Transcendental Nectar of Sadhu-Sanga

 

All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

Auspicious Invocation

om parthaya pratibodhitam bhagavata narayanena svayam

vyasena grathitam purana-munina madhye maha-bharate

advaitamrta-varsinim bhagavatim astadasadhyayinim

amba tvam anusandadhami bhagavad-gite bhavad-vesinim

Meditation on Srimad Bhagavad-Gita — O Bhagavad-Gita, song of the Supreme Lord Himself, You are the bestower of Arjuna’s enlightenment. You have been woven into the scripture Mahabharata by the ancient sage Srila Vedavyasa. 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.

Srimad Bhagavad-gita, we know is the topmost philosophical, scientific and religious treatise. Originally it was revealed to Srila Vedavyas, who is the authority of all Vedic knowledge. Originally the Bhagavad-gita was written in Sanskrit language and later on many commentaries and interpretations have been witnessed. However, we know that Bhagavad-gita is the advice and instruction of Lord Sri Krishna, delivered in Kurukshetra battle field to Arjuna, who accepted Him as his spiritual master. Vedic knowledge descended to Srila Vyasadev through the disciplic succession beginning with Lord Sri Krishna Himself. Only a pure devotee in the line of a bonafide disciplic succession can understand the divine knowledge of Bhagavad-gita. The same is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita and all other authentic Vedic literature. Therefore those commentaries which are not received in any bonafide line of disciplic succession cannot provide the real meaning of Bhagavad-gita and thus will not be beneficial. In this age of Kaliyuga, Lord Sri Krishna Himself descended as Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the mood of a devotee of Lord Krishna. Hence by following the line of Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, we can understand the proper meaning and purport of Srimad Bhagavad-gita, which is known as divine song of Lord Sri Krishna.

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaja, is one of the bonafide teachers in the line of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (disciplic succession known as Sri-Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya) and is the Founder Acharya of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Although many commentaries and translations are available on Bhagavad-gita, the specialty of translations and commentaries of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaja’s Bhagavad-gita is that he has revealed the Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute.

No one can understand the transcendental meaning of Srimad Bhagavad-gita by advanced material knowledge or mundane scholarship. Srimad Bhagavad-gita can be realized only be the fully surrendered soul. One of best examples of the same can be found in the south India tour pastimes of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu which is mentioned in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madya Lila. During the South India tour, Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu met a brahmana, who was reading Bhagavad-gita apparently with incorrect pronunciation. Due to his incorrect pronunciation, people sometimes criticized him and laughed at him, but he did not care. He was full of ecstasy due to reading the Bhagavad-gita and was personally very happy. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked the brahmana, “My dear sir, why are you in such ecstatic love? Which portion of the Bhagavad-gita gives you such transcendental pleasure?” The brahmana replied, "I am illiterate and therefore do not know the meaning of the words. Sometimes I read the Bhagavad-gita correctly and sometimes incorrectly, but in any case I am doing this in compliance with the orders of my spiritual master." In fact the brahmana told that while reading Bhagavad-gita he was able to see Lord Krishna sitting in a chariot and instructing Arjuna. Listening to that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told the brahmana, "Indeed, you are an authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gita. Whatever you know constitutes the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita." Hence according to the Vedas, bhaktya bhagavatam grahyam na buddhya na ca tikaya. One should understand the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam by hearing them from a real devotee. One cannot understand them simply by erudite scholarship or sharp intelligence.

We will be posting the divine message of Srila Bhakati Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaja’s revelations in the form of Srimad Bhagavad-gita: The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute as a regular feature in this e-group. We welcome the questions and comments on the posted topics. To begin with we are presenting the introduction of the book Srimad Bhagavad-gita: The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute by Srila B. R. Sridhar Maharaja.

Introduction

[ of the first Bengali Edition]

vande sri-guru-gaurangau, radha-govinda-sundarau

sa-gunau giyate chatha, gita-gudhartha-gauravam

Bowing down to the holy feet of Sri Guru, Sri Gauranga, and Sri Sri Radha Govindasundara, all accompanied by Their associates, I sing the glories of the hidden treasure of Srimad Bhagavad-gita.

Since Srimad Bhagavad-gita 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 Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, so this edition is based on the Sri Gita commentaries of the pre-eminent, exalted Sri Gaudiya Vaisnava Acharyas—Sri Visvanath, Sri Baladev and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur. By the grace of our worshipful spiritual master, Om Visnupada Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, and from indications in the commentaries given by the aforementioned great pure devotees, in places some new light has been shed, revealing deeper meanings. The devoted reader will appreciate this particularly with regard to the four verses {10.8–11} which were described by Srila Visvanathpada as the four essential verses (chatuh-sloki) of the book.

