commentaries on, bogus

According to these Acaryas Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam are, in their original stand, the real commentaries of the Vedanta Sutras. The Mayavadins who do not actually belong to the Vedanta school have overcast a cloud unnecessarily over the Bhagavad-gita and therefore common people are misled by them. In other words they have no entrance in the Vedanta Darsana so to say. (More...)

Philosophical ways are practical and it is no use simply by indulging in speculation without any practical result just like to keep a cow without any milk. We must always seek a practical value from philosophy for the benefit of all. The mission with which you have started your service inspired me to help you as far as possible and I thought it fit to inform you that your mission can be well guided by the practical philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita. If you do not wish to have it that is a different question. If you put up a programme acceptable to one and all there is no necessity of patronizing a particular ism. A common formula can be of practical use both for India or others. As such you can have practical solutions of all problems such as social, religious, cultural, political, economic as well as agricultural and industrial-from the Bhagavad-gita. It is possible only simply by assimilating it by direct perception. It is meant for all living being. Indirect perception will mislead far away from the truth and I am afraid many such indirect misinterpretations in a speculative mood by various commentators, have done more harm than good to the humanity in general (More...)

Bhagavad-gita is mostly read by almost all classes of people of the world but unfortunately they are accepted in an independent choice of indirect interpretation. That is a deviation and for that reason only they cannot derive the direct benefit. (More...)

I am glad to note that you have got the highest estimation for Gita. I am just trying to present the conclusion of Gita to the world as it is and without any imperfect compromise with speculative interpretations. We have to learn the lessons of Gita from the authorized disciplic succession as it is advised there in the book (4th Ch.). Unfortunately every one not in that line tries to explain Gita in his own way and this process is misguided the people. We have to counteract this disruptive tendency and put them at right. (More...)

We have no business with Tagore's Gitanjali. We are simply interested in spreading Krishna's Gita. When the greatest author, Krishna, is there, there is no need of bringing smaller author. When there is brightest sunshine, there is no need of bringing small lamp. When there is brightest moonshine, there is no need of bringing glowworm. This is our principle. If you want to write something, read our Bhagavad-gita As It Is carefully and write something simple to benefit the common people. In Gitanjali there is a little hint to surrender to the Supreme.

Faithfully yours,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (More...)

Prabhupada: Yes, I wanted to start this movement from India. I even requested Mahatma Gandhi that "Mahatmaji, you have got some respect all over the world, and you are known as a great student of Bhagavad-gita. Now you have got your sva-rajya-the Britishers have gone away-let us preach Bhagavad-gita." But I don't think I got any reply from him. Of course he was very busy man. My letter might have reached him or not reached him. The secretaries might have rejected. I think received from secretary, like that. But then after few days he was killed. So I was trying for this purpose in India. I approached many friends, that "You have got four sons. Give me one son so that I can train him how to become a real preacher of Bhagavad-gita, how one can understand." Because Bhagavad-gita is being misinterpreted. So I wanted to preach it as it is. That was my mission. So practically nobody joined me. Then I decided to come here. And these boys cooperated. So I have got great desire to... Because India is by nature Krsna conscious, but our modern leaders keeping them suppressed. That is the difficulty. There are so many other difficulties, and leaders are misinterpreting Bhagavad-gita. To tell you frankly, there are so many commentaries on Bhagavad-gita by Dr. Radhakrishnan, by Gandhi, by Tilak, by Aurobindo, or many others. But nobody has said that "Here is God, Krsna." Do you admit it or not? Has anybody said that "Here is God, Krsna. You are searching after God. Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Worship Him"? Nobody has stated. Am I right or not? (More...)

The impersonalistic commentary on the Bhagavad-gita is therefore disastrous because, without understanding the transcendental pleasure of the Gita, the impersonalist wants to interpret it in his own way.

Actually the transcendental pleasure derived in association with the Supreme Person is far greater than the pleasure derived from impersonal Brahman realization, because of the direct meeting with the eternal form of the Lord. Impersonalists do not directly derive the transcendental pleasure of association with the Lord by hearing of His pastimes. As such, the impersonalists cannot derive any relishable transcendental pleasure from the topics of the Bhagavad-gita, in which the Lord is personally talking with Arjuna. The basic principle of their impersonal attitude does not allow them the transcendental pleasure which is relished by a devotee whose basic principle of understanding is the Supreme Person. The impersonalistic commentary on the Bhagavad-gita is therefore disastrous because, without understanding the transcendental pleasure of the Gita, the impersonalist wants to interpret it in his own way. If an impersonalist can, however, come in contact with a pure devotee, his transcendental position can be changed for greater elevation. Great sages are therefore recommended to worship the form of the Lord in order to achieve that highest transcendental pleasure. (More...)