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    Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God
    Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God
    Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God
    Ebook140 pages1 hour

    Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God

    By Swami Prabhavananda

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    Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God by Swami Prabhavananda is a profound interpretation of the timeless scripture that offers readers spiritual guidance, wisdom, and insight into the path of self-realization and devotion.

    Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God by Swami Prabhavananda is a spiritual classic that presents the essence of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most revered scriptures in the world. This interpretation by Swami Prabhavananda guides readers through the teachings of Lord Krishna to Arjuna, offering profound insights into life's purpose and the path to spiritual enlightenment.

    The book begins by introducing readers to the historical and philosophical context of the Bhagavad Gita, providing essential background information for understanding its significance. Swami Prabhavananda's insightful commentary sets the stage for a deeper exploration of this sacred scripture.

    Central to the book is the translation and interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita's verses. Swami Prabhavananda's rendition captures the poetic beauty and spiritual depth of the original text, making it accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

    Furthermore, the book delves into the timeless wisdom imparted by Lord Krishna to Arjuna. Readers will find teachings on various aspects of life, including duty, devotion, self-realization, and the path to liberation. Swami Prabhavananda's commentary offers practical guidance for applying these teachings to modern life.

    Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God is not only a scripture but also a guide to living a meaningful and purposeful life. It invites readers to contemplate profound spiritual truths and embark on a journey of self-discovery and devotion.

    This book is an invaluable resource for spiritual seekers, philosophers, and anyone interested in the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. Swami Prabhavananda's interpretation brings the timeless teachings of the Gita to life, making it a source of inspiration and guidance for those seeking spiritual growth and inner transformation.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRead Books Ltd.
    Release dateOct 19, 2012
    ISBN9781447481041
    Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God

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    Reviews for Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Read for class at Carleton University in 2016. I had read through lightly a long time ago, but used the ISKCON translation. I liked this one much better. Knowing a bit more of the background really helped me to get more out of it this time too. The descriptions in the final chapter of each term as it relates to the three gunas (material constituents) was particularly neat. I often didn't agree with the points of the philosophy (not believing in an eternal transmigrating self). And (relatedly) at times I felt strange that the doctrine was essentially being used to convince Arjuna that it was okay to kill thousands of his family and friends. Still I can see why this has been so widely read and I greatly enjoyed my reading.
    • 5/5
      The classic Indian examination of duty.
    • 5/5
      The best detailed translation work of the Bhagavad Gita out there. It includes grammatical classification for each word, as well as a word for word translation. Every significant translated text should have the level of detail that this book has. As a student of Sanskrit, I would not agree with some of the verse interpretations of this book, but that will always be the case. I found a few typos and incorrect grammatical classifications, but overall it is amazing. The language is a bit dated, but nothing too archaic. A must have for the student of Sanskrit.
    • 4/5
      Beautiful volume, oversized as Arjuna tries to work up his courage.
    • 3/5
      1885 translation of the Bhagavad Gita by a Victorian poet and journalist, who fashioned the Gita in the language of the King James Bible. One of the earlier English translations, and of value for that reason. Also reported to be the translation that Mohandas Gandhi first read as a law student in London with the Theososphical Society.
    • 3/5
      Couldn't get into this. I know, I feel like shit about it. But do you know how many of the words in this were "wotteth"?? Like 30.
    • 5/5
      The great thing about this translation is that it shows every step: from the original script to roman transliteration and great notes on the grammar.
    • 5/5
      I've read this translation, along with Easwaran's three volume commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, more than once. I don't really understand it, but I can see why this is a classic text of world spirituality. What I don't understand is what I need to understand better.
    • 3/5
      Friends,

      why do you love this book? This book is awful. It's very smart, yes, and of course a great classic. But I want you to imagine a dialogue between Jesus and Charlemagne in which Charlemagne says he doesn't want to kill all the Germans because, well, they're his relatives, and it seems a bit silly. And Jesus counters this by saying I AM FREAKING GOD DO WHAT THE F*** I TELL YOU YOU HAVE NO OPTION ANYWAY LOOK I HAVE STARS IN MY BELLY!!!! and follows it up by saying that he, Jesus, determines everything and there is no free will but you *should* do the following things in order to really get to know Jesus.

      Now, obviously I'm being polemical here. The BG has some very nice individual moments; it's a philosophical masterpiece akin to Boethius or Job; and, most remarkably for me, it essentially says that everything a benighted Westerner like myself thinks of when I think of Hinduism is wrong. The step from polytheism to monotheism is pretty much the greatest intellectual leap ever made, and who the heck am I to say that someone who makes that leap thousands of years before I was even born is only worth three stars?

