The idea was to film Prabhupada speaking Bhagavad-gita
Krishna Kanti das: Somebody coming to the Sunday Feast program in Los Angeles owned a 16 mm camera and was a film student and apparently approached Karandhar about filming Srila Prabhupada. So I think it was Karandhar's idea to have Prabhupada give Bhagavad-gita classes.
So this was a staged situation. The idea was to film Prabhupada speaking Bhagavad-gita which would be applicable for the people in general and have something for television. Srila Prabhupada: I shall speak on Bhagavad-gita As It Is.
The purpose of saying Bhagavad-gita As It Is explain that there are many editions of Bhagavad-gita, they are interpreted in their own way, giving up the spirit of Bhagavad-gita. So this particular name, As It Is, significant, perhaps there is no other edition of Bhagavad-gita where it is written as it is. In this connection, Professor Dimock of Chicago University has written a Foreword, and he very much appreciates the theme. He says, "Swami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gita from this point of view, and that is legitimate."
So he accepts that Bhagavad-gita As It Is is legitimate presentation of the great book of knowledge. He also says, "More than that, in this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Krishna devotee interprets his own texts." So about Krishna, the devotees actually can interpret about Krishna book.
Others, if they are not devotee, how they can interpret on Krishna, Just like a member of a family can say very nicely about the head of the family. How outsiders can say about the family? That is not possible. Similarly, about Krishna a Krishna devotee can speak nicely, not others. Others have no right to speak about Krishna. And Krishna also admits Arjuna as the right student of Bhagavad-gita.
In the beginning, Krishna says that "I have selected you as My student because you are My friend and you are My devotee." So in other words, we can understand that Bhagavad-gita can be understood who has intimate relationship with Krishna. Just like Krishna says, "You are My dear friend." That is intimate relationship with Krishna. And without becoming a devotee, nobody can be intimately related with Krishna. These are the factors to be understood.
So this Bhagavad-gita was spoken 5,000 years ago to Arjuna in the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, and the science of understanding God is there in this Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is the science of God. Everything has got some science, scientific book, to understand that particular subject matter. Similarly, there are different types of concept of God. Generally, they take it as an idea, but we don't take it as idea. We take God as concrete fact.
Just like you are seeing me, I am seeing you. This is concrete fact. Similarly, God can be seen by you, and God is already seeing you. There is no doubt about it. But you can see also God. So that process we have to understand, how to see God. That process is mentioned in all the Vedic scripture. That is called bhakti-yoga, that process. Krishna also says in the Bhagavad-gita: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah. If anyone wants to know Krishna, what He is, then one has to accept the process of bhakti-yoga.
There are different types of yogas. Yoga means linking oneself with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So speculative yoga will not help us. You have to take concrete yoga. Concrete yoga is Krishna consciousness. So we have given our introduction of the Bhagavad-gita that one has to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is directed in the Bhagavad-gita. There is direction how to read Bhagavad-gita.
People are reading Bhagavad-gita without taking the direction. This we have explained in the manner that if you take some medicine, there is some direction on the bottle that "This is the dose: you take so many drops so many times." That is direction. Similarly, for understanding Bhagavad-gita actually, you have to accept the direction as given by the author Himself, Krishna. He says that long, long ago, some 40 millions of years ago He first spoke this Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god. And the sun-god transmitted the knowledge to his son, Manu. And Manu transmitted the knowledge to his son, Iksvaku. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam, vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave'bravit.
So the rajarsis, they are all kings. Manu is king, Maharaj Iksvaku is also king, and the sun-god Vivasvan, he is also king. He is the king of the sun planet, and his grandson, Iksvaku, became the king of this planet, Maharaj Iksvaku. And in this dynasty, which is known as Raghuvamsa, Lord Ramacandra appeared. It is a very old monarchical family. Iksvakuvamsa, Raghuvamsa. Vamsa means family. So formerly the kings, the head of the administrative executive, they used to learn the theses or the injunction given by God because a king is......
Man: Conclude. About half a minute left.
Srila Prabhupada: No, no, you cannot do like that. Now you conclude here, that's all.
Man #2: Actually we should just change over. We can change loads, we can pick up right there, Prabhupada.
Reference: Following Srila Prabhupada-A Chronological Series by Krishna Kanti Dasa
Recently Added
Trending Today