God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita

God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita
AuthorParamahansa Yogananda
LanguageEnglish
PublisherSelf-Realization Fellowship (U.S.)
Publication date
1995 (U.S.)
Media typePrint (Hardback or Paperback) and eBook

God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita is a posthumously published non-fiction book by the Indian yogi and guru Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952). It is a two-volume work containing an English translation and commentary of the Bhagavad Gita. It explicates the Bhagavad Gita's psychological, spiritual, and metaphysical elements.[1][2] It was originally published in 1995 in Los Angeles by the Self Realization Fellowship, and later published in other countries and languages.[2][3] The book is significant in that unlike other explications of the Bhagavad Gita, which focused on karma yoga, jnana yoga, and bhakti yoga in relation to the Gita, Yogananda's work stresses the training of one's mind, or raja yoga.[2] The full title of the two-volume work is God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita – Royal Science of God Realization – The Immortal Dialogue between Soul and Spirit – A New Translation and Commentary.[2]

Inception

Yogananda wrote that Sri Yukteswar had told him in his early years: “You perceive all the truth of the Bhagavad Gita as you have heard the dialogue of Krishna and Arjuna as revealed to Vyasa. Go and give that revealed truth with your interpretations: a new scripture will be born.”[4]

Yogananda left India in 1920 for America[5][6] and give his first speech at the Congress of Religious Liberals.[7] During this time he gave more than 150 talks[8] and wrote articles. He also gave weekly classes in Boston that would consist of a half-hour exposition of the Bhagavad Gita, a half-hour exposition of the Gospels, and a half-hour discourse demonstrating their unity.[9][10]

A preliminary serialization of Yogananda's talks had started in Self-Realization Fellowship’s magazine in 1932. It was completed during this period in the desert, which included a review of the material that had been written over a period of years. Clarification and amplification of points, abbreviation of passages that contained duplication that had been necessary only in serialization for new readers, addition of new inspirations — including details of yoga's philosophical concepts that he had not attempted to convey in earlier years to a general audience. These points were meant to introduce the Western mind to the unfolding discoveries in science which fit the concepts of the Gita's cosmology and its view of man's physical, mental, and spiritual understanding.

To help him with the editorial work of preparing this in book form, Yogananda relied on Tara Mata (Laurie V. Pratt), an advanced disciple who had met him in 1924 and worked with him on his books and other writings for a period of more than twenty-five years. In the latter years of his life, Yogananda began to train another monastic disciple, Mrinalini Mata.[11][8]

Reception

Publishers Weekly's review of the two-volume work stated that Yogananda's commentary "penetrates to the heart of the Bhagavad Gita to reveal the deep spiritual and psychological truths lying at the heart of this great Hindu text."[12]

Indologist Georg Feuerstein in Yoga Journal wrote of the work,

Written over many years, this commentary on the Bhagavad Gita is not only Yogananda's most voluminous work but also his most detailed account of the inner life and the spiritual path. ... The originality of his interpretation, which excels in psychological insights, is obvious at the very beginning .... Yogananda's commentary brims with good counsel, based on his own early struggles and on his many years of experience with numerous disciples undergoing all the various difficulties that spiritual practitioners must confront. ... I can wholeheartedly recommend this work to all yoga students who want to experience the true pulse of the Bhagavad Gita and be pulled into its sphere of influence through the luminous words of one of this century's great yoga masters.[13]

In The Bhagavad-Gita for the Modern Reader: History, Interpretations and Philosophy (2016), author M. V. Nadkarni notes that God Talks with Arjuna is significant in that unlike other explications of the Bhagavad Gita, which focused on karma yoga, jnana yoga, and bhakti yoga in relation to the Gita, Yogananda's work stresses the training of one's mind, or raja yoga.[2] Nadkarni notes that Yogananda states that the real background of the Bhagavad Gita's message is not the ancient battle observed by Arjuna, but rather the continuous and universal conflict between opposing forces, particularly in the human mind. According to Yogananda, the Gita intends to guide people in resolving these conflicts in a way that helps them achieve spiritual goals and real and lasting happiness, by raising the level of consciousness to a higher plane of detachment to resolve them. This entails consciously maintaining calmness. The Bhagavad Gita, according to Yogananda, metaphorically lays out specific steps to achieve this.[2]