      Someone who thinks that determinism makes no sense in a religion, that Krishna is kind of a self-centered lunatic ("I AM THE CLARIFIED BUTTER! I AM THE HERB!"), and that justifying war by saying that if you're a warrior, you're logically compelled to kill your kin and besides, we have no option, is horrific.

      And yet the hippies love this stuff. Almost as if they were really just repressing their inner Charles Manson.
    • 4/5
      The Bhagavad-Gita, subtitled, Krishna’s Counsel in Time of War, if taken literally, is a little difficult to abide with. A young prince, Arjuna, is on a battlefield, but sees “no good in killing my kinsmen in battle”, and thus lays down his arms. This seems like a very good and enlightened thing to do. However, the lord Krishna, in the form of his charioteer, then instructs him through various teachings that it’s his sacred duty to fight, that he must do so, and in the end Arjuna agrees; his “delusion is destroyed”, something we may have difficulty accepting. Along the way Krishna flexes his might, pointing out in one chapter that among other things he is Vishnu, Shiva, the Ganges, “the thunderbolt among weapons”, death, “indestructible time”, “the dice game of gamblers”, “everywhere at once”, “the beginning, middle, and end of creations”, etc etc. This heavy-handed commanding of Arjuna, similar to God in the Old Testament with Abraham and Job, is also off-putting at first glance. One asks, how can this be a spiritual book, versus an alternate story which might have Arjuna remaining a nonviolent pacifist to the very end, accepting whatever punishment from this overbearing God that resulted? One must read the Gita as countless others have throughout history, as a parable. I believe the “time of war” is the war within one’s own heart in times of difficulty, which are inescapable in life; the enemies one must kill are the desires and attachments which lead to suffering. The way to overcome these is through discipline and a sense of detachment from one’s emotions. This includes losing one’s fear even of death, since it is inevitable for all things, and in fulfilling one’s sacred duties (one’s Dhama) without regard for rewards or consequences. It takes discipline and a steadfastness to do this, but it’s through these means that one can have a tranquil mind, and transcend the limitations of worldly existence. I believe the reason Krishna “flexes his muscles” in the text is to remind us that these things we feel, these powerful emotions which seem so important and like the entire world to us when we feel them, are nothing when compared against the eternity of time and the infinity of space. When put in that context, one sees that we shouldn’t concentrate on them, that they (and we ourselves) are meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but we can ironically use this knowledge to become stronger, and to overcome suffering.Doing one’s sacred duty may in fact require one to be nonviolent, and it’s notable that Gandhi and other spiritual men have appreciated the Gita. As Thomas Merton wrote: “Arjuna has an instinctive repugnance for war, and that is the chief reason why war is chosen as the example of the most repellent kind of duty. The Gita is saying that even in what appears to be the most ‘unspiritual’, one can act with pure intentions and thus be guided by Krishna consciousness. This consciousness itself will impose the most strict limitations on one’s own use of violence because that use will not be directed by one’s own selfish interests, still less by cruelty, sadism, and blood-lust.”It’s an impressive text at 2200-2500 years old, and also poetic. I still recall reading the line “I see…the moon and sun in your eyes” while camping in Yosemite National Park long ago, and thinking of it as recently as this past week. Oppenheimer is famous for having quoted the Gita when he saw the first nuclear test: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”. I don’t think it’s necessarily the pinnacle of philosophical or religious works, but it is profound and certainly worth reading.Quotes:On doing one’s duty, without regard for the results; just doing it:“Be intent on action,Not on the fruits of action;Avoid attraction to the fruitsAnd attachment to inaction!”On enlightenment:“Truly free is the sage who controlsHis senses, mind, and understanding,Who focuses on freedomAnd dispels desire, fear, and anger.”On love:“O Arjuna, only by theunswerving love of a human heart,can my supreme state be seen,and known, and attained.”
    • 5/5
      If you are a seeker then you need to read this!
    • 4/5
      Very much like the other "wisdom collections" of the time. I kind of enjoyed the frame concept of it being a conversations between two characters, rather than the author talking at the reader, such as with other collections of wisdom, but at the same time, I kind of just wanted it to get on with it.
    • 4/5
      For me, this is the best Baghavad Gita translation. Van Buitenen does not seem to have as much of a philosophical agenda as many other translations. The Sanskrit is included (for those of you with a sanskrit dictionary) and the English on the facing page.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely wonderful
    • 3/5
      You really need to be interested and devoted to get something out of this text, but even if the material is not for you there are many wondrous scenes that can change the way you look at the world. So if you can stick with it and keep a clear head then this book has so much to offer, but if you can't then chances are it will just be confusing and you will think it is a waste of time. Definitely not for everyone.
    • 3/5
      I picked this up because it is one of the essential texts of Hindu culture and I enjoy learning the history of culture and religions. This particular text is a series of conversations between the Arjuna (a warrior/prince) and the god Krishna. There are some interesting sections on what is the basis of action is and how we should approach it mentally and overcome our physical desires.I don't like to rate books that can be viewed as religious texts, so I give them all 3 stars as a rule.3/5
    • 5/5
      "As a Seeker you must learn a much higher code of conduct then just those taught to you as a child. This requires your willingness to integrate many points of view. What wisdom list would be complete without at least a few perspectives about the divine? Start with your own then try the Bhagavad Gita. From the East. This version of the Bhagavad Gita is translated for easier reading for Westerners."
    • 2/5
      Religious bullshit that sanctions violence because, according to Lord Krsna, men have souls so what does it matter if you kill them?? No thanks. I neither approve of nor recommend it. It claims truths simply on the authority of itself, which doesn't fly with me.
    • 4/5
      a great and necessary read for all. this translation is superb and accessible. I have read it three or four times now
    • 2/5
      I find Mascaro's introduction too syncretistic in trying to reconcile Christianity and Hindium. Both may be good things, but they are very different things.
    • 5/5
      I will always be grateful to Barbara Miller for her translation of the Bhagavad Gita for one overarching reason: her translation of Chapter 15, "The True Spirit of Man" pointed out the non-duality at the heart of the Gita, something that I had missed in other translations. Here's an excerpt:15:16"There is a double spirit of manin the world, transient and eternal-transient in all creatures,eternal at the summit of existence.....15:18Since I transcend what is transientand I am higher than the eternal,I am known as the supreme spirit of manin the world and in sacred lore."This was very useful to me since it pointed out that Krishna - or the Supreme Spirit - is more significant and more fundamental than both the transient and the eternal. In other words, this is a non-dual insight which goes beyond polytheism, monotheism, henotheism and kathenotheism. There is only Spirit - there is only Ati - and Miller beautifully captures the heart of this wisdom teaching in 15:16 and 15:18.
    • 5/5
      An excellent reading of the most read story in the world. Needleman, reads with the authority of someone who has studied the subject matter in depth for a long time.

