[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: ISKCON : help define these terms
In article <4il882$9ks@babbage.ece.uc.edu>,
Sankar Jayanarayanan <kartik@Eng.Auburn.EDU> wrote:
>I can give you my necessary credentials: I've studied 6 years of sanskrit and
12
>years of English. Of course, Prabhupada might have studied MUCH more than I
:-)
In fact, it's very likely. :)
>
>I have already asked the following question, but have not received a good
reply:
>
>I SEEM to have discovered a "flaw" in the "Bhagavad Gita -as it is" by
>Srila Prabhupada. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
OK, here goes.
>
>Chapter 7, 18th sloka.
>
>
> udarah sarva evaite
> jnani tv atmaiva me matam
> asthitah sa hi yuktatma
> mam evanuttamam gatim
>
>WORD FOR WORD
>
>udarah--magnanimous; sarve--all; eva--certainly; ete--these; jnani--one who
is in knowledge;
>tu--but; atma eva- just like Myself; me--My; matam--opinion;
asthitah--situated; sah--he;
>hi--certainly; yukta-atma--engaged in devotional service; mam--in Me;
eva--certainly;
>anuttamam--the highest; gatim--destination.
>
> TRANSLATION
>
>All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated
in knowledge of
>Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental
service, he is
>sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal.
>
>Doesn't Krishna say "MY VERY SELF" instead of "JUST LIKE MY OWN SELF" ?
>"ATMA EVA" = "ONLY [MY] SELF".
According to Edward Delavan Perry, who wrote my first Sanskrit text book,
"eva" is an adverb that means just, exactly.
I think this is a semantic thing that sounds more important than it really is.
Let's allow for your translation "MY VERY SELF." What does it mean when Lord
Krishna says that the devotee is "MY VERY SELF." It almost sounds like it
supports the advaitist theory of oneness... until you look at the verse
immediately preceding it:
teshaam jnaanii nitya-yukta
eka-bhakti vis'ishyate
priyo hi jnaanino 'tyartham
aham sa ca mama priyaha
"Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure
devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to
Me."
The word "yukta" means "to connect." You can only speak of connecting TWO
things. You can't connect two things which are actually already the same.
Furthermore, the rest of the verse indicates that He is simply saying that the
devotee is very dear to Him, that He is dear to the devotee, etc.
>Another question : which sanskrit word is translated as "attain"? At least,
how
>does the meaning "is sure to attain Me" come out from the translation?
It's from aasthitaha, which means to be situated.
