A 02 Invocation 7/6/06 3:37 AM Page 1 < a6 h·[evtgh < É ne6eTu Moybmo3ye ƒ 5jrye feteugkf >uƒ Ruesfk jøo6yeƒ npteghoffep h£uk hxe5etyk , aÒXyeh'yrÅqg˘ 5jrylh=ed\e£ueoufl- hHb Yrehfsp ƒd3eoh 5jrÍlyk 5rÒkoqglh <!< fhmESypy k Ruesor\e[bp∂k _π“etorFdeuynÁfkÁ , ukf Yrue 5etyyX[ng; TA MIreo[ym ©efhuA MdlnA <@< Mn´neotieyeu ymÁrkÁXwneguk , ©efhp¬eu w"Qgeu jlyeh'ydpxk fhA <#< sre‰nofqdm jerm dmJ3e jmne[fFdfA , ne6e ‰ rÑsA sp3l5e‰∑e dpJ3ƒ jlyeh'yƒ hxy <$< rspdkrspyƒ dkrƒ wÏsveg;t-hdTfh , dkrwlnthefFdƒ w"Qgƒ rFdk ij͇/h <%< 5lQh¬mgy1e iu¬6i[e jeF3etfl[mYn[e \{ujøexryl w"nkg rxfl wg‰f r[ewk π[e , aÆÑ6ehorwgT-7mthwte dpue‰3ferÅyfl sm¥lgeT 2ù neG`rX tgfdl w≈ryTwA wK\rA <^< nete\uTrvA stmihh[ƒ jlye6TjF3mÑw1ƒ fefe™uefwwKstƒ xotw6esƒbm3febmo3yh , [mwK sˆfq1nd˜ XtxtxA nknluhef ƒ hpde 5;ueÔetyn•iƒ wo[h[M£rƒos fA «ekus k <&< uƒ bø≤e r/gkF¬/¬h/ySypFroFy odRuXA SyrX- r‰§dXA se·nd±hmnofqdXjeTuoFy uƒ sehjeA , £ueferoS6yyÍyfk hfse n|uoFy uƒ umojfm uSueFyƒ f ordAp sptesptjge dreuk ySh X fhA <*< feteugƒ fhSw"Ñu ftƒ vXr ftm¥hh , dkr˘ st>y˘ Ruesƒ yym iuhpdltuyk <(< [1] A 02 Invocation 7/6/06 3:37 AM Page 2 Ma&galåchara@am o^ pårthåya pratibodhitå^ bhagavatå nåråya@ena svaya^ vyåsena grathitå^ purå@a-muninå madhye mahå-bhårate advaitåm~ta-var!i@(^ bhagavat(m a!$ådaßådhyåyi@(m amba tvåm anusandadhåmi bhagavad-g(te bhavad-ve!i@(m [1] namo ’stu te vyåsa-vißåla-buddhe phullåravindåyata-patra-netra yena tvayå bhårata-taila-p)r@a% prajvålito jåna-maya% prad(pa% [2] prapanna-pårijåtåya, totra-vetraika-på@aye jåna-mudråya k~!@åya, g(tåm~ta-duhe nama% [3] sarvopani!ado gåvo, dogdhå gopåla-nandana% pårtho vatsa% sudh(r bhoktå, dugdha^ g(tåm~ta^ mahat [4] vasudeva-suta^ deva^, ka^sa-chå@)ra-mardanam devak(-paramånanda^, k~!@a^ vande jagad-gurum [5] bh(!ma-dro@a-ta$å jayadratha-jalå gåndhåra-n(lotpalå ßalya-gråhavat( k~pe@a vahan( kar@ena velå-kulå aßvatthåma-vikar@a-ghora-makarå duryodhanåvartin( sott(r@å khalu på@#avai ra@a-nad( kaivartaka% keßava% [6] påråßarya-vacha% sarojam-amala^ g(tårtha-gandhotka$a^ nånåkhyånaka-kesara^ hari-kathå-sambodhanåbodhitam loke sajjana-!a$-padair ahar-aha% pep(yamåna^ mudå bh)yåd bhårata-pa&kaja^ kali-mala-pradhva^si na% ßreyase [7] ya^ brahmå varu@endra-rudra-maruta-stunvanti divyai% stavair vedai% så&ga-pada-kramopani!adair gåyanti ya% såmagå% dhyånåvasthita-tad-gatena manaså paßyanti ya^ yogino yasyånta^ na vidu% suråsura-ga@å devåya tasmai nama% [8] nåråya@a^ namsk~tya, nara^ chaiva narottamam dev(^ sarasvat(^ vyåsa^, tato jayam ud(rayet [9] [2] A 02 Invocation 7/6/06 3:37 AM Page 3 Auspicious Invocation Meditation on Ír( G(tå— O Bhagavad-G(tå, song of the Supreme Lord Himself, You are the bestower of Arjuna’s enlightenment. You have been woven into the scripture Mahåbhårata by the ancient sage Ír(la Vedavyåsa. In eighteen chapters, You are the rain of ever-flowing nectar, non-different from the Lord. O Mother, I meditate upon You; may You graciously enter my heart. Obeisances unto Ír(la Vyåsadeva— O Ír(la Vyåsadeva of formidable intelligence, whose eyes resemble the long petals of the blooming lotus flower, and who ignited the lamp of knowledge, filled with the oil of the Mahåbhårata—I offer my obeisances unto you. Obeisances unto the Lord as the chariot-driver of Arjuna— I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Ír( K±!