Hope this email reaches you (Bhurijana Dasa prabhu/Gopiparanadhana Dasa prabhu) & I truly intend not to waste your precious time.
I was fortunate to get hold your book “Surrender Unto Me (An Overview of the Bhagavad-Gita)” a week ago, while I was @ the end of 18th Ch of Bg (Shri Prabhupada). I was having lots of Qs and when I looked at the above book, I thought “Oh, no, not another book – do I need to read another book to clear doubts of Bg ?”.
After finishing the initial round of Bg last week and when I started reading your book, word to word (including wonderful – Foreword by BBT sanskrit editor, Preface, Introduction & Appendices), I started feeling that I would’ve missed something have I had stayed on my initial opinion.
I did note your point mentioned in Introduction “This book is for serious students, especially those who’ve deeply studied Bg As It Is and want to increase their understand of its difficult concepts, …”
I can’t, but reproduce the following, alongwith few Qs (especially in the light of what’ve you mentioned @ the end of your Preface – I recommend keepint the Bg As It Is open for reference while reading “Surrender Unto Me”. *I look forward to hearing* from readers how they used this book to increase their knowledge and application of the Bg)..
1)”Only one out of many thousands of people even wants to leave the material world, and of those rare souls, hardly one knows how to do it. By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, and without deserving it, we have received this most precious knoweldge”
Q : Why don’t we “deserve” it ? Is it ‘cos of our (read, people like me) very existence on this material world ?
2)”Apart from SB, Bg, many of the other puranas have chapters describing Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana, Mathura and Dvaraka and Krishna spoke another wonderful Gita to Uddhava”
Q : Can you pl. elaborate on “Krishna spoke another wonderful Gita to Uddhava” ?
3)”Those who understand the prime importance of hearing constantly from the SB and Gita are especially fortuante. They have received the very uncommon mercy of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, …”
Q : Why is it termed “very *uncommon* mercy of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu” ?
4)”SB is not just another purana and that what Krishna & Arjuna said to each other @ Kurukshetra is unique. In Shankaracharya’s opinion, even if all the toerh scriptures in the world were to disappear, Bg alone would perfectly fulfill the needs in everyone’s spiritual education”
Wonderful statements indeed !
5)”Bg is’t just for beginners; it’s the distilled essence of the Upanishads, of the exacting philosophy of Vedanta. It may’ve been placed by Srila Dvaipayana Vyasa withink the entertaining Mahabharata, which is designated for the use of women, sudras & unQfied brahmanas, but its being hidden in that fashion does not at all diminish its real glory. Lord Krishna also effaces Himiself in Mahabharata, taking a secondary role in deference to the Pandavas; but when he finally reveals Himself fully to Arjuna at a moment of crisis in the Bhisma-parva, we are freed from doubt as to who Krishna really is and who we are in relation to Him”
Q : Can you pl. elaborate on “moment of crisis in the Bhisma-parva” ?
6)”Krishna did’t recommend the process which’s altruism, austerity, meditation, charity, yoga asanas or renunciation. It was bhakti, His own devotional service.”
7)”We should know Bg backwards and forwards like the Christians know the Bible. Why ? For preaching, certainly, but also ‘cos practical answers to most of life’s questions can be found in Bg”.
8)I liked the below para very much of yours..
“My relationship with Bg started before I began chanting Hare Krishna. My first reading of the book took place during mys tudent years @ the Uni of Buffalo. It was not Prabhupada’s Bg; his first Macmillan edn had’t yet been published. I remember being so excited by the book that I not only stayed up all night reading it, but aI also vowed to read it every night thereafter. I appreciated the Bg so much that I even named my cat after it! Yet despite my enthusiasm, I could’t penetrate even a centimeter into the Gita’s purpose ‘cos I did’t have Prabhupada’s trnaslations and commentary. All I could think was that the book was wonderful – and wonder why Krishna had to insist that HE WAS GOD”.
“I finished the 18th ch in the university’s stuffy library hall. Krishna’s final instructions were so thrilling that my breathing came fast and my hair stood one end. I ran out of the library a new man. My only desire was to surrender to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and to share His message with others”.
“In a conversation regarding the strong difference of opinion among the five great preachers who appeared in India – Buddha, Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhava and Lord Chaitanya – Srila Prabhupada explalined that no actual contradictions exists. Ultimately, the conclusion expressed by teh acharyas is consistent”.
