Gitartha-Sutrani (Aphorisms Concerning the Import of the Gita)

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The Kalpatharu Research Academy, Bangalore is an Institution running with the benign blessings of His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya, Sri Sri Sri Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswamiji under the auspices of Dakshinamnaya Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, established in l98l. Kalpatharu Research Academy has strided across the horizon of Indological Research and Publications with giant steps, and today stands as an Institution known for its unique quality of Research work.

Kalpatharu Research Academy is dedicated to the cause of preservation of ancient heritage of India; it has encouraged Research in the fields of Agama, Veda, Tantra, Jynarisha, Mantra-Sastra, Vasra, Yoga, Si/pa, Ayurveda etc.

Among its prestigious publications (numbering more than Hundred till now), are Six Volumes of Pratima-Kosha, Twelve Volumes of Agama-Kosha, Vastu-Shilpa-Kosha in Three Volumes. Three Volumes of the Art and Architecture of Indian Temples, and several Koshas like Ganesha-Kosha, Lalita-Kosha and Navagraha-Kosha, Oshadhi-Kosha, Salagrama-Kosha, Gita-Kosha, Hanumat- Kosha etc.

The Academy has plans of undertaking intensive Research in the field of Veda and Vedarzga, and intends publishing "Bharatiya-Samskriti-Sarvasva-K0sha" an encyclopaedic work in several volumes dealing with all aspects of Indian Tradition and Culture. It seeks to promote Education, Culture, Science, Art and learning in all its branches. The approach will be broad-based and multi- disciplinary.

An extensive, comprehensive and specialist reference library has been built up to assist the Research Workers in the Indological disciplines. A valuable collection of Palm—Leaf manuscripts relating to Veda, Vedanta, Vedanga and allied subjects has already been made; the collection work is continuing.

Dakshinamnaya Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham has been running a Guru-Kala type of Institution on traditional lines to impart Vedic Education at several places. Some of these Institutions are over IOO years old. It is the intention of Kalpatharu Research Academy to take an active part in continuing this age-old tradition and act as the Research & Publication wing for these Institutions.

Our ambition is to develop as a National Centre for higher learning in Veda, Vedanga and Shastras and facilitate the propagation of unique Sanskrit and Vedic Texts in the National and International arena.

This Publication is the 105th (One hundred and fifth) of its achievement in this field.

Vidyalankara, Sastra—Chudamani, Sangita-Kalaratna, Professor Saligrama Krishna Ramachandra Rao is a Well-known scholar who combines traditional learning with modern research. Well versed in Sanskrit, Pali, Ardhamagadhi and several modern Indian languages and acquainted with Tibetan and some European languages, he has written extensively on Vedanta, Buddhism, Jainism, Indian Culture, Art and Literature.

In his professional career, however, he was a Professor of Psychology. He has headed the Department of Clinical Psychology in the National institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, and the Department of Indian Culture in the Collision College Study Center of the University of the Pacific (U.S.A). At present, he is the Senior Associate of National institute of Advanced Studies (Indian Institute of Science), Bangalore, and Guest Faculty, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and member of the Governing Council of TTD (SVCL Research Centre), Tirupati.

He has been Member of Karnataka State Lalitha Kala Academy and Sangita Nritya Academy; he has served on the Agama Board (Govt. of Karnataka). He is President of Silpa-Kala Pratishtana. The Govt. of Karnataka has honoured him with the 1986 Rajyotsava Award. He has received awards from Lalita—Kala Academi and Sangita Nritya Academi. He is the recipient of the Veda Sanman for the year 2000 by the Govt. of India (HRD. Ministry).

Kendriya Samskrita Vidya-peetha, Tirupati, (deemed university) has awarded him honoris causa degree ‘Vachaspati' (2003).

He has written more than sixty books in Kannada, a play in Sanskrit. and a Pali commentary on a Buddhist classic. One of his books on iconography in Kannada has won the State Sahitya Academi Award, as also another of his books on the Tirupati Temple.

Among his numerous English Publications are three volumes of Encyclopaedia of Indian Medicine (Popular Prakashan. Mumbai), Tibetan Tantric Tradition and Tibetan Meditation (Arnold Heinemann, Delhi), Consciousness in Advaita. and a series of six books on Indian Temples (IBH Prakashana, Bangalore) and Origins of Indian Thought (Bangalore University); Kalpatharu Research Academy has published his Pratima-Kosha in six volumes. Agama-Kosha in Twelve volumes, Art and Architecture of Indian Temples in three volumes.

He is at present engaged in the 30-volume project Rgveda-Darsana (thirteen volumes of which have appeared). He is also musicologist, sculptor and painter, and has held some one man shows.

It gives us great pleasure to bring out this uncommon volume on the great Bhagavad-Gita. It presents a series of aphorisms (sutras) for easy and authoritative understanding of this basic scripture of Hinduism. We are grateful to Prof. S.K. Ramachandra Rao for helping us to complete this research work in the series of Bharatiya Samskriti Sarvasva Kosha.

We are in a deep debt of gratitude to the munificent blessings of our chief patron Sri Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Swamiji, the Jagadguru of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham and to our chairman Shri V.R. Gowrishankar the Administrator of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham.

We thank the authorities of the Omkar Offset Printers, for the excellent manner in which this volume has been produced.

We acknowledge the generous financial assistance from the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi and the Ministry of Education, Govt. of Karnataka for this noble task.

Heaved—Gita is undoubtedly the most definitive and popular scriptural texts in the world. It contains the quintessence of India’s religious and philosophical position. It is also true that it is not easy to discover the fundamental teachings of this text. An attempt has been made here to reduce the essential import of Gita in aphorisms. It has therefore been called Gitartha—Sutrani. I have also translated the Sutras into English and have appended Notes.

Sri Daivajna K.N. Somayaji, Director and Chief Editor of the Kalpatharu Research Academy, Bangalore, has offered all his help and support to complete this research work in the project of Bharatiya Samskriti Sarvasva Kosha. l am grateful for his gesture. I am indebted to the Chief Patron of the Academy and the Jagadguru of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sri Sri Sri Bharathi—tirtha Swamiji, and to the Academy’s Chairman and Administrator of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham Sri V.R. Gowrishankar.

I acknowledge the courtesy and cooperation of The Omkar Offset Printers during the production of this book.