Debunking gotquestions.org PART 2

Hare Krishna

All Glories To Sri Guru And Sri Gauranga!

This article can be found here, from gotquestions.org

Pūrvapakṣa 1:  the Bhagavad Gita, or simply the Gita, is a 700-verse poem contained in the Mahabharata.

Refutation:

What is a poem?

Bhagavad Gita is not a poem nor  is it any expression of any feeling, but it is the word of god, the bible says,

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

The Bhagavad Gita is the  eternal word of god.
The bhagavad gita is Apaurusheya, the words of god, which is everlasting.

Bhagavad Gita 9.2: 

This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.

 The words spoken by the Lord are called 

apauṛuṣeyā, which indicates that they are not delivered by any mundane person.

A living being who lives in the mundane world has four defects: *(1) he is certain to commit mistakes; (2) he is subject to illusion; (3) he has a propensity to cheat others; and (4) his senses are imperfect. No one with these four imperfections can deliver perfect knowledge.

Since the Lord is purṇā, all-perfect, there is no possibility of His being subjected to the laws of material nature, which He controls.

Pūrvapakṣa 2: The Bhagavad Gita, whose title means “The Song by God,” was penned sometime during the second half of the first millennium.

Refutation: The Mahābhāraṭā is dated back to more than 5000 years. Many scientific proofs can be found on this and also the sayings of many indologists support this fact. It can be found here, the opinions of many researches on the Mahābhāraṭā, Though all of them differ to each other slightly, all of them agree that the Mahābhāraṭā took place at least 5000 years ago (.i.e., more than 3000 B.C.). 

The Bhagavad Gita was spoken by the Lord during the Mahābhāraṭā's war, which is as old as the Mahābhāraṭā.

To say that Bhagavad Gita was named the 'song of god' in the second half of the first millenium is preposterous and completely absurd, as the literal translation of Bhagavad Gita is the 'song of god'. 

And the knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita existed since time immemorial, much before the Mahābhāraṭā, 
The Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku. 

Mahabharata (Santi-parva 348.51-52) :

treta-yugadau ca tato vivasvan manave dadau
manus ca loka-bhrty-artham sutayeksvakave dadau
iksvakuna ca kathito vyapya lokan avasthitah

"In the beginning of the Treta-yuga [millennium] this science of the relationship with the Supreme was delivered by Vivasvan to Manu. Manu, being the father of mankind, gave it to his son Maharaja Iksvaku, the King of this earth planet and forefather of the Raghu dynasty in which Lord Ramacandra appeared. Therefore, Bhagavad-gita existed in the human society from the time of Maharaja Iksvaku."

The name of the Bhagavad Gita was not coined in the first millenium, we can find evidences in the scriptures where we find Vēḍa Vyