1. Literally: "Highly Respected God-Song."
2. He is the current sun god and hence king of all planets and their inhabitants.
3. Lord Ramacandra, as Shri Krishna, was an avatara or Incarnation ofLord Vishnu. He is the celebrated hero of the Ramayana. Iksvaku, whoreceived the knowledge from Manu, was born from Manu's nostril when hesneezed and ruled at Ayodhya as the first king of the solar dynasty.
4. The first age, satya-yuga, lasts 1,728,000 years.
5. Shri Yukteswar developed (“discovered”) “the mathematical applicationof a 24,000-year equinoctial cycle to our present age. The cycle isdivided into an Ascending Arc and a descending Arc, each of 12,000years. Within each Arc fall four Yugas or Ages, called Kali, Dwapara,Treta, and Satya ... the last Kali Yuga ... of the Ascending Arc,started about A.D. 500. The Iron Age, 1200 years in duration ... endedabout A.D. 1700. That year ushered in Dwapara Yuga, a 2400-year periodof electrical and atomic-energy developments ... The 3600-year period ofTreta Yuga will start in A.D. 4100 ...” (AY 193,194). If he iscorrect, we are living in dvapara-Yuga, not kali-yuga. Most authoritiesreject this system of calculation.
6. Vivasvan, the sun-god, is a member of the ksatriya varna (warriorcaste) and is therefore the father of all ksatriyas (BG 215 pur).
7. According to Swami Prakashanand the earth was created one thousandnine hundred seventy three million and eight hundred thirteen thousandeighty nine years ago, as of 1989 (PL 19). This universe was created155.52 trillion years ago (SK 10).
8. There is some question as to which is most popular, the Ramayana orGita/Mahabharata. I agree with Swami Prabhavananda, R.C. Zaehner, NicolMacnicol and others that it is by far the Gita (SoG 28; GW 61).
9. Shruti: revealed by God to man.
Smriti: teachings of Incarnations, saints or prophets.
10. The Bodhayana Bhashya from which Shri Ramanuja compiled hisShri-Bhashya was a "worm-eaten manuscript which he happened to find" (SV4.99).
11. As usual, there is debate concerning the dates of the Pancharatra.Eliade places them at circa 550 C.E. (Y 201). Since the Mahabharatamentions them as one of the five prominent systems (XII 337.59), if wecan date the text we will date the Pancharatra sect (ToE 202). The issueat hand is not affected by this debate however.
12. Garu*a is the half-man half-eagle upon whom Lord Vishnu rides.Krishna is generally accepted as Vishnu. This association of Vyasudevawith Guruda links the two at this early date (CDM 109).
13 Although the origins of the Gupta family are somewhat obscure, mostscholarship, including the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Romila Thapar andothers place Chandra Gupta I cir. 4th century C.E. (CA 1-3; HoI vol. 2,136 ). Due to the emphasis which Ranade places on this point I thoughtit worthy of inclusion, however I don't know where his dates come fromin this instance.
14 Traditionally, the name is derived from Shri Krishna's fatherVasudeva. More specifically, Krishna is called this because he dwellswithin all beings (vasanat). The name was once assumed by an imposternamed Paundraka and Krishna killed him (CD 343).
15 Sankarsana is the name of Krishna's first expansion, His brotherBalarama. Lord Vishnu plucked two hairs and dropped them to the earth,where they entered the wombs of Rohini and Devakî. The white hair becameBalarama, the black, Krishna (CD 161)
16 The Vedas are eternal and so have no actual beginning. One can onlydate this round of texts from the creation of the earth, this time, bythe present Brahma.
17 Or muhu — always; mukunda — Krishna, as He who desires to giveeveryone a spiritual, eternal, blissful life (SB 10.8.15 pur.); sevaya — by the service of.
18 Karma-yoga is the "yoga of [self-transcending] action" or complete renunciation of the fruits of one's actions (EDY 174).
19 Which is similar to karma-yoga, with certain Tantric additions (EDY 185). 20 Or the essence of pure bliss which comes from devotional surrender to the Divine (EDY 289).
21 The system established by Patanjali is often "considered to be a second division of the Sankhya philosophy" (SE 788).
22. Karma means action and, in this context, refers to past and presentfruitive reactions. It governs the concept of transmigration. Maya istranslated in many ways according to various school philosophies. Inessence, it is illusion, though it originally meant 'She Who measures' —i.e. the Goddess, and refers to Her creative power. Nirvana is theconcept of extinction or the utter linkage of attention (chitta) inunion (yoga) with the Self (EDY).
23. The word dharma has many meanings. In this case I use it to refer toprimal virtue, the foundation of the world. It is one of the four goalsof human life (purusha-artha) EDY 93.
Thus ends the Notes on Shlomo's Gitabhasya.