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La Bhagavad-Gita “Telle Qu’Elle Est”

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La Bhagavad-Gita “Telle Qu’Elle Est” LA BHAGAVAD-GITA “TELLE QU’ELLE EST” Sa Divine Grâce A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. PREFACE Le public français a surtout entendu parler jusqu'ici de la voie du yoga et de la voie du jnana (connais- sance libératrice) comme représentatives des doctrines et méthodes spirituelles de l'Inde brah- manique. Or voici que depuis quelque temps son attention est attirée, de diverses manières, sur la voie de la bhakti, par les adeptes de la "Conscience de Krsna". C'est un fait: l'intelligentsia hindoue moderne et, à sa suite, cette partie de l'opinion occidentale qu'a marquée le néo-hindouisme, n'ont pas rendu pleine justice au chemin de la bhakti, tenu pour populaire et mineur, ou, au mieux, subordonné. Il faut assurément faire appel de ce jugement. La tradition bhakta a suscité l'un des monuments les plus grandioses —en ampleur et en valeur— de l'indianité. Certaines de ses manifestations peuvent apparaître déconcertantes, surtout lorsqu'elles se présentent hors du cadre indien. Mais il convient de voir au-delà. Qu'est-ce donc que la bhakti? Le terme se rattache à une racine verbale sanskrite —bhaj— signifiant, à l'actif: donner en partage, et, au moyen: recevoir en partage. D'où le substantif: bhaga, la bonne part, le bonheur, à partir duquel a été formé l'un des Noms divins: Bhaga-van, Celui qui a la bonne part, le Bienheureux. L'adjectif verbal bhakta, entre autres acceptions, s'applique aux personnes qui reçoivent par grâce une part de la vie divine, s'engagent totalement en la cause du Bienheureux, se dévouent sans réserve à Son service. Et la bhakti est la manière d'être du bhakta, érigée en discipline spirituelle et chemin de salut autonomes. Multiforme et remontant à une haute antiquité, ce vigoureux courant de pensée et pratique religieuses s'est diversement organisé, au long des siècles, en fonction de telle ou telle figure ou appellation divine. C'est la bhakti consacrée à Krsna, Lui-même adoré comme la suprême Déité, qui nous intéresse ici. Elle se fonde sur le document sacré appelé Bhagavad-gita (le chant du Bienheureux), reproduit sous le présent ouvrage avec traduction et commentaire. Souvent considéré comme une Upanisad, ce chant jouit dans le Brahmanisme de l'autorité doctrinale la plus élevée; en tant qu'inséré dans la grande épopée du Mahabharata, (1) il n'est pas seulement à la source mais aussi au plus large du fleuve de la Tradition. Le Harivarnsa (appendice du Mahabharata), le Visnu- et le Bhagavata Puranas racontent la geste de Krsna; le Bhagavata oriente la bhakti Krsnaïte dans un sens fortement affectif et extatique, tout en développant l'aspect vedantique de sa métaphysique. Parmi les très nombreuses personnalités qui ont illustré l'histoire du Krsnaïsme, celle de Caitanya doit retenir spécialement notre attention. Il naquit en 1486 à Navadvipa, centre intellectuel important du Bengale à cette époque. Il appartenait à la caste brahmanique. Son nom était Visvambhara-misra. Il fut d'abord chef de famille et maître d'une école où le savoir du temps était dispensé en sanskrit. Mais un pèlerinage à Gaya, en 1506, lui permet de découvrir sa vocation profonde et véritable de grand bhakta de Krsna. En 1510, il devient Renonçant (sannyasi) sous le nom de Sri Krsna Caitanya ou, plus brièvement, Caitanya. Il circula d'abord beaucoup, à la façon des religieux de son ordre, séjourna à Vrndavana, aux lieux saints du Krsnaïsme, puis, en 1515, se retira définitivement à Puri,(2) autre cen- tre visnuïte majeur, où il quittera ce monde en 1533. Le mot sanskrit caitanya signifie "pensée" ou "conscience". Attribué à la Divinité, il prend le sens de Conscience Absolue. Sri Krsna Caitanya veut donc dire: Krsna, Conscience Absolue, ou, si l'on préfère, la Conscience de Krsna. D'où le nom porté par le mouvement religieux qui assume la respon- sabilité de la présente publication. Bien que riche d'une excellente culture brahmanique, Visvambhara a très peu écrit. Sa doctrine a prin- cipalement été élaborée, puis transmise, par ses grands disciples de la première heure connus collec- tivement comme les "Six Gosvamis". Sa métaphysique est délibérément d'appartenance vedantique. Elle comporte des nuances propres que fixera l'appellation d'acintya-bhedabheda-vada: la "doctrine de l'inconcevable différence dans la non-différence". La tension ontologique entre l'âme finie et Dieu, entre la multiplicité et l'Unité omniprésente, est ainsi sauvegardée dans la mesure où elle est jugée nécessaire au déploiement de la bhakti. L'antique et célèbre définition de l'Absolu comme "être-pensée- béatitude" est conservée par Caitanya. Cependant, l'être, pour lui, n'est pas consubstantiel à une pensée impersonnelle et une béatitude qui- escente, mais à une conscience personnelle et un amour passionné (prema) qui provoque intense émotion (bhava) et transport de joie (hlada). Enfin, la théorie esthétique du rasa (saveur poétique), convenablement transposée et enrichie, permet une fine analyse et un arrangement des sentiments religieux spécifiquement Caitanyens et de leur gamme subtile. Quant au culte, l'un de ses aspects les plus originaux consiste en sankirtana, procession de louange chantée et dansée, manière d'oratorio en mouvement pour lequel Caitanya Lui-même composa des mélodies. Il faut aussi mentionner l'invocation répétée: Hare Krsna: ô Hari, (3) ô Krsna. L'original du présent ouvrage est dû à la plume du swami Bhaktivedanta. Il consiste essentiellement en une traduction commentée de la Bhagavad-gita. Il est rédigé en anglais, langue dont le swami a la pleine maîtrise, en même temps que celle du san- skrit et du bengali. En tant que successeur en ligne régulière de Caitanya, l'auteur a droit, selon les usages indiens, à une titulature auguste: Sa Divine Grâce A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Le grand intérêt de sa lecture de la Bhagavad-gita tient donc à ce qu'elle nous propose une interpré- tation autorisée du livre sacré selon les normes de la tradition Caitanyenne. Quant à la version française ici offerte au public, elle se veut littéralement fidèle au texte anglais du swami Bhaktivedanta. Elle s'interdit d'apporter, de son chef, aucune contribution philologique ou doc- trinale inédite. Venant d'un indianiste et philosophe chrétien, cette préface ne saurait se donner pour l'acte d'al- légeance d'un adepte. Mais elle est, de la part de quelqu'un pour qui le christianisme est la Vérité éter- nelle, un geste de sincère amitié. Olivier Lacombe Professeur honoraire Université de Paris - Sorbonne. Olivier Lacombe est également Docteur es Lettres, Ancien Conseiller culturel auprès des services diplomatiques français en Inde, Ancien Directeur d'études à l'Ecole pratique des hautes études (V° section) à Paris, Doyen honoraire de la faculté des lettres de Lille, Ancien Directeur de l'Institut de Civilisation Indienne, et l'auteur de nombreux ouvrages sur la philosophie et l'indianisme. (N.d.E.) (l) Sixième parva, chapitres 25 à 42 (2) En Orissa, Puri est une ville sainte où Visnu est adoré sous le nom de Jagannatha. En Jagannatha, les bhaktas reconnaissent Krsna Lui-même, dont Visnu est l'émanation plénière. (N.d.E.) (3) Hari est un des Noms de Krsna. Le mot Hare est également le vocatif de Hara, qui est un des noms de la puissance interne de Krsna, personnifiée par Srimate Radharani, ou "Celle qui fascine Hari". (N.d.E.) Olivier Lacombe est également Docteur ès Lettres, Ancien Conseiller culturel auprès des services diplomatiques français en Inde, Ancien Directeur d'études à l'Ecole pratique des hautes études (V° section) à Paris, Doyen honoraire de la faculté des lettres de Lille, Ancien Directeur de l'Institut de Civilisation Indienne, et l'auteur de nombreux ouvrages sur la philosophie et l'indianisme. (N.d.E.) Avant-propos -Gita Nombre d'érudits et de bhaktas exprimèrent le désir de nous voir présenter la Bhagavad-gita en une édition complète et définitive. En réponse à leur requête, mais aussi dans le but de donner plus de force et d'ampleur à notre Mouvement pour la Conscience de Krsna, nous avons aujourd'hui le bon- heur d'offrir à tous ce grand livre de connaissance, dans son contenu premier, qu'accompagnent des commentaires en tous points paramparas. (1) Les bases philosophiques du Mouvement pour la Conscience de Krsna sont tout entières contenues dans cet Ecrit sacré. Le caractère naturel et authentique de la voie que représente ce Mouvement se trouve par là établi, caractère d'ailleurs con- firmé à travers l'histoire par les plus grands acaryas. Mouvement très apprécié des jeunes, il recueille aussi un intérêt croissant de la part de générations plus anciennes. Plusieurs pères et mères de nos disciples nous ont exprimé leur gratitude pour diriger à travers le monde le Mouvement pour la Conscience de Krsna. Nombre d'entre eux affirment qu'ils voient en ce Mouvement une grande béné- diction pour les peuples de l'Occident. Mais au vrai, c'est Krsna Lui-même qui en est le père originel, car II l'établit voici bien longtemps; et il fut maintenu à travers le temps, donné à l'humanité d'âge en âge, par une succession de maîtres. Si, dans la fondation et la conduite de ce Mouvement, on nous accorde quelque mérite, ce mérite, nous le contestons et l'attribuons à notre maître spirituel éternel. Sa Divine Grâce 0m Visnupada Paramaharnsa Parivrajaka Acârya Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada. Si l'on doit nous accorder un mérite personnel, que ce soit seulement d'essayer de présenter la Bhagavad-gita "telle qu'elle est", sans modification aucune. En effet, presque toutes les éditions de la Bhagavad-gita qui précédèrent la nôtre furent introduites dans les pays occidentaux par des commen- tateurs qui voulaient satisfaire leurs ambitions personnelles.
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