    Book preview

    Bhagavad Gita - The Song of God - Swami Prabhavananda

    Gita and Mahabharata

    THE MAHABHARATA is said to be the longest poem in the world. In its original form, it consisted of twenty-four thousand verses, and it grew to about one hundred thousand. Like the Old Testament, it is not a homogeneous work, but a collection of narratives. Its central theme, as the name indicates, is the story of the descendants of King Bharata (Maha means great), and of ancient India, the land where the Bharatas lived and ruled.

    After the death of King Pandu, the Mahabharata tells us, his brother Dhritarashtra succeeded to the throne. Dhritarashtra educated the five sons of Pandu, the Pandavas, along with his own one hundred sons. As they grew to be men, the Pandavas distinguished themselves by their piety and heroic virtues. In consequence, Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra’s eldest son, became jealous and planned to murder them.

    Duryodhana’s scheme was to build a palace in a distant town, and invite the Pandavas to stay there during a religious festival. The palace was made of specially inflammable materials, so that Duryodhana’s servants could easily set it on fire. It burned to ashes, but the Pandavas and Kunti, their mother, had been warned in time, and escaped. Duryodhana believed them dead.

    The Pandavas lived in the forest, disguised as Brahmins, meeting all kinds of dangers and adventures. One day they heard that a neighbouring king was to choose a husband for his daughter. The winner must bend a bow of enormous strength and hit a tiny target. The Pandavas thought they would try. They went to the city in their disguise.

    Suitors had gathered from all over India, Duryodhana among them. One after another, they failed in the test. At last Arjuna, third of the Pandavas, stood up, bent the bow and hit the target with the greatest ease. Draupadi, the princess, threw him the victor’s garland. But the assembled princes could not accept this humiliation at the hands of a seemingly poor and unwarlike Brahmin. There would have been a fight—just as in the story of Ulysses—if Krishna, who was present, had not intervened and persuaded them that Arjuna had a right to his bride. Krishna was a cousin of the Pandavas, but he was not one of Dhritarashtra’s sons.

    The brothers took Draupadi back to the forest, where Kunti was awaiting them. ‘Mother,’ they cried, ‘we have brought home a wonderful treasure!’ ‘Be sure to share it equally, my children,’ Kunti answered; then she saw the girl, and exclaimed in dismay: ‘Oh, what have I said!’ But it was too late. Her word was sacred to her sons. So Draupadi married all the brothers together.