In the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, Richard C. Miller notes that Yogananda identifies the psychological components symbolized by various characters in the Bhagavad Gita such as Yuyudhana (divine devotion), Chekitana (spiritual memory), Drupada (dispassion), Kuntibhoja (right posture), Kashiraja (discriminative intelligence), Kripa (individual delusion), Bhishma (ego), Karna (attachment), and Ashvatthaman (desire); in addition, these characters also represent movements within the various bodies of consciousness, including the koshas, the chakras, the bodily energies, and the five elements, plus the different sensory functions and bodily activities.[14] Miller writes,

Paramahansa Yogananda has unlocked the hidden psychospiritual meanings of this ancient text through his years of spiritual study with his lineage of gurus and his insightful meditative wisdom. He simultaneously unfolds the many layers of complexities of the Bhagavad-Gita, while at the same time introducing us to the highly readable storyline of Arjuna's epic journey and spiritual discipleship with Krishna. ... Yogananda combines his native disposition as an East Indian spiritual disciple with his knowledge of Western Judeo-Christian religious understanding. His East-West integration reveals the Gita as an investigation into the nature of human psychology and spiritual awakening that is accessible to both the Eastern spiritual seeker and the Western student of Consciousness. ... Yogananda unravels layer upon layer of complexity. ... Yogananda shows how all the various teachings of Yoga – from Samkhya and Patanjali's ashtanga yoga to karma, bhakti, jnana, and advaita – are embedded in the Gita in often cryptic ways. He explains the teachings in a clear, precise, and very practical manner. ... Paramahansa Yogananda's words are not just to be read, but to be digested and put to the litmus test of practice. Herein lies Yogananda's most beautiful gift. He has given us both a story to be read and enjoyed, as well as a guidebook for the exploration of Consciousness.[14]

In a 2013 article on the Bhagavad Gita in the Journal of Conscious Evolution, Sadna Chopra wrote,

Yogananda reveals the deeper meaning of Gita’s hidden symbology in various names, characters and events. Yogananda gives the genealogy, along with the spiritual significance of each character in the story of Mahabharata, as handed down from his guru's guru, Lahiri Mahasaya. The genealogical descent of the Kauravas and the Pandavas from their ancestor, King Shantanu has been symbolically explained as the descent of the universe and man from Spirit into matter. His translation and extensive as well as equally intensive commentary of the Bhagavad Gita, gives the spiritual instruction of the scientific techniques for attaining direct personal experience of God, through Kriya Yoga, thereby reversing the descent. God Talks with Arjuna has been hailed as unique among the Gita commentaries for its in-depth explanation of the Yoga doctrine, its detailed cosmology, its deep understanding of the spiritual and psychological truths. Paramahansa Yogananda’s words, impregnated with life and profound meaning, seem to flow from another realm of consciousness, from the bliss of his communion with God.[15]

Translations

The original SRF book in English has two volumes (ISBN 978-0-87612-031-6). It was translated into the following languages (As of November 2018):

On November 15, 2017, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, accompanied by the Governor of Jharkhand, Draupadi Murmu and Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Raghubar Das, visited the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India's Ranchi Ashram in honor of the official release of the Hindi translation of Paramahansa Yogananda's book God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita.[16][17][6]

The book The Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita is a 180-page abridgement of the two volumes, and is available in English, German, Italian, Thai, Portuguese and Spanish.

Awards

See also

References

  1. ^ bookstore.yogananda-srf.org : "God Talks With Arjuna The Bhagavad Gita". Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Nadkarni, M. V. (2016). The Bhagavad-Gita for the Modern Reader: History, Interpretations and Philosophy. Taylor & Francis. pp. 135–137. ISBN 9781315438993.
  3. ^ books.google.de: Yogananda, Paramahansa (1995). God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita: Royal Science of God Realization. Self Realization Fellowship. ISBN 9780876120309. Retrieved 2018-12-11.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ books.google.de: "God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita". 1995. p. 1108. Retrieved 2018-11-10.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ Taylor & Francis :Nadkarni, M. V. (2016-10-04). The Bhagavad-Gita for the Modern Reader: History, Interpretations and Philosophy. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781315438993. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  6. ^ a b The Pioneer : PNS (Nov 16, 2017). "Spirituality is soul of India: President". India.
  7. ^ SAGE Publishing : Juergensmeyer, Mark; Roof, Wade Clark (2012). Encyclopedia of Global Religion; University of California, Santa Barbara. SAGE Publications. ISBN 9781452266565. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  8. ^ a b yssofindia.org: "Sri Sri Mrinalini Mata A Channel of the Guru's Love and Wisdom". Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  9. ^ westsidetoday.com : Staff Report (Aug 10, 2017). "Iconic SRF Hollywood Temple Celebrates 75th Anniversary". India.
  10. ^ sandiegoreader.com : "Self-Realization Fellowship, Encinitas Temple". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  11. ^ yogananda-srf.org : "Yogananda and the Bhagavad Gita". Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  12. ^ Simbro, William (January 11, 1997). "Interest grows in sacred texts". Des Moines Register. p. 4M. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  13. ^ Feuerstein, Georg (November–December 1996). "Yogananda's Gita: God Talks With Arjuna—The Bhagavad Gita: The Royal Science of God-Realization". Yoga Journal. pp. 118–123.
  14. ^ a b Miller, Richard C. (1998). "BOOK REVIEWS: God Talks With Arjuna—The Bhagavad Gita: The Royal Science of God-Realization. Self-Realization Fellowship, 2 volumes - Paramahansa Yogananda". International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 8 (1): 55–56. doi:10.17761/ijyt.8.1.44252266276634v5.
  15. ^ Chopra, Sadna (2013). "The Bhagavad Gita: The Roadmap to Conscious Evolution. Understanding the Eternal Reality of Consciousness". Journal of Conscious Evolution (10): i–lxix.
  16. ^ a b jharkhandstatenews.com : "President of India Ram Nath Kovind visited Ranchi". India. November 15, 2017.
  17. ^ a b telegraphindia.com : Sudhir Kumar Mishra (Nov 16, 2017). "Ashram charms First Citizen". India. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018.
  18. ^ orissadiary.com : "President of India in Jharkhand; addresses foundation day celebrations of the state". India. Nov 15, 2017.
  19. ^ Self-Realization Magazine Fall 1996
  20. ^ ime.gob.mx : "Latino Literacy Now's, International LatinoBook Awards" (PDF). 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  21. ^ publishersweekly.com : "Short Takes". Jun 9, 2011.
  22. ^ contacto-latino.com : "International Latino Book Awards 2011 winners announced". 2011. Archived from the original on 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  23. ^ yogananda-srf.org : "SRF Publications Receive First Place Awards". July 5, 2011.
  24. ^ yogananda-srf.org : "Paramahansa Yogananda's Books Win Prestigious Latino Literary Awards". Oct 18, 2016.
  25. ^ yogananda.org : "SRF Books Win Prestigious Latino Literary Awards". Oct 26, 2020.
  26. ^ latinobookawards.org : "International Latino Book Awards/ Event Program / Programa del evento (Pdf)". November 15, 2020.

Read other articles:

Clarias

Clarias Periode Lower Pliocene - recent Clarias batrachusTaksonomiKerajaanAnimaliaFilumChordataKelasActinopteriOrdoSiluriformesFamiliClariidaeGenusClarias Scopoli, 1777 Tata namaSinonim takson Chlarias Scopoli, 1777 Macropteronotus La Cepède, 1803 Clarias Cuvier, 1816 Cossyphus M’Clelland, 1844 Phagorus M’Clelland, 1844 Dinotopteroides Fowler, 1930 Prophagorus Smith, 1939 Anguilloclarias Teugels, 1982 Brevicephaloides Teugels, 1982 Clarioides Teugels, 1982 Platycephaloides Teugels, 1982 ...

 

Dieppe Park, Montreal

Urban park in Montreal, Canada Dieppe ParkParc De DieppeNortheast point of the parkTypeUrban parkLocationCité du Havre, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaCoordinates45°30′21″N 73°32′36″W / 45.5057°N 73.5434°W / 45.5057; -73.5434Area7 hectares (17 acres)Operated byCity of MontrealOpen6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.StatusOpen all yearPublic transit access STM Bus: 777WebsiteParc De Dieppe Dieppe Park (French: Parc de Dieppe) is a park in Montreal, Quebec, Canad...

 

Goro Inagaki

Japanese talento This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.Find sources: Goro Inagaki – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Goro...

1438

Cette page concerne l'année 1438 du calendrier julien. Chronologies L'Inca Pachacutec. Chronique de Martin de Murua, fin du XVIe siècle.Données clés 1435 1436 1437  1438  1439 1440 1441Décennies :1400 1410 1420  1430  1440 1450 1460Siècles :XIIIe XIVe  XVe  XVIe XVIIeMillénaires :-Ier Ier  IIe  IIIe Chronologies thématiques Art Arts plastiques (Dessin, Gravure, Peinture et Sculpture), () et Musique classique   Religion ...

