Commentaries and Translation works on the 骋墨迟腻

Bhagavad Gita in contemporary perspective (study)

by Tapan Dutta | 2017 | 61,825 words

This page relates 鈥楥ommentaries and Translation works on the Gita鈥� of the study on the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, which attempts to understands its teachings on human values in contemporary perspective. The thesis emphasizes the Bhagavadgita as a source of inspiration, not limited to religious instruction but covering ethical, moral, and societal guidance. This study highlights how studying the Gita has the potential to guide individuals toward peace, spiritual harmony, and effective management in life and work..

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Commentaries and Translation works on the 骋墨迟腻

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The 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 is one of the most important ancient classical works of India which has attracted the attention of many saints and scholars of all over the world. It has inspired the scholars to write commentaries on its different aspects.

In the words of Mysore Hiriyanna,

鈥淭丑别 骋墨迟腻 is one of the hardest books to interpret, which accounts for the numerous commentaries on it-each differing from the rest in an essential point or the other.鈥�^[1]

Among the classical commentators of the 骋墨迟腻, the earliest and the most influential commentator is Sankara (788-820 A.D) who laid the foundation of Advaita school of 痴别诲腻苍迟补 philosophy. Sankara鈥檚 commentary is based on a recension of the 骋墨迟腻 containing 700 verses, and that recension has been widely adopted by others. Ramanujacharya, an another founder of 痴别诲腻苍迟补 school, who lived in the eleventh century A.D^[2] wrote a commentary on the 骋墨迟腻. This commentary chiefly seeks to show that the discipline of devotion to God (Bhakti yoga) is the way of salvation.

Madhvacharya, exemplifies the thinking of the 鈥渄ualist鈥� school has written two commentaries on the 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻; 叠丑腻蝉丑测补 and 罢腻迟辫补谤测补. They have been explained further by many ancient pontiffs of Dvaita school like Padmanabha tirtha, Jayatirtha and Raghavendra Tirtha. Vallabhacharyya who is the founder of Suddhadvaita school has written an another commentary on the 骋墨迟腻. According to him, the relation between the God and the soul is one of the lord and the lady. Devotion and self-surrender are the means to get his grace. The renowned philosopher Abhinavagupta has written a commentary on a slightly variant recension called 骋墨迟腻rtha Sa峁僩raha.^[3]

Other classical commentators are Nimbarka, vidyadhiraja Tirtha, Madhusudana Saraswati, Raghavendra Tirtha, vanamali Mishra, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who has given different interpretation of this sacred work to suit their own inclination.

The leading figures from other schools of 痴别诲腻苍迟补 have also commented on the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻, such as Kesavakasmirin from the vaisnava Dvaitadvaita school^[4], and Viswanatha Cakravartin from the Acintya鈥�叠丑别诲腻产丑别诲补 school of Caitanya^[5].

A revered saint named J帽膩nesvara wrote a commentary on the 骋墨迟腻 in Marathi verse and named it as J帽膩nesvari. 痴别诲腻苍迟补desika (AD 12681369^[6]) wrote a commentary on Ramanuja鈥檚 commentary on the 骋墨迟腻 in Tamilnadu, called the 罢腻迟辫补谤测补 candrika^[7]. At the beginning of the 15^th century, Sridhara Swamin of Benaras commented on the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻. Similarly, Nilakantha, who belongs to the 16^th century^[8], wrote a commentary on the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 as a part of his larger commentarial effort.

Madhusudana Sarasvati a sixteenth century advaitin and the author of many works on advaita philosophy^[9], wrote a commentary on the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻. Vij帽膩nabhik峁, who lived about the beginning of the seventeenth century^[10] composed a book named 滨艣惫补谤补驳墨迟腻 containing the main purport of the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻^[11]. Baladeva, who lived about the beginning of the 18^th century^[12] also wrote a commentary on the 骋墨迟腻 called 骋墨迟腻 产丑奴峁苍补.