@a, who fulfills the wishes of His surrendered devotees. He holds a driving-rod in one hand while the other is poised in the expression of instruction, and He is the milker of the nectar of the G(tå. The Glories of the G(tå— The crest-jewels of the Vedas, all the Upani!ads, are as the cow, and the milker of the cow is Lord Ír( K±!@a, the son of Nanda Mahåråj. Arjuna is the calf, the nectar of the G(tå is the milk, and the fortunate devotees are the enjoyers of that milk. Obeisances unto Lord Ír( K±!@a— I bow unto the lotus feet of Ír( K±!@a, the son of Vasudeva, the vanquisher of the demons Ka^sa and Chå@)ra, the joy of mother Devak(, and the universal teacher. [3] A 02 Invocation 7/6/06 3:37 AM Page 4 [4] Ír(mad Bhagavad-G(tå The river of the battle of Kuruk!etra— One bank is Bh(!ma, the other Dro@åchårya; Jayadratha is the water; the sons of Gåndhår(, the blue lotus flower; Íalya, the crocodile; K~pa, the waves; Kar@a, the shore; Aßvatthåmå, Vikar@a and company, the fearful sharks; Duryodhana, the whirlpool; and Keßava is the boatman of this river of the battle that was crossed by the På@#avas. The Mahåbhårata as a lotus flower— These words of Ír( K±!@a Dvaipåyana Vyåsadeva, the son of Paråßara Muni, are a perfect lotus flower. The mean- ing of the G(tå is the beautiful fragrance of this lotus, the various episodes are its stamens, and the enlightening narrations about the Supreme Lord are its nectar. In this world, the pure devotees are the bees who day after day delight in drinking the nectar of the lotus flower. May this Mahåbhårata lotus, the vanquisher of all evils in this age of Kali, graciously bestow auspiciousness upon us. Obeisances unto the Supreme Lord— I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord whose glories are sung with celestial prayers by the gods Brahmå, Varu@a, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts; whose glories are sung by the verses of the Vedas along with their six auxiliary books and the Upani!ads; whose glories are sung by the bråhma@as that sing the Såma-Veda; who the yog(s see within their hearts absorbed in meditation; and whose infinite glories are inconceivable to all beings, whether gods or demons. Before reciting the scriptures that can conquer material existence, we offer obeisances unto the Supreme Lord who is known as Nåråya@a, Nara and Narottama; the goddess of learning Saraswat(; and the great sage empowered by the Lord to reveal the scriptures, Ír(la Vyåsadeva. A 03preface&intro 7/6/06 3:43 AM Page 5 All Glories to Ír( Guru and Ír( Gaurå&ga Preface [ Publisher’s Note, first Bengali Edition, Appearance Day of Lord K±!@a, 1961] Unique in its wide publication and extensive circulation, the Ír(mad Bhagavad-gita appears in various languages, both in India and other countries, along with the com- mentaries of former great saints as well as modern scholars. The commentaries of the prominent Vai!