Thoughts from the Gita

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The Bhagavad Gita is valued as one of the world’s greatest spiritual classics. In India many take it as their guide to the inner life. We have scholarly commentaries written from many diverse points of view on the contents of the Bhagavad Gita.

Sri Jnanananda Bharathi Swamigal (who was popularly known as Tirunelveli Sri. R. Krishnaswami Myar in his poorvashrama) has shared with us in this book, his valuable thoughts suggested by the study of the Gita. He was an uncompromising scholar, who enjoyed the felicity of pen to put his views in beautiful English. His logical presentation of the various subjects discussed in the Gita will satisfy the minds of the young, who look for reasons for accepting the philosophical truths.

Thus this book is valuable both as spiritual stimulator and as a literary work. The book is being priced affordably low, so that it may reach the hands of one and all.

It is no small satisfaction to me that Sri Ramananda Sarasvati Swaminah (whom I had the honor of calling my father in his poorvasrama) and, though he was at that time observing mauna, he was kind enough to persue the manuscript and in returning it to me appended a note saying:

"This work is admirably well-thought out and exceedingly well-written. It is sure to be an eye-opener to many a groping spiritual aspirant. In the lasting spiritual interests of the right-thinking pubic, steps should be taken to have it immediately printed and published".

Knowing him as I do, I must decline to believe that his natural affection for me is in any way responsible for this appreciation. Thanks to his encouragement and his blessings, I am able to give the book a publication earlier than I expected and it seems to me it is only in the fitness of things that I should dedicate this book to him.

As the name of the book implies, an attempt has been made here to give expression to a few thoughts suggested by a study of the Gita in a language as free from technicalities as possible. As I meant this to be a companion volume to my "Thoughts from the Vedanta", I have had to limit the scope of the book a great deal. I am quite conscious that I have not done full justice to the Gita as a whole or even to any one of the priceless teachings that are to be found in that inexhaustible treasure-hose of wisdom. I request, however, the kind reader to remember that this is but a "popular presentation."

It is no small satisfaction to me that Sri Ramananda Sarasvati Swminah (whom I had the honor of calling my father in his poorvasrama) and, though he was at that time observing mauna, he was kind enough to peruse the manuscript and in returning it to me appended a note saying:

‘This work is admirably well-thought out and exceedingly well-written. It is sure to be an eye-opener to many a groping spiritual aspirant. In the lasting spiritual interests of the right- thinking public, steps should be taken to have it immediately printed and published”.

Knowing him as I do, I must decline to believe that his natural affection for me is in any way responsible for this appreciation. Thanks to his encouragement and his blessings, I am able to give the book a publication earlier than I expected and it seems to me it is only in the fitness of things that I should dedicate this book to him.

As the name of the book implies, an attempt has been made here to give expression to a few thoughts suggested by a study of the Gita in a language as free from technicalities as possible. As I meant this to be a companion volume to my “Thoughts from the Vedanta”, I have had to limit the scope of the book a great deal. I am quite conscious that I have not done full justice to the Gita as a whole or even to any one of the priceless teachings that are to be found in that inexhaustible treasure-house of wisdom. I request, however, the kind reader to remember that this is but a ‘‘popular presentation.”

The learned author Sri Jnanananda Bharathi Swamigal, in his poorvasrama, was well known as Tirunelveli (Advocate) Sri R. Krishnaswami Aiyar. He was held in high esteem for his erudition and scholarship in Vedantic literature, and he had a singular gift of felicity of pen and tongue to explain on simple terms the terse tenets of Advaitic philosophy contained in the prasthanatraya and other texts. Because of his loyalty to Sri Adi Shankara, he had a firm conviction that the authority of His commentaries was final.

His books in English ‘The Great Equation’, ‘Dialogues with the Guru’, ‘Outlines of Vedanta’, ‘Saint of Sringeri’ and others proved immensely popular among the earnest seekers of Knowledge and gurubhaktas.

From his very young age Sri Krishnaswami Aiyar was deeply devoted to the guruparampara of the Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetam, Sringeri, established by Sri Adi Shankara. He was singularly fortunate to have had mantropadesa from the great seer and tapaswin Sri Satchidananda Sivabhinava Nrisimha Bharathi Mahaswamigal. Later he enjoyed a special kind of proximity to the heart of the great sage Sri Chandrasekhara Bharathi Mahaswamigal, which conferred on him the privilege of listening to and noting down many valuable teachings of Sri Acharya Swamigal and later making them available in print to the posterity.

The great yogi Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamigal who adorned the Sharada Peetam as the 35th Pontiff from 1954 to 1989 showered His grace on, the Sadhana Chatushtaya Sampatthiyuktha, Sri Krishnaswami Aiyar by favourably responding to his prayer for admission into the samnyasa ashrama. He was fortunate in having the deeksha in Acharyal’s holy presence at the Brindavana Kshetra on the banks of the Yamuna river, on 3rd November 1966. He was named as ‘Sri Jnanananda Bharathi’ after samnyasa.

After visiting various holy places and a pilgrimage to Sringeri, Sri Jnanananda Bharathi Swamigal finally retired to the quietude of the small village of Mannadimangalam on the banks of the River Vaigai in Madurai District in Tamilnadu, for spending his time in manana and nidhidyasana of the Supreme Reality and also in writing books. The present pontiff of Sri Sharada Peetam, the most learned, Sri Bharathi Theertha Mahaswamigal graciously paid a visit to the village of Mannadimangalam on 2.2.1975, in the company of His Master, specially to give c/arson and bless Sri Jnanananda Bharathi Swamigal, who was confined to bed with deteriorating health. It looked as though he was only waiting to have Sri Acharyals’ darsan to shed his mortal coil. He attained videha kaivalyam on 9.4.1975. A brindavanam has been erected over his adhishtanam and is being worshipped.

We consider it our great privilege and good fortune to be instrumental in bringing out this fresh edition of the book ‘Thoughts from the Gita’, with the kind permission of Sri K. Ramachandran, son of Sri Jnanananda Bharathi Swamigal in his poovasrama. We hope this will satisfy and gladden the hearts of all those who have been waiting eagerly to have a copy of this book. We thank Sri Suresh Krishnamoorthy, U.S.A. for his kind donation to meet the cost of printing of this book.