[Advaita-l] should we discuss adhyAya 1 verse by verse?

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Wed, 9 Nov 2005, Ravisankar Mayavaram wrote:

> If you have time, please go over adhyAya 1 verse by verse. Most
> commentators do not emphasize much on this chapter. But there is a
> significant exception: Paramahansa Yogananda spends over 200+ pages on
> 1st chapter. His commentary is based on the teaching of his parama
> guru lahiri mahASayA. They explore and explain the names in the first
> chapter and related it to an inner principle, such dhR^itarAShTra as
> blind mind, sanjaya as impartial introspection and so  on. His
> commentary is from the point of view of Raja Yoga.
>

while the Gita is at a certain level an allegory in its' broad outlines, I 
think trying to make everything about "inner principles" is overdoing it a 
bit.  It's not historically accurate and it doesn't accurately describe 
how Advaita tradition has viewed the Gita.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>