Discovering Original Gita

Bhagvad Gita is undoubtedly one of the most reverred and widely read religious scripture.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hinduism/23376-discovering-original-gita.html

For many years scholars have been troubled by evidence that the Bhagvadgita, like the scriptures of many other religions, has been so edited and interpolated that its original message has been obscured. Dr. Phulgenda Sinha was a leading expert on "Yoga science." He has written a highly recommended translation of Bhagvad Gita in The Gita As It Was: Rediscovering the Original Bhagavadgita.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23376

Sinha argues that the original Gita, which was based on the Samkhya and Yoga philosophies was much shorter (86 verses). The rest of the Gita are later interpolations done by a monists who wanted to further the interests of the priestly class (brahmins). The work is well researched and has many references.

This book says how the true philosophical teachings of Kapila, Patanjali, Buddha, Mahavira etc were distorted. His account has all the excitement of a historical detective mystery, as he draws together many threads from Indian history, religion, and philosophy, to arrive finally at the true Gita, as written by Vyasa in 400 BC which he presents in Sanskrit and English, with an explanatory commentary.

Before 800 AD, the concept of a single Almighty God did not exist in India. Its introduction was related to the importation of Muslim and Christian ideas, grafted on the pre-existing, more rational, Indian systems of beliefs and values. The perpetrators of this new adaptation were the Brahmans, who thereby cemented themselves in place as the ruling class, Fatalism, submissiveness, and disparagement of desire and action were introduced as alien elements into Indian life, with unfortunate effects upon cultural progress, lasting until today. The ancient rational discipline of Yoga because mystified. The Hindu, scriptures, including the Gita, was edited by the Brahman ascendancy, and elements of the Quran and Bible were added

 
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Rabjot ji

My single reaction to this is Where Did You Find This Book?

It is something I would like very much to read. Is it written in English?

Dear aadji,

i have not read this book myself but got the information about it from somewhere.

Check on google you will find a way to buy it or acquire it.

rabjot ji

Checked it out and the book is available in English from Amazon. I have not check our bookstore here on SPN but I will. The reason I ask is this. A few months back I began some study of not so much the Gitas but the translations of the earliest scriptures. There have been some very interesting surprises, including how one generation after another of scholars translated them. There are so many layers of translation and re-translation that the original scripts are amazing to modern scholars of Sanskrit. This is a discussion in an of itself. Thanks for the reply.

Well, looking at some ancient Indian scriptures like Bhagwad Gita, Vishnu Puran etc, it appears like Hinduism was itself a collection of different religions each having its own monotheist principles which later evolved into pantheism. Vaishnavites claim that the eternal creator was Narayan who himself manifested in multiple forms (Vishnu being the superior form) for various functions and further created other lords like Indra, kuber, etc to assist him in administering the creation.

Similarly Shivites claim the eternal creator or param purush is Sada Shiva who himself manifested in multiple forms (Shiva being the superior form) for various functions and further created other lords like Indra, kuber, etc to assist him in administering the creation.

Worshippers of Brahma have a similar theory. But put together, all of these point towards one eternal creator manifesting in 3 different forms. The term "Jagadish" is used for both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. In short it was one supreme creator (God), three superior Lords and many other Lords for various functions.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23376

The Holy Gita itself conveys the message of One Eternal Creator in various verses.

Some of the ancient Greek and Pre-Christian Roman texts also reveal similar theories but ofcourse with different names.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=23376

Then gradually, as time evolved these theories would have been politicized and finally came to the state of confusion as it is today with each one trying to pull other's legs.