Srimad Bhagavad-Gita: with The Bhavanuvada of the Sarartha-Varsini Tika (by the crest-jewel of spiritual preceptors and guardian of the Sri Gaudiya sampradaya (With Sanskrit Text, Transliteration and English Translation)

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"The eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-Gita are blessed with the purport of the entire Vedas through which Sri Krsna reveals the parama-purusartha, the supreme objective, prema-bhakti. Although I am ignorant, by following the conclusions of Sri Gauranga-sundara, the crest-jewel of all sannyasis, and by deliberating on the thoughts expressed by the previous Vaisnava Acaryas, I have become greedy to taste a drop of nectar in the form of this Gita."

-Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

"The subject matter of the Gita is kevala bhakti, which is like cintamani, a transcendental wish fulfilling jewel. This cintamani has been safely kept inside Bhagavad-Gita, which can be compared to a treasure chest. The base of this chest comprises the first six chapters, karma-yoga; the lid comprises the last six chapters, jnana-yoga, and the treasure, in the middle six chapters is bhakti."

-Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

Preface:

This translation of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, presented to the English speaking public by our most beloved Gurudeva, om visnupada astottara-sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta. Narayana Maharaja, is sure to inspire sincere students of bhakti in their practices. It can be considered complementary to the authoritative and popular Bhagavad-Gita As It Is by nitya-lila-pravista om visnupada astottara-sata Srila A.C. Bhakti-Vedanta Swami Maharaja who is the prestigious pioneer in establishing the Gaudiya-Vaisnava siddhanta in the western world. We humbly recommend students of the Gita to become familiar with the concepts presented therein before studying this present edition contains the Bhavanuvada of the Sarartha-Varsini-Tika (a shower of the essential meanings) of the illustrious Rasacarya, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, the spiritual preceptor of Srila Baladeva Vidya-bhusana.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura originally penned his Gita commentary in Sanskrit sutras (highly condensed aphorisms). Now, by the mercy of Sri Hari, Guru and the Vaisnavas, it is being presented for the first time in the English language. We hope that the innermost intentions of these acaryas have been sufficiently unveiled for our meditation and for a deeper appreciation of path of bhakti.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's commentary is written in the style called purva-paksa, argument and objection, which creates a continuous flow of questions and answers thus linking all of the Gita's slokas like a necklace. It has been further illuminated (prakasika) by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja's Sarartha-Varsini Prakasika-vrtti, which guides the reader into profound aspects of the siddhanta. Consequently, the innermost intentions of the Gita are revealed to the modern audience. Some of the brilliant Rasika-ranjana commentaries by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, have been included within this Prakasika-vrtti.

Many Sanskrit words have been kept in this translation. Sanskrit, the language spoken by Bhagavan Sri Krsna, far exceeds English as a medium for clearly conveying subtle concepts related to spiritual life. The English language is somewhat lacking in this regard. For example, words like devotion and religion, although occasionally used herein, are not very specific. The word dharma, translates into English as religion or occupational duty, although it has a deeper meaning than either of these words. One meaning of the word dharma is one's fixed occupation in relation to the highest ideals known to man. Another meaning is the natural attraction of the part for the whole, the jiva for Krsna. For this reason, wherever practical, the original Sanskrit terminology has been kept.

A features of this edition, which may be new to the English audience is the order of the word for word synonyms taken from the Sanskrit slokas. We have not followed the sequential order of the words as they appear in the slokas but rather the natural order of the words as they appear in a sentence. This traditional system is called anvaya in Sanskrit. Anvaya literally means the natural order or connection of words in a sentence. Although this system may seem awkward at first in locating the words from the sloka, it greatly facilitates being able to see how the words fit together to form the translation of the sloka. The anvaya system also enables readers to use the Sanskrit words. For this reason, the words that are occasionally inserted in the anvaya are placed before the next Sanskrit word. For example: dhenunam-of cows; (I am) kamadhuk-the wish fulfilling cow.

We beg the readers to be kindly patient with any shortcomings that they may see in the literary style of this presentation, which will invariably occur when such refined concepts are foreign to the language into which they are translated.

It has only been possible to produce this edition by the causeless mercy of our most beloved Gurudeva, om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, as well as om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami-pada, om visnupada Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja and all the Vaisnavas associated with the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. Only if they are pleased with this edition, will we consider our humble efforts a success.

The Editors.