Tattva-viveka
Maharaja's Bhagavad-Gita Class
Jason - February 10, 2005 6:40 am
Haribol!
On a lighter note, could someone give me an update on where Maharaja has been lecturing from at the Santa Rosa Bhagavad-Gita class. I've had to miss 2 because of schoolwork, but I would like to be able to follow to some degree. Did he talk from a certain chapter?
Hopefully I can make it this Sunday.
YS,
Jason
Nanda-tanuja Dasa - February 10, 2005 3:30 pm
I would like to subscribe to "Santa Rosa Bhagavad-Gita Darshan" CD series.
Gopakumardas - February 10, 2005 4:46 pm
I will defer to someone like Guru Nishta to make this statement about the Santa Rosa Gita class. However, if he does not, when I am through with classes this weekend I will make a post. Here are a few words however.
Needless to say that the wonderful talks that are coming out of our Guru Maharaja are pure nectar. He has gone through the historical context of the Gita, made chapter summary, text overview, and introduced the person of Krishna as a whole entity not seperate from his life in the Vraj. It is so charming to hear Krishna spoken of this way, as a person with a life of his own. To think that here he stands with his friend Arjuna in the Battlefield at Kuruksetra as a young prince yet his mind wandering to the last time he was there meeting with his intimates from Vrindavana.
Guru maharaja speaks in an introductory way that is so profound that whether you are completely new to the topic or an old hat you will be captivated by the depth of the topic itself. He emphasizes the need to change and keep good company. He comments that the height of the love spoken of in the Gita is given to us thanks to the special insight of the Gaudiya acaryas. He explains in depth the fact that the whole problem of the Gita arises from the undignified problem of being blinded by a sense of 'me' and 'mine'. This 'myness' as he calls it, causes us to act in embarrassing ways as it did for the blind want-to-be king. The grumbles from the audience validate that we agree. We sit and listen leaning forward to the compelling message we are hearing. We have a core group of returning people some devotees some very interested community members.
If anything will compell us to change it will be Guru Maharaja. It is interesting to watch how powerful it is for someone of spiritual significance to speak. People want to come back for that. The program is wonderful.
Jason - February 13, 2005 2:08 am
I'm trying to drive up to the Sunday BG darshan in Santa Rosa tomorrow, but I will be flying solo and don't have exact directions? Could someone tell me the name of the exit off the 101?
YS,
Jason
Jason - February 14, 2005 8:10 am
Bhagavad-Gita Darshan with Tripurari Maharaja:
I just wanted to say that Maharaja's class tonight was really sweet. It was nice to be able to have an in person class that corresponds to what i had just recently read. I'm in no way qualified to even talk about how potent his class was, but for those of you who missed this one, here's an attempt at a summary. Class really hit on the following verses: 1.14, 1.15, 1.21-25
It's really cool how one can get so caught up in Maharaja's presentation of the class, that you only realize after the fact, just how much he "hit on". He started class by saying that he would comment on a few verses that he found important. He jokingly said that it could take 700 years to comment on the 700 verses! Nevertheless, in the course of an hour, looking back in the Bhagavad-Gita, he covered quite a few verses and topics.
He gave this really quick summary of the battle scene thus far, person involved, etc. He talked about Sanjaya's ability to see the events unfolding without having to be physically present, and how he spoke to Dhrtarastra. He mentioned briefly how Dhrtarastra was blind physically as well as in the "real" sense of the word. He brought up the story of how both Arjuna and Duryodhyana went to visit Krsna before the battle to try and win him to their respective sides. Finding Krsna sleeping, Arjuna, being a devotee, opted to sit at His feet and wait, while Duryodhana, thinking himself in a better situation, waited at His head. When Krsna awoke, he looked to His feet and saw Arjuna. Maharaja mentions that Duryodhana didn't really want Krsna Himself on his side....he was more interested in obtaining Krsna's armies. So, since he was going to side with Arjuna, He ALSO satisfied the desire of Duryodhana by granting him the troops! Swami pointed out that Krsna will satisfy everyones desire.
Maharaja specifically pointed out text 1.15, where Krsna is first mentioned. He spoke about the significance of the name, Madhava. I had no idea that that name for Krsna had so many "hidden meanings". Honey, sprintime, love, husband (of the Goddess of fortune). When Maharaja breaks it down like that.....that's when I feel like I've missed something all these years. He gave many nice examples of the superiority of bhakti marg over karma and jnana yoga; not because they don't have benefits, but because by taking to bhakti, everything else is included. He segued (spelling) nicely into an explanation of the relationship between Radha and Krsna and how Krsna is also the husband of the Goddess of Fortune (I have such a horrible memory, I can't even remember how he explained it). I've heard that Srimati Radharani is the source of all Laksmis....thus it would make sense that He is their husband.
When Swami started to talk about text 21, he became quite animated. He was trying to drive home the mood that Arjuna had for Krsna. "Here, come on...pull up my charioit now and let me get a look at what's going on. Let's go." The way Maharaja snapped his fingers like he was Arjuna telling Krsna what to do was very funny and poingnant. He was showing their relationship and how it wasn't necessarily one of awe and reverence. I liked that a lot. Arjuna addressed Krsna as "infallible", but still Krsna is acting in the role of His devotee's driver.
How does Arjuna have this mood with Krsna?
One of the last points that Maharaja spoke on (and left open for the next class), is that in 1.24, Krsna addresses Arjuna as Gudakesa "one who has conquered sleep", and now Krsna was going to put him in a divine sleep/illusion so that Bhagavad-Gita could be spoken.
I'm really horrible at recapping classes, but I will try to do better next time (I'll take notes). Some would say that this is an introductory course in Bhagavad-Gita, but I feel like I'm getting an entirely new "spin" on things. It's really refreshing. It's all new to me!
Thanks to Guru-nistha for being so outgoing and thanks for the book too!
Two weeks from tonight.....the next class.
Krsangi Dasi - February 16, 2005 8:11 am
Jason, thank you so much for your summary! As you might have noticed we're also trying to have our own Bhagavad Gita workshops here on the other side of the world, and while we can't actually come to the Santa Rosa darshans it would be a huge inspiration for us if you could regularly post something about them. Our talks tend to be quite simple but I'm happy we've been able to keep up with the meetings, drawing from the enthusiasm we experience when Guru Maharaja visits Finland.
Jason - February 18, 2005 9:42 pm
Krsangi
Yep! I will do try to keep writing a summary of Maharaja's class on Sunday Nights. I will start to take better notes in class so that my summary will be worthwhile. Some of my "extra-curricular" activities many years ago have made it harder and harder to remember things.....
I read your last post about your Bhagavad-Gita class that you've been having and it was REALLY good!
Maharaja said that there won't be a class this Sunday, but they will resume the week after. I will do my best.
BTW, what is "finvasion"?
YS,
jason
Bhrigu - February 23, 2005 2:34 pm
BTW, what is "finvasion"?
That is when all of us Finns (or those who can make it) invade Audarya next summer, most probably the last week of July. As for invasion, when Finland was a part of Sweden and that country was a major military power (yes, it is a long time ago), Finland provided a highly feared irregular cavalry, the hakkapeliittas. 
The name comes from their battle cry, Hakkaa päälle (Hack on)! But I think that this invasion will be somewhat friendlier.
Shyam Gopal Das - February 23, 2005 2:40 pm
ps Jason, a word of advice, never mention war or occupation in the company of a Fin, he or she will never stop talking.
Jason - February 24, 2005 7:37 pm
Got it!
Jason - March 16, 2005 6:40 am
When will Maharaja be giving the next Bhagavad-Gita class in Santa Rosa?
Jason