Purport
Although widely published and read by itself, Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ originally appears as an episode in the MahÄbhÄrata, the epic Sanskrit history of the ancient world. The MahÄbhÄrata tells of events leading up to the present Age of Kali. It was at the beginning of this age, some ďŹfty centuries ago, that Lord KášášŁáša spoke Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ to His friend and devotee Arjuna.Their discourse â one of the greatest philosophical and religious dialogues known to man â took place just before the onset of war, a great fratricidal conďŹict between the hundred sons of DháštarÄᚣášra and on the opposing side their cousins the PÄášá¸avas, or sons of PÄášá¸u.DháštarÄᚣášra and PÄášá¸u were brothers born in the Kuru dynasty, descending from King Bharata, a former ruler of the earth, from whom the name MahÄbhÄrata derives. Because DháštarÄᚣášra, the elder brother, was born blind, the throne that otherwise would have been his was passed down to the younger brother, PÄášá¸u.When PÄášá¸u died at an early age, his ďŹve children â Yudhiᚣášhira, BhÄŤma, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva â came under the care of DháštarÄᚣášra, who in effect became, for the time being, the king. Thus the sons of DháštarÄᚣášra and those of PÄášá¸u grew up in the same royal household. Both were trained in the military arts by the expert Droáša and counseled by the revered âgrandfatherâ of the clan, Bhčᚣma.Yet the sons of DháštarÄᚣášra, especially the eldest, Duryodhana, hated and envied the PÄášá¸avas. And the blind and weak-minded DháštarÄᚣášra wanted his own sons, not those of PÄášá¸u, to inherit the kingdom.Thus Duryodhana, with DháštarÄᚣášraâs consent, plotted to kill the young sons of PÄášá¸u, and it was only by the careful protection of their uncle Vidura and their cousin Lord KášášŁáša that the PÄášá¸avas escaped the many attempts against their lives.Now, Lord KášášŁáša was not an ordinary man but the Supreme Godhead Himself, who had descended to earth and was playing the role of a prince in a contemporary dynasty. In this role He was also the nephew of PÄášá¸uâs wife KuntÄŤ, or PášthÄ, the mother of the PÄášá¸avas. So both as a relative and as the eternal upholder of religion, KášášŁáša favored the righteous sons of PÄášá¸u and protected them.Ultimately, however, the clever Duryodhana challenged the PÄášá¸avas to a gambling match. In the course of that fateful tournament, Duryodhana and his brothers took possession of DraupadÄŤ, the chaste and devoted wife of the PÄášá¸avas, and insultingly tried to strip her naked before the entire assembly of princes and kings. KášášŁášaâs divine intervention saved her, but the gambling, which was rigged, cheated the PÄášá¸avas of their kingdom and forced them into thirteen years of exile.Upon returning from exile, the PÄášá¸avas rightfully requested their kingdom from Duryodhana, who bluntly refused to yield it. Duty-bound as princes to serve in public administration, the ďŹve PÄášá¸avas reduced their request to a mere ďŹve villages. But Duryodhana arrogantly replied that he wouldnât spare them enough land into which to drive a pin.Throughout all this, the PÄášá¸avas had been consistently tolerant and forbearing. But now war seemed inevitable.Nonetheless, as the princes of the world divided, some siding with the sons of DháštarÄᚣášra, others with the PÄášá¸avas, KášášŁáša Himself took the role of messenger for the sons of PÄášá¸u and went to the court of DháštarÄᚣášra to plead for peace. When His pleas were refused, war was now certain.The PÄášá¸avas, men of the highest moral stature, recognized KášášŁáša to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the impious sons of DháštarÄᚣášra did not. Yet KášášŁáša offered to enter the war according to the desire of the antagonists. As God, He would not personally ďŹght; but whoever so desired might avail himself of KášášŁášaâs army â and the other side could have KášášŁáša Himself, as an advisor and helper. Duryodhana, the political genius, snatched at KášášŁášaâs armed forces, while the PÄášá¸avas were equally eager to have KášášŁáša Himself.In this way, KášášŁáša became the charioteer of Arjuna, taking it upon Himself to drive the fabled bowmanâs chariot. This brings us to the point at which Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ begins, with the two armies arrayed, ready for combat, and DháštarÄᚣášra anxiously inquiring of his secretary SaĂąjaya, âWhat did they do?âThe scene is set, with only the need for a brief note regarding this translation and commentary.The general pattern translators have followed in rendering Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ into English has been to brush aside the person KášášŁáša to make room for their own concepts and philosophies. The history of the MahÄbhÄrata is taken as quaint mythology, and KášášŁáša becomes a poetic device for presenting the ideas of some anonymous genius, or at best He becomes a minor historical personage.But the person KášášŁáša is both the goal and the substance of Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ, so far as the GÄŤtÄ speaks of itself.This translation, then, and the commentary that accompanies it propose to direct the reader to KášášŁáša rather than away from Him. The Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ thus becomes wholly consistent and comprehensible. Since KášášŁáša is the speaker of the GÄŤtÄ, and its ultimate goal as well, the Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ As It Is presents this great scripture in its true terms.The Publishers