Victoria Schwarz

veschwarz@gmail.com
victoriaschwarz@aol.com

Dr. M. Mahler

January 31, 2008

In addition to the below,
See also an Appendix

Sanskrit

We learn Sanskrit for the sake of the Bhagavad Gita. We may read the Bhagavad
Gita in Sanskrit again and again until we know the most important verses by heart, and
chant them, and the language of those verses become as familiar to us as our mother
tongue. We may go to that poem in times of sorrow and joy and thus connect it with the
deepest moments of our life; and write down the thoughts and emotions that the verses
wake in us; and our reading may go on for years; and suddenly one day we may feel that
we are reading the Bhagavad Gita for the first time.
(Juan Mascaro, The Bhagavad Gita pp33-34)

Sanskrit: what is the significance of this language and what is the role of Sanskrit
in cultures today? Sanskrit is thought to be a “dead” language, and yet it seems to have
great significance today for many, perhaps even a growing number of people not only
from the East, but from the West as well. In this paper, it is wished to begin to explore
what impact the ancient writings of Sanskrit have on the people of today and why an
impact exists. Special focus will be on the Bhagavad Gita, a very revered poem that
began in an oral tradition some 3000 years B.C., it is estimated, and was written some
say, around 500 B.C., others say as late as 500 A.D.

Sanskrit's greatest influence, presumably, is that which it exerted on languages

that grew from its vocabulary and grammatical base. Especially among élite circles in
India, Sanskrit is prized as a storehouse of scripture and the language of prayers in
Hinduism. Like Latin's influence on European languages and Classical Chinese's
influence on East Asian languages, Sanskrit has influenced most Indian languages. While
vernacular prayer is common, Sanskrit mantras are recited by millions of Hindus and
most temple functions are conducted entirely in Sanskrit, often Vedic in form.

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 The 1991 Indian census reported 49,736 fluent speakers of Sanskrit. Since the
1990’s, efforts to revive spoken Sanskrit have been increasing. Many organizations like
the Samskrta Bharati are conducting Speak Sanskrit workshops to popularize the
language. The CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) in India has made Sanskrit
a third language (though it is an option for the school to adopt it or not, the other choice
being the state's own official language) in the schools it governs. In such schools,
learning Sanskrit is an option for grades 5 to 8 (Classes V to VIII). This is true of most
schools, including but not limited to Christian missionary schools, affiliated to the ICSE
board too, especially in those states where the official language is Hindi. Sudharma, the
only daily newspaper in Sanskrit has been published out of Mysore in India since the year
1970. Since 1974, there has been a short daily news broadcast on All India Radio.

Sanskrit is reported to be spoken natively by the population in Mattur village in

central Karnataka. Allegedly, inhabitants of all castes learn Sanskrit starting in childhood
and converse in the language. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit, p 16)

This researcher believes it could be said that the ancient texts of Sanskrit have
now become increasingly popular with another sector of the World’s population –
Westerners. Possibly since the 1960’s when The Beatles went off to India to be with
their guru, and continuing in the 1970’s with gurus venturing to the West, Westerners
have sought out the profound information that has been available to the East for
thousands of years. The information of the ages is available in the ancient texts.

Indeed, this researcher has often heard it said that the very sounds of the Sanskrit
prayers and chants are charged with the energy of the many who have repeated the words
over and over throughout the ages. It is believed the words are not mere words, but
purifying forces.

Further, throughout Eastern philosophy gathering places, including ashrams

throughout the world, Sanskrit, far from being a “dead” language, is one which unifies
and enlivens a community, especially in gathering places where languages of the world
can be heard. In these places, Sanskrit is the language that all or most all can relate to on

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some level. Even though some may not actually understand the exact translation, they
often seem to understand the meaning. It could be said, therefore, that Sanskrit is the
thread that promotes the global community of those who seek to be enriched by traveling
around the world and by traveling into the past, bringing the past forward into today for
the purpose of mutual exploration and personal and/or mutual understanding of the
sublime.

(Note: one translation of the 18 verses of the Bhagavad Gita can be found in the Appendix. The translation in
the Appendix is in addition to some noted individual verses in the body of this paper, by another translator.)

