Let us go through what scholars say about Holy Gita.
"No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none
is better loved, in the West, than the Bhagavad-gita. Translation
of such a work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit, but an inward
sympathy with the theme and a verbal artistry. For the poem is a
symphony in which God is seen in all things. . . . The Swami does
a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian epic
with fresh meaning. Whatever our outlook may be, we should all be
grateful for the labor that has lead to this illuminating work."
Dr. Geddes MacGregor, Emeritus Distinguished
Professor of Philosophy University of Southern California
"The Gita can be seen as the main literary support for the
great religious civilization of India, the oldest surviving culture
in the world. The present translation and commentary is another
manifestation of the permanent living importance of the Gita."
Thomas Merton, Theologian
"I am most impressed with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's
scholarly and authoritative edition of Bhagavad-gita. It is a most
valuable work for the scholar as well as the layman and is of great
utility as a reference book as well as a textbook. I promptly recommend
this edition to my students. It is a beautifully done book."
Dr. Samuel D. Atkins Professor of Sanskrit,
Princeton University
"As a successor in direct line from Caitanya, the author of
Bhagavad-gita As It Is is entitled, according to Indian custom,
to the majestic title of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada. The great interest that his reading of the Bhagavad-gita
holds for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretation according
to the principles of the Caitanya tradition."
Olivier Lacombe Professor of Sanskrit and
Indology, Sorbonne University, Paris
"I have had the opportunity of examining several volumes published
by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and have found them to be of excellent
quality and of great value for use in college classes on Indian
religions. This is particularly true of the BBT edition and translation
of the Bhagavad-gita."
Dr. Frederick B. Underwood Professor of Religion,
Columbia University
"If truth is what works, as Pierce and the pragmatists insist,
there must be a kind of truth in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, since
those who follow its teachings display a joyous serenity usually
missing in the bleak and strident lives of contemporary people."
Dr. Elwin H. Powell Professor of Sociology
State University of New York, Buffalo
"There is little question that this edition is one of the best
books available on the Gita and devotion. Prabhupada's translation
is an ideal blend of literal accuracy and religious insight."
Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins Professor of Religion,
Franklin and Marshall College
"The Bhagavad-gita, one of the great spiritual texts, is not
as yet a common part of our cultural milieu. This is probably less
because it is alien per se than because we have lacked just the
kind of close interpretative commentary upon it that Swami Bhaktivedanta
has here provided, a commentary written from not only a scholar's
but a practitioner's, a dedicated lifelong devotee's point of view."
Denise Levertov, Poet
"The increasing numbers of Western readers interested in classical
Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By
bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known
to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold."
Dr. Edward C Dimock, Jr. Department of South
Asian Languages and Civilization University of Chicago
"The scholarly world is again indebted to A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada. Although Bhagavad-gita has been translated many
times, Prabhupada adds a translation of singular importance with
his commentary."
Dr. J. Stillson Judah, Professor of the History
of Religions and Director of Libraries Graduate Theological Union,
Berkeley, California
"Srila Prabhupada's edition thus fills a sensitive gap in France,
where many hope to become familiar with traditional Indian thought,
beyond the commercial East-West hodgepodge that has arisen since
the time Europeans first penetrated India. "Whether the reader
be an adept of Indian spiritualism or not, a reading of the Bhagavad-gita
As It Is will be extremely profitable. For many this will be the
first contact with the true India, the ancient India, the eternal
India."
Francois Chenique, Professor of Religious
Sciences Institute of Political Studies, Paris, France
"It was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy,
but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence
which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed
of the same questions which exercise us"
Emerson's reaction to the Gita
"As a native of India now living in the West, it has given
me much grief to see so many of my fellow countrymen coming to the
West in the role of gurus and spiritual leaders. For this reason,
I am very excited to see the publication of Bhagavad-gita As It
Is by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It will help to stop
the terrible cheating of false and unauthorized 'gurus' and 'yogis'
and will give an opportunity to all people to understand the actual
meaning of Oriental culture."
Dr. Kailash Vajpeye, Director of Indian Studies
Center for Oriental Studies, The University of Mexico
"The Gita is one of the clearest and most comprehensive one,
of the summaries and systematic spiritual statements of the perennial
philosophy ever to have been done"
__________________________________________Aldous
Huxley
"It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully
explained work. I don't know whether to praise more this translation
of the Bhagavad-gita, its daring method of explanation, or the endless
fertility of its ideas. I have never seen any other work on the
Gita with such an important voice and style. . . . It will occupy
a significant place in the intellectual and ethical life of modern
man for a long time to come."
Dr. Shaligram Shukla Professor of Linguistics,
Georgetown University
"I can say that in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is I have found
explanations and answers to questions I had always posed regarding
the interpretations of this sacred work, whose spiritual discipline
I greatly admire. If the aesceticism and ideal of the apostles which
form the message of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is were more widespread
and more respected, the world in which we live would be transformed
into a better, more fraternal place."
