Gīta Bhāshya Introduction

devaṁ nārāyaṇaṁ natvā sarvadoṣavivarjitam। paripūrṇaṁ gurūṁścān gītārthaṁ vakṣyāmi leśataḥ॥

Having bowed to Lord Nārāyaṇa, who is free from all defects and complete in every aspect, and to the Gurus, I shall briefly explain the meaning of the Gītā.

naṣṭadharmajñānalokakṛpālubhirbrahmarudrendrādibhirarthito jñānapradarśanāya bhagavān vyāso'vatatāra।

Requested by Brahmā, Rudra, Indra, and others, who were compassionate toward the world in which dharma and knowledge had been lost, Bhagavān descended as Vyāsa to impart knowledge.

tataśceṣṭāniṣṭaprāptiparihārasādhanādarśanād vedārthājñānācca saṃsāre kliśyamānānāṃ vedānadhikāriṇāṃ strīśūdrādīnāṃ ca dharmajñānadvārā mokṣo bhavediti kṛpāluḥ sarvavedārthopabṛṃhitāṃ tadanuktakevaleśvarajñānadṛṣṭārthayuktāṃ ca sarvaprāṇinām avagāhyānavagāhyarūpāṃ kevalabhagavatsvarūpaparāṃ parokṣārthāṃ mahābhāratasaṃhitām acīkḷpat ‖

Then, seeing that those who were suffering in saṃsāra—due to not knowing the means for attaining the desirable and how to avoid the undesirable, and due to ignorance of the meaning of the Vedas—and also with a view to help women, Śūdras, and others, who were not qualified for Vedic study, so that they might attain liberation through the knowledge of dharma, the compassionate one composed the Mahābhārata-saṃhitā.

It is enriched with the meanings of all the Vedas; it is endowed with knowledge of the sole Lord not stated therein and with evident meanings; it has a form that is both accessible and inaccessible to living beings; it is concerned solely with the nature of Bhagavān; and it possesses indirect meanings.

taccoktam –

And it is said:

"lokeśā brahmarudrādyāḥ saṃsāre kleśinaṃ janam। vedārthājñamadhikāravarjitaṃ ca striyādikam॥"

"The lords of the world—Brahmā, Rudra, and others—(beheld) the people afflicted in saṃsāra, ignorant of the meaning of the Vedas, and also women and others who were excluded from Vedic eligibility."

"avekṣya prārthayāmāsur deveśaṃ puruṣottamam। tataḥ prasanno bhagavān vyāso bhūtvā ca tena ca॥ anyāvatārarūpaiśca vedānuktārthabhūṣitam। kevalenātmabodhena dr̥ṣṭaṁ vedārthasaṁyutam॥ vedādapi paraṃ cakre pañcamaṃ vedamuttamam। bhārataṃ pañcarātraṃ ca mūlarāmāyaṇaṃ tathā॥ purāṇaṃ bhāgavataṃ ceti sambhinnaḥ śāstrapuṅgavaḥ॥"

"Having observed, they prayed to the Lord of gods, the supreme person. Then Bhagavān, being pleased, appeared as Vyasa. Through that and other avatāra forms, made the foremost scripture — adorned with meanings stated by the Veda, imparting pure knowledge of the 'ātman', endowed with Vedic meaning, superior even to the Veda, the excellent fifth Veda — divided as the Bhārata, Pañcarātra, Mūlarāmāyaṇa, Purāṇa, and Bhāgavata."

iti nārāyaṇāṣṭākṣarakalpe।

- stated thus in the Narayana Ashtaksharakalpa.

"brahmāpi tanna jānāti īṣat sarvopi jānate। bahvarthamṛṣayastattu bhārataṃ pravadanti hi॥"

"Even Brahmā does not know it fully; everyone knows only a little of it. The sages indeed declare that the Bhārata has many meanings."

ityupanārādīye

- states Upanaradiya.

"brahmādyaiḥ prārthito viṣṇurbhārataṃ sa cakāra ha। yasmin daśārthāḥ sarvatra na jñeyāḥ sarvajantubhiḥ॥"

"Requested by Brahmā and others, Lord Viṣṇu indeed composed the Bhārata, in which ten meanings are present everywhere, (yet) are not knowable by all beings."

iti nāradīye।

- states Naradīya.

"bhārataṃ cāpi kṛtavān pañcamaṃ vedamuttamam। daśāvarārthaṃ sarvatra kevalaṃ viṣṇubodhakam। parokṣārthaṃ tu sarvatra vedādapyuttamaṃ tu yat॥"

"He (Vyāsa) composed the Mahabharata as the supreme fifth Veda, which has at least ten meanings, and solely reveals Lord Vishnu everywhere. However, its indirect meanings are considered superior even to the Vedas."

iti skānde।

- stated thus in the Skanda Purana.

"yadi vidyāc caturvedān sāṅgopaniṣadān dvijaḥ। na cet purāṇaṃ saṃvidyānnaiva sa syād vicakṣaṇaḥ॥"

"Even if a twice-born person knows the four Vedas together with their limbs and the Upaniṣads, if he does not properly know the Purāṇa, he cannot be considered truly discerning."

(ma.bhā..1.1.268)

- (Mahābhārata 1.1.268)

"itihāsapurāṇābhyāṃ vedaṃ samupabṛṃhayet। bibhetyalpaśrutād vedo māmayaṃ pracaliṣyati।"

"One should supplement the Veda by means of Itihāsa and Purāṇa. The Veda fears the person of little learning, (thinking), ‘Lest this one will distort me.’"