Introduction to Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita was included in the Mahabharata. This is a vast epic of over
one hundred thousand slokas, or couplets, is the longest poem in the world: about 30
times as long as Paradise Lost and about 140 times as long as the Bhagavad Gita. The
war of the Mahabharata is meant to be a real war; the war in the Bhagavad Gita has
symbolic meaning. (Mascaro, Juan. The Bhagavad Gita p 22)

The discourse on the Bhagavad Gita begins before the start of the battle at
Kurukshetra. It begins with the Pandava prince Arjuna, as he becomes filled with doubt
on the battlefield. Realizing that his enemies are his own relatives, beloved friends, and
revered teachers, he turns to his charioteer and mentor for advice, Sri Krishna, an
embodiment of God/Vishnu.

Krishna counsels Arjuna, beginning with the tenet that the soul is both eternal and
immortal. Any 'death' on the battlefield would involve only the shedding of the body, but
the inner soul is permanent. Krishna goes on to expound on the yogic paths of devotion,
action, meditation and knowledge. Fundamentally, the Bhagavad Gita proposes that true
enlightenment comes from growing beyond identification with the ego, the 'false Self',
and that one must identify with the Truth of the immortal Self, (the soul or Atman).
Through detachment from the material sense of ego, the Yogi, or follower of a particular
path of Yoga, is able to transcend his illusory mortality and attachment to the material
world and enter the realm of the Supreme.

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 To demonstrate his divine nature, Krishna grants Arjuna the boon of cosmic
vision (albeit temporary) and allows the prince to see his 'Universal Form'. He reveals
that he is fundamentally both the ultimate essence of Being in the universe, and also its
material body.

The Bhagavad Gita consists of 18 chapters. Each chapter is a highly specialized

yoga revealing the path of attaining realization of the Ultimate Truth.

The first six chapters have been classified as the Karma Yoga section as they
mainly deal with the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with
the Ultimate Consciousness through actions.

The middle six chapters have been designated as the Bhakti Yoga section as they
principally are pertaining with the science of the individual consciousness attaining
communion with the Ultimate Consciousness by the path of devotion.

The final six chapters are regarded as the Jnana Yoga section as they are
primarily concerned with the science of the individual consciousness attaining
communion with the Ultimate Consciousness through the intellect. (Bhagavad-Gita Trust
1998, http:www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/intro.html pp 1-2)

• Chapter One—The Yoga of the Despondency of Arjuna

• Chapter Two—Sankhya Yoga
• Chapter Three—The Yoga of Action
• Chapter Four—The Yoga of Wisdom
• Chapter Five—The Yoga of Renunciation of Action
• Chapter Six—The Yoga of Meditation
• Chapter Seven—The Yoga of Wisdom and Realization
• Chapter Eight—The Yoga of Imperishable Brahman
• Chapter Nine—The Yoga of the Kingly Science and Kingly Secret
• Chapter Ten—The Yoga of Divine glories
• Chapter Eleven—The Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form
• Chapter Twelve—The Yoga of Devotion
• Chapter Thirteen—The Yoga of the Distinction Between the Field and the Knower of
the Field
• Chapter Fourteen—The Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas
• Chapter Fifteen—The Yoga of the Supreme Spirit
• Chapter Sixteen— Yoga of the Division between the Divine and the Demoniacal

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• Chapter Seventeen—The Yoga of the Division of Threefold Faith
• Chapter Eighteen—The Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation

Among the great sages and philosophers who have drawn inspiration from the
Bhagavad Gita are Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the leading example of the yoga of love
and devotion, bhakti yoga. It was he who first sang the "Hare Krishna" mantra. Mahatma
Gandhi, who interpreted the war of the Mahabharata as a metaphor for the conflicts that
trouble all people at one time or another. The culminating message of the Gita was the
inspiration for his struggle against British colonial rule.

