Bhagavadgita, cognition, Buddhism?

[Martin Gansten]

>Re: sa.mghaata, there are numerous references to dehendriya-sa.mghaata or
>;sariirendriya-sa.mghaata, in Sankara's commentary on BU also.

Yes; but what did the word mean to the author of the Gita, who  antedated
Sankara by many centuries? It occurs only once in the Gita, and not often
in the classical Upanishads. (The MaiU, as mentioned previously, indeed
refers to the body as a 'sa.mghaata' of various impure substances; this may
be why S. and R. both read the body into this rather obscure passage.)

>How about sustenance?

As an English term for what Sankara is referring to, yes. But for dh.rti in
BhG 13.6, I doubt it. Because of its juxtaposition with cetanaa, I would
prefer to go by the meaning obviously intended in 18.29-33 (where it is
similarly juxtaposed with buddhi); and then to conjecture the meaning of
sa.mghaata based on the other two words. That is, unless I can find some
reference to this triad outside the Gita...

Best,
Martin