In this class (Class 25, to be held on Sunday, July 21st at 9:30 am PST), we discuss verses 3.8-3.15 of the Bhagavad Gita and the first few pages of chapter 12 ("The Significance of Sacrifice") of Sri Aurobindo's Essays on the Gita (pp. 114-119).
Study Questions:
1. Please compare Śaṅkara's and Sri Aurobindo's interpretations of verse 3.9 ("yajñārthāt...") of the Gita, especially of the terms "lokaḥ" and "yajña." Whose interpretation of the verse, if either, do you find more plausible and why? (Sri Aurobindo's interpretation of verse 3.9 is on p. 111 of Essays on the Gita, from the "Works and Sacrifice" chapter.)
2. Please compare Śaṅkara's, Sri Aurobindo's, and Swami Tapasyananda's interpretations of verse 3.15 ("karma brahmodbhavam...") of the Gita. Specifically, how do they interpret the word "brahman" in this verse? Whose interpretation of 3.15, if any, do you find most plausible and why?
3. Verses 3.9–16 of the Gita emphasize the importance of sacrifice (yajña). After reading Sri Aurobindo's and Swami Tapasyananda's commentaries on these verses, please explain how these verses on sacrifice may be relevant in modern times and how they may enrich your daily spiritual practice.
4. Do you have any questions about the reading? Did you have difficulty understanding anything? Do you have any doubts or confusions?