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Post by madanmohandas on Jun 15, 2022 7:54:39 GMT -6
Greetings all.
I was wondering if any of the readers here had gone through the Greater-Brhat and the Lesser-Laghu Bhagavatamrtams. And if so, what are any general or particular impressions? I have some of my own, but I'd like to know if anyone has also.
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Post by Nitaidas on Jun 16, 2022 14:50:43 GMT -6
Greetings all. I was wondering if any of the readers here had gone through the Greater-Brhat and the Lesser-Laghu Bhagavatamrtams. And if so, what are any general or particular impressions? I have some of my own, but I'd like to know if anyone has also. Greetings Madanmohandasji, राधे राधे! Thanks for raising this question. Eduardo and I have been reading the Brhad-bhagavatamrta weekly for the last several months together through Google Meet. We have been taking it slowly, reading the text along with Sri Sanatana's commentary which I have been translating as we go. We have started Chapter Three of the First Part recently and so are exploring the place of Siva in our tradition through the eyes of Sri Sanatana and it seems to me that his vision of the relationship of Siva and Krsna is different from what is often presented as their relationship in standard CV theology. Sri Anantadas Babaji a former mohant of Govindakunda Ashrama of Siddha Manoharadas Babaji (different from Pandita Anantadas Babaji of Radhakunda) advised me long ago to read Sri Sanatana's book, saying it was a tremendously important text that often gets overlooked or ignored in the CV tradition. I am finding that to be true and expect to find more different or surprising perspectives as we proceed. Previously, I have only dabbled in it, producing a rough translation of the first part. Now I am revising that translation and adding Sri Sanatana's comm. in the footnotes. Like I say we are not very far along yet, but we have some ideas to share. I encourage Eduardo to speak up here and share his thoughts and insights. We have not studied Sri Rupa's abbreviated text at all, yet. What are your impressions so far? By the way, I must caution as usual that one should not put too much trust in translations produced by IGM. They are not really interested in recognizing views and suggestive hints that depart from what they expected Sri Sanatana to say based on their previous indoctrination. This applies to both Bhanu Swami's translation and that of Gopiparanadhana. There may also be an English translation by someone from GM. Read them critically if you must. |
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Post by madanmohandas on Jun 16, 2022 22:49:21 GMT -6
Thanks Nitai.
Well, aside from the disadvantage of the translations, both texts seem to propose an hierarchy, one with an illustrative narrative the other without it, but it strikes me that the premise is based on slight of hand with certain Bhagavtat verses. Particularly, Rupa's book is quite strong in denigrating any other opinion, but I'm wondering if they, the Bhagavatamrtams can bear scrutiny, and perhaps that is why hardly anyone reads them, especially the Laghu. These are just some preliminary considerations. Perhaps because I am accustomed to read the Bhagavata without doctrinal annotations, it has allowed me to have a different perspective, I don't know, it seems somewhat artificial or contrived as a system, and departs from the Bhagavata in certain respects. Mainly the 'krsnastu bhagavan svayam' and 'vadanti tat tattva vidas...etc. are used, but how are these verses to be interpreted? It gives the impression that brahman, paramatma and bhagavan are three separate things rather than three terms for the one advaya jnana. Anyway, must be gone to work just now.
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Post by madanmohandas on Jun 16, 2022 23:36:10 GMT -6
Reading Ovid once I came a across a passage where the god assumed another form and the individual praised the form saying it was more beautiful than the actual form, not knowing the god was disguised, and what struck me was the god thinking how pleasant it was to be prized above himself. hahahaha I get the idea it is similar when someone says to Krishna that he is more beautiful than Narayana; he is pleased to be prized above himself. It's all very humorous and amusing since they are one and the same identity in several forms.
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