God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita

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Summary: The conscienceness of Sage Vyasa -- As it is.
Review: All the stars in the universe will fall short to rate this book on Yoga. As Shri Yoganandji said "Intelligence is Mark of God", only a very highly illumined, Self-Realized, God-aware, Cosmic Conscious Soul can write such Yogic, original, deep, balanced, sensible, practical, religious, spiritual, interesting, wonderful, breath-taking, thought provoking, life changing, faith cultivating, character fixing, and tolerance building book. A master piece. How you can spend your life without reading it. Blessed are those who read and follow it. It is the practical example of "Seek his rightousness and everything else will be added onto you". Every thing got added onto Shri Yogananda Paramhansa and then he wrote this book. Many version of Bhagavat Gita have been written by many saints. But in the introduction of this book Shri Yogananda writes on page xxv:
"I arrived at the spiritual understanding expressed in these pages by attunement with Vyasa, and by perceiving the Spirit as God of creation relating wisdom to the awakened Arjuna within myself. I became Arjuna's soul and communed with Spirit; let the result speak for itself". Now the readers all over the world are proclaiming that nothing can more than "As-it-is" than this version of Bhagavat Gita. It is the practical example of "Seek his rightousness and everything else will be added onto you". Every thing got added onto Shri Yogananda Paramhansa and then he wrote this book. Every sentence weighs in Tons. Can you imagine the weight of the book? It is a very difficult read but every person must read pages 19 throu 27 where Shri Yogananda describes how the estates of Optical, Auditory, Olfactory, Gustatory, Tactual, Vacalization, Manual Dexterity, Locomotion, Elimination, and Procreation in the mans body act under the soul and ego regime. Most people will take pity on themselves after reading these pages. In the introduction Shri Yogananda wonderfully explains chronology of creation through genealogy of the Kurus and Pandus and explains how "Kutastha Chaitanya" or "The Universal Unchangeable Spirit Shining everywhere" is drowned or "hidden" from ordinary man/consciousness. (The way 6 siblings of Bhishma Pitamah were drowned by Ganga and only the "Abhasa Chaitanya" or "The reflected Spirit was left behind i.e. The Bhishma Pitamah). This book, in the form of conscienceness of sage Vyasa, is the essence of the ponderouds four vedas and 108 Upanishads -- The holy scriptures of India. In "Autobiography of a Yogi", in chapter 37, page 342 (soft bound copy) Shri Yogananda asks his Guru Shri Yuktiswar, "But sir, Seldom have I given a lecture, and never in English. Please bless me with a push over the hurdles of the english language." Readers will be amazed to find more than perfect english in this book. Most people will have to refer to dictionary on every page to feel the statement. Apparently, Goddess Saravasti (The goddess of learning and music) herself sat on shri Yogananda's mind and hand to help him embarrass the owners of the language. Shri Yogananda used to say "Increase the receptive power of your brain cells so that you can learn varied things in one life time." He demonstrated this receptive power in each of his work.
Nothing can be a better description of this book than reading one. It is so funny that man is willing to take so much pain but he is not willing to meditate for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening. Shri Yogananda used to say "Whatever you want to do in life, meditate deeply upon it and you will be guided by divine wisdom". Just read this book and you will feel that Shri Yogananda was full of divine wisdom.

Rating:
Summary: Superb. A masterpiece.
Review: Essential reading for anyone interested in yoga, whether as a practictioner or as a scholar, this book also offers a lot to those interested in other paths of transformation. This is a brilliantly executed work: verse by verse, the book provides the sanskrit text, the English translation and Yogananda's comprehensive commentary mining the Gita's many levels of meaning. For example, Yogananda explores the Gita's depiction of events (the armies of Arjuna and his brothers arrayed against their foes) as an allegory for every aspirant's internal struggle between the forces leading towards spiritual realization and the forces (e.g. sense-slavery, sloth, lack of discrimination)that thwart it. Within this context, he also examines the dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna as a reflection of the inner dialogue between Spirit and soul (hence the "God Talks" title). On other fronts, Yogananda makes connections between the Gita and Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras and the Sankhya philosophical traditions. In ways I am not yet able to articulate, this book helped me bridge the gap between what I categorize--imprecisely I'm sure--as yogic and non-yogic traditions. (By yogic I mean any meditative tradition that predicated on the existence of Spirit, the realization of which serves as the final goal, vs. non-yogic by which I mean meditative traditions that assert Emptiness as the final goal.) Ultimately, what makes this book so powerful is that Yogananda clearly knows whereof he speaks. The result is a book that speaks in direct and practical terms to the aspirant, while also able to satisfy the pedant.

Rating:
Summary: Not my cup of tea
Review: I'm only half way through the first book but find this to be one of the very best spiritual books I've read. I place it on par with Vernon Howard and J. Krishnamurti. Every paragraph rings with Truth. Yogananda is a crystal clear writer. You'll find yourself reading with delight. I almost did not purchase this book because of the price, but am so so glad I did. You will be too. If you're a serious student, get this book!

Rating:
Summary: Beyond a Book
Review: It's been two and a half years since I was given Yogananda's Gita translation as a gift. I am just now finishing the first of the two books. I read it everyday, but unlike any book I've ever read, I often stop after just one sentence... and I'm transformed. On countless occasions, I've been driven into inspirational silence by its passages. This "book" is an excellent example of how language can fall well short of its goal of describing its object. This is not just a "book" and as such any review of it can not measure up but the closest word that I've found trying to do so is -- Love. If you want to feel and give Love beyond words, get this "book" and apply its timeless truths.

