Geethartha Chintane 04: Gita means Bhagavad Gita

First comes light, then darkness. Guna (quality) is like light. Darkness (defects) arises only when light departs, but light does not come because darkness goes away. When qualities (gunas) are enhanced, there is no room for defects. This is why, in the Brahmasutras, even when it says “Athatho Brahmajijnasa Om,” it first mentions the inquiry into the perfect one (Gunapurna) and only then speaks of his impeccability (Nirdoshathwa).

The purpose of performing the Mangalacharana (auspicious invocation) is to remove any faults that may exist within us (humans). Here, God is referred to in the singular form, while the Guru is addressed in the plural. This is because there are various Gurus, such as Vedavyasa, Krishna, and Lakshmidevi, hence the use of the plural form. Another reason for this is the immense importance of the Guru. The term “Gitartham” refers specifically to the Bhagavad Gita. As a prelude to the discussions that follow, the auspiciousness of all the scriptures is invoked in the Mangalashloka.

While writing the commentary (Bhashya) on the Gita, Acharya Madhva discusses the background of Vedavyasa’s incarnation since he is the author of the Gita. In contrast, Acharya Shankara and Acharya Ramanuja first discuss the background of Krishna’s incarnation, as he is the one who delivered the teachings of the Gita.

~ Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji of Sri Puthige Matha

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