The dynamic Swami Vivekananda, the follower of Shri Ramakrishna known for
his seminal commentaries on the four yogas, Bhakti, Jnana, Karma and Raja Yoga, also
drew from his knowledge of the Gita to expound on them. Swami Sivananda advises the
aspiring yogis to read verses from the Bhagavad Gita every day. Paramahamsa
Yogananda, writer of the famous Autobiography of a Yogi, viewed the Bhagavad Gita as
one of the world's most divine scriptures, along with the Four Gospels of Jesus.

The knowledge found within the Bhagavad Gita is incomparable as it gives

specific information regarding the purpose of human existence, the immortality of the
soul and our eternal relationship with God. (Bhagavad-Gita Trust 1998,
http:www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/intro.html p1 )

Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita on the battlefield of Kuruksetra in 3102
B.C.; just prior to the commencement of the Mahabharata war. This date corresponds to
1700 years before Moses, 2500 years before Buddha, 3000 years before Jesus and 3800
years before Mohammed. So first and foremost it should be clearly understood that the
eternal knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita has not been influenced by Buddhism,
Christianity, Hebrewism or Islam; for these religions did not exist at that time and were
established milleniums later.

That proof of the date 3102 B.C. can be verified by any knowledgeable indologist
in India based on the fact that this was the year when the Pandava King Yudhisthira

5
ascended the throne and was crowned as emperor of the Earth. (Bhagavad-Gita Trust
1998, http:www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/intro.html p 2)

The Bhagavad-Gita literally translates as the Song of God! It was originally

revealed in the classical language of Sanskrit spoken on the Indian sub-continent. It was
first translated into English in 1785 by Charles Wilkins. It was translated into Latin in
1823 by Schlegel, into German in 1826 by Von Humbolt, into French in 1846 by Lassens
and into Greek in 1848 by Galanos. By now it has been translated into all the major
languages of the world such as Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Dutch,
Hebrew, Portugese, Arabic, Hindi and Bengali.

The Bhagavad Gita is considered to Eastern and Western scholars alike to be

among the greatest spiritual books the world has ever known.

Many great and notable individuals from modern times as well as past eras have
read the Bhagavad Gita and have extolled it’s universal message. For example:

Albert Einstein stated that when reading the Bhagavad Gita he thaught about how
God created the universe and then everything else seemed so superfluous.

Mahatma Gandhi stated that the Bhagavad Gita calls on humanity to dedicate
mind, body and soul to purity.

Dr. Albert Schweizer stated that the Bhagavad Gita has a profound influence on
the spirit of mankind by its devotion to God which is manifested in all actions.

Sri Aurobindo stated the Bhagavad Gita has a new message for every age and
every civilization.

Herman Hesse stated that the wonder of the Bhagavad Gita is its beautiful
revelation of life's wisdom which has made philosophy blossom into religion.

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 Aldous Huxley stated that the Bhagavad Gita is the most comprehensive
statement of perennial philosophy. (Bhagavad-Gita Trust 1998, http:www.bhagavad-
gita.org/Gita/intro.html pp 3-4)

Below is a strong opinion about the discussion as to when the Bhagavad Gita was
written:
Some western scholars have expressed opinions that the Bhagavad Gita was
written after Jesus Christ and the idea of devotion was taken from him. Someone who has
read both the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita completely can easily discern the vast
difference between the two. The Bible being more of a history book relates in the New
Testament stories and pertinent facts regarding the life of Jesus. On the other hand, the
Bhagavad Gita gives exact information regarding God, the soul, material nature, birth and
death, the purpose of human existence and is a practical manual for spiritual revelation
and attainment. It is interesting to note that the two foremost doctrines of Christianity as
found in the Bible in Matthew, chapter 22, verses 37 and 39 which say: Love thy God
with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind; and love thy neighbor as thyself
are not minimized but completely validated by the Bhagavad Gita. The book
Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, volume six, page 696 states, " It is certain that
portions of the Bhagavad Gita in which the doctrine of bhakti or love of God is revealed
are pre-Christian and of indigenous Indian origin. This is not only limited to the
devotional portions; but the entirety of the Bhagavad Gita is pre-Christian. Also it has
been well noted by Sanskrit scholars that in terms of grammatical construction many
sentences and the archaic forms of many words do not follow the strict rules of grammar
which all Sanskrit scholars follow as expounded given by Panini, who lived in the 6th
century B.C.