Rating:
Summary: Not my cup of tea
Review: Judging by all the positive reviews, I wonder if I'm not getting it. I was first exposed to the gita when I was a teenager and it spoke to my heart. The best analogy I could use to describe these books would be if you took a butterfly and looked at it under a microscope. You get to close to see the beauty. Instead I would recommend the translation's by Swami Prabhavananda, Eknath Easwaran, or even Juan Mascaro.

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Summary: Far more than a translation - an illumined commentary
Review: Just as Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi has established itself as peerless and eternal among the masses of spiritual biographies and surveys published each century, God Talks to Arjuna is becoming recognized as that singular presentation of the Bhagavad Gita which will be studied and restudied by sincere seekers and scholars for ages to come. The handsome and lavishly illustrated 1200-page, two-volume set is available in both a finely bound slipcased hardcover edition ... and a surprisingly inexpensive paperback printing ... For a volume that will likely be reconsulted, Bible-like, many times over the years, the hardcover edition is to be recommended if your budget can possibly permit.

Each of the 700 Bhagavad Gita verses is presented in both Sanskrit and English. More importantly, each verse is followed by commentary and expansion that integrates your study of the Gita with the entire spiritual science of Raja (meditative) Yoga. Hundreds of thoughtful commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita have been published over the centuries; some have been finely crafted by brilliant intellects; only a handful have come from realized sages; in this long-awaited Self-Realization Fellowship edition we have the insights of a soul who has experienced and mastered all the spiritual heights extoled by this dearest of Indian scriptures.

Yogananda dictated his commentaries to his most trusted students during retreats to the southern California desert during the late 1940s. Those disciples related how the yoga master would, from his state of samadhi (conscious communion with God), pour out this uninterrupted stream of spiritual erudition throughout the night, surpassing the endurance of his much younger scribes. One close disciple vividly recalls today how merely to enter the room during these divine dictations had the feel of being ''in the very presence of The Divine.'' In meditating lovingly upon his words in these volumes the modern reader may again dip into that Presence.

READING RECOMMENDATION: These volumes are highly distilled spiritual liquor - unsuitable for casual guzzling. The extensive introduction alone provides a spiritual-eye-opening background to the Himalayan heights of India's most venerated scripture. Yogananda therein explains how he applied the special intuitive approach to scripture taught him by his guru, the Puri sage Sri Sri Swami Yukteswarji. From his ability to sustain the highest spiritual state of Nirbikalpa Samadhi, Yogananda would derive his Gita commentary by uniting his consciousness with that of the Gita's author, Vyasa, and of its principles, Bhagavan Krishna and disciple Arjuna. Your intellectual analysis of Yogananda's resulting masterpiece will immediately impress your mind with his ability to reveal multiple levels of meaning from the complexities of the Sanskrit verses; but it will require a gradual digestion of these meanings and quiet reflection (ideally: interspersed with periods of meditation) to begin to assimilate their spiritual potency. As an example of 'gradual' I will mention the approach our local study groups took: reading one page per day, then meeting weekly to meditate and share insights and questions. At this rate the two groups I facilitated each took three years to complete the two volumes - but provided us with our richest spiritual rewards ever. However you pace yourself, first of all SAVOR. Then, best of all, PRACTICE... the guidance offered by Krishna, Vyasa, Arjuna, Yogananda: meditate on The Divinity within and around you.

Namaste. --rp

Rating:
Summary: Deeply Spiritual and Deeply Awakening
Review: Like the mystics of all ages, the ancients of India comprehended The Mysteries. They understood the inter-connectedness of all things both seen and unseen. They understood the path that leads beyond the realms of duality toward the Absolute.

Yogananda presents the most beautiful, most breath-taking commentary of Yoga I have ever seen.

It has been a while since I first read this book, but I have found myself coming back to it again and again. This book is truly one of the most prized and cherished books in my personal library. It has enriched my life in a way that goes far beyond mere words.

This book is literally "a spiritual experience."

Rating:
Summary: The Most Important Scripture of the 1900's
Review: Paramahansa Yogananda's translation of the Bhagavad Gita is the singularly most profound book about religion I have ever read. It will astound you with divine knowledge first revealed herein. It demonstrates repeatedly the linkages between science and religion and provides the entire basis for yoga (or union with God). The depth of meaning and clarity of truth of this translation will be apparent after reading only a few paragraphs, yet each paragraph should be pondered deeply and with reverence. Ultimately, these yoga teachings must be practiced and Self Realization Fellowship can provide the means of practice. This book is the "Holy Bible" of Yoga and the most important scripture of the 1900's.

Rating:
Summary: A "Deep" commentary
Review: When looking for a commentary on the Gita, you should be aware of the different types. Some (like Yogananda's) are very comprehensive and drawn-out, others (like Gandhi's, for example) are more simple and straightforward. Both types have their respective value. The deeper commentaries can plumb the hidden crevices of a work, while the more general works give a very useful intuitive grasp of the whole. The brilliance of Yogananda's Gita is that it effectively turns the entire poem into a metaphor for the spiritual quest, most notably via the path of meditation. Yogananda clearly feels each stanza in the depth of his being, managing to bring forth both hidden esoterica and very practical spiritual advice. However, I have personally found it more useful to begin with a more general commentary, getting an overall feel for the poem and its philosophy before launching into a commentary like this. If you don't have an overall feel for the Gita, Yogananda's commentary might make you feel like your getting "too close" to each individual sloka without seeing the whole structure.

Rating:
Summary: I revere this work
Review: Yogananda gave us so much in this offering. This is by far the greatest literature I have read, studied, meditated upon. I have now had this Gita set for 6 years.

Admittedly it is not for everyone but for those who are prepared to persevere to discover truth, then Yogananda's treatise here will keep you inspired for hours, days, months, years.. this will certainly stay with me for the rest of my life.