Typographical error in the Bhagavad-Gita?

[Ravi Chawla]

----- Original Message -----
From: Periannan Chandrasekaran <perichandra at YAHOO.COM>
To: <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 4:16 PM
> --- Ravi Chawla <rchawla at DELLNET.COM> wrote:
>
> ...>
> >  What was true at the time when the Gita was originally written, that is
> > also  true today. This is the significance of the Gita.  And what is
true
> > today was  also true at the time when the Gita was written.
>
       Yes, in order for any scripture to be of practical use, it must have
meaning that is true today.  Otherwise it should be rejected (as not
applicable to modern times). But I wrote the above with regard to the
possibilility of a typographical error in the Gita.  As typographical errors
are possible today, therefore such errors were possible when the Gita was
written.

Mr. Chandrasekaran wrote:

> What about the following verses from Chapter 18 which is purported  to be
the
> essence of the preceding 17 chapters?

    He made reference to Verses 41 - 48 of chapter 18 of the Gita,   and
asked a
question:

> Are they still true?

My answer to  Mr. Chandrasekaran's above question is yes,  so far as the
above verses are concerned.

In order to have any purposeful meaning of the above verses, I have
developed my own definiton of brahman and other lower classes of the Hindu
society. Brahman is not necessarily a person who is born in a brahman
family. Brahman according to me is a person who is born with qualities and
apptitue fit for a brahman.  A son of a sudra, if he is born with an
inquisitive and a sharp mind and has a true thirst for knowledge and devotes
his time seeking the truth,  is a brahman according to me. This may not meet
the requirement of some orthodox Hindus, but I feel that such was the intent
when
the social orders for the society ( for all human race) were created
originally.

According to my definiton of brahman, all members of this Indology network
are brahmanas, whether they are Westerners or Easterners - because they have

minds that are evolved, they live for the cause of knowledge, and many of
them are perhaps seeking for themselves the purpose and meaning of their
lives.  Most of them spend their time searching for the truth - whether in
the words of the scriptures, or in their struggle in this material world.
According to me, anybody who devotes his or her life seeking the truth is a
brahman.

Westerner and all other  members of this network, congratulate yourself.
According to my interpretation of the scriptures you belong to the brahman
class - because you are living a life that is fit for a brahman. You may not
belong to the 'Indian class of brahmanas' but you are all brahmanas in the
real sense of the scriptures.

When we create our own definitions of the words of the scriptures, the
scriptures come 'alive'.

I believe that in order to find the truth in the words of scriptures we have
to go beyond the words,
beyond the spelling and pronunciation of the words.  Every individual will
have to find  a deeper meaning of 'every word of scriptures' for himself or
herself to finally realize the truth.

Regards,
R.  Chawla


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