Not only is the Bhagavad Gita pre-Christian; but it is also pre-Buddhist as well.
That the Bhagavad Gita is pre-Buddhistic can be determined by the fact that no where is
there any reference to Buddhism. Whereas in the Buddhist scripture Niddesa written in 4
B.C. in the Pali Canon is found reference to the worship of Vasudeva and Baladeva, who
are Krishna and Balarama respectively. (Bhagavad-Gita Trust 1998, http:www.bhagavad-
gita.org/Gita/intro.html p 4)

In a very clear and wonderful way the Supreme Lord Krishna describes the
science of self-relationship with God. The primary purpose of the Bhagavad Gita is to
illuminate for all of humanity the realization of the true nature of divinity; for the highest
spiritual conception and the greatest material perfection is to attain love of God
(http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/ pp1-2)

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Grace Of The Gita
“There is no human mind and intellect that cannot be purified by a repeated study of the
Gita."

Whoever hears this sacred dialogue with faith and without cavil becomes free
from sin, and attains heaven, the higher worlds of those whose actions are pure and
virtuous. (18.71)

A summary of the "Glory of the Gita" as elaborated in the scriptures is given

below. Reading this glory of the Gita generates faith and devotion in the heart that is
essential for reaping the benefits of the study of the Gita.

The goal of human birth is to master the mind and senses and reach one’s destiny.
A regular study of the Gita is sure to help achieve this noble goal. One who is regular in
the study of the Gita becomes happy, peaceful, prosperous, and free from the bondage of
Karma though engaged in the performance of worldly duties. The one who studies even a
few verses of the Gita every day is not tainted by sin just as water does not stain a lotus
leaf. The Gita is the best abode of Lord Krishna. The spiritual potency of the Lord abides
in every verse of the Gita.

The Bhagavad Gita is the storehouse of spiritual knowledge. The Lord Himself
spoke this supreme science of the Absolute containing the essence of all the scriptures for
the benefit of humanity. All the Upanishads are the cows; Arjuna is the calf; Krishna is
the milker; the nectar of the Gita is the milk; and the persons of purified intellects are the
drinkers. One need not study any other scripture if he or she seriously studies the Gita,
contemplates on the meaning of the verses, and practices its teachings in one’s daily life.

Though engaged in the performance of worldly duties, one who is regular in the
study of the Gita becomes happy, and free from Karmic bondage. Sins do not taint who is
regular in the study of the Gita. All the sacred centers of pilgrimage, gods, sages, and
great souls dwell in the place where the Gita is kept, and read. Help during troubles
comes quickly where Gita is recited, and the Lord dwells where it is read, heard, taught,
and contemplated upon. By repeated reading of the Gita, one attains bliss and liberation.

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The one who contemplates on the teachings of the Gita at the time of death becomes free
from sin and attains salvation. Lord Krishna Himself comes to take the person to His
Supreme Abode.

The grace of Gita cannot be described. Its teachings are simple as well as abstruse
and profound. New and deeper meanings are revealed to a serious student of the Gita, and
the teachings remain ever inspirational. The interest in a serious study of the Gita is not
available to all but to those with good Karma only. One should be very earnest in the
study of the Gita.

Gita is the heart, the soul, the breath, and the voice form of the Lord. No austerity,
penance, sacrifice, charity, pilgrimage, vow, fasting, and continence equals the study of
Gita. It is difficult for any ordinary person like us, or even for the great sages and
scholars, to understand the deep and secret meaning of the Gita. To understand the Gita
completely is like a fish trying to fathom the extent of the ocean, or a bird trying to
measure the sky. Gita is the deep ocean of the knowledge of the Absolute; only the Lord
has a complete understanding of it.

Nobody, other than Lord Krishna should claim authority on the Gita.

