Beware of Bluffers

This material world is plagued by a profusion of charlatans, bluffers who pretend to know things as they are but who in fact are only speculating. Because our modern day civilization is being conducted under the guidance of such fools and rascals this planet has become so much degraded that it is becoming more and more uninhabitable with each passing year. Instead of taking our guidance from such misguided persons we should instead understand the difference between reality and illusion from those persons who have actually seen the truth. Otherwise, it is simply a matter of blind leading the blind with both the leader and follower ending up in the ditch.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Different Versions of Gita

I have a copy of the Song of God Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, Intro. by Aldous Huxley.

Is this different from the Bhagavad-gita As It Is version?

Thank you.

Dianne

Answer: As It Is, and As It Is Not

The Bhagavad-gita edition that you mentioned presents an incorrect description of the Supreme Truth which is not in accord with the actual teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. It takes advantage of the Bhagavad-gita's popularity to present a view which is contrary to the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. This occurs in a section entitled "The Cosmology of the Gita." This section describes the Supreme Truth as Brahman without existence or attributes. In this way the Prabhavananda-Ishwerwood edition presents a Supreme Truth which is impersonal. This directly contradicts the personal conception of the Supreme Truth, which is clearly described as follows in Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 10:

arjuna uvāca
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve
devarṣir nāradas tathā
asito devalo vyāsaḥ
svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

"Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me."--Bhagavad-gita 10.12-13

In short, the Bhagavad-gita clearly reveals that the Supreme Truth as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, not as non-existing attributeless Brahman. The Prabhavanand-Isherwood edition is covering the clear statements of truth given in the Bhagavad-gita with the cloud of mental speculation.

If we want to understand the Bhagavad-gita as it was originally given to Arjuna, we should simply take what is directly stated by Krishna without trying to add some indirect interpretation of its meaning. Interpretation is only necessary things are unclear. Just like if I tell you that I live in a house on the river, it will be unclear whether my house is on the bank of the river or it is a houseboat floating on the river. So some interpretation or further clarification will be required. But if something is clearly stated, there is no need for interpretation. When Bhagavad-gita clearly states the the person Krishna is the Absolute Truth, why do they explain the Absolute Truth differently as non-existing, attributeless Brahman? Such speculation should not published under the name of Bhagavad-gita. If they want to independently speculate that is their business, but they should not do so in the name of Krishna's immortal, timeless words of wisdom.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Little Sparrow Who Conquered the Ocean

Image
In his purport to Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 6, Text 24 Srila Prabhupada wonderfully teaches us the power of determinations by telling us the story of the little sparrow who conquered the ocean: "As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal. So the sparrow decided to dry up the ocean. She began to pick out the water in her small beak, and everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The news of her activity spread, and at last Garuda, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Visnu, heard it. He became compassionate toward his small sister bird, and so he came to see the sparrow. Garuda was very pleased by the determination of the small sparrow, and he promised to help. Thus Garuda at once asked t
Read more

Heart Melting Reunion with Amarendra and Gayatri

Image
On Friday 26 June 2015 I was blessed with the greatest good fortune of meeting with two of the dearest devotees of my entire life, His Grace Amarendra Prabhu and his good wife, Srimati Gayatri devi dasi. I am eternally indebted to these great souls for how much they helped me in my spiritual life when I was a young devotee. When I was young brahmacari monk in 1973 I joined with the two of them in Gainesville, Florida. We were a three person preaching center, and they were just like a mother and father to me. I had so many wonderful Krishna conscious experiences in their association that I can hardly begin to describe them here. But at least may it suffice for me to say for now that Gayatri taught me what it means to be a soft-hearted devotee of the Lord and she gave me my first cooking lesson, teaching me how to make cauliflower pakoras, and Amarendra taught me the art of how to preach strongly, intelligently, and coolly to defeat opposing arguments. Recently Gayatri almost died. But
Read more

Misguided Fools Say that Masturbation is Healthy

Image
Foolish modern day materialists recommend masturbation as follows: "Masturbation is a common activity. It’s a natural and safe way to explore your body, feel pleasure, and release built-up sexual tension. It occurs among people of all backgrounds, genders, and races. Despite the myths, there are actually no physically harmful side effects of masturbation." They are wrong. To get a proper understanding on this this topic read the question and answer section below. Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom Question: What are the Ill Effects of Masturbation? Since you answered questions related to understanding the real need of sex in a human being's life, so I also request you to please enlighten us with the knowledge about semen conservation, it's importance, and the consequences of frequently releasing it thorough sex or masturbation. Since today most of the youth are indulged in mansturbation and they think it to be good in comparison to doing sex with some female for
Read more