 

Heinrich VII dari Jerman

Heinrich (VII)Gambaran di dalam Chronica regia Coloniensis, pada abad ke-13Raja Jermanresminya Raja RomawiBerkuasa1220–1235Penobatan8 Mei 1222 (Aachen)PendahuluFriedrich IIPenerusKonrad IVRaja SisiliaBerkuasa1212–1217PendahuluFriedrich IIPenerusFriedrich IRaja ItaliaBerkuasa1220–1235PendahuluFriedrich IIPenerusKonrad IVInformasi pribadiKelahiran1211Kematian12 Februari 1242Martirano, Calabria,Kerajaan SisiliaPemakamanCosenza, Calabria,Kerajaan SisiliaWangsaWangsa HohenstaufenAyahFriedric...

 

GoldenEye

GoldenEyeSutradaraMartin CampbellProduser Michael G. Wilson Barbara Broccoli Skenario Jeffrey Caine Bruce Feirstein CeritaMichael FranceBerdasarkanJames Bondoleh Ian FlemingPemeran Pierce Brosnan Sean Bean Izabella Scorupco Famke Janssen Joe Don Baker Penata musikÉric SerraSinematograferPhil MéheuxPenyuntingTerry RawlingsPerusahaanproduksiEon ProductionsUnited ArtistsDistributorMGM/UA Distribution Co. (United States)United International Pictures (International)Tanggal rilis 13 Novembe...

Cattaro

Disambiguazione – Se stai cercando la nave militare, vedi Cattaro (incrociatore ausiliario). Disambiguazione – Kotor rimanda qui. Se stai cercando il videogioco, vedi Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Càttarocomune(CNR) Kotor(SR) Kotor Càttaro – Veduta LocalizzazioneStato Montenegro AmministrazioneSindacoVladimir Jokić Lingue ufficialimontenegrinoserbo TerritorioCoordinate42°25′40″N 18°46′07″E / 42.427778°N 18.768611°E42.427778; 18.7686...

 

Dimas Danang

Biografi ini tidak memiliki referensi atau sumber sehingga isinya tidak dapat dipastikan. Bantu memperbaiki artikel ini dengan menambahkan sumber tepercaya. Materi kontroversial atau trivial yang sumbernya tidak memadai atau tidak bisa dipercaya harus segera dihapus.Cari sumber: Dimas Danang – berita · surat kabar · buku · cendekiawan · JSTOR (Pelajari cara dan kapan saatnya untuk menghapus pesan templat ini) Dimas DanangLahirDimas Danang Suryonegoro18...

 

Yesus menyembuhkan seorang buta dan bisu yang kerasukan setan

Mengusir setan dari seorang buta dan bisu oleh James Tissot, akhir abad ke-19 Mengusir setan dari seorang buta dan bisu adalah salah satu mukjizat yang diperbuat oleh Yesus dan dicatat dalam Injil.[1] Catatan ini didapati dalam Matius 12:22–23 dan Lukas 11:14.[2][3] Catatan Alkitab Dalam kitab Injil pada bagian Perjanjian Baru di Alkitab Kristen, peristiwa ini dicatat dalam kombinasi dengan perdebatan mengenai kuasa Beelzebul. Perbandingan kisah dari tiga Injil Yesus...

Gina Haspel

Gina Haspel 26º Direttore della CIADurata mandato21 maggio 2018 –20 gennaio 2021 PresidenteDonald Trump PredecessoreMike Pompeo SuccessoreDavid Cohen Vicedirettore della CIADurata mandato2 febbraio 2017 –21 maggio 2018 Vice diMike Pompeo PredecessoreDavid S. Cohen SuccessoreVaughn Bishop Dati generaliPartito politicoIndipendente Titolo di studioBachelor of Arts in Lingue e Giornalismo UniversitàUniversità di Louisville Gina Cheri Haspel (Ashla...

 

Administrative geography of Bangladesh

Bangladeshi administrative geography Subdivisions of Bangladeshবাংলাদেশের প্রশাসনিক অঞ্চল bāṁlādēśēra praśāsanika añcalaLocationBangladeshSubdivisions[1] TypeNumberDivisions8Districts64Sub-Districts (upazila)495Municipal Corporations331City Corporations12Union Councils~4,571 This article is part of a series on thePolitics of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Constitution and law Amendments Law of Bangladesh Bangladesh Code Pe...

 

Trevico

TrevicoKomuneComune di TrevicoLokasi Trevico di Provinsi AvellinoNegaraItaliaWilayah CampaniaProvinsiAvellino (AV)Luas[1] • Total11 km2 (4 sq mi)Ketinggian[2]1.094 m (3,589 ft)Populasi (2016)[3] • Total1.072 • Kepadatan97/km2 (250/sq mi)Zona waktuUTC+1 (CET) • Musim panas (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Kode pos83058Kode area telepon0827Situs webhttp://trevico.asmenet.it Trevico adalah sebuah kota dan ...

أدريان السادس

أدريان السادس (باللاتينية: Hadrianus PP. VI)‏  معلومات شخصية اسم الولادة (بالهولندية: Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens d'Edel)‏  الميلاد 2 مارس 1459(1459-03-02)أوترخت الوفاة 14 سبتمبر 1523 (64 سنة)روما مواطنة الإمبراطورية الرومانية المقدسة الدولة البابوية  الديانة الكنيسة الرومانية الكاثوليكية مناصب [...

 

For Life (serie televisiva)

Questa voce sugli argomenti fiction televisive thriller e fiction televisive statunitensi è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. For LifeIl logo della serieTitolo originaleFor Life PaeseStati Uniti d'America Anno2020-2021 Formatoserie TV Generedrammatico, giudiziario Stagioni2 Episodi23 Durata40 min (episodio) Lingua originaleinglese Rapporto16:9 CreditiIdeatoreHank Steinberg Interpreti e ...

 

Free State Stars F.C.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Free State Stars F.C. – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Football clubFree State Stars F.C.Full nameFree State Stars Football ClubNickname(s)Ea Lla KotoFounded1977; 47 years ago...

Nomenclatura IUPAC dei composti organici

Questa voce o sezione sugli argomenti sistematica organica e chimica organica non cita le fonti necessarie o quelle presenti sono insufficienti. Puoi migliorare questa voce aggiungendo citazioni da fonti attendibili secondo le linee guida sull'uso delle fonti. Nella nomenclatura chimica, la nomenclatura IUPAC dei composti organici è un metodo sistematico per nominare i composti chimici organici come raccomandato[1] dall'Unione Internazionale della Chimica Pura e Applicata (IUPA...

 

Erik Scavenius

Prime Minister of Denmark (1877–1962) Erik Scavenius12th Prime Minister of DenmarkIn office9 November 1942 – 29 August 1943MonarchChristian XPreceded byVilhelm BuhlSucceeded byGerman military rule(next Prime Minister: Vilhelm Buhl)Minister of Foreign AffairsIn office8 July 1940 – 29 August 1943Prime MinisterThorvald Stauning Vilhelm Buhl HimselfPreceded byPeter R. MunchSucceeded byGerman military rule(next Foreign Minister: John C. Møller)In office24 June 1913 �...

 

Roman Catholic Diocese of Huejutla

Roman Catholic diocese in Mexico Diocese of HuejutlaDioecesis HueiutlensisDiócesis de HuejutlaCoat of armsLocationCountry MexicoEcclesiastical provinceProvince of TulancingoMetropolitanHuejutla de ReyesStatisticsArea2,322 sq mi (6,010 km2)Population- Total- Catholics(as of 2013)557,000547,000 (98.2%)Parishes47InformationDenominationRoman CatholicRiteRoman RiteEstablished24 November 1922 (101 years ago)CathedralCathedral of St. AugustineSecular priests98Curr...

Helsby and Alvanley railway station

Disused railway station in England Helsby and AlvanleyGeneral informationLocationHelsby, Cheshire West and ChesterEnglandCoordinates53°16′01″N 2°46′18″W / 53.2669°N 2.7716°W / 53.2669; -2.7716Grid referenceSJ485747Platforms1Other informationStatusDisusedHistoryOriginal companyWest Cheshire RailwayPre-groupingCheshire Lines CommitteePost-groupingCheshire Lines CommitteeLondon Midland Region of British RailwaysKey dates1 September 1869Opened for goods22 June ...

 

Ducato di Parma e Piacenza

Disambiguazione – Ducato di Parma rimanda qui. Se stai cercando il ducato longobardo, vedi Ducato di Parma (Longobardi). Ducato di Parma e Piacenza Bandiera (1848-1859) (dettagli) Stemma (1848-1859) (dettagli) Motto: Dirige me Domine!(trad: Guidami o Signore!) Ducato di Parma e Piacenza - Localizzazione Dati amministrativiNome completoDucato di Piacenza e ParmaDucato di Parma e PiacenzaDucato di Parma, Piacenza e Guastalla (1748-1802, 1815-1847) Nome ufficialeDucatus Placentiae et ...