Kashmiri Gitasara: The Issue of the Bhagavadgita with 745 Verses
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Author Description
The traditional number of verses of the Gita is defined by the teacher Sankara (788-820 CE) as being 700. However, a number of 745 verses results from the Gitamana, an inserted stanza that gives the number of verses spoken by each speaker in the Gita. The Gitamana is found mostly in Kashmirian versions of the Mahabharata, inserted directly after the Bhagavadgita, and is not found in Bengali and southern recensions. The Gitamana is placed just before the 51 verses of the Gitasara, which is the summary of the Gita. Adding the Gitasara to the Bhagavadgita extends the Bhagavadgita, and can be made to comply with the specifications given in the Gitamana. Perhaps this is the first translation into English of the Gitasara, revealing thoughts not found in the Gita and worth meditating on, even the passages that are difficult.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the textual variations of the Bhagavadgita, specifically focusing on the Kashmirian tradition's inclusion of 745 verses. The author, Gerard DC Kuiken, examines the Gitamana, a stanza that enumerates verses spoken by each character, and its prevalence in Kashmiri Mahabharata recensions, contrasting it with southern and Bengali versions. The core argument explores how the Gitasara, a 51-verse summary appended to the Bhagavadgita in these Kashmiri versions, reconciles the verse count specified by the Gitamana, offering a unique perspective on the text's transmission and interpretation.
THE SCOPE MAP
- Analysis of the Gitamana and its role in defining the Bhagavadgita's verse count.
- Comparison of Kashmiri Mahabharata recensions with southern and Bengali versions regarding the Bhagavadgita's structure.
- Detailed examination of the Gitasara, a 51-verse summary of the Bhagavadgita.
- Exploration of how the Gitasara, when appended, aligns with the Gitamana's verse specifications.
- Discussion of the philosophical and meditative insights presented in the Gitasara, including potentially difficult passages.
- Consideration of the Gitasara as a potential first English translation, offering novel thoughts beyond the original Gita.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
This scholarly work delves into the textual history and variant readings of the Bhagavadgita, particularly within the Kashmiri tradition. It highlights the significance of the Gitamana and the appended Gitasara in understanding a specific recension of the epic. The analysis offers a critical examination of verse counts and their implications for the text's interpretation and transmission.
Page Count:
74
Publication Date:
2019-04-03
Publisher:
Lulu.com
ISBN-10:
9078623101
ISBN-13:
9789078623106
Non-Fiction
Philosophy
History
Indian philosophy
Hinduism
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