Thread by @Sampadananda

#SriGitamritam
Namaste. On this auspicious day of गीताजयन्ती gītājayantī, celebrated on the Shukla Ekadashi or 11th day of waxing moon of Margashirsha month, we begin this tutorial on the गीता. It is on this day that Bhagavan Krishna gave this teaching to Arjuna. 1/0

Welcome to the first session of #SriGitamritam. Let me first explain the word गीता gītā itself. The words spoken by Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra is known as श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता śrīmadbhagavadgītā (श्रीमत् śrīmat + भगवत् bhagavat + गीता gītā). 1/1

A verse in the Shantiparva (MBH 358/8) says, in the beginning of the war between the Kauravas and Pandavas when Arjuna collapsed and did not want to fight Krishna bhagavan himself gave this teaching. As it was given by bhagavan himself it is known as भगवद्गीता bhagavadgītā. 1/2

Look at the following verses:
समुपोढेष्वनीकेषु कुरुपाण्डवयोर्मृधे। अर्जुने विमनस्के च गीता भगवता स्वयम्॥ Shantiparva, MBH 358/8
चिदानन्देन कृष्णेन प्रोक्ता स्वमुखतोऽर्जुनम् | Gitamahatmyam, 9
या स्वयं पद्मनाभस्य मुखपद्माद्विनिःसृता | Bhishmaparva MBH 43/1
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The Sanskrit word गीत gīta from the root ‘gai’ means that which has been sung. Why the words spoken by bhagavaan Krishna is termed as गीता gītā? Why is it again in feminine? Why not भगवद्गीतम् bhagavadgītam?
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The words spoken from a higher consciousness is not the same as the words ordinarily spoken. Here the teaching is given by bhagavan himself. Krishna says in anugItA (12) परं हि ब्रह्म कथितं योगयुक्तेन तन्मया – ‘I have spoken to you these words by being in a state of Yoga’. 1/5

Words coming from a higher state of consciousness have the intensity of rhythm, substance and vision. The speech of this nature is छन्दोमयी – full of rhythm. The Veda is also called छन्दस् – Chandas, the poetic speech that brings the delight along with the revealed Truth. 1/6

In the gītā (13.5) it is said: ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्। ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः॥ Mark the phrase ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं ‘it has been sung by the Rishis in manifold ways’. The words of the Rishis are not ordinary words but words full of rhythm. 1/7

Therefore, the words of Bhagavan Krishna is known as the भगवद्गीता – The Celestial Song or the Song of the Divine. Sri Aurobindo (CWSA 19, p36) calls it ‘the great diapason’ (A full, rich outpouring of melodious and harmonious sound). 1/8

Why is it then in feminine – गीता? The भगवद्गीता is not just the essence of all Upanishads but itself an Upanishad. At the end of every chapter of the गीता it is said: ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु –Thus in the Upanishad sung by bhagavan. 1/9

The word Upanishad in Sanskrit is feminine. The Upanishad is ब्रह्मविद्या – the supreme knowledge. The word विद्या also is feminine. So गीता being one of the Upanishads is in feminine. In the Mahabharata (Shantiparva 356.10; 358.53) it is referred to as हरिगीतासु. 1/10

Let’s end with the following verse from the gītāmāhātmyam by Madhusudana Sarasvati:
सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः।
पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत्॥
sarvopaniṣado gāvo dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ |
pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīrbhoktā dugdhaṁ gītāmṛtaṁ mahat || 1/11

All Upanishads are likened to cows, Krishna, the son of the cowherd, is the miker; Arjuna, the son of Pritha, is the calf. The wise men are the drinkers and the milk is the supreme nectar of Gita - gītāmṛtaṁ. 1/12

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