    Dhritarashtra and his son now knew that the Pandavas were not only alive, but allied by marriage to a powerful monarch. Duryodhana was for carrying on the feud, but Dhritarashtra wisely listened to the advice of his uncle Bhisma, which was to send for the brothers and offer them half of his kingdom. So the kingdom was divided. The Pandavas got the worst of the land, a wilderness along the Jamuna River. They cleared it, built a fine city, and crowned Yudhisthira, the eldest brother, as their king.

    Now the five brothers lived in triumph and splendour, and Duryodhana hated them more than ever. His jealousy hatched a new plot for their ruin. The pious and noble Yudhisthira had a dangerous weakness for gambling. So Duryodhana challenged him to play dice with a clever sharper named Sakuni, knowing that the king would feel bound in honour to accept. They played, Sakuni cheated, Yudhisthira lost game after game, staking his wealth, his kingdom, and finally his brothers, Draupadi and himself. All were now the slaves of Duryodhana’s vengeance, subject to insult and cruelty, until Dhritarashtra intervened, and insisted that they be set at liberty and their kingdom given back.

    But Duryodhana worked upon his father until he obtained permission for another dice-match. The loser was to forfeit his kingdom and retire to the forest for twelve years, then he must live for a year in the city without being recognized; if he was discovered, the term of exile would begin again. This game Yudhisthira also lost. So the Pandavas went back to the forest. They made a virtue of their misfortune, practising spiritual austerities and doing many heroic deeds.

    Once, during their wanderings, we are told, the brothers suffered greatly from thirst. Nakula, the youngest, was sent to look for water. He found a lake which was clear as crystal. As he bent over it, a voice said: ‘Stop, child. First answer my questions. Then you may drink.’ But Nakula, in his desperate thirst, paid no attention to the voice: he drank, and immediately fell dead. His brother Sahadeva went out to look for him. He, too, found the lake, and the same thing happened. In this manner, four of the brothers died.

    Last of all came Yudhisthira. He found the corpses, and began to lament. Then the voice told him: ‘Child, first answer my questions, and then I will cure your grief and your thirst.’ He turned, and saw Dharma, the personification of duty and virtue, standing beside him in the form of a crane.

    ‘What is the road to heaven?’ the crane asked.

    ‘Truthfulness.’

    ‘How does a man find happiness?’

    ‘Through right conduct.’

    ‘What must he subdue, in order to escape grief?’

    ‘His mind.’

    ‘When is a man loved?’

    ‘When he is without vanity.’

    ‘Of all the world’s wonders, which is the most wonderful?’

    ‘That no man, though he sees others dying all around him, believes that he himself will die.’

    ‘How does one reach true religion?’

    ‘Not by argument. Not by scriptures and doctrines; they cannot help. The path to religion is trodden by the saints.’

    Dharma was satisfied. He revealed himself to Yudhisthira. Then he brought the four brothers back to life.

    When the period of exile was over at last, Yudhisthira asked for the return of his kingdom; but Duryodhana refused. Yudhisthira said he would be content with just one village for himself and for each of his brothers. But Duryodhana, in the insanity of his greed, would not agree even to this. The older members of the family tried to arbitrate, and failed. So war became inevitable. Neighbouring kings were drawn into the quarrel, until the whole of India was involved. Both sides wanted Krishna’s aid. To both, Krishna offered the same choice. ‘Either you can have the help of my kinsmen, the Vrishnis, in the battle,’ the told them, ‘or you can have me alone. But I shall take no part in the fighting.’ Duryodhana chose the Vrishnis. Arjuna preferred to take Krishna himself, as his personal charioteer.

    The battle was fought on the plain of Kurukshetra, a sacred place of pilgrimage. It was here, just before the armies engaged, that Krishna and Arjuna had the conversation which is recorded in the Bhagavad-Gita.

    The battle lasted eighteen days, and ended with the death of Duryodhana and the complete victory of the Pandavas. Thereafter, Yudhisthira became undisputed ruler of India. He reigned for thirty-six years.

    The story ends with the pilgrimage of Draupadi and the Pandavas up the heights of the Himalayas to the abode of God. On the way, the queen and four of the brothers died: they were not sufficiently pure to be able to enter heaven in their human bodies. Only Yudhisthira, the royal saint, journeyed on, accompanied by his faithful dog. When they reached heaven, Indra, the king of gods, told him that the dog could not come in. Yudhisthira replied that, if this was so,

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