The Bhagavad-Gita : Questions and Answers

RUDRA
Vaisnava Sampradaya

Disciplic Succession to Sridhara Swami

1) LORD KRISHNA
2) Shiva
3) Rudra
4) Visnu Swami (Founder-Acarya of the Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya)
5) Tirtha Swami
6) Sridhara Swami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary on Bhagavad-Gita

Invocation

I bow down to the omnipotent Supreme Lord Krishna, the embodiment of supreme bliss, who by His own mouth expressed what had been taught with dexterity by Ananta Sesha's innumerable mouths.
Respectfully bowing down to Vishnu the preserver of the universe and Shiva who is in charge of universal destruction and being guided by devotion to them, I am writing this commentary named Subodini on Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.
After meticulously scrutinizing the opinions of Sankaracarya's commentary on Srimad Bhagavad- Gita and finding it not fully encompassing, as likewise also the opinions of his followers, I am beginning this Subodini commentary on Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.
By reading with intelligence this commentary called Subodini the meaning of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita will be illuminated and thus should always be meditated upon by the wise.
The extremely magnanimous Supreme Lord Krishna, whose feet are always worshipable by everyone; manifested Himself as the son of Devaki and Vasudev in this world for the ultimate benefit and welfare of all humanity.
The Supreme Lord Krishna with the light of absolute knowledge and the torch of esoteric wisdom, rescued Arjuna, whose discrimination being overpowered by grief and despondency as a result of harboring false conceptions, had the incorrect inclination to renounce his own authorised duty as a ksatriya and accept the unauthorised duties of a brahmana. This very subject taught by the literary incarnation, lila avatara, Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa is revealed in the seven hundred verses of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita. In these seven hundred verses Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa has written down all the verses spoken by Lord Krishna in his monumental historical epic, Mahabharata; and with great attention he has at certain places put a few of the verses in narrative form to properly introduce the dialogue of Lord Krishna to Arjuna. Thus this commentary known as Subodini will now commence.

RUDRA
VAISNAVA SAMPRADAYA

Visnu Swami : Founding Acarya

Vamana, Brahma, Ananta Sesha and Sanaka Kumara will appear as brahmanas by the order of Visnu, for the preservation of eternal righteousness in kali yuga.
Visnu Swami, Madhvacarya, Ramanuja and Nimbaditya will appear respectively as a portion of Vamana, Brahma, Ananta Sesha and Sanaka Kumara.
These saviours will be the establishers of the four authorised and empowered spiritual channels of disciplic succession in the period calculated from the reign of King Vikrama in 54 B.C. subsequently through the present era of kali yuga.
These four authorised and empowered spiritual channels of disciplic succession are to be fully accepted by all beings; as any word, combination of words or formulation of sounds frequencies, invoked or addressed, audible or inaudible, secret or revealed, ancient or contemporary, outside their auspices prove to have absolutely no efficacy.
sampradaya: authorised and empowered spiritual channel of disciplic succession
vikramasya: the solar year calculated from 54 B.C., the reign of King Vikrama and subsequently through the present and onwards into the future.
mantraste: any word, combination of words or formulation of sound frequencies, audible or inaudible, secret or revealed, ancient or contemporary used to invoke or address the Supreme Lord.

BRAHMA
Vaisnava Sampradaya

Disciplic Succession to Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's commentary authorised by the auspices of disciplic succession.

