In this class (Class 54 on September 7th), we discuss verses 7.4–7.7 of the Bhagavad Gita along with Part 2, chapter 1 of Sri Aurobindo’s Essays on the Gita, “The Two Natures.”
Study Questions
1. Please explain Sri Aurobindo’s interpretation of verse 7.5 of the Gita (“apareyam itas tvanyām…”). In particular, how does he explain the concept of Parā Prakṛti (Supreme Nature)? And in what sense does this Supreme Nature “uphold” the world?
2. Please explain Ramanuja’s and Swami Tapasyananda’s respective interpretations of verse 7.5 of the Gita. What are the similarities and differences in their interpretations?
3. Among Sri Aurobindo, Ramanuja, and Swami Tapasyananda, whose interpretation of Gita 7.5 do you find most plausible, and why?
4. Which teachings of Sri Ramakrishna might help illuminate the Gita’s concept of Supreme Nature (Parā Prakṛti)?
5. Do you have any questions about the reading? Did you have difficulty understanding anything? Do you have any doubts or confusions?