O Arjuna, did you listen to this with single-minded attention? Has your delusion
born of ignorance been completely destroyed? (18.72) Arjuna said: By Your grace my
delusion is destroyed, I have gained Self-knowledge, my confusion with regard to body
and Spirit is dispelled and I shall obey Your command. (18.73)

When one realizes Him by His grace, the knots of ignorance are loosened, all
doubts and confusion are dispelled, and all Karma is exhausted. The true knowledge of
the Supreme Being comes only by His grace.
(http://www.gitasociety.com/section1/1_graceofgita.htm p 1)

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Mantras

A mantra is a thought manifest in, or encapsulated by, a sacred utterance that

possesses profound spiritual significance. Sound holds a key place in Hindu thought.
Some writers believe that it preceded the creation of the universe, and its vibrations are
the thought to bind the atoms of the world. Mantra are sacred syllables that encapsulate
particular forms of cosmic power (shakti).

In the Bhagavad Gita God Krishna explains that He is the transcendental OM

Mantra and that the chanting of japa (chanting a mantra quietly for one’s own meditation
is the purest of His representations and sacrifices. It is understood that by chanting japa
and hearing the holy sounds of the mantra, one can come to the platform of spiritual
realization. The energy in the sound vibration of the mantra prepares and opens one’s
consciousness to higher levels of reality.

Chanting the names of God brings a devotee in direct contact with God in
proportion to the chanter’s purity. This process of self-realization is the way of success
for everyone.

There are generally believed to be four classes of sound:

1) Supreme sound is the most subtle of the four, and is the sound made
by the base chakra.
2) Visible sound is associated with the heart and is manifested as the
prime syllable OM.
3) Middle sound incorporates the basic sound of the Sanskrit alphabet
and is the source of secondary mantras.
4) Manifest sound is the sound of human speech, and is considered to

lowest of the four classes.

(http://www/1stholistic.com/prayer/Hindu/hol_Hindu-mantras.htm, p 1-3)

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OM, AUM

The most sacred single syllable in the entire literature of Hinduism is OM.

Those who know the soul, and those who do not know the soul, stand side
by side reciting this syllable. But knowledge and ignorance are quite
different. Only when it is recited with knowledge and faith, and with
awareness of the hidden connections, does it become truly potent.

Chandogya Upanishad 1:1

OM represents the wholeness of the universe and the eternal sound of Brahman
(the universal soul) that permeates it. All Hindu mantras generally begin and often also
end with OM. It has been frequently mentioned in the Vedas and offer scriptures of
Hinduism.

Aum is the supreme symbol of God. Aum is the whole. Aum affirms.
Aum is the sound which expresses all truth.

The priest begins worship with Aum. Spiritual teachers begin their
lessons with Aum; and their disciples open themselves to those lessons
with Aum.

Those in whom Aum resides are unified with God. Taittiriya Upanishad 1:8

The syllable OM, can also be spelled as AUM. According to one interpretation:

“A” stands for creation,

“U” stands for preservation, and

“M” indicates destruction or dissolution.

(http://www1stolistic.com/prayer/Hindu/hol_Hindu-OM.htm, pp 1-2)

Om Namah Shivaya! This mantra is considered to be The King of all matras. It

was for centuries considered to be a secret. Often a guru would wait for years to disclose
this mantra (another mantra) to a devotee until a devotee was considered worthy of such a

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gift. Further, it was considered to be for the East and was not known to be disclosed,
substantially, to the West perhaps at all until around 1970’s.

As once was translated for this researcher it means: I bow, with great respect to
Lord Shiva (God, Christ, the Universal energy, etc., could be substituted here), who is my
own Self! Gurumayi Chidvalasananda

As is discussed elsewhere in this paper, it is believed that every sound of this

ancient mantra is charged with the vibration of the Universe and that it allows for the
connection of God. This same guru and lineage further believes that God dwells within
you, as you. This could be something to contemplate. One might believe that this
precept greatly deviates from most philosophies the West might offer.