Madhvacarya's Commentary on Bhagavad-Gita

Invocation

Being compassionate to all the people of this Earth, who are afflicted by a lack of righteousness in this world, as well as having little knowledge of their eternal constitutional position and the understanding of how to achieve it; due to the prayers of Brahma and Shiva; Visnu descended down to the material existence and incarnated as the resplendent Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa for the purpose of disseminating the Ultimate Truth.
Consequently for propagating the means of acquiring what is of spiritual benefit and avoiding what is of no spiritual benefit and for elucidating the meaning of the Vedas in relation to human existence in the material world as well as for the sake of those not entitled to the knowledge of the Vedas such as sudras, mleechas, candalas and the many various sub-human species which predominate in all the countries of this Earth; Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa knowing that salvation is only possible through inner realisations manifesting from a living entities consciousness situated in pure righteousness and considering this the magnanimous one, the writer of the words spoken in the Vedas which contain the Ultimate Truth which leads to the Ultimate Consciousness which reveals the Ultimate Personality, who is completely inconceivable by the mind and transcendental to the senses; compiled the Mahabharata by citing historical examples full of wisdom and practical instructions to enable humanity to have the direct revelation of the Supreme Lord Krishna's form, qualities, attributes and pastimes.
The administrators of the material worlds are the demigods and they for the sake of all living entities in the material existence besieged by the three fold miseries of old age, disease and death; devoid of knowledge of the Ultimate Truth even though entitled to it, beseeched Brahma to offer prayers to Visnu the protector of the demigods and preserver of all the worlds. Visnu being pleased incarnated as the resplendent Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa and in other forms as well to illuminate the enlightened meaning of the Vedas to be perceived in a manner not normally accessible through the senses in the form of the fifth Veda, the best of the Vedas, the Mahabharata. Thus along with the Mahabharata, Pancharatra, Ramayana, the Puranas, Srimad Bhagavatam and many other excellent scriptures were compiled.
In the Narayanashtaksharakalpa it is stated:
Even Brahma does not know it fully; others know it but partially. Even the Rishis and Sages declare that verily the Mahabharata has multiple meanings of understanding it.
In the Narada Purana it is stated:
Beseeched by Brahma and Siva, Visnu narrated the Mahabharata which posesses ten different interpretations which cannot be perceived and understood by all living entities. Transcendentally and ingeniusly composed the Mahabharata was declared as the fifth and best Veda, containing the ten-fold meanings, propagating in all parts the glory of the Supreme Lord Krishna. For the realization of the Supreme Lord Krishna is verily better than even the study of the Vedas for it is by the studying of the Vedas that eventually knowledge of the Supreme Lord Krishna is to be known.
In the Skanda Purana it is stated:
Even if a twice born brahmana knows all the four Vedas and the Upanisads; but does not know the Puranas, then he cannot be considered well versed. Along with the historical accounts of Ramayana and Mahabharata the Puranas must also be accepted as authority. The personified Vedas reflecting, considered that in the future there might be some deception and concealment of the true meaning and goal of Vedanta, which is ultimately to understand the Supreme Lord Krishna. In order to insure that the Vedas would be protected the Mahabharata was written for the common man, the faithful and for the Supreme Lord, respectively. For this reason the Mahabharata has been composed.
In ancient times before the manifestation and division of time by the four yugas the Mahabharata and the Vedas were weighed on scales by Brahma, the demigods and the rsis the Mahabharata weighed heavier. Because it carries the weight of superior principles it is regaled and exalted as the Mahabharata. What is contained in Mahabharata is found in other Vedic scriptures; but what is not contained in Mahabharata is not to be found in any other Vedic scriptures. The Anusasanika Parva which contains the thousand names of Visnu known as the Visnu Sahasranama and the Udyoga Parva which contains the Bhagavad-Gita are paramount, being the very essence of Mahabharata.
According to Nirkuta the Mahabharata is a destroyer of all inauspiciousness. Thus considering the above references, veiws and traditions of the seers the greatness of Mahabharat can be perceived. Who else other than the Supreme Lord incarnate as Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva could have composed the Mahabharata. This is the definitive understanding of all the Puranas and scriptures as spoken and by Narada and others. How else is it possible that all reactions due to offences are dissolved by the knowledge of even one of the intrinsic meanings of Mahabharatas 100,000 verses; but this is true.
Why are other scriptures unable to grant this? This fact is fully and unequivocally confirmed by the Mahabharata itself; but not for the sake of its own praise but solely for the sake of the salvation of humanity. This is an established fact and there is no need to have any doubts about it or any need to question its veracity. The Mahabharata has all the essential ingredients to evolve and protect humanity and Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is the epitome of the Mahabharata being its essence just as ghee is the essence of milk and pollen is the essence of flowers.
In the Kurma Purana it is stated:
Amongst all scriptures the Mahabharata is the best, amongst the 100,000 verses of the Mahabharata, Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is the best and should be contemplated thoroughly with its wisdom incorporated into ones everyday life. The thousand names of Visnu also included within the Mahabharata should also be studied as well. Verily this is the essence of righteousness capable of revealing the Ultimate Truth, achieving communion with the Ultimate Consciousness and the realization of the Ultimate Personality, the Supreme Lord Krishna within the heart of every living entity.

