GITA BHASYA
Sri Ramanuja's commentary on the Gita is a Bhasya, not a Vyakhyana or Vrtti for it gives a connection from verse to verse, from chapter to chapter and from satka to satka.
From times immemorial generations of men and women have turned to the Gita for the solution to their personal dilemmas. The gita affirms the psycological paths of Karma Jnana and Bhakti for the solutions of the problem of life
Gita is a part of the Epic Mahabharata.
Sri Ramanuja's commentary on the Gita is a Bhasya, not a Vyakhyana or Vrtti for it gives a connection from verse to verse, from chapter to chapter and from satka to satka.
From times immemorial generations of men and women have turned to the Gita for the solution to their personal dilemmas. The gita affirms the psycological paths of Karma Jnana and Bhakti for the solutions of the problem of life
Gita is a part of the Epic Mahabharata.
paaraaSaryavachassarojam amalam geethaarThaganDhOthkatam
naanaakhyaanaka kesaram harikaThaa samboDhanaaboDhitham
loke sajjanashatpadhaiH aharahaH pepeeyamaanam mudhaa
bhooyaath bhaarathapankajam kalimalpraDhvamsinaSSreyase
Here in this sloka we have another beautiful allegory comaparing mahbharatha to a full blossomed lotus. It is the lotus which has risen from the lake of the words of Vyasa. Its fragrance is the Gita. It has several filaments in the form of various stories. It opend up into full blossom by the story of Lord Hari. The good are the bees that drink the honey of the lotus and it will be effective in destroying the ills of kali and bring welfare.
Ramanuja propounds in a comprehensive sentence what he conceives to be the situation in which the Gita emerged into being and its principal theme.
The fundamental factor in the situation is God and He is the Supreme reality and attaining Him is the supreme goal. The nature of the supreme reality is brought out in a systematic array of significant adjectives. That the infinite reality is the object of all spiritual aspiration and endeavour is brought out in the very statement of the nature of God. God in his fundamental nature is beyond the reach of souls caught up in the meshes of Maya. This theory of maya itself is to be elucitated in the Gita itself in the sequel. To resolve this crisis, God descends to the realm of mortals out of His compassion and by His own initiative and reveals himself in numberless incarnations. The motive behind such self disclosure is to sustain the souls in the agony of search for Him by furnishing them with the object of their adoration. The unknown and inaccessible Deity presents itself before its seekers and nourishers their devotion by setting before them the object of their devotion. It is a self gift on Gods part. He is the active principal in the resulting communion and worship. The fundamental theme of the message is the doctrine of bhakti directed towards attaining Him. Bhakti is to be developed through Jnana and Karma.
The eighteen chapters of the work are divided into 3 groups, each group consists of six chapters. the first six chapters ramanuja says is devoted to the method of self realisation on the part of the individual self. the proper order of progression in this process consists of the intelectual understanding of the nature of the self, the persuit of karma yoga and then Janana yoga leading to immediate and direct apprehension or vision of the nature of the self. the second grop of six chapters deals with Bhakti Yoga. As the object of this bhakti is God, his glory nature and attributes are delt with. the first group being preperatory and instrumental to this second group. the third group of six chapters accomplishes an intellectual clarification of the matter thus far propounded. it clarifies the nature of Prakriti, Purusha and Purushothama.
Special features.
Truth is the intrinsic and spontaneous character of all apprehensions; coherence theoritical and pragmatic only serves to reinforce the intrinsic claim to truth of cognitions, by removing doubts and contarary conceptions. Among the three fundamental sources of knowledge (Pratyaksh, Anumana and sabda) revelation constituted of the vedas and in particular the Upanishads is our sole authority for the knowledge of ultimate reality. But revelation must be interpreted according to rational canons of interpretation and must be demonstrated to be non contradictory of other sources of knowledge and be itself self consistent. It should also be of such character as to supply knowledge not accessible through other sources. thus it must fill a genuine gap in our empirical and inferential acquired knowledge. Further the attempt to workout a satisfactory conception of reality excluding the insight furnished by revelation must be demonstrated to break down hopelessly. it is under such severe logical reservation that reservation must be adopted. It would be unphilosophical to discredit it when it satisfies these tests. such scepticism if honestly persued, would demolish all knowledge and would eventually cancel itself also. Intelectual progress ultimately consists of advance from partial knowledge to fuller knowledge and the later wholly incorporates itself into the former.
