Lecture 1

!Text Book: Bhagavad Gita As It Is His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Mumbai

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita (Class notes and T1: introduction + R1: Introduction )

Srila Vyasa Deva: Compiler of Bhagavadgita

!! Literary

incarnation of Supreme Lord !! Son of Parasara !! Compiler of original Vedic literatures !! Written 1010 slokas

Srila Vyasa Deva: Compiler of Bhagavadgita

!! Selflessly

thought of people in kaliyuga i.e. us !! His vision is perfect !! His fame is spotless !! Firm in vow and truthfulness

What are Vedas?

!! Root

word vitta i.e. to know !! Vedas are known as sruti i.e. that which is heard !! Vyasdeva compiles four vedas

What are Vedas?

!!

One veda is divided into four vedas

!! Samveda !! Rgveda !! Yajurveda !! Atharvaveda !! Aranyakas !! Samhitas !! Upanishads !! brahmanas

1000 sakas (divisions) 100 sakas 21 sakas 9 sakas

!!

Each saka is further divided into

What are Vedas?

!! Furher, Srila Vyasa

deva compiled itihasaas,

puranas. !! Total sakas (divisions) are 4520 !! And total slokas are 1010 !! Vyasa deva has compiled everything for the benefit of human population in Kaliyuga

Unique position of Bhagavad-gita

!! Bhagavad

gita kinchidadhita ganga jala lava kanika pita sakrdapi ye na murari samarcha kriyate tasya yamenana charcha

Gita mahatmya
!! Vishnoh

padam avapnoti bhaya sokadi varjitah !! Gitadhyayana silasya Pranayama parasya ca Naiva santi hi papani Purva janma krtani ca

Gita mahatmya
!! mala

nirmocanam pumsam Jala snanam dine dine sakrd gitamrta snanam samsara mala nasanam

Gita mahatmya
!! gita

sugita kartavya kim anyaih sastra vistaraih ya svayam padmanabhasya mukha padmad vinihsrta

Gita mahatmya
!! bharatamrta

sarvasvam visnu vaktrad vinihsrtam gita-ganodakam pitva punar janma na vidyate

Gita mahatmya
!! sarvopanishado

gavo dogdha gopala nandanah partho vatsah sudhir bhokta dusdham gitamrtam mahat

Gita mahatmya
ekam sastram devaki putra gitam eko devo devaki putra eva eko mantras tasya namani yani karmapy ekam tasya devasya seva

Unique position of Bhagavad-gita

!! vedais

ca sarvair aham eva vedyam vedanta-vid veda-krt eva ca aham (15.15) !! trai-gunya-visaya veda nistrai-gunyo bhavarjuna nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-ksema atmavan (2.45)

Bhagavad-gita
!! Appears

as an episode in Mahabharata !! Is spoken by Krishna, the Supreme Lord, to Arjuna, His devotee and friend !! This historical and transcendental event took place 50 centuries ago, just at the beginning of Kali yuga.

Subject matters of Bhagavada-gita

!! Isvara: Controller !! Jiva: living

entity !! Prkriti: Material nature !! Kala: Time !! Karma: action

The Infalliable Vedic Knowledge

!! !!

E.g. Cow dung Beyond four defects

!! !! !! !! Imperfect senses Commiting mistakes Being Illusioned Tendency to cheat others

Infallible Vedic knowledge

!! Basis

of acceptance !! Four defects !! Faith, integral part of any learning process !! Axiomatic truths

Ways of gaining knowledge

!! Pratyaksha

praman !! Anuman praman !! Sabda praman

!! Only way to understand Vedic scriptures

Sanatana Dharma
!! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!

Religion ? A kind of faith ! Christianity -- Hinduism Islam Sikhism - .. Indian American European Tamil Telugu --.. Faith keeps changing! Dharma That which constantly exists with a particular object That which has neither beginning nor end Dharma of fire is heat and light Dharma of Living entity is to Serve God

Sanatana dharma
!! What

is dharma?

!! Sanatana dharma eternal occupation of living entity