9)”Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura distinguishes karma yoga from bahkti. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, in contrast, poins out that karma yoga and bhakti are the same, ‘cos karma yoga leads to bhakti. Srila Prabhupada generally translates karma yoga as bhakti yoga ‘cos they are in fact nondifferent. You found it more convenient to distinguish karma yoga from bhakti to emphasize how karma yoga leads to bhakti”
Can you pl. elaborate bit more for my little brain ?
10)Your mentioned on 3 criteria on which you decided to include other Acharyas comments : 1)if the acharya’s comment was especially wonderful and Srila Prabhupada had not included it in Bg As It Is; 2)if the acharya’s comment helped to illuminate a verse from a different angle; 3) if the acharya’s comment described the connections between verses, sections or chapters.
It really shows your plain way of explaining things and gives readers like me confidence to understand your unique and plain way describing the book.
11)You’ve mentioned in the same introduction “I found it more convenient to distinguish karma-yoga from bhakti to empahsize how karma-yoga leads to bhakti” – can you pl. elaborate on this ?
12)(p.386 & p.403 16.B) Is Krishna no good for demons/demoniacs ? Is there no reprieve/mercy for them ?
13)(p.396 – point D2) “Krishna shows favouritism to His devotee” – is’t he neutral to every living entity ?
14)(p.398 11.D) – “Arjuna, trembling, prays to the unviersal form. He also begs Krishna’s forgiveness for having previously, in ignorance, treated the Lord as his friend” – after chapter 11 (through to ch 18), does’t Arjuna call Krishna as “O Krishna” ?
15)(p.402 15.C) – “Knowing Krishna’s opulent position as our maintainer on both the cosmic & personal levels – and His position as the compiler of Vedanta & knower of the Vedas – should attract us to Him” – is it being indicated here that this’s the only one that we should get attracted to him ? Also, is’t Veda Vyasa the compiler (instead of Krishna, even though we term the former as the incarnation of Bhagavan) ?
16)(p.405 – 18.A) – can you perhaps give an example to/for this ?
17)(p.406 – I) – “for one who explains this knowledge of Bg to austere, nonenvious devotees, pure devotional service is guarnateed” – what’s meant by “pure devotional service is guaranteed” here ?
July 10, 2009 at 6:34 am
Attn : Bhurijana Dasa prabhu/Gopiparanadhana Dasa prabhu
Hare Krishna prabhus,
Hope this email reaches you (Bhurijana Dasa prabhu/Gopiparanadhana Dasa prabhu) & I truly intend not to waste your precious time.
I was fortunate to get hold your book “Surrender Unto Me (An Overview of the Bhagavad-Gita)” a week ago, while I was @ the end of 18th Ch of Bg (Shri Prabhupada). I was having lots of Qs and when I looked at the above book, I thought “Oh, no, not another book – do I need to read another book to clear doubts of Bg ?”.
After finishing the initial round of Bg last week and when I started reading your book, word to word (including wonderful – Foreword by BBT sanskrit editor, Preface, Introduction & Appendices), I started feeling that I would’ve missed something have I had stayed on my initial opinion.
I did note your point mentioned in Introduction “This book is for serious students, especially those who’ve deeply studied Bg As It Is and want to increase their understand of its difficult concepts, …”
I can’t, but reproduce the following, alongwith few Qs (especially in the light of what’ve you mentioned @ the end of your Preface – I recommend keepint the Bg As It Is open for reference while reading “Surrender Unto Me”. *I look forward to hearing* from readers how they used this book to increase their knowledge and application of the Bg)..
1)”Only one out of many thousands of people even wants to leave the material world, and of those rare souls, hardly one knows how to do it. By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, and without deserving it, we have received this most precious knoweldge”
Q : Why don’t we “deserve” it ? Is it ‘cos of our (read, people like me) very existence on this material world ?
2)”Apart from SB, Bg, many of the other puranas have chapters describing Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana, Mathura and Dvaraka and Krishna spoke another wonderful Gita to Uddhava”
Q : Can you pl. elaborate on “Krishna spoke another wonderful Gita to Uddhava” ?
3)”Those who understand the prime importance of hearing constantly from the SB and Gita are especially fortuante. They have received the very uncommon mercy of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, …”
Q : Why is it termed “very *uncommon* mercy of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu” ?
4)”SB is not just another purana and that what Krishna & Arjuna said to each other @ Kurukshetra is unique. In Shankaracharya’s opinion, even if all the toerh scriptures in the world were to disappear, Bg alone would perfectly fulfill the needs in everyone’s spiritual education”
Wonderful statements indeed !