On the other hand, while one is considered a god-self, there is also a long tradition
of the Guru-disciple principle, as perhaps had its beginnings in the Bhagavad Gita. This
subject alone is one that many have written about voluminously over the centuries and
certainly, is best left for another discussion. Quoting the Bhagavad Gita (5.3) Swami
Muktananda once discoursed on the subject, “You yourself are your own friend and your
own enemy.” Again quoting the Bhagavad Gita, Swami said, “The vision of the Self is
obtained through meditation.” (Play of Consciousness p16 and 35)

Mantra Today:

The Mantram at the Moment of Death, The Process of Death and The Body is a Jacket

These are three headings in a very clear, gem of a book about Mantra, The
Unstruck Bell. In this book the author, Eknath Easwaran, who is Indian and who lived in
the West for many years, clearly explains some of the vast realms of a mantra. About
death and the body as an instrument, a jacket, he says many things, his thoughts and
teachings of which came from the Bhagavad Gita:

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 The mantram can replace fear and confusions with the calm atmosphere so
important at the time of great transition… The person who has become established in the
mantram, who has made the mantram an integral part of his or her consciousness, is
prepared for death at all times. Mahatma Gandhi, explaining this state, said once that is
would be easier for his life to stop than for his mantram Rama to cease reverberating in
his consciousness. And this is indeed how it came to pass: when his body was pierced by
the assassin’s bullets, Gandhi blessed his attacker with folded hands and fell with Rama
on his lips…

If we are able to repeat the mantram at the moment of death, the great mystics tell
us, we merge into God just as a bursting bubble becomes one with the sea.

Dying, they tell us, is a more complicated process than we ordinarily think. It is
not sudden; it is a gradual withdrawal of consciousness from the body into the Self. First,
consciousness is withdrawn from the senses to the mind. The senses shut down, and
outer awareness of the body and of our surroundings is gone… Even though we can no
longer see or hear, there is still consciousness in the mind, with all its desire and regrets,
all its conflicts and hopes and fears…

This process is strikingly parallel to what happens in deep meditation…The

crucial difference is that in meditation this is a voluntary withdrawal, whereas in death it
is involuntary…

…as long as the mind has not been still through the practice of meditation and the
repetition of the mantram, consciousness will remain in the mind at the moment of death.
We will still be identified with the ego, and our last thought will be, I, I, I. To repeat the
mantram at this stage is impossible if we have only been saying it on the surface level of
consciousness, for there is no surface level any longer. To be able to repeat the mantram
at the actual moment of death, the mantram must have sunk very, very deep into the mind
– so deep that instead of our last thought being I, I, I, the last thought will be God, whose
symbol is the mantram. (Easwaran, The Unstruck Bell, pp148 -154)

Mantra Today: OM
Easwaran writes:

The perfect symbol of the impersonal aspect of the Godhead is the syllable OM.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, many mantrams based on the personal aspect of the Lord
begin with OM, so that a single mantram symbolizes the divine presence as both personal
and impersonal, manifest and unmanifest.

To explain why OM is such a perfect symbol of the impersonal Godhead, it is

necessary to refer to a theory in the ancient Hindu scriptures which has much in common
with recent discoveries in modern science. According to this theory, the entire
phenomenal world consists of vibrations, just as matter, according to modern physics,
may be looked at as a concentration of energy. The physicist will tell you that in the last

13
analysis, this book is not a solid object; it is a structure of vibrating energies temporarily
fixed in a particular pattern. In the Hindu theory of vibration, matter is the most rigid, the
most “condensed” of vibrations; it is solid and perceptible to the senses… The subtlest of
vibrations, according to the ancient sages, is the so-called cosmic sound, the creative
Word out of which the entire universe of stars and seas, plants and animals and human
beings has evolved. The passage from Saint John – “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God” – has an almost exact parallel in the Rig
Veda, one of the oldest Hindu scriptures, which speaks of the unmanifested Godhead,
called Brahman: “In the beginning was Brahman, with whom was the Word, and the
Word was truly the supreme Braham.”

