- Paperback: 588 pages
- Publisher: Lotus Press (WI) (Jan 1 1995)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0914955187
- ISBN-13: 978-0914955184
- Product Dimensions: 22.3 x 14.5 x 3.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 826 g
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#511,577 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions > Jainism
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
A masterly exposition of the preeminet Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. It on was after reading these essays in particular that in the 1930's PresidentstWilson's daughter went to Sri Aurobindo and devoted her life receiving the nameNishtha to his vision in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry.
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THE world abounds with Scriptures sacred and profane, with revelations and half-revelations, with religions and philosophies, sects and schools and systems. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THE world abounds with Scriptures sacred and profane, with revelations and half-revelations, with religions and philosophies, sects and schools and systems. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best companion for serious study of the Gita, Mar 11 2001
By "sadhaka" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Essays on the Gita (Paperback)
This is the best modern commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. The scripture itself is a synthesis of many of the most important Indian spiritual philosophies, and is, in my opinion, by far the most relevant to modern humanity and the most inspiring to westerners. It contains instruction in the highest forms of Yoga with an eye towards the needs of practical people involved in the often confusing and distressing activities of life in the world. Sri Aurobindo clearly states his intentions towards this text in the introduction: to put the teachings of the Gita in a modern context, that is, to see how they can be made relevant to readers in the present day.
In addition, he asks for a more objective look at the text than certain other interpretations. While I found that he, in general, carried this out, it is not dry, nor is there any vacillation: the book is imbued with the author's ideas about evolution and the role of man in relation to the divine and the author is clear in his interpretive bent.
Most important, however, is that his explinations of the meaning of the scripture are truly magical. He clarifies confusing points with such ease and lucidity, I often found myself thinking "Ah, but that's so clear! How'd I ever have a problem with it?"
This is NOT, however, an easy text to read. Sri Aurobindo went to Cambridge during the 1890's and the language he uses is not what most people are used to. He is deliberately thorough and has no inhibitions about repeating himself with slight variation if there is an even slightly different context shedding light on the passage. He uses long sentences when expressing large, transcendent ideas (that is, most of the time) and it is easy to get lost in his paragraphs.
In addition, the scope of the Gita when expressed in this way is tremendous. Not all of the text can possibly be relevant to someone's life, and at times it can seem as if he's belaboring the point. Often, however, such troubling passages become the ones that are most inspiring when reread in a different context.
Therefore, I strongly recommend this book, but only to people who are interested in serious, deep study of the Gita and are willing to invest a lot of time and effort into it. The rewards can be truly fabulous.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A masterly exposition, Jan 27 2000
By G.Srinivasan - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Essays on the Gita (Paperback)
This book occupies the highest place among the modern commentaries on Gita because it is original, profound and written in a language that is powerful and poetic. There are no digressions from the main argument of the Book. All the complexity, subtle beauty, grace and the vast synthesis of Gita is captured perfectly. The last chapter titled "Message of the Gita" provides such an excellent summary that reading it gives the satisfaction of the study of the entire Gita. This book is a treat for both the beginner as well as the scholar. The normal commentaries which give interpretation for each stanza usually miss out the connecting themes, underlying ideas and the progression in the argument of the eighteen chapters of the Gita. This book is an exception. It is unique in form and style among the modern commentaries of the Gita.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive and true to the text, Feb 25 1997
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
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This review is from: Essays on the Gita (Paperback)
Sri Aurobindo is definitely among the most notable of Indian authors in the recent past. In this collection of articles on the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, he has brought out the essence of the doctrines of sanAtana dharma, popularly known as Hinduism, that is described in the Gita. The english is old style and the sentences are often long, but the serious student of Hinduism will certainly enjoy reading the book. This book is a definite departure from the usual 'introductory' texts on Hinduism.In his inimitable style, he discusses the exposition in the Gita of God (as three purushas) and His relationship to the world, the Divine manifestation (sambhuti and vibhuti) as well as the scope of the doctrines of karma, svabhAva, svadharma, the three gunas and yoga.
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