Invocation

Introduction to the Tatparya

In the Brahmanda Purana it is stated:
The Supreme Lord Krishna at an earlier request from Brahma, Rudra and the demigods incarnated as Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa and compiled the Mahabharata, known as the the Fifth Veda, for clarifying the pure principles of human existence.
The Supreme Lord Krishna taught Arjuna the Ultimate Truth and the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the Ultimate Consciousness which culminates in the realization of the Ultimate Personality. Devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the highest good for all living entities and whatever is contrary to this has a proportionally reverse effect as verily every living entity depends on the Supreme Lord for the air they breathe, the water they drink, the energy which allows them to grow and their very birth into the material existence. One should know that this is an absolute fact.
In the material existence their are only 2 types of being: the perishable and the imperishable. All living entities have a birth and death are perishable and the soul which is eternal within all living entities is imperishable. Seperate but non-different from the eternal individual soul, the Supreme Lord Krishna who is creating and entering into all the worlds, perfectly sustaining and preserving them all is the imperishable Ultimate Personality. Everything conceivable and whatever cannot be conceived is under His complete control. Yet the Supreme Lord Krishna is not under the control of anything. As the supreme controller of all it is propitious to adore and glorify Him with worship and in this way the performance of sacrifice is engaged in by men of wisdom.
Even those who have attained liberation from the material existence through self realisation, still in fact always worship the Supreme Lord Krishna and relish His nectarian pastimes while performing their prescribed, ordained actions and taste uninterrupted bliss. Being pleased with their devotion even after liberation the Supreme Lord Krishna graces them with the wisdom to perfect themselves even further and being satisfied by their refined and sublime devotion reveals His transcendental form within the heart of His devotee and grants eternal association to them for the rest of his material existence and on after directly into the eternal spiritual worlds.
The Supreme Lord Krishna is independent of Rama, Narayana, Visnu, Buddha, Shiva, Brahma or any other worshipable deity. All are totally dependent upon Him because of His being the original creator of all completely full of all attributes. Devotion in one half consists in knowing the Supreme Lord Krishna to be the Supreme Ultimate Personality perfection devoid of any incompleteness and the other half consists in having within ones heart extraordinarily wonderful feelings of love for Him. By factual knowledge of His name, form, sweetness and pastimes these extraordinarily wonderful feelings for Him will naturally manifest within the sincere aspirants heart without the slightest difficulty. This is the best and most sublime means of attaining Him by the medium of heartfelt feelings. By this alone a living entity is transported to the spiritual worlds at the moment of death and eternally resides in the Supreme Lord Krishna association in His eternal abode. No better way has ever been seen to exist.
Even the most advanced of human beings is the lowliest among the qualified ones. The sages and rishis are of the intermediate class and the demigods are the best of the qualified ones who follow the path of devotion. The primal breath known as prana is the excellent among the qualified ones. In the absence of realization of the Ultimate Truth the position of the demigods cannot be attained. By disengaging oneself from the sheath of non-awareness one should captivate oneself by learning about the divine, transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Lord Krishna and all of His authorised incarnations as revealed in Vedic scriptures. Thus by absorbing ones self in this way gaining true knowledge the wisdom of ones factual spiritual position as an eternal spirit soul manifests within the heart.
In the beginning the Supreme Lord Krishna alone existed, neither Brahma nor Siva. He meditated within Himself and all creation was systematically manifested. Whomever the Supreme Lord Krishna desires, He makes a Brahma, a Siva, an Indra, a Surya, a Yama and so forth. These are administrative posts in the hierarchy of universal management. Nothing creates the Supreme Lord Krishna, the creator. Ever evolving, ever expanding the Supreme Lord Krishna is the Ultimate Truth and the Ultimate Reality. Anything contrary to this basic; but paramount realisation is a contradiction of reality and is not valid. Other than the realisation by spiritual insight that the Supreme Lord Krishna is the Supreme Ultimate Personality, a living entity has regrettably and unfortunately missed the paramount goal of material existence. Nothing else is more important than realisation of the Supreme Lord Krishna as the Supreme Lord of all achieving this understanding in ones limited span of life.
In the Paingi Sruti it is stated:
The Supreme Lord Krishna is beyond measure, beyond scope, complete within Himself. None is equal to or greater than or can ever attain His greatness. Resplendent with all attributes, full of compassion and magnimanity without any defects. None exists which is superior or equal to Him. Neither will there ever be at anytime, anyone or anything by the assistance of others or by there own strength equal or greater than Lord Krishna.
Living entities in wisdom should perform prescribed ordained actions without fail. It is never possible for any living entity to entirely renounce all actions completely. Eating is an action, and if one has renounced food then drinking is an action, and if one has renounced drinking then breathing is an action and if one has renounced even breathing then living itself is an action.
Thus for all living entities highest good they all should perform devotion in a regulated manner for the satisfaction and propitiation of the Ultimate Personality, the Supreme Lord Krishna and achieving this attain the goal of material existence.