This Word, the cosmic sound, is not perceptible to the senses, but it can be
experienced in very deep meditation. It is most closely approximated by the syllable OM
– or AUM, as it is sometimes pronounced. When we utter OM with awareness of its
significance, we are to some degree evoking the supreme reality for which it stands.
(Easwaran, The Unstruck Bell, pp 53-54)

Mantra Today: in the Workplace

The paper about the influence of the Bhagavad Gita in the workplace, in its
entirety, is in the Appendix of this paper. This researcher found many references to the
Bhagavad Gita and as it influences life today. This paper, about bringing the Bhagavad
Gita into management and the workplace is an example how, after thousands of years, the
Bhagavad Gita influences many aspects of life in many parts of the world.

Bhagavad Gita and Management

(A couple of excerpts)

By: M.P. Bhattathiri

One of the greatest contributions of India to the world is Holy Gita which is
considered to be one of the first revelations from God. The management lessons
in this holy book were brought in to light of the world by divine Maharshi
Mahesh Yogi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Swami Bodhanandji, and the spiritual
philosophy by the great Adi Sankaracharya the greatest philosopher of India and
proud son of Kerala, and Sri. Srila Prabhupada Swami and humanism by Mata
Amritanandamayi Devi and Satya Sai Baba. Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita
the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides
"all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level."

It has been presumed for many years that satisfying lower order needs of workers
- adequate food, clothing and shelter, etc. are key factors in motivation. However, it is a
common experience that the dissatisfaction of the clerk and of the Director is identical -

14
only their scales and composition vary. It should be true that once the lower-order needs
are more than satisfied, the Director should have little problem in optimizing his
contribution to the organization and society. But more often than not, it does not happen
like that. ("The eagle soars high but keeps its eyes firmly fixed on the dead animal
below.") On the contrary, a lowly paid schoolteacher, or a self-employed artisan, may
well demonstrate higher levels of self-actualization despite poorer satisfaction of their
lower-order needs.

This situation is explained by the theory of self-transcendence propounded in the Gita.

Self-transcendence involves renouncing egoism, putting others before oneself,
emphasizing team work, dignity, co-operation, harmony and trust – and, indeed
potentially sacrificing lower needs for higher goals, the opposite of Maslow.

"Work must be done with detachment." It is the ego that spoils work and the ego is the
centerpiece of most theories of motivation. We need not merely a theory of motivation
but a theory of inspiration. (http://dharma.indviews.com/hindu-articles-gita-
management.htm)

A couple more quotes, a few thoughts:

Not long ago, I was able to read a great book by Juan Mascaro, The Bhagavad
Gita. It has a very interesting introduction that has the author writing about many
interesting points and the fact that he spent years translating the Bhagavad Gita,
reviewing the translation as his knowledge and maturity allowed him to fine-tune his
translation. There is another translation of nearly the entire Bhagavad Gita in the
Appendix of this paper; I prefer the one of Mascaro. The length of this paper does not
allow me to quote the parts of Mascaro’s Gita and my insights as I wished, describing the
philosophy that began so long ago, and the reminders of messages of Christianity and the
Muslim faiths. For the moment, I will make a few comments about one small part of
Mascaro’s Bhagavad Gita.

As Arjuna was contemplating if he would do battle with his relatives, his teachers,
others, the Lord Krishna said:

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 I am all powerful Time which destroys all things, and I have come here to slay
these men. Even if thou dost not fight, all the warriors facing thee shall die. (Bhagavad
Gita 11:32)

Arise therefore! Win thy glory, conquer thine enemies, and enjoy they kingdom.
Through the fate of their karma I have doomed them to die, be thou merely the means of
my work. (Bhagavad Gita 11:33)

As I read this, I am reminded of some things Aurobindo wrote:

The experiment of human life on an earth is not now for the first time enacted. It
has been conducted a million times before and the long drama will again a million times
be repeated. In all that we do now, our dreams, our discoveries, our swift or difficult
attainments, we profit subconsciously by the experiment or innumerable precursors and
our labor will be recurring in planets unknown to us and in worlds yet created.
(Aurobindo, The Adventure of Consciousness)

This world of our battle and labor is a fierce, dangerous, destructive, devouring
world in which life exists precariously and the soul and body of man move among
enormous perils, a world in which by every step forward, whether we will it or no,
something is crushed and broken, in which every breath of life is a breath too of death….