In akbar鈥檚 reign, a large number of Sanskrit works were translated into Persian under his patronage, and after his death such translations continued to be made by Muslim scholars working on their own initiative^[13]. The 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 attracted the attention of some of these scholars. Abdu鈥檚 Rahman Chishti wrote an Islamizing explanation of the Bhagavad 骋墨迟腻^[14].

Among the modern commentators Swami Chinmayananda has written a highly acclaimed commentary in which the 骋墨迟腻 has been presented as a universal text of spiritual guidance for humanity. He brings the message of the 骋墨迟腻 alive to the modern reader^[15]. Paramhansa Yogananda, an another modern commentator has written a commentary on the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 named鈥斺€淕od Talks with Arjuna: Bhagavad 骋墨迟腻鈥�. There are notable commentaries which have been written by Bal gangadhar Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi in modern times. They have used the text to help inspire the Indian independence movement.

Other notable commentators include Sri Aurobindo, Sarvapalli Radhakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Chinmayananda who have interpreted the 骋墨迟腻 with their own sense. Swami Vivekananda, the follower of Sir Ramakrishna, has been known for his commentaries on the four yogas-Bhakti, jnana, Karma and Raja Yoga. He has drawn from his knowledge of the 骋墨迟腻 to expound on these Yogas. Swami Sivananda advises the aspiring Yogi to read verses from the Bhagavad 骋墨迟腻 every day. Swami Chinmayananda has viewd the 骋墨迟腻 as a Universal Scripture to turn a person from a state of agitation and confusion to a state of complete vision, inner contentment and dynamic action. Paramhamsa Yogananda, has presented the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 as one of the world鈥檚 most divine scriptures. A.C. Bhaktived膩nta swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International society for Krishna Consciousness, has written 鈥�叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻: As it is鈥�, a Commentary on the 骋墨迟腻 from one of many perspectives of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Translation Works

The first English translation of the Bhagavad 骋墨迟腻 has been done by Charles Wilkins in 1785.^[16] The 骋墨迟腻 has also been translated into other European languages. In 1808, it has been translated into German by Friedrich Schlegel who has known as the founder of Indian Philology in Germany^[17]. Swami Rambhadracharya released the first Brailee version of the 骋墨迟腻 with the original Sanskrit text and also a Hindi commentary on 30^th November 2007.^[18] The 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 is a source text of the devotional movement. As a source text of the devotional movement, it has played a particular significant role in the rise of the Varkari movement in Maharashtra, through its rendering into Marathi by J帽膩nesvara. In the devotional movement in Orissa, the 骋墨迟腻 has also played an important role through its translation into Oriya by Achyutananda Das and Jasovanta Das. Similarly, during the medieval period, it was translated into Telegu by Annam膩c膩rya.

A popular English translation and Commentary has been written by A.C. Bhaktived膩nta Swami Prabhupada. At present, 36 printing addition have been published in this book. The 1st printing with 10,000 copies, 2^nd to 35^th printings with 8,00,000 copies and 36^th printing in February 2010 with 2,00,000 copies. 鈥�叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 as it is鈥� has also been printed in Arabic, Assamese, Bengali, Chinese, Davis, French, Germans, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish,Tamil,Telegu and many other languages.^[19]

There are many more translation on the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻. Here have been tried to mention the name of some translations and the year of publication.

*1890 translation by William Quan Judge;
*1900 translation by Sir Edwin Arnold;
*The 骋墨迟腻 According to Gandhi by Mahadev Desai of Mahatma Gandhi鈥檚 1929 Gujrati translation and commentary.
*1942 translation by Swami Sivananda;
*1971 translation by A.C. Bhaktived膩nta swami Prabhupada entitled 鈥�叠丑补驳补惫补诲-驳墨迟腻 As It Is鈥� with Sanskrit text and English Commentary.
*1988 translation by Ramananda Prasad.
*1992 translation and commentary by Swami Chinmayananda.
*1993 translation by Jagannath Prakasa.
*2001 translation by Sanderson Beck.
*2003 translation by Pranav bhola.