BRAHMA
VAISNAVA SAMPRADAYA

Madhvacarya : Founding Acarya

Vamana, Brahma, Ananta Sesha and Sanaka Kumara will appear as brahmanas by the order of Visnu, for the preservation of eternal righteousness in kali yuga.
Visnu Swami, Madhvacarya, Ramanuja and Nimbaditya will appear respectively as a portion of Vamana, Brahma, Ananta Sesha and Sanaka Kumara.
These saviours will be the establishers of the four authorised and empowered spiritual channels of disciplic succession in the period calculated from the reign of King Vikrama in 54 B.C. subsequently through the present era of kali yuga.
These four authorised and empowered spiritual channels of disciplic succession are to be fully accepted by all beings; as any word, combination of words or formulation of sounds frequencies, invoked or addressed, audible or inaudible, secret or revealed, ancient or contemporary, outside their auspices prove to have absolutely no efficacy.
sampradaya: authorised and empowered spiritual channel of disciplic succession
vikramasya: the solar year calculated from 54 B.C., the reign of King Vikrama and subsequently through the present and onwards into the future.
mantraste: any word, combination of words or formulation of sound frequencies, audible or inaudible, secret or revealed, ancient or contemporary used to invoke or address the Supreme Lord.

SRI
Vaisnava Sampradaya

Disciplic Succession to Ramanuja

1) LORD KRISHNA
2) Narayana
3) Sri (Laksmi-devi)
4) Nathamuni
5) Yamunacarya
6) Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary on Bhagavad-Gita