Dr. Paul Lesourd, Author Professeur Honoraire,
Catholic University of Paris
"When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created
this universe everything else seems so superfluous."
Albert Einstein
"When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the
face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita
and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile
in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita
will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day."
Mahatma Gandhi
"In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and
cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, in comparison with which
our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial."
Henry David Thoreau
"The Bhagavad-Gita has a profound influence on the spirit of
mankind by its devotion to God which is manifested by actions."
Dr. Albert Schweitzer
"The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race a
living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every
age and a new meaning for every civilization."
Sri Aurobindo
"The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have
been current in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is
provided by Plato in his Timaeus in which it states 'behold we are
not an earthly but a heavenly plant.' This correlation can be discerned
by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita."
Carl Jung
"The Bhagavad-Gita deals essentially with the spiritual foundation
of human existence. It is a call of action to meet the obligations
and duties of life; yet keeping in view the spiritual nature and
grander purpose of the universe."
Prime Minister Nehru
"The marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful revelation
of life's wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into religion."
Herman Hesse
"I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was the
first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small
or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old
intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus
disposed of the same questions which exercise us."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"In
order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad-Gita with
full understanding it is necessary to attune our soul to it."
Rudolph Steiner
"From
a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of human existence
become fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita is the manifest quintessence of
all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures."
Adi Shankara
"The
Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution
of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive
summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring
value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity."
Aldous Huxley
"The
Bhagavad-Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal the science of
devotion to God which is the essence of all spiritual knowledge.
The Supreme Lord Krishna's primary purpose for descending and incarnating
is relieve the world of any demoniac and negative, undesirable influences
that are opposed to spiritual development, yet simultaneously it
is His incomparable intention to be perpetually within reach of
all humanity."
Ramanuja
The
Bhagavad-Gita is not seperate from the Vaishnava philosophy and
the Srimad Bhagavatam fully reveals the true import of this doctrine
which is transmigation of the soul. On perusal of the first chapter
of Bhagavad-Gita one may think that they are advised to engage in
warfare. When the second chapter has been read it can be clearly
understood that knowledge and the soul is the ultimate goal to be
attained. On studying the third chapter it is apparent that acts
of righteousness are also of high priority. If we continue and patiently
take the time to complete the Bhagavad-Gita and try to ascertain
the truth of its closing chapter we can see that the ultimate conclusion
is to relinquish all the conceptualized ideas of religion which
we possess and fully surrender directly unto the Supreme Lord.
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati
"The
Mahabharata has all the essential ingredients necessary to evolve
and protect humanity and that within it the Bhagavad-Gita is the
epitome of the Mahabharata just as ghee is the essence of milk and
pollen is the essence of flowers."
Madhvacarya
Yoga
has two different meanings - a general meaning and a technical meaning.
The general meaning is the joining together or union of any two
or more things. The technical meaning is "a state of stability
and peace and the means or practices which lead to that state."
The Bhagavad Gita uses the word with both meanings. Lord Krishna
is real Yogi who can maintain a peaceful mind in the midst of any
crisis."
Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.
Karma,
Bhakti, and Jnana are but three paths to this end. And common to
all the three is renunciation. Renounce the desires, even of going
to heaven, for every desire related with body and mind creates bondage.
Our focus of action is neither to save the humanity nor to engage
in social reforms, not to seek personal gains, but to realize the
indwelling Self itself.
Swami Vivekananda (England, London; 1895-96)
"Science
describes the structures and processess; philosophy attempts at
their explaination.----- When such a perfect combination of both
science and philosophy is sung to perfection that Krishna was, we
have in this piece of work an appeal both to the head annd heart."
____________Swamy Chinmayanand on Gita
I
seek that Divine Knowledge by knowing which nothing remains to be
known!' For such a person knowledge and ignorance has only one meaning:
Have you knowledge of God? If yes, you a Jnani! If not, you are
ignorant.As said in the Gita, chapter XIII/11, knowledge of Self,
observing everywhere the object of true Knowledge i.e. God, all
this is declared to be true Knowledge (wisdom); what is contrary
to this is ignorance."
Sri Ramakrishna
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."
Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak
to the needs and aspirations of everyone.
Maharshi Mahesh Yogi
The
Gita was preached as a preparatory lesson for living worldly life
with an eye to Release, Nirvana. My last prayer to everyone, therefore,
is that one should not fail to thoroughly understand this ancient
science of worldly life as early as possible in one's life.
--- Lokmanya Tilak
I
believe that in all the living languages of the world, there is
no book so full of true knowledge, and yet so handy. It teaches
self-control, austerity, non-violence, compassion, obedience to
the call of duty for the sake of duty, and putting up a fight against
unrighteousness (Adharma). To my knowledge, there is no book in
the whole range of the world's literature so high above as the Bhagavad-Gita,
which is the treasure-house of Dharma nor only for the Hindus but
foe all mankind.
---
M. M. Malaviya
|