Interpreting the Gita

[Chris Beetle]

At 03:08 PM 3/17/01 -0500, Swami Tyagananda wrote:
>I feel a careful study of the Gita makes it pretty obvious that
>Krishna's  purpose was not really to teach Arjuna how to fight the war but
>what Arjuna's "duty" was at that time and how he should carry out his
>"duty." In the historical context, it so happened that at that time
>Arjuna's duty was to fight for a just and righteous cause.
>         If Gita taught war, it would have no relevance to most of us today
>who are unlikely to go and fight a war. But generations of practitioners
>can testify to its continued relevance and importance in showing us a way
>when we are confused about the nature of our duty and the best way of
>carrying it out. That, at least, is my understanding of the Gita.

In Bg. 8.7 Krishna recommmends duty be carried out while remembering Him,
with activities offered to Him and intelligence fixed on Him.
In Bg. 15.15 Krishna says the Vedas are meant to understand Him alone.
In Bg. 18.55 Krishna says He can be known only by devotional service
(bhakti) and when one knows Him in that way one can enter the kingdom of God.
In Bg. 18.65 Krishna says the most confidential part of knowledge is to fix
one's mind on Him, become His devotee, worship Him, and offer homage to Him.
It seems to me, devotion to Krishna is what is stressed in Bhagavad-gita and
a nice translation of the Gita which captures its devotional mood is the one
written by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada called Bhagavad-gita As It
Is.  His influence has resulted in many thousands of people taking a serious
interest both in devotion to Krishna and in Bhagavad-gita.

Best wishes,
Chris Beetle