The guiding principle in this process is the criterion of coherence theoretical and practical. the incoherence is the incomplete and the achievement of coherence marks the gaining of fuller insight into reality. This impluse to self completion on the part of human understanding propelled by the criterion of coherence reaches its fullness of satisfaction in the knowledge acquired from vedantic revelations. revelation is neither an alternative, nor an antithesis, nor is it a mere supplement to emperical knowledge gained through perceptual and inferential processes. It is completion and fulfilment of it. Its claim to validity ultimately rests upon this characteristic of completeness. Upanishads are the primary repository of revelation, but they are suplemented by the works of sages and saints, in the smritis, itihasas, puranas and agamas. among these supplementary texts, judged from every point of view the Gita stands supreme.
Contributions to Visistadvaita.
The standard mode of characterizing visitadvaitic theory of reality is to say that it upholds a doctrine of three realities which are the phisical nature in its totality, the individual and infinite souls in all grades of development and the infinite spirit of brahman. The physical nature is real and is genuine part of the total structure of reality is a cardinal principle of the school. Assimilating the traditional classification of the goals of life as Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha the school offers a scheme of three goals. They are material prosperity or Aiswarya, Kaivalya or the realisation of the intrinsic greatness of the self and Moksa or realisation of God. The first one signifies mundane and physical happiness it includes wordly pleasures also hevenly pleasures after death. the ideal means only trasitory hapiness is repeatedly brought out. The second goal (little difficult to concieve) means the realisation of the self of its own essential and intrinsic nature as transcending the body and as consisting of pure knowledge or consciousness. it is recovery by the self of its own innate greatness as a spiritual principle. this too is transitory and inferior to the third ideal. the third ideal signifies the release from the entanglement with matter which suppresses the natural power of the self. it means the gaining and maintaining a direct apprehension of god. this being the proper and ideal exercise of the natural excellence of the self, the apprehension grows into an unlimited and uninterupted joy. infinite joy a joy so overwhelming as to induce and bring about the surrender of the subject of experience to the object in total self dedication. Thus the experience of Moksha consists of the experential knowledge of God, love of God and the final offering of oneself to the eternal service of god. this union with god and its fullness of experience is the essence of perfection.
Contributions to Srivaishnavism.
Ramanuja says that Jnana or knowledge as against karma or action is the ultimate means of release. through meditating knowledge lies the road to liberation. But here again the Grace of the lord is the essential factor.
The fundamental factor in the situation is God and He is the Supreme reality and attaining Him is the supreme goal. The nature of the supreme reality is brought out in a systematic array of significant adjectives. That the infinite reality is the object of all spiritual aspiration and endeavour is brought out in the very statement of the nature of God. God in his fundamental nature is beyond the reach of souls caught up in the meshes of Maya. This theory of maya itself is to be elucitated in the Gita itself in the sequel. To resolve this crisis, God descends to the realm of mortals out of His compassion and by His own initiative and reveals himself in numberless incarnations. The motive behind such self disclosure is to sustain the souls in the agony of search for Him by furnishing them with the object of their adoration. The unknown and inaccessible Deity presents itself before its seekers and nourishers their devotion by setting before them the object of their devotion. It is a self gift on Gods part. He is the active principal in the resulting communion and worship. The fundamental theme of the message is the doctrine of bhakti directed towards attaining Him. Bhakti is to be developed through Jnana and Karma.
The eighteen chapters of the work are divided into 3 groups, each group consists of six chapters. the first six chapters ramanuja says is devoted to the method of self realisation on the part of the individual self. the proper order of progression in this process consists of the intelectual understanding of the nature of the self, the persuit of karma yoga and then Janana yoga leading to immediate and direct apprehension or vision of the nature of the self. the second grop of six chapters deals with Bhakti Yoga. As the object of this bhakti is God, his glory nature and attributes are delt with. the first group being preperatory and instrumental to this second group. the third group of six chapters accomplishes an intellectual clarification of the matter thus far propounded. it clarifies the nature of Prakriti, Purusha and Purushothama.
Special features.
Truth is the intrinsic and spontaneous character of all apprehensions; coherence theoritical and pragmatic only serves to reinforce the intrinsic claim to truth of cognitions, by removing doubts and contarary conceptions. Among the three fundamental sources of knowledge (Pratyaksh, Anumana and sabda) revelation constituted of the vedas and in particular the Upanishads is our sole authority for the knowledge of ultimate reality. But revelation must be interpreted according to rational canons of interpretation and must be demonstrated to be non contradictory of other sources of knowledge and be itself self consistent. It should also be of such character as to supply knowledge not accessible through other sources. thus it must fill a genuine gap in our empirical and inferential acquired knowledge. Further the attempt to workout a satisfactory conception of reality excluding the insight furnished by revelation must be demonstrated to break down hopelessly. it is under such severe logical reservation that reservation must be adopted. It would be unphilosophical to discredit it when it satisfies these tests. such scepticism if honestly persued, would demolish all knowledge and would eventually cancel itself also. Intelectual progress ultimately consists of advance from partial knowledge to fuller knowledge and the later wholly incorporates itself into the former.