Invocation

The Supreme Lord Krishna is the beloved of Sri, also known as Laksmi-devi, who is herself quite perfect in all the multitudes of limitless, marvelous and uncountable qualities of divinity such as amiability, compassion, devotion etc. and harmonising in perfect synchronisation with His nature, form, omnipotence, majesty and opulence. He who has at feet constantly eulogizing prayers and singing hymns, countless divine beings; whose essence, being, and phenomenal works are all in accordance with His will. They delight solely in rendering service to Him, posessed as they are with of a multitude of vast, eternal, indestrucible, and sublime attributes far beyond any definitions of words or thoughts.
The Supreme Lord Krishna whose expansions and incarnations have their abode in the transcendental celestial firmament known as Vaikuntha which is indestructible and limitless and which conforms with His nature, which is expansive, unfathomable, endless and opulent. That Vaikuntha of infinite wonder, of infinte glory, of infinite majesty and of infinite omnipotence is eternal and imperishable.
The Supreme Lord Krishna by whose will and pleasure trillions of universes are dramatically displayed by projection in the material substratum in the modes of sustenation and dissolution; the universes so replete with 8,400,000 different species of life and full of so many wonderfully variegated and amazingly phenomenal creations and hosts of enjoyers thereof. He is also to be known by the names of His manifestations such as Brahman and Para Brahman, by any of His incarnations such as Rama and Buddha and by any of His expansions such as Narayana and Vasudeva.
The Supreme Lord Krishna , who is the Ultimate Truth, the Ultimate Consciousness and the Ultimate Personality, having emanated the complete cosmic manifestation from Brahma down to a blade of grass, by His own desire He withdrew within His own Self and was instantaneously completely beyond the material existence and the meditations and adorations of Brahma, the demigods and mortal beings.
The Supreme Lord Krishna being an all pervading ocean of infinite mercy with unlimited compassion, unlimited love and unlimited magnamimity, although completely transcendental to the material existence; simultaneously willed to incarnate in various material forms similar to those of His creation, without compromising His own divine transcendental nature and periodically descends as different incarnations in the material worlds as he so desires.
The Supreme Lord Krishna is always accessible to those by whom He is worshipped and receiving His mercy are granted their desires from artha which is material wealth all the way to moksa which is salvation from material existence and their aspirations are always completely fulfilled.
The Supreme Lord Krishna's main purpose for descending and incarnating is to relieve the Earth of any demoniac and negative, undesirable influences that are opposed to spiritual developement; but simultaneously at the same time it is also His incomparable intention to continuously be within reach of all humanity. To fulfill this purpose He periodically manifests Himself in the material existence so that He becomes an actual reality for all people to consciously see, hear and learn about and He personally performs such phenomenal and extraordinary pastimes that are able to captivate, inspire and enrapture the hearts and minds of all living entities high and low.
The Supreme Lord Krishna naturally delights all the worlds who are fortunate enough to learn about Him with His transcendental beauty, His eternal, spiritual form and His extraordinary phenomenal pastimes which are overflowing with the nectar of compassion and love.
The Supreme Lord Krishna under the pretext of having to persuade Arjuna to fight at the battle of Kuruksetra, agreed to accept the position of chariot driver for His devotee and took the oppurtunity to reveal again the eternal and imperishable Bhagavad-Gita which had been lost over the milleniums. By delineating karma yoga and jnana yoga which both when becoming mature blossom into bhakti yoga which is the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the Ultimate Cocsciousness by loving devotional service unto the Supreme Lord or through any of His sastrically authorised incarnations revealed in the Vedic scriptures.
The Supreme Lord Krishna fully described the science of bhakti yoga in the middle six chapters of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita and these six chapters reveal the goal of all Vedantic teachings and by which He is irrefutably indicated as the Ultimate Reality, the best object of love for the highest good of all living entities and that loved , He Himself becomes the means to rescue a living entity from all illusory and conditioned existences.
The Supreme Lord Krishna appeared in His original form with a view to shower benefits on the whole Earth and allowing Himself to be overpowered by the great love from His true and faithful devotee Arjuna, gave Himself to him and consenting to his desire undertook the duties as Arjunas charioteer and safely drove his surrendered devotee to victory throughout the 18 day battle of Kuruksetra as witnessed by all the universe which was inaugurated due to King Duryodhana and the Kauravas becoming antagonistic against Arjunas's family known as the Pandavas.
Srimad Bhagavad-Gita begins with the Supreme Lord Krishna driving Arjunas magnificent golden chariot drawn by four milk white horses between the two armies opposed for battle. The dialogue begins with the blind king Dhritarastra, of the enemy Kauravas inquiring about the welfare of his son Duryodhana from Sanjaya, who had been given the power of clairvoyance by incarnation Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa to see and hear everything that occured on the battlefield as if he was physically present.

