bharatas, know that sacrifice, which is performed for material benefit,
or with hypocritical aim, to be in the mode of passion.
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vidhi-hīnam asṛiṣhṭānnaṁ mantra-hīnam adakṣhiṇam
śhraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ parichakṣhate
Sacrifice devoid of faith and contrary to the injunctions of the
scriptures, in which no food is offered, no mantras chanted, and no donation
made, is to be considered in the mode of ignorance.
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deva-dwija-guru-prājña-
pūjanaṁ
śhaucham ārjavam
brahmacharyam ahinsā cha śhārīraṁ tapa uchyate
Worship of the deities, the twice
born, teachers and the learned, purity, straightforwardness, chastity and non
violence, these are called penance of the body.
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oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśho brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛitaḥ
brāhmaṇās
tena vedāśh cha yajñāśh cha vihitāḥ purā
Om, Tat, Sat, this has been
declared as the triple indicator of the eternal essence. By that were created
the braahmanaas, the Vedas and the sacrifices, long ago.
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tasmād oṁ ity udāhṛitya yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ
pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṁ brahma-vādinām
Therefore, when performing acts of sacrifice,
offering charity, or undertaking penance, expounders of the Vedas always begin
by uttering “Om” according to the prescriptions of Vedic injunctions.
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tad ity anabhisandhāya
phalaṁ
yajña-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ
dāna-kriyāśh cha vividhāḥ kriyante mokṣha-kāṅkṣhibhiḥ
Persons who do not desire fruitive rewards, but seek
to be free from material entanglements, utter the word “Tat” along with acts of
austerity, sacrifice, and charity.
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sad-bhāve sādhu-bhāve
cha sad ity etat prayujyate
praśhaste karmaṇi tathā sach-chhabdaḥ pārtha yujyate
The word Sat is used in the sense
of existence and goodness, and also, O Paartha, the word Sat is added in the
sense of an auspicious act.
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yajñe tapasi dāne cha
sthitiḥ sad
iti chochyate
karma chaiva tad-arthīyaṁ sad ity evābhidhīyate
Steadfastness
in sacrifice, austerity and charity is called Sat, and also, action relation
to these is called Sat.
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aśhraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛitaṁ cha yat
asad ity uchyate pārtha na cha tat pretya no iha
Whatever is sacrificed, donated or done, and whatever penance is
performed, without faith, it is called asat, O Paartha. It is neither here nor
after death.
For the reasons cited supra, these boxed are but interpolations.
Chapter
-18: Moksha–Sanyāsa
Yoga
This
chapter of 78 verses that deals
with the aspects of human behaviour based on the three natures - virtue,
passion, and delusion - and the path of selfless action, ends describing the
relevance of, and the reverence to, the Gita. While
v12 breaks the continuity between v11 and v13 with hyperbolic averments, V41- v48 that describe the allotted duties of man on the basis of his
caste are clearly interpolations. In essence, the discourse till v40 is about
the human nature and how it affects man and as can be seen, the duties on caste
lines detailed in the said interpolations have no continuity of argument.
That apart, v56 combines what is stated in
the preceding and the succeeding verses,
and thus both are seemingly interpolations. As in earlier chapters, the
text acquires continuity if only these verses are bypassed.
V61 avers that the Supreme dwells in humans and deludes them all by
his maya. This is contrary to what is
stated in Ch5, V14 ‘It’s his nature but not Spirit / Makes
man act by wants induced’. Thus, V61 clearly is an
interpolation as it contravenes the neutrality of the Supreme Spirit in the
affairs of man affirmed throughout by Krishna.
Now
scanning the text in the light of the above, first of all, one can note how v12 breaks the
continuity between v11 and v13 with
hyperbolic averments.
Ch18, V11
Needs one work to sustain life
Relinquients avoid, overloads all
na hi deha-bhṛitā śhakyaṁ tyaktuṁ karmāṇ