Essentials of a Bhagavad Gita Group

[Jedi]

Hi, I am planning to have a Bhagavad Gita group at my college. I know that not many people are going to show up or take part in it, but still , I want to do it anyway. So everyone around me are saying "Great, you can do it!" and everything , but I don't know where to start. Can anyone here give me any ideas about how to go on about doing this? What type of Bhagavad Gita should we use? I know there are many interpretations around, I don't want any fights and quarrels and I want to focus mainly on self development. So please if you have any ideas feel free to write here :) . Thank you!

[SvgGrdnBeauty]

That's a cool idea. I'd use one that doesn't have interpretation...you know the explaination after each verse...just the straight scripture...without that you should be able to discuss among yourselves what each passage is about and what it means to you...taking it for what it is instead of the translator's point of view...

[Jedi]

Hmm thats good. Maybe I could get all the verses and make a bhagavad gita with out any interpretation of the author at the back of it. I will just print one off the internet with out any interpretations. it would just be pure bhagavad Gita, thats great! thank you.

[SvgGrdnBeauty]

Hmm thats good. Maybe I could get all the verses and make a bhagavad gita with out any interpretation of the author at the back of it. I will just print one off the internet with out any interpretations. it would just be pure bhagavad Gita, thats great! thank you.
You're welcome. :) Hare Krishna! :)

[spook13]

Hmm thats good. Maybe I could get all the verses and make a bhagavad gita with out any interpretation of the author at the back of it. I will just print one off the internet with out any interpretations. it would just be pure bhagavad Gita, thats great! thank you.Here's a link to Prabhupada's BG As It Is, English translation of Sanskrit verses, no purports or interpretation.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is, by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (http://www.krishna.com/gitaframeset/gita_frameset.html)

[Bhaskar]

The trouble is, Jedi, it loses a lot in translation. In anglicising the structure of words and grammar, it loses much. Also it is very easy to translate something and still give it a slant.

What I would do is pick 5-10 verses, then look around for a word-for-word translation, meaning each saksrit word is changed to its english equivalent(s). Then join them together with your group and see what meaning you can get out of it.

I would NOT follow Bhagavad Gita as it is, since in translation, Prabhupada maanages to obscure much of the meaning, because sanskrit, by its structure, can gave many meanings to a word depending on how the words are split and which roots they come from. Prabhupada largely ignores this and translates it in such a way that only suits his teaching. It is not Gita as it is. The gita as it is cannot be put in English so easily.

[spook13]

The trouble is, Jedi, it loses a lot in translation. ....the gita as it is cannot be put in English so easily.The real problem is, there are numerous Gita translations in English around. Which one DO you go with?

I do admit a personal preference for Prabhupada's version, but posted the link because it was complete and only his word-for-word translation of the Sanskrit text, without the purports, in which his particular teachings are explained in detail.

Krishna always is the speaker in the Gita, and always refers back to Himself, no matter what translation you go with, or whether you consider Krishna to be the supreme Godhead or an avatar.

Maybe a good way would be to simultaneously study Prabhupada's translation, Paramahansa Yogananda's translation, and a third well-regarded one, perhaps from the 19th century. Trying to put together a translation by picking up a few verses here and there, "interpreting" them, and piecing them together is for Sanskrit scholars, not for college kids wanting to become familiar with the overall content of the Gita.

[SvgGrdnBeauty]

I would NOT follow Bhagavad Gita as it is, since in translation, Prabhupada maanages to obscure much of the meaning, because sanskrit, by its structure, can gave many meanings to a word depending on how the words are split and which roots they come from. Prabhupada largely ignores this and translates it in such a way that only suits his teaching. It is not Gita as it is. The gita as it is cannot be put in English so easily.
That is quite possible...I read one that was well done and had no explainations or anything (in addition to having As It Is been the first version I read)... its is by Skylight Illuminations (that's the publishing company) and even though it says Annotated and explained...its not by one person but gives different views (as only footnotes)...so you can ignore them easily....

[Jedi]

The real problem is, there are numerous Gita translations in English around. Which one DO you go with?