विष्णुसहस्रनामस्तोत्रम्‌

॥ हरिः ॐ ॥ 




सुधन्वा खण्डपरशुर्दारुणो द्रविणप्रदः।
दिवःस्पृक् सर्वदृग्व्यासो वाचस्पतिरयोनिजः॥६१॥

त्रिसामा सामगः साम निर्वाणं भेषजं भिषक्।
संन्यासकृच्छमः शान्तो निष्ठा शान्तिः परायणम्॥६२॥

शुभाङ्गः शान्तिदः स्रष्टा कुमुदः कुवलेशयः।
गोहितो गोपतिर्गोप्ता वृषभाक्षो वृषप्रियः॥६३॥

अनिवर्ती निवृत्तात्मा संक्षेप्ता क्षेमकृच्छिवः।
श्रीवत्सवक्षाः श्रीवासः श्रीपतिः श्रीमतांवरः॥६४॥

श्रीदः श्रीशः श्रीनिवासः श्रीनिधिः श्रीविभावनः।
श्रीधरः श्रीकरः श्रेयः श्रीमाँल्लोकत्रयाश्रयः॥६५॥

स्वक्षः स्वङ्गः शतानन्दो नन्दिर्ज्योतिर्गणेश्वरः।
विजितात्माऽविधेयात्मा सत्कीर्तिश्छिन्नसंशयः॥६६॥

उदीर्णः सर्वतश्चक्षुरनीशः शाश्वतस्थिरः।
भूशयो भूषणो भूतिर्विशोकः शोकनाशनः॥६७॥

अर्चिष्मानर्चितः कुम्भो विशुद्धात्मा विशोधनः।
अनिरुद्धोऽप्रतिरथः प्रद्युम्नोऽमितविक्रमः॥६८॥

कालनेमिनिहा वीरः शौरिः शूरजनेश्वरः।
त्रिलोकात्मा त्रिलोकेशः केशवः केशिहा हरिः॥६९॥

कामदेवः कामपालः कामी कान्तः कृतागमः।
अनिर्देश्यवपुर्विष्णुर्वीरोऽनन्तो धनंजयः॥७०॥

ब्रह्मण्यो ब्रह्मकृद् ब्रह्मा ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविवर्धनः।
ब्रह्मविद् ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मी ब्रह्मज्ञो ब्राह्मणप्रियः॥७१॥

महाक्रमो महाकर्मा महातेजा महोरगः।
महाक्रतुर्महायज्वा महायज्ञो महाहविः॥७२॥

स्तव्यः स्तवप्रियः स्तोत्रं स्तुतिः स्तोता रणप्रियः।
पूर्णः पूरयिता पुण्यः पुण्यकीर्तिरनामयः॥७३॥

मनोजवस्तीर्थकरो वसुरेता वसुप्रदः।
वसुप्रदो वासुदेवो वसुर्वसुमना हविः॥७४॥

सद्गतिः सत्कृतिः सत्ता सद्भूतिः सत्परायणः।
शूरसेनो यदुश्रेष्ठः सन्निवासः सुयामुनः॥७५॥

भूतावासो वासुदेवः सर्वासुनिलयोऽनलः।
दर्पहा दर्पदो दृप्तो दुर्धरोऽथापराजितः॥७६॥

विश्वमूर्तिर्महामूर्तिर्दीप्तमूर्तिरमूर्तिमान्।
अनेकमूर्तिरव्यक्तः शतमूर्तिः शताननः॥७७॥

एको नैकः सवः कः किं यत् तत्पदमनुत्तमम्।
लोकबन्धुर्लोकनाथो माधवो भक्तवत्सलः॥७८॥

सुवर्णवर्णो हेमाङ्गो वराङ्गश्चन्दनाङ्गदी।
वीरहा विषमः शून्यो घृताशीरचलश्चलः॥७९॥

अमानी मानदो मान्यो लोकस्वामी त्रिलोकधृक्।
सुमेधा मेधजो धन्यः सत्यमेधा धराधरः॥८०॥