As Pure As Mother's Milk; If you read only 2 books in life read this and read my reveiw for the other book.October 7, 2008 Life changing book! I've read other translations of Bhagavad-Gita and I did not get much out of it as some of them were written in a deameaning style. This book is authoritative, authentic and recognized by all Sanskrit scholars! This book is as pure as mother's milk!
I found the "The Science of Self-Realization" book (by the same auther) extremely useful. I benefited a lot by first reading this book (Science of Self Realization) as it give the solid background information and was amazed to know that the author was a pesonification of greatness and turth!
I've read all best sellers (on leadership, personality development, self help, etc.) and numerous books on Psychology and Philosophy and belive me that these 2 books (Bhagavad-Gita & Self-Realization) are unparalled. I've benefited much and it's been life changing!
Highly recommendedAugust 13, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Definitely, most definitely, a book for those who know absolutely nothing, or very little next to nothing, about the Bhagavad Gita. I am currently reading this and am absolutely enjoying it. It's very well-written and very detailed. This book could also be useful for those who have already read and studied the Gita, as it is written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the foremost Vedic scholar and teacher, and the current representative of "an unbroken chain of fully self-realised spiritual masters beginning with Lord Krsna himself." According to more of what I've read, this book is the only one presented as it is -- no influence of bias.
I had assumed Hare Krsnas were more different from fundamentalist ChristiansMay 12, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
There are of course some profundities to be found in the ancient text itself. But this is the Hare Krsna edition, and the Calvinist mood of its Vedic interpretations surprised the hell out of me. Sex is a "sin," by tempting men into this sin women distract us from the true path, and they should obey their husbands. The lower castes and the poor deserve what they get because of impiety in past lives, so if you're feeling charitable you should give your money to Hare Krsna gurus instead. Also, thinking is dangerous because you might end up thinking something that goes against Hare Krsna dogma. So don't think: for true spiritual wisdom you should ask a Hare Krsna guru and then just believe whatever he tells you. I have no idea how George Harrison got from '60s counterculture to this puritanical, authoritarian weirdness, and I think the backpack button "My karma ran over your dogma" is verbally clever but totally nonsensical. These karma people are as dogmatic as the Catholic Church.
Best and authorized versionMay 2, 2008 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought this one about 10 years ago being attracted by the beautiful cover page but I never really read it for several years. Later I give it as a gift to a friend and bought another copy 5 years ago. This time I read the book carefully and I was amazed with the content. If you medidate on the words and the essence as described in the purports you can actually apply the principles in your real life and experience the power and meaning of those verses. The simple language and the examples given in the purports make it easier to understand the meaning of the verse. The author knows the verses, their meaning and the real time application inside out; he lived the life according to these instructions and therefore it makes a perfect authorized commentary. I recommend this book for every one whether he/she is interested in the eastern philosophy or trying to do duties perfectly or simply triyng to understand what this world is all about :)
ReliableJanuary 28, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I got this same exact book from an Indian when going to college. He was offering them for free along with some granola. He also invited me to a meeting where I was to be introduced into the concepts of this book. The book is reliable but it is not meant to be read alone. You can read the story and the four basic groups of people, but as far as going into consciousness it says in the book not to go beyond a certain point into the consciousness without a vishnu priest so to say. There are transformation plates in the book that do detail the change in consciousness but is meaningless without a qualified quide. I doubt if anyone can understand it not even scholars. The wisdom stands as its own source of knowledge as differed from the bible. An example would be in ancient history the bible belonged to the ancestry of Gomer and this knowledge would belong to the ancestry of Shem, Japheth, and Ham. Totally different sets of knowledge. The bible may mention it briefly in reference just by having the kings listed. But this book is not for some ancestries and makes clear that you need the go ahead from another source if you want to make the switch in knowledge.