"interpreting" them, and piecing them together is for Sanskrit scholars, not for college kids wanting to become familiar with the overall content of the Gita.Actually this is what i want to do, but other kids are going to be bored. Besides, most of them just want the free food. I am really in trouble here, the problem that i am facing now (if you call this a problem) is that i have to use Prabhupada's bhagavad gita as it is, because there is a friend of mine and he is a hare krishna follower, he can get the books for free from their foundation, which is great! but I fear that this will turn into a cult! I don't want the people brainwashed to Vaishnavism even though I am myself a vaishnavite. what i want to do is bring people together with bhagavad gita... and somehow let it be known.
I told him that its not such a great idea to start with hare krishna chanting and prayers to prabhupada because not everyone is going to be a hare krishna or even hindu!, but i don't think he seems to understand. He believes that preaching about hare krishna is the greatest virtue , I don't want to scare people off on the first day.

Our university also has a bible group but they don't have these problems for some reason...

[Bhaskar]

This is the problem I have with ISKON, how exclusive they are. Prabhupada has gone on record saying that anyone who worships a form other than Krishna is a rascal. This kind of fanatic behaviour is everything I dislike about ISKON. Also Prabhupada's interpretations of scriptures are extremely literal and narrowminded, especially from a feminist point of view. He has been quoted as saying in various palces that women like to be raped, the female birth is inferior and less intelligent than the male, it is uncivilized to treat them as equals, etc. None of this has scriptural sanction, it is only in his own ignorant misunderstanding of the texts in question that this takes place.

[Bhaskar]

But Jedi, I would go ahead with the group. Dont just look for young people, open up to folks of all ages. I am sure at least 1 or 2 will be interested in this. That is enough.

[Bhaskar]

Plus if you are in NYC, there are already several study groups out there. SRF, Chinmaya Mission, Ramanasramam, Ramakrishna Mission, all have centers or study groups in NY.

[spook13]

Actually this is what i want to do, but other kids are going to be bored. Besides, most of them just want the free food. I am really in trouble here, the problem that i am facing now (if you call this a problem) is that i have to use Prabhupada's bhagavad gita as it is...That's why I posted the link to BG As It Is --it's just verse to verse translation, and doesn't include the purports, which are where Prabhupada elaborates on his particular ideas. Just print the translation off as a general go-by and don't associate the trappings of any particular spiritual organization with your study group meetings. Tell your friend that you want to keep a neutral atmosphere.

You are right, most of the others are going to be bored if you get focused on details right away. You need the whole text there in coherent form where it can be quickly read through and the general ideas absorbed without getting bogged down on one or two particuar points or verses.

I'm not trying to be nosy here -- I've just been involved in the same type of things in the past.

[Jedi]

That's why I posted the link to BG As It Is --it's just verse to verse translation, and doesn't include the purports, which are where Prabhupada elaborates on his particular ideas. Just print the translation off as a general go-by and don't associate the trappings of any particular spiritual organization with your study group meetings. Tell your friend that you want to keep a neutral atmosphere.

You are right, most of the others are going to be bored if you get focused on details right away. You need the whole text there in coherent form where it can be quickly read through and the general ideas absorbed without getting bogged down on one or two particuar points or verses.

I'm not trying to be nosy here -- I've just been involved in the same type of things in the past.haha thank you, well the 'ideal' is self improvement, I just have to give it a try and see if its going to go toward knowledge and unification or another brainwashing scheme, but I want involvement from organizations though, i want to bring some holy men to say some good words to people but i don't want them to persuade these people to "Surrender" and start recruiting them for their own organizations. I don't know how this will turn out...sigh, its now in the hands of God.

[Jedi]

But Jedi, I would go ahead with the group. Dont just look for young people, open up to folks of all ages. I am sure at least 1 or 2 will be interested in this. That is enough.
This is a good idea, thank you. I will try to make this a community thing so that people can show up with their families etc. It could be interesting, but then there is another fear of being branded as again , a "Cult", but I guess people will say the things that they want to say and we can't stop them.

[Bhaskar]

Why have any such fear? If people speak, let them. You are achieving your purpose, thats all that matters, isnt it?

[Jedi]

Why have any such fear? If people speak, let them. You are achieving your purpose, thats all that matters, isnt it?
haha yea :D