The guiding principle in this process is the criterion of coherence theoretical and practical. the incoherence is the incomplete and the achievement of coherence marks the gaining of fuller insight into reality. This impluse to self completion on the part of human understanding propelled by the criterion of coherence reaches its fullness of satisfaction in the knowledge acquired from vedantic revelations. revelation is neither an alternative, nor an antithesis, nor is it a mere supplement to emperical knowledge gained through perceptual and inferential processes. It is completion and fulfilment of it. Its claim to validity ultimately rests upon this characteristic of completeness. Upanishads are the primary repository of revelation, but they are suplemented by the works of sages and saints, in the smritis, itihasas, puranas and agamas. among these supplementary texts, judged from every point of view the Gita stands supreme.
Contributions to Visistadvaita.
The standard mode of characterizing visitadvaitic theory of reality is to say that it upholds a doctrine of three realities which are the phisical nature in its totality, the individual and infinite souls in all grades of development and the infinite spirit of brahman. The physical nature is real and is genuine part of the total structure of reality is a cardinal principle of the school. Assimilating the traditional classification of the goals of life as Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha the school offers a scheme of three goals. They are material prosperity or Aiswarya, Kaivalya or the realisation of the intrinsic greatness of the self and Moksa or realisation of God. The first one signifies mundane and physical happiness it includes wordly pleasures also hevenly pleasures after death. the ideal means only trasitory hapiness is repeatedly brought out. The second goal (little difficult to concieve) means the realisation of the self of its own essential and intrinsic nature as transcending the body and as consisting of pure knowledge or consciousness. it is recovery by the self of its own innate greatness as a spiritual principle. this too is transitory and inferior to the third ideal. the third ideal signifies the release from the entanglement with matter which suppresses the natural power of the self. it means the gaining and maintaining a direct apprehension of god. this being the proper and ideal exercise of the natural excellence of the self, the apprehension grows into an unlimited and uninterupted joy. infinite joy a joy so overwhelming as to induce and bring about the surrender of the subject of experience to the object in total self dedication. Thus the experience of Moksha consists of the experential knowledge of God, love of God and the final offering of oneself to the eternal service of god. this union with god and its fullness of experience is the essence of perfection.
Contributions to Srivaishnavism.
Ramanuja says that Jnana or knowledge as against karma or action is the ultimate means of release. through meditating knowledge lies the road to liberation. But here again the Grace of the lord is the essential factor.
The Fabric of faith prayer and grace is central to the good life for they all relate to the man god relationship. according to the theist by virtue of his being embodied man is alienated (relatively) from God, who is his destiny. The alienation is due ultimately to a fundamental defect say sin, or a beginningless nescience. Hence the goal of man is to seek and find his lost identity in the kingdom of God.
This implies that human existence is not merely a bondage, but an opportunity to overcome the defect in question and to regain the lost identity. In this enterprise, however partly because the defect to be remedied is mysterious or beginningless, man cannot succeed wholly on his own, god has therefore to intervene positively with his grace. As God's noticeable operation in human life, grace is his quiet call and aid to salvation. Faith and prayer are our manifest response to this call.
The nature of the self is such that though it is distinct entity it forms an organismic unity with the Lord. when however it comes under the delusive influence of the begginningless nescience permiating karma, it looses hold of its identity as the sesa of the lord and builds up an emperical and particularized ego (abhimana) and begins its existence of karmic bondage. its being enveloped by ignorance in the form of karma marks its entry into the continuous surge of samsara. the prestine purity of his personality as in God now disappears. Only grace can redeem him from this depersonalization, In the process of recovery so to speak man is to co operate with His grace by way of his own faith and prayer. both of which aim at making him realize his essential dependence on God and live in accordance with this realisation. In both faith and prayer the element of feeling is pronounced.
Equivalent of Faith is Bhakti, Upasana, sraddha, nistha etc.
Meditation of the nature of loving conteplation is bhakti.
To conclude.
The order of progression is clear Karma Yoga paves the way for
jnana yoga and jnana yoga through its fruition in self realization brings about
bhakti yoga. Bhakti yoga is the immediate pathway to the ultimate goal of life.
For Example Ramanuja's explanation of the four stanzas of the second chapter describing the nature of the stita prajana is unique. the four satages of Jnana Nista or steadfastness in knowledge are related to these four verses of the gita.