5)”Bg is’t just for beginners; it’s the distilled essence of the Upanishads, of the exacting philosophy of Vedanta. It may’ve been placed by Srila Dvaipayana Vyasa withink the entertaining Mahabharata, which is designated for the use of women, sudras & unQfied brahmanas, but its being hidden in that fashion does not at all diminish its real glory. Lord Krishna also effaces Himiself in Mahabharata, taking a secondary role in deference to the Pandavas; but when he finally reveals Himself fully to Arjuna at a moment of crisis in the Bhisma-parva, we are freed from doubt as to who Krishna really is and who we are in relation to Him”
Q : Can you pl. elaborate on “moment of crisis in the Bhisma-parva” ?
6)”Krishna did’t recommend the process which’s altruism, austerity, meditation, charity, yoga asanas or renunciation. It was bhakti, His own devotional service.”
7)”We should know Bg backwards and forwards like the Christians know the Bible. Why ? For preaching, certainly, but also ‘cos practical answers to most of life’s questions can be found in Bg”.
8)I liked the below para very much of yours..
“My relationship with Bg started before I began chanting Hare Krishna. My first reading of the book took place during mys tudent years @ the Uni of Buffalo. It was not Prabhupada’s Bg; his first Macmillan edn had’t yet been published. I remember being so excited by the book that I not only stayed up all night reading it, but aI also vowed to read it every night thereafter. I appreciated the Bg so much that I even named my cat after it! Yet despite my enthusiasm, I could’t penetrate even a centimeter into the Gita’s purpose ‘cos I did’t have Prabhupada’s trnaslations and commentary. All I could think was that the book was wonderful – and wonder why Krishna had to insist that HE WAS GOD”.
“I finished the 18th ch in the university’s stuffy library hall. Krishna’s final instructions were so thrilling that my breathing came fast and my hair stood one end. I ran out of the library a new man. My only desire was to surrender to Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and to share His message with others”.
“In a conversation regarding the strong difference of opinion among the five great preachers who appeared in India – Buddha, Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhava and Lord Chaitanya – Srila Prabhupada explalined that no actual contradictions exists. Ultimately, the conclusion expressed by teh acharyas is consistent”.
9)”Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura distinguishes karma yoga from bahkti. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, in contrast, poins out that karma yoga and bhakti are the same, ‘cos karma yoga leads to bhakti. Srila Prabhupada generally translates karma yoga as bhakti yoga ‘cos they are in fact nondifferent. You found it more convenient to distinguish karma yoga from bhakti to emphasize how karma yoga leads to bhakti”
Can you pl. elaborate bit more for my little brain ?
10)Your mentioned on 3 criteria on which you decided to include other Acharyas comments : 1)if the acharya’s comment was especially wonderful and Srila Prabhupada had not included it in Bg As It Is; 2)if the acharya’s comment helped to illuminate a verse from a different angle; 3) if the acharya’s comment described the connections between verses, sections or chapters.
It really shows your plain way of explaining things and gives readers like me confidence to understand your unique and plain way describing the book.
11)You’ve mentioned in the same introduction “I found it more convenient to distinguish karma-yoga from bhakti to empahsize how karma-yoga leads to bhakti” – can you pl. elaborate on this ?
12)(p.386 & p.403 16.B) Is Krishna no good for demons/demoniacs ? Is there no reprieve/mercy for them ?
13)(p.396 – point D2) “Krishna shows favouritism to His devotee” – is’t he neutral to every living entity ?
14)(p.398 11.D) – “Arjuna, trembling, prays to the unviersal form. He also begs Krishna’s forgiveness for having previously, in ignorance, treated the Lord as his friend” – after chapter 11 (through to ch 18), does’t Arjuna call Krishna as “O Krishna” ?
15)(p.402 15.C) – “Knowing Krishna’s opulent position as our maintainer on both the cosmic & personal levels – and His position as the compiler of Vedanta & knower of the Vedas – should attract us to Him” – is it being indicated here that this’s the only one that we should get attracted to him ? Also, is’t Veda Vyasa the compiler (instead of Krishna, even though we term the former as the incarnation of Bhagavan) ?
16)(p.405 – 18.A) – can you perhaps give an example to/for this ?
17)(p.406 – I) – “for one who explains this knowledge of Bg to austere, nonenvious devotees, pure devotional service is guarnateed” – what’s meant by “pure devotional service is guaranteed” here ?
Hare Krishna !
Cheerios,
Ravishankar.
‘hrishikena hrishikesa sevanam’