Generally, Sri Gita is known as an excellent study of the science of religion. The language of Sri Gita is simple and sweet; its mood is grave, extensive and radical; its thought is succinct, lucid and impartial; and its logic is sound and natural. The eloquence of the prologue, epilogue, exposition, review, analysis, synthesis and delivery of Sri Gita is unprecedented and charming in the extreme. Sri Gita is activation for the lazy, courage for the fearful, hope for the hopeless, and new life for the dying. Sri Gita unifies and sustains all ranks, whether revolutionary, occultist, optimist, renunciationist, liberationist, or full-fledged theist. From the atheist of grossly crude vision to the most elevated saint, the essential conceptions of all classes of philosopher are illustrated with clear and powerful logic. The devotees of the Lord {bhagavad-bhaktas} and persons on the paths of action, knowledge and yoga {karmis, jyanis and yogis) will each find the essence of their paths dealt with in a comprehensive and illuminating manner, and thus the book is highly esteemed by all.

The essential and inner purport of the Vedas and Upanisads of the Aryans is directly explained, and the essence of various non-Aryan doctrines can also be found. Sri Gita teaches us enlightenment through the selfless execution of scripturally ordained actions. When the consciousness is thus purified, self-realization or spiritual realization is attained. In its maturity, this pure realization blossoms into loving service in the joyful, divine plane.

From the standpoint of sambandha-jyana or ‘knowledge of relationship’, Sri Gita gives us the conception that the Absolute Reality is a transcendental personality; from the standpoint of prayojana or ‘the objective’, spiritual love for the Absolute Reality is given as the highest attainment; and from the standpoint of abhidheya or ‘the means’, we are taught that one must initially offer all his actions to the Supreme Lord, followed by the cultivation of self-realization favorable to realization of the Lord, and finally surrender to the Lord, to the exclusion of all other endeavors. Ultimately, the means will culminate in the objective when, in one’s perfected spiritual form, one whole-heartedly engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.

Sri Gita has clearly shown the distinctions between the various paths, such as the path of action, including worship of the gods for worldly fulfillment, and the path of knowledge, for the attainment of liberation. The thoughtful reader can note that Sri Gita, by its comparative study, refutes the misconception that the many paths and goals are ‘all one’. Rather, it is stated, yo yach chhradhah

sa eva sah, “A man is known by his faith.”

These verses would warrant deep consideration in this respect:

“The yogi is superior to persons engaged in austerities, superior to the person of knowledge, and superior to the person of action… Therefore, O Arjuna, be a yogi. And best of all yogis is My faithful devotee for whom I am the only goal, and who serves Me whole-heartedly. This is My opinion.” (6.46,47)

Showing the inferiority and meaninglessness of dry renunciation, the gift of Sri Gita is most substantial and positive. Rather then merely renouncing action, one should selflessly offer one’s actions to the Supreme Lord (karma-yoga). Ultimately, based on one’s surrender, one will be inspired to act in devotion (bhakti) for the Lord alone. This is the conclusive and sublime teaching of Sri Gita. In the finest conception, the overall excellence of Sri Gita is found in its gift of devotion. In its full manifestation, such devotion is prema-bhakti, loving devotion to the all-attractive Supreme Personality—Sri Krishna, Reality the Beautiful.

Secret, more secret, and the most secret of all teachings have been given, as the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord (sankirtana), and service in spontaneity (bhava-seva), with exclusive surrender and dedication to the transcendental pleasure of Krishna as the ultimate goal

of life, as sung by the vibrant clarion call of Sri Gita—sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja, and as deeply contemplated by the followers of the lotus footsteps of the Supreme Lord who mercifully appears as the saviour in this age of Kali—Sri Chaitanyachandra, and as corroborated by the divine succession of saintly teachers.

May Lord Sri Krishna accept the offering of this edition.

Swami B.R. Sridhar

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Nabadwip

Janmastami

Bengali year 1368

I did not want to become a big person. That is not my nature. I did not want to move around with many people. I am just satisfied with whatever I have. My spiritual thinking is my life. The conclusions of the scriptures, the advices of the mahajanas, to relish them and practice them and to discuss them in a small confidential circle, that is the main goal of my life.

- Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaja

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