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Wk10 Monday, Nov 25

Today

Intro to Mahābhārata & Bhagavad Gītā– Miller’s The Bhagavad Gītā, Introduction,

Translator's Note, pp. 1-xx– Highlighted entries in Fitzgerald, James L.

2004. "Appendix 4: Certain Difficult Sanskrit Words and Their Usual Translations; Glossary of Sanskrit Words." In The Mahabharata. Vol. 7, Book 11

– Brockington, J. L. 1998. "The Bhagavadgītā." In The Sanskrit epics, 267-77

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Wednesday Bhagavad Gītā, Chs 1-6 Dalmiya, “Moral Philosophy of the

Bhagavad Gītā.” Hiltebeitel, "Dharma in the Bhagavad Gītā.“

Next Week:– Mon: BG 7-12, Belvalkar, Sw. Vireshwarananda– Wed: BG 13-18, Perrett, Matilal

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The Mahābhārata Epic

Disagreement over succession to throne: Pāṇḍu’s sons → 5 Pāṇḍavas

– Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s 100 sons → Kauravas– Duryodhana, Duḥśāsana, etc.

Other figures:– Bhīṣma: patriarch, great-uncle– Kṛpa, Droṇa: Martial arts teachers– Sañjaya: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s charioteer, play-by-play– Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva: prince, cousin, brother-in-law,

charioteer, … 4

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Some Images

Bhīṣma Pāṇdvas & Draupdi Duryodhana Sañjaya & Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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On the verge of war…

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Arjuna’s despair

1. “As a Kṣatriya, my duty is to fight this war; not doing so is wrong.”

2. “But in fighting, I will kill my elders, my teachers, my kin →social chaos, also wrong.”

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The Bhagavad Gītā itself

200 BCE? 100 CE? Composite vs. Unitary? Integral to MB vs. Interpolation?

– Timing in plot, Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa’s relationship.

Interpolations to BG? Revelation?

– śruti, un-authored, beginning-less– smṛti, tradition, Veda, orthodoxy

Sāṅkhya basis?9

Challenges to Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy = Vedas, Brahmins; stresses karma(rituals)

Newer heterodox systems (Jaina, Buddhist, folk) – Karma → endless rebirths– Renunciation, asceticism– Rejection of caste hierarchy– Royal patrons: Aśoka, Chandragupta Maurya– Direct worship & intercession of gods → bhakti

Need to counter destabilization of ordered world & society…

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Kṛṣṇa to the rescue!

Critical of śruti – BG 4.1 Reveals to kṣatriya-s – 3.20, Arjuna

– non-Brahmin = new

Expounds new ideas disguised as old:– 4.2-3: lost tradition of ancient Yoga

Personal revelation – 7.25-26, 9.1-2, 10.1, 11 Upholder of dharma – 4.7-8 God of bhakti – 11.54-5, 18.66

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The Four Castes, varṇa-s“Twice-born”1. Brahmin

– Vedic priests, scholars

2. Kṣatriya– rulers, warriors, landowners

3. Vaiśya– traders, merchants, farmers

4. Śūdra– laborers, indigenous

BG 4.13, cf. RV 10.90.1212

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Four Stages, āśrama-s of life

1. brahmacārī, student2. gṛhasta, householder3. vānaprathī, forest-dweller4. sannyāsī, renunciate

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Dharma is contextual varṇa & āśrama determine one’s dharma

– specific, viśeṣa-dharma– common to all, sāmānya-dharma

varṇa, caste →↓ āśrama, stage

Brahminpriest

Kṣatriyawarrior

Vaiṣyafarmer

Śūdralaborer

Brahmacaryastudent phase

Gṛhastahouseholder phase

Vānaprasthaforest-dwelling

Sannyāsarenunciation

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Human Pursuits, puruṣārtha-s

1. Dharma2. Artha, material wealth3. Kāma, sensory pleasures4. Mokṣa, liberation

Alt. ranking: kāma, artha, dharma, mokṣa

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Dharma1. Merit2. Sacred Duty (Miller)3. Law4. Virtue5. Morality6. Social order7. Right8. Nature, property/characteristic (in YS, e.g.)9. Yudhiṣṭhira!10. Religion

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Karma

Vedic, Brahminical karma = rituals– mediated by Brahmins, greed

Dilemma:– Good/bad karma → saṃskāra-s → rebirth– Rejection of Brahminical authority– Trend towards renunciation – asocial

Kṛṣṇa’s resolution:– karma is necessary, in accordance with dharma– If done ‘properly,’ karma is non-binding

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Yoga

In BG, “yoga” different from YS More than “discipline” (Miller) Yoga implies

1. the process of a difficult effort2. agent committed to the effort3. an instrument of effort, usu. buddhi4. a chosen course of action5. done for a purpose, to achieve a goal

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Karma-yoga

1. Performance of karma without attachment – 2.47-8– attachment is to results

2. Action as “surrender to me,” 3.30; as renunciation 5.11-13; as worship, 12.6-12

3. Identity, 6.29-32

Genius!!– Upholds social structure– Redefines renunciation– Mokṣa is still feasible

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Knowledge, jñāna vs. karma

Yoga of knowledge, jñāna-yoga, 4.18– Knowing that:

1. There is no karmic consequence in action2. There is karmic consequence in inaction

Jñāna-yoga = karma-yoga, 5.4 Renunciation = action, 6.1-2

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Devotion, bhakti

Varieties of devatā: – village, grāma-; family, kula-; personally chosen, iṣṭa-

Bhakti: Social polytheism → personal monotheism– henotheism → metaphors for one’s god’s supremacy– other gods become my god’s servants / incarnations

Why now?– Brahman, ātman, puruṣa, prakṛti – barely theistic!– dharma, karma already take care of law, justice

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Bhakti, cont’d

Ground seeded for theism– longing for an accessible, lovable God– Viṣṇu in Vedas – three strides, highest = heaven

BG Kṛṣṇa remains “nameless”, 10.21-3,25,31,37 – Exception: 7.19– Non-sectarian

Arjuna addresses him as Viṣṇu only 2x (11.24,30), as Agni, Brahmā, Prajāpati, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Yama (11.39)

Addressed as Hari 2x, 11.9, 18.77 (by Sañjaya)

Philosophically grounded:– eight-fold prakṛti (7.4-5)– absolute, 10.8, 10.39-42

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Bhakti vs. Karma, Jñāna

Later: Avatāras, Purāṇic Kṛṣṇa as child, lover

11.52-3: “I cannot be seen by means of the Vedas, tapas, charity, sacrifice. I may be known, seen and entered by bhakti alone.”

18.66, “last verse of instruction:”“Abandon all dharma-s, seek refuge in me alone.Be unconcerned, I shall liberate you from all pāpa-s”

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BG – Brief Outline

Nature of ātman1. Arjuna’s despondency2. Kṛṣṇa’s response3. Karma-yoga4. Jñāna-yoga5. Brahman, mediation6. Ātman, meditation

Nature of supreme deity7. Theistic Sāṅkhya8. Meditation9. The Sublime Mystery10. God’s powers11. Theophany12. Bhakti-yoga

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BG Outline, cont’d

Relation between ātman & supreme deity13. The field & knower14. The three guṇa-s15. Puruṣa(-s?)16. The divine & demoniac within17. Three-fold faith18. Recap, conclusion

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