It is only when we see with the eye of the complete union and feel this truth in the
depth of our being that we can entirely discover behind that mask too the calm and
beautiful face of the all-blissful Godhead and in this touch that tests our imperfection the
touch of a friend and builder of the spirit in man. (Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita pp 367-
386)

Over the past several days, just the beginnings of some thoughts about Krishna
the Creator, Krishna the Destroyer have emerged, started percolating. After reading the
Bhagavad Gita, and an extremely small portion of Aurobindo (enough to have me craving
more), and seeing the movie: Journey of Man over and over again, I see the smallness of
Humanity in our “jackets”. In the movie, from what seemed to be a type of destruction of
the Earth, the great ice age, came, it is believed, the beginning of a vast population of the
Human race. Our own cravings has taken us from survival to, it seems, the verge of
destruction.

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 From the Bhagavad Gita, I began to think about how we are destroying our
environment. It seems somewhat arrogant, at the moment, to talk about how we are
destroying the Earth. The Earth is not being destroyed, it will go on. It is we, humanity
destroying its own self. Just as the dinosaurs, we will go away. In the last few days, I
have had visions of us being the fossil fuel for some next incarnation, after we are long
gone. Once again, we choose to destroy our own selves, or decide to become connected
to who we really are, while still existing in our “jackets”.

Many other thoughts about Destruction and Creation have emerged: because of
the invasion of China, the West, the World has come to know the Dali Lama. Because of
the potato famine in Ireland, the United States was able to integrate many Irish people,
(and other immigrations). Because we die, we get to “change jobs” entering into the
possibility of coming to know our greatest Self, who we really are. These are some of the
thoughts that have begun and are continuing as a result of reconnecting with Sanskrit and
doing this research.

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 References
Books:
Aurobindo, Sri, (1922) Essays on the Gita. Sri Aurobindo Ashram Pondicherry, India

Easwaran, Eknath. (1993) The Unstruck Bell. Nilgiri Press, Tomales, California.

ISBN: 0-915132-76-1

Mascaro, Juan. (1962) The Bhagavad Gita. Pengwin Classics, London England

Muktananda, Swami. (1978) Play of Consciouosness, Syda Foundation, South Fallsberg,

New York. ISBN: 0-914602-37-3

Satprem, (translated by) Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness,

Institute for Evoluionary Research, New York. ISBN 0-938710-04-4

Movie:

Wells, Spencer. The Journey of Man-- A Genetic Odyssey

Websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit, December 24, 2007

http://dharma.indviews.com/hinduism-puranas.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/hinduism-vedas.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/hinduism_epic_ramayana.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/hinduism_epic_mahabharata.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/hinduism-upanishads.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/bhagavad_gita_chapter1.htm, January 19, 2008

chapter2.htm, January 19, 2008

chapter3.htm, January 19, 2008

(Note: chapter 4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18.htm)

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http://dharma.indviews.com/ganesha_mantras.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/hanuman_mantras.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.com/hindu_articles_deepvaali.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/hanuman-anjaneya-god.htm, January 19, 2008

http://www.bookrags.com/research/rmyaa-eorl-ll/, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/hindu-articles-gita-management.ht, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com.hinduism_epics.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/hinduism-mantras.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com.saraswathi_mantras.htm, January 19, 2008

http://dharma.indviews.com/maha-lakshmi-stotram.htm, January 19, 2008

http://www/1stholistic.com/prayer/Hindu/hol_Hindu-mantras.htm, January 19, 2008

http://www1stolistic.com/prayer/Hindu/hol_Hindu-OM.htm, January 19, 2008

http://www.siddhayoga.org/teachings/essential/essential.html, January 29, 2008

http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Articles/gita-reincarnation.html, January 30, 2008

http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/chapter-01.html, January 30, 2008

-02.html, January 30, 2008

-03.html, January 30, 2008

(Note: chapter 4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18.html)

http:www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/intro.html, January 30, 2008

http://www.bhagavad-gita.us, January 30, 2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita, January 31, 2008

http://www.gita-society.com/section1/1_graceofgita.htm, January 31, 2008

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