From: mvishnu@morse.uwaterloo.ca (m vishnu)
Subject: Re: Bhagavad Gita on animal sacrifice in yajnas
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 17:41:43 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.093745.10395@wuecl.wustl.edu> sp2@cec1.wustl.edu (Sundara Pandian) writes:
>         Bhagavad Gita on animal sacrifice in yajnas
>        ---------------------------------------------
>   In the daivasura sampad vibhaga yoga ( Chap. XVI ), 
> Krishna places the performance of yajnas ( sacrifices )
> and the study of the Vedas as some of the transcendental
> qualities belonging to godly men endowed with divine
> nature. ( xvi, 1-3 ). In the same chapter, Krishna
> classifies demons announcing with the verse,
>
>   dvau bhutasargau loke 'smin daiva asura eva ca |
>   daivo vistarasah prokta aasuram partha me srnu ||
>                                        ( xvi, 6 )
> [ There are two kinds of beings in this world, the
>   divine and the demonical; the divine has been
>   described at length; hear from me, O Partha, of the
>   demoniacal .]
>
>  Included as demons are those who perform sacrifices
> disregarding ordinance in the Brahmin religious scriptures.
>
>  aatmasambhaavitaah stabdhaa dhandamaanamadaanvitaah |
>  yajante naamayajnais te dambhena vidhipurvakam ||
>                                        ( xvi, 17 )
> [ Self-complacent and always impudent, deluded by
>   wealth and false prestige, they sometimes proudly
>   perform sacrifices in name only, without following
>   any rules or regulations. ]
>  
>  What about those who discard the Brahmin religious                      
> scriptures? Krishna calls them as demons, too.
>   
>  yah saastravidhim utsrjya vartate kaamakaaratah |
>  na sa siddhim avaapnoti na sukham na paraam gatim ||
>                                          ( xvi, 23 )
> [ He who discards scriptual injunctions and acts 
>   according to his own whims attains neither perfection,
>   nor happiness, nor the supreme destination .]
>  
>  Krishna then stresses that the scriptures should be
>  strictly followed in the next verse.
>
>  tasmaac chaastram pramaanam te kaaryaakaaryavyavasthitau |
>  jnaatva saastravidhaanoktam karma kartum ihaa `rhasi ||
>                                           ( xvi, 24 )
> [ Hence, let the scriptures( Vedas etc.) be your authority
>   in deciding what ought to be done and what ought not to
>   be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of
>   the scriptures you should act here. ]
>
>   In the daivasura sampad vibhaga yoga, it is thus concluded
> that one who does not follow the principles laid down in the
> scriptures is called an asura, demon, and one who follows the
> scriptual injunctions faithfully is called a deva, or demigod.
> Arjuna gets a new doubt : What is the fate of those *believers
> in God* who do not follow the Brahminical traditions and 
> beliefs ? This marks the beginning of the next yoga titled
> sraddhatraya vibhaga yoga ( Chap. XVII ).
>  In the sraddhatraya vibhaga yoga ( Chapter XVII ) of the  
> Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asks Krishna about the fate of those
> believers in God who do not follow the traditions of
> Brahminism :
>
>    yE saastravidhim utsrjya yajantE sraddhayaa 'nvitaah |
>    tEsaam nisthaa tu kaa krsna sattvam aahO rajas tamah ||
>                                           ( xvii, 1 )
>
>  [ What is the position of the devotion of those, O, Krishna,
>    who though disregarding the ordinances of the scriptures,
>    offer sacrifices filled with faith ( sraddha ) ? Is it 
>    one of goodness ( sattva ), of passion ( rajas ) or of
>    dullness ( tamas ) ? ]
>   
>    But Krishna does not find such faithful people entitled to
> liberation. His verdict is :
>
>    asaastravihitam ghoram tapyante ye tapo janaah |
>    dambhaahamkaara samyuktaah kaama raaga balaanvitaah ||
>
>    karsayantah sarirastham bhutagraamam acetasah |
>    maam cai 'vaa' ntahsarirastham taan viddhy aasuraniscayaan ||
>                                              ( xvii, 5-6 )
>
>  [ Those men who perform severe austerities unenjoined by the
>    Sastras ( Brahmin religious scriptures ) wedded to vanity 
>    and egotism impelled by the force of their desire and
>    passions ; fools, tormenting the aggregated element forming
>    the body, and Me, also seated in the inner body, know these
>    demonical in their resolve. ]
>
>    Krishna thus points out that even the slightest deviation  
>  from the recognised Brahminical works is intolerable.
>     This article will become a book if I am asked to write 
>  all the vedic hymns glorifying animal sacrifices in yajnas.
>  The vedas are indeed very rich in hymns glorifying animal
>  sacrifices in yajnas and graphic details are given in them.
>                                                     - S.Pandian
>                                               sp2@cec1.WUSTL.edu
>-------------------------------------------------------------------



(In my opinion) the Bhagavad Gita is actually attacking the Vedic
religion in the earlier parts. For example, consider the following verses:

II:42

This flowery discourse which
The ignorant ones procleam, Son of Prtha
Delighting in the letter of the Veda
And saying "there is nothing else,"

II:43

Being of desirous natures, intent on heaven,
Offering rebirth as the fruit of action,
Addicted to many specific rites,
Aimed at the goal of enjoyment and power;

II:44

To those (the ignorant ones) attached 
    to enjoyment and power,
Whose thought is stolen away by this discourse,
Resolute-natured insight
In meditation is not granted.

II:45

The Vedas are such that their scope is 
    confined to the three gunas;
Be free from those three gunas, Arjuna
....

II:46

As much value as there is in a well
When water is flooding on every side,
So much is the value of the Vedas
For a Bramin  who knows.


Yet in the later chapters the BG praises Vedic rituals and advocates the
performance of them strictly according to the scriptures.  To me, this  
is one of the observation that leads to the conclusion that the 
later portions of BG are indeed (as alleged by many such as Swami
Vivekananda, Mahathma Gandhi etc) later additions.

BG, which is based on the Samkhya and Yoga philosophy in the earlier 
chapters are molded to the Vedantic (complete with Maya-vaadham) 
philosophy in the later chapters.

Another observation is that in verse II:34-36, Krishna says

And also people will relate 
Thine undying infamy;
And, for the honored,
Disgrace is worse than dying

The great warriors will think
That thou abstainest from joy in battle
    through fear,
And among those by whom thou hast
    been held in high esteem
Thou shalt come to be held lightly

And the hostile ones will speak of thee
Many words that should not be spoken
Deriding thy capacity.
What greater hardship than that ?

These verses are in direct contrast to the central (ie later interpolated)
message of BG which says one should be indifferent to both praise and 
insults. 

Meenan Vishnu