-ma.bhā.ādi.१.293

-Mahābhārata 1.1.293

"manvādi kecid bruvate hyāstīkādi tathāpare। tathoparicarādyanye bhārataṃ paricakṣate।"

"Some indeed say that the Bhārata begins with the story of Manu; others likewise say it begins with the story of Āstīka; and yet others describe the Bhārata as beginning with the story of Uparicara (Vasu)."

ma.bhā.ādi.1.66

- Mahabharata, Adi Parva, Chapter 1, Verse 66.

"bhārataṁ sarvavedāśca tulāmāropitāḥ purā। devairbrahmādibhiḥ sarvaiḥ ṛṣibhiśca samanvitaiḥ। vyāsasyaivājñayā tatra tvatyaricyata bhāratam॥"

"In ancient times, commanded by Vyāsa, all the gods, beginning with Brahmā, together with the sages, placed the Mahābhārata and all the Vedas upon a balance; the Bhārata outweighed them all."

-brahmāṇḍapurāṇe

- stated thus in the Brahmanda Purana.

"mahattvād bhāravattvāc ca mahābhāratam ucyate। niruktam asya yo veda sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate।"

"Because of its greatness and because of its weightiness, it is called the Mahābhārata. Whoever knows its etymological explanation is freed from all sins."

(ma.bhā.1.300)

- Mahabharata, 1.1.300

"yadihāsti tadanyatra yannehāsti na kutracit॥"

"Whatever is found here (in the Mahabharata) is found elsewhere; whatever is not found here is found nowhere."

ma.bhā.ādi 5.50

- Mahabharata, Adi Parva, Chapter 5, Verse 50.

"virāṭodyogasāravān"

"It possesses its essence in the Virāṭa and Udyoga Parvans."

-ma bhā.1.89

-Mahabharata 1.89.

ityāditadvākyaparyālocanayā, ṛṣisampradāyāt,

By examining the above statements and looking at the content that has come through the disciple succession of sages (risi-sampradaya), the following sentence:

"ko hyanyaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣānmahābhāratakṛd bhavet"

"Who else but Puṇḍarīkākṣa could have composed the Mahābhārata?"

-vāyu-prokta-vacanam

- the message conveyed by the wind god.

ityādipurāṇagranthāntaragatavākyānyathānupapattyā, nāradādhyayanādiliṅgaiścāvasīyate।

It is ascertained by statements such as these found in other Purāṇic texts, by the impossibility of any other explanation, and by indicators such as Nārada’s study and the like.

"kathamanyathā bhāratanirukti-jñānamātreṇa sarvapāpakṣayaḥ?"

"How otherwise (could there be) the destruction of all sins by mere knowledge of the etymology of ‘Bhārata’?"

prasiddhaśca sorthaḥ।

- this meaning is well established.

kathaṁ cānyasya na kartuṁ śakyate। granthāntaragatatvācca nāvidyamānastutiḥ। na ca kartureva। itaratrāpi sāmyāt।

And how could another (other than Vyasa) have composed it? Since the statement is found in another work as well, it is not praise of something nonexistent; nor is it merely the composer’s own praise.

tatra ca sarvabhāratārthasaṅgrahāṃ vāsudevārjunasaṃvādarūpāṃ bhāratapārijātamadhubhūtāṃ gītām upanibabandha। taccoktam–

There (within the Mahabharata) he composed the Gītā, which summarizes the meaning of the whole Bhārata, takes the form of the dialogue between Vāsudeva and Arjuna, being the honey of the pārijāta tree that is the Bhārata. And this is stated–

"bhārataṁ sarvaśāstreṣu bhārate gītikā varā। viṣṇoḥ sahasranāmāpi jñeyaṁ pāṭhyaṁ ca tad dvayam॥"

"Among all scriptures, the Bhārata is supreme; within the Bhārata, the Gītā is preeminent; likewise, the Thousand Names of Viṣṇu — these two should be understood and recited."

iti mahākaurme।

- stated thus in the great Kaurma Purana.

"sa hi dharmaḥ suparyāpto brahmaṇaḥ padavedane"

"That dharma (as shown in Gīta) is indeed fully sufficient for knowing the state of Brahman."

ma.bhā.13.16.12. ।

- Mahabharata, 13.16.12.

ityādi ca।

We find other such statements as well.

Summary

(1) The essence of Vedic knowledge was difficult to understand for common people in the olden days. Also, it was inaccessible to the working class and women. Kind-hearted sage Vyasa composed the Mahabharata to impart transcendental knowledge of Vedas to the whole of humanity.
(2) It shows the nature of both impediments and enablement, the way to overcome past defective impressions and the means to realise truth. By studying it, one can gain kēvala-jnāna, the transcendental knowledge that results in liberation.
(3) The significance of the Mahabharata and the divinity of Vyasa as an incarnation of the Godhead is established by providing various testimonials drawn from both traditional texts (smritis) and through disciple succession (risi-sampradāya).
(4) It is also established, through testimonials, that the Mahabharata has multiple layered meaning, not easily understandable by everyone.
(5) Within the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad-Gita, in the form of a conversation between Arjuna and Krishna, contains its essence. Hence, one should study the same.
(6) The testimonials quoted include Narayana Ashtaksharakalpa, Upanaradiya, Naradīya, Skanda Purana, Kaurma Purana, and also statements from other parts of the Mahabharata, of which Bhagavad Gita is a subset.