The Bhagavad Gita is the Crown-jewel of India’s spiritual wisdom. Spoken by Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His intimate friend Arjuna, the Gita’s seven hundred verses provide a definitive guide to the science of self-realization. No other book reveals, in such a lucid and profound way, truths like the Gita does.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is exclusively qualified to present this English translation and commentary on Bhagavad Gita. He is the world’s foremost Vedic scholar and teacher, and stands as the current representative of an unbroken chain of fully self-realized spiritual masters beginning with Lord Krishna Himself. Thus, unlike other editions of the Gita, “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” is presented “as it is”– without the slightest adulteration.
His works are highly adored by students, academics and laymen alike. His works are extensively used in college courses as standard textbooks. The following reviews are testimony to the authenticity of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
“As a native of India now living in the West, it has given me much grief to see so many of my fellow countrymen coming to the West in the role of gurus and spiritual leaders. For this reason, I am very excited to see the publication of Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It will help to stop the terrible cheating of false and unauthorized ‘gurus’ and ‘yogis’ and will give an opportunity to all people to understand the actual meaning of Oriental culture.”
- Dr. Kailash Vajpeye, Director of Indian Studies
Center for Oriental Studies, University of Mexico
…As a successor in direct line from Lord Chaitanya, the author of ‘Bhagavad-gita As It Is’ is entitled, according to Indian custom, to the majestic title of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The great interest that his reading of the Bhagavad-gita holds for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretation according to the principles of the Chaitanya tradition.”
- Olivier Lacombe
Professor of Sanskrit and Indology, Sorbonne University, Paris
“…It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully explained work. I don’t know whether to praise more this translation of the Bhagavad-gita, its daring method of explanation, or the endless fertility of its ideas. I have never seen any other work on the Gita with such an important voice and style….It will occupy a significant place in the intellectual and ethical life of modern man for a long time to come.”
- Shaligram Shukla
Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University
However, many interpretations of Bhagavad Gita, works of individuals from different walks of life are available, but hardly any subscribe to the purpose of the original speaker – Sri Krishna.
The mundane politician, philosopher, poet or scientist is not equipped to comment on the Gita, because he has no knowledge of Lord Krishna from the authorized disciplic succession. Such a person is not a devotee and has no regard for Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The intention of the original speaker, Sri Krishna, is not possible to comprehend without becoming His devotee. Thus the so-called scholar portrays Him as an ordinary person and misleads the reader with his own distorted and perverted analysis of the Bhagavad Gita.
Generally such commentators of the Bhagavad Gita try to evict or slay Sri Krishna when writing commentary on His book. Some say Sri Krishna and His inner spirit are different. Lord Chaitanya has warned us about these unauthorized Mayavada-bhashya commentaries. He says that anyone who tries to understand the Gita from this point of view will commit a great blunder. The result will be that the ill-advised student of Bhagavad Gita will certainly be baffled on the path of spiritual guidance and will not be able to go back home, back to Godhead.
Spiritual knowledge has to be revealed by an authority on Vedic science. It is not a matter of intellectual exercise. The scriptures advise that if one wants to understand spiritual knowledge properly, one must humbly approach a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and who is firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth. Therefore there is a need to accept this great science of Bhagavad Gita from a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord coming in the authorized disciplic succession. Srila Prabhupada comes in the spiritual lineage of acharyas of the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya presenting Bhagavad Gita As It Is for the benefit of the whole human civilization.
Comments