Bhagavad-Gita

By the  mercy of Srila Prabhupada and my spiritual masters, I went for my weekly religious class at Taiping prison. The class was for Block B death sentenced inmates. During the class, one of the inmates told me that Kripa Murthi Krishna Das, a disciple of HH Jayapataka Swami had received an appointment with court to have his sentence reviewed. Only 2 weeks ago I received a phone call from Kripa Muthi who is in Seberang Perai(Jawi) prison informing me of the good news.” Prabhu…If the judge gives me 40 years sentence, I have to spend only a year and will be free then.

Arjuna submits to Lord Krsna as His disciple, and Krsna begins His teachings to Arjuna by explaining the fundamental distinction between the temporary material body and the eternal spiritual soul. The Lord explains the process of transmigration, the nature of selfless service to the Supreme and the characteristics of a self-realized person.

Many famous and successful people, materially speaking, down through history have read and admired Bhagavad Gita. Unfortunately, they didn’t have access to Bhagavad Gita As It Is, by Srila Prabhupada, so whether they achieved ultimate success, which means liberation from the material world, is doubtful. They most definitely had to go through some more lives to achieve that.

"The reader is nowhere raised into and sustained in a bigger, purer or rarer region of thought than in the Bhagavad Gita"

~
Henry David Thoreau

I am delighted to send my best wishes to everyone at Bhaktivedanta Manor in what is a very special year for all those associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

For fifty years since its foundation by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the men and women behind ISKCON have dedicated their lives to the words of Lord Krishna to achieve peace and unity. ISKCON can be proud that in that time it has grown the world over, setting up over 500 centres and 50 schools.

~
Theresa May - UK former PRIME MINISTER

The Bhagvad Gita is one of the most widely respected Hindu scriptures in existence and has been a source of inspiration for many people. Written in Sanskrit, its 700 verses are often quoted by many great personalities who believe that the Gita has been a guiding force in their lives. It’s no surprise that the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita has inspired countless people throughout history; after all, it has been the most popular story in India for countless generations.

Krishna says that even a human being in the lowest status of life, lowest status of life, or even a fallen woman or a mercantile man or a laborer class of man... The mercantile class of men, the laborer class of men and the woman class, they are counted in the same category, because their intelligence is not so developed.

Godess Parvati said to Lord Shiva "My dear husband, You know all the transcendental truths, and by your mercy I have heard the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. Oh Lord, now I long to hear from You the glories of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita, which was spoken by Lord Krishna, and by hearing which, one’s devotion to Lord Krishna increases"

Bhagavad-gītā is also known as Gītopaniṣad. It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the most important Upaniṣads in Vedic literature. Of course there are many commentaries in English on the Bhagavad-gītā, and one may question the necessity for another one. This present edition can be explained in the following way. Recently an American lady asked me to recommend an English translation of Bhagavad-gītā.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda wrote the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, there were plenty of editions of the Gita out there in the Western world. But, until Srila Prabhupada wrote the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, no one was becoming a devotee of Lord Krishna.

APPEARANCE Sri Baladeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He is equal in supremacy to the Supreme Godhead, yet wherever Krishna appears, Sri Baladeva appears as Krishna’s brother, sometimes elder, sometimes younger. In his vaibhava-prakasa feature, Lord Krishna manifests Himself as Balarama. The Balarama feature is as good as Krishna Himself, the only difference being that the bodily hue of Krishna is dark and that of Balarama is fair. These two Lords, Krishna and Balarama, are each the seed and womb of the universe, the Creator and His Creative potency.