@ava •chåryas such as Ír( Råmånuja, Ír(mat Madhvamuni, and Ír( Ír(dhar Swåm(påd are most noteable, whilst among the proponents of jåna-mårga, or the monistic path, the commentaries of Ír(mat Ía&karåchårya and Ír( Madhu- s)dan Saraswat( are well-known. The commentaries of Ír(yuta Båla Ga&gådhar Tilak and Ír( Aurobindo favour the school of karma-yoga, or the path of action, and are also familiar to modern scholars. Great thinkers of both East and West have ardently sung the glories of Ír( G(tå, being inspired by the ideals of its teachings. However, the achintya-bhedåbheda-siddhånta, theology of ‘inconceivable oneness and difference’ as revealed by the proponents of Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu—Gau#(ya •chåryas Ír(la Vißvanåth Chakravart( and Ír(la Baladev Vidyåbh)!a@a, is concluded by the learned devotees to be most favorable to exclusive devotion. The devotees also embrace Ír(la Bhaktivinoda ¢håkur’s Bengali commentary of Ír( G(tå as a harmonious, spiritual mine of the treasure of divine love for Ír( K±!@a {K±!@a-prema}, the fifth and transcendental goal of life, beyond the four general human objectives of religion, wealth, sense enjoyment and liberation. [5] A 03preface&intro 7/6/06 3:43 AM Page 6 [6] Ír(mad Bhagavad-G(tå In his introduction my worshipful Divine Master, Ír( Gurupådapadma O^ Vi!@upåda Paramaha^sa Parivråjakåchårya Ír( Ír(mad Bhakti Rak!ak Ír(dhar Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj, has revealed to the readers glimpses of his own deep devotional realizations. Although numerous editions of Ír( G(tå are presently available, few commentaries can be said to nurture pure devotion according to the teachings of bona fide divine succession, which has given us the opportunity of service in produc- ing this edition. We shall consider ourselves blessed if the fortunate readers take the all-auspicious essence of this sincere attempt to heart. Sri Bhakti Sundar Govinda Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip A 03preface&intro 7/6/06 3:43 AM Page 7 All Glories to Ír( Guru and Ír( Gaurå&ga Introduction [ of the first Bengali Edition] rFdk «eljp/j.te·. te3ejmorFdspFdt. , sjpg. jluyk ve6 jlyej;9e6Tj.trh < vande ßr(-guru-gaurå&gau, rådhå-govinda-sundarau sa-gu@au g(yate chåtha, g(tå-g)#hårtha-gauravam Bowing down to the holy feet of Ír( Guru, Ír( Gaurå&ga, and Ír( Ír( Rådhå Govindasundara, all accompanied by Their associates, I sing the glories of the hidden treasure of Ír(mad Bhagavad-g(tå. Since Ír(mad Bhagavad-g(tå is very familiar to the learned society, an acquaintance of the conceptions of this edition may be given here. We are followers of the school of thought descending from Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu, so this edition is based on the Ír( G(tå commentaries of the pre-eminent, exalted Ír( Gau#(ya Vai!@ava •chåryas—Ír( Vißvanåth, Ír( Baladev and Ír(la Bhaktivinoda ¢håkur. By the grace of our worshipful spiritual master, O^ Vi!@upåda Ír(la Bhakti Siddhånta Saraswat( Goswåm( Prabhupåda, and from indications in the commentaries given by the aforementioned great pure devotees, in places some new light has been shed, revealing deeper meanings.