Ideas and Ideals from Sreemad Bhagavad Geeta (An Old and Rare Book)

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Dr.A.Subramanya Kumaran Nambiar, the Compiler Author of this compendium is an evergreen student of Indian Civilisation and Cultural Heritage. His intellectual wealth includes a wide range of knowledge in both the ancient and the modern subjects of abiding interests. He seems to be convinced that 'spiritualisation of material life of human beings' is a sure path to attain 'Stable inner peace' which alone can create and sustain 'true integral happiness' of men/women in their life.

Dr.Nambiar (who has worked as a Medical Officer and a Health Officer for about twenty five years in Tamil Nadu) believes that the ancient Indian Scriptures contain substantial matters which are capable of creating a 'Spiritualised Modern Man' and that the teaching of Bhagaved Gita although addressed to Arjuna many years ago, is of practical relevance to man even in the age of science and technology.

Through this compendium Dr.Nambiar tries to focus the abiding ideals comprised in the Gita in a novel manner of paraphrasing significant groups of Geeta Verses which deal with related ideas and spiritual matters (see the introduction: especially the fifth and sixth paragraphs). This new approach may serve even the most busy person to comprehend the essence of the Gita.

Among his circle of friends Dr.Nambiar is known as a versatile personality capable of participating in the assembly of learned men. The fact that in 1983 the Madras High Court of Judicature appointed Dr.Nambiar as a 'Commissioner of Oaths' to which office only the practising lawyers are generally eligible, validates the variety of his intellectual assets.

I. When, in 1962, I heard Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan interpreting 'yoga' and `dhanu' and other words in the final verse (No. 78/18) of Sreemad Bhagavad Gita, "Yatra Yogeswara Krishno, Yatra Paartho dhanur-dhara; tatra sreer-vijayo bhooti dhruva neetir-mati Mama" in the context of the then battle in the North-Eastern part of India, I became convinced of the validity of the liberal interpretation of the Gita verses by my father (and Guru) in a manner befiting to the eventualities of human life even in the modem age of material science. Albert Einstein was reported to have cited the idea in the Gita-verse (No. 12/11), "Divi Soorya Sahasrasya bhaved yugapad-utthita, yadi bhaa sadrisee saa syaat bhaasya tasya Mahatmana," to high-light the super-brilliance of atomic explosions. Many noble souls have been/are quoting the verse (No. 47/2), "Karmanyeva adhikaaras-te maa phaleshu kadaachana; .." in order to strengthen their conscience in discharging their duties. These instances prove that the Gita is an evergreen universal scripture of everlasting inspiration.

2. Bhagavad-Gita has been commented upon and interpreted by the great Saint- teacher Sri Sankara (born in 632 A. D. at Kaladi, Kerala) and subsequently by many philosophers, thinkers and others, Indians, Europeans, etc. who have upheld the contemporary

relevance of this time-honoured catholic scripture of ancient Indian Civilisation. They have interpreted all the 700 + I verses of the Gita in accordance with their 'individual light' to enlarge the 'spiritual vision' of others, and to whom the devoted aspirants of spiritual knowledge will ever remain grateful.

3. A searching study of the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita which is an integral part of the Mahabharata that is deemed as the Fifth Veda of the ancient Indian Scriptures, reveals that many 'verses and their words' deserve comprehensive comments in terms of the spatio - temporal cultural position of the ancient Indian Civilisation when the ideas and ideals of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Mahabharata etc were the main guiding principles faithfully accepted and generally practised by the people. The Gita verses reflect not only the glorious aspects of the Indian Culture but also seem to anticipate the possibility of socio - cultural transformations after the War of Kurukshetra.

4. The intention of preparing this Compendium is to focus the living ideas and ideals that are comprised in some of the geeta-verses and this aim is explained by this Compiler-Author in the Introduction to small book. In order to achieve this purpose, such of the verses which contain and deal with specific ideal/thought and/or related ideas have been grouped into 'significant units' and serially numbered as G-I, G-2 to G-99. (Note: G-100 to G-108 relate to excerpts from the Upanishads). Liberal and free translation of these significant units of the grouped verses from Sanskrit into English complying with the obvious idea and message collectively contained in them as one integral whole. These translated passages in English which immediately follow the respective grouped verses, have also been numbered as P-Ito P-108 and they are complemented by the `Remarks -Ito 108' by the Compiler-Author. The Hints for Pronunciation are intended for those who do not 5. know Sanskrit language.

5. About a half of the total number of the Gita-verses were selected and included in this Compendium and the total numbers of selected verses from each chapter are shown as `SGV -23' and so on along with the Sanskrit title of each of the eighteen chapters of the Gita. All the Gita-verses included in this Compendium are denoted by the same chapter-wise serial numbers assigned to them in the Gita in Sanskrit published by the Gita Press, Ghorakpur and these numbers are given at the end of every transliterated Gita-verse. This Compiler-Author entreats all 'noble minds' who read this Compendium not only to tolerate but also to point out whatever mistake or error they find in this humble work so as to effect necessary rectification.

**Contents and Sample Pages**