55 to 58 of the second chapter. The vashikaara samjna ekendriya samajna, vyathireka samjana and yaatamana samjana are signified by these four stanzas respectively. This interpretation of Ramanuja is unique and no other comentator has related these four stages to the concept of Yoga namely Yatamaana samjna 2-58 is a stage when the aspirant makes a stout attempt to withdraw his sense organs from the objects and to place his mind firmly in the atman. In the second stage namely vyatireka samjna the aspirant tries to wear out raaga and dwesha through audaseenya and anabhinandana. in the third stage of ekendriya samjna the aspirant tries to get rid of the snare of reminiscent impressions regarding the external objects slowly by showing the blissful nature of the atman. In the fourth stage of vashikaara samjana all vasanas will have been completely destroyed and the aspirant achieves supreme dispassion or pramana vairaagya. This stage leads the aspirant to the realisation of the Atman.
another example.
The four stanzas in the sixth chapter 29 to 32 describe the state of self realisation. here too the interpretation Ramanuja gives is very significant. he says they expound Saamya Darshana. verse 29 he says that all jeevaatmas are similar in nature in the aspect of being of the sole nature of consciousness or jnaanaikaakaaraas being different from matter but there is similarity in the pure nature of Atman. all diversity is due to matter.
stanza 30 all jeevaatmans are similar in nature to the paramaatman when they become divested of the differences of punya and paapa.
stanza 31 relates to higher state of realisation where the aspirant realiazes unity of divinity in all souls as the supreme paraamatma is imment inall as the inner self.
stanza 32. ramanuja describes this as asambanda samya.
the aspirant is taught here to realize that sukha and dhuka that happen to him as well as others are never related to the essential nature of the atman. Ramanuja is unique in the comparison of these four verses to the four stages of perfected yoga.
The celebrated stanza of sarva darman is explained by ramanuja as the obstacles on the way of the commencement of bhakti yoga can be easily overcome by surrender unto the lord. no arduous courses of praayashcittaas is needed for getting over the obstacles. with out surrender unto the lord man cannot achieve any thing.
Ramanuja's interpretation does full justice to the text and tenor of the gita and is a trustworthy guide for humanity to progress towardsmdivinity.
For Example Ramanuja's explanation of the four stanzas of the second chapter describing the nature of the stita prajana is unique. the four satages of Jnana Nista or steadfastness in knowledge are related to these four verses of the gita.
55 to 58 of the second chapter. The vashikaara samjna ekendriya samajna, vyathireka samjana and yaatamana samjana are signified by these four stanzas respectively. This interpretation of Ramanuja is unique and no other comentator has related these four stages to the concept of Yoga namely Yatamaana samjna 2-58 is a stage when the aspirant makes a stout attempt to withdraw his sense organs from the objects and to place his mind firmly in the atman. In the second stage namely vyatireka samjna the aspirant tries to wear out raaga and dwesha through audaseenya and anabhinandana. in the third stage of ekendriya samjna the aspirant tries to get rid of the snare of reminiscent impressions regarding the external objects slowly by showing the blissful nature of the atman. In the fourth stage of vashikaara samjana all vasanas will have been completely destroyed and the aspirant achieves supreme dispassion or pramana vairaagya. This stage leads the aspirant to the realisation of the Atman.
another example.
The four stanzas in the sixth chapter 29 to 32 describe the state of self realisation. here too the interpretation Ramanuja gives is very significant. he says they expound Saamya Darshana. verse 29 he says that all jeevaatmas are similar in nature in the aspect of being of the sole nature of consciousness or jnaanaikaakaaraas being different from matter but there is similarity in the pure nature of Atman. all diversity is due to matter.
stanza 30 all jeevaatmans are similar in nature to the paramaatman when they become divested of the differences of punya and paapa.
stanza 31 relates to higher state of realisation where the aspirant realiazes unity of divinity in all souls as the supreme paraamatma is imment inall as the inner self.
stanza 32. ramanuja describes this as asambanda samya.
the aspirant is taught here to realize that sukha and dhuka that happen to him as well as others are never related to the essential nature of the atman. Ramanuja is unique in the comparison of these four verses to the four stages of perfected yoga.
The celebrated stanza of sarva darman is explained by ramanuja as the obstacles on the way of the commencement of bhakti yoga can be easily overcome by surrender unto the lord. no arduous courses of praayashcittaas is needed for getting over the obstacles. with out surrender unto the lord man cannot achieve any thing.
Ramanuja's interpretation does full justice to the text and tenor of the gita and is a trustworthy guide for humanity to progress towardsmdivinity.
Bibliography.
1. Sri
Ramanuja on the Gita by s.s.Raghavachar. u of mysore.
2. Article written by Dr. N S Anantarangacharya swami..
2. Faith
Prayer and grace a comparative study in Ramanuja and Kierkegaard by Cassian R Agera.
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