How to Interpret the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita, The Song of the Lord, is a popular sacred text in India and has been interpreted in a variety of ways. This is not surprising when one considers that Hindus express great freedom in understanding their sacred literature. Also, The Gita has been available in the West for several decades and some non-Hindu scholars have placed their own Western/Christian interpretations onto it. Given its origins, it seems best to respect its traditional origins and interpret it according to Sanatana Dharma.
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Instructions
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Interpreting the Bhagavad Gita
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Obtain a copy of the Bhagavad Gita with commentary. Take your time. There are several interpretations, some more philosophically dense than others. If you are new to The Gita and from the Western world, consider using a children's version of the book. Find a version that is Indian in origin and emphasis.
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Learn about the epic poem, The Mahabharata, from which The Bhagavad Gita is pulled. The Mahabharata helps you to understand the context in which the action in The Bhagavad Gita occurs. It also gives a sense of the type of literature you are reading.
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Consider the information in The Bhagavad Gita from a Hindu, Sanatana Dharma, perspective. Hindu beliefs, Karma, Bhakti Yoga, and Dharma are found in this text.
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Read The Gita as a treatise on Yoga. Learn what Yoga means within the context of Krishna's teachings in The Bhagavad Gita. Yoga, translated as "to yoke or join," is understood as union between the True Self, Atman, and the Supreme Consciousness or Being, Brahman or Bhagawan. Krishna shows himself as the Lord of the Universe, the Supreme Lord.
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Follow the path of Bhakti that the Lord Krishna reveals to Arjuna, the warrior. Krishna reveals to Arjuna that the Yoga of devotion, Bhakti Yoga, is the highest and fastest path to union with God. Love of God, expressed in dharma (religious duties) and karma (the path of obligation or work) is the greatest expression of love of the Divine.
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Tips & Warnings
Some Hindu schools maintain that simply to read The Bhagavad Gita is to become God-conscious
Find a local Hindu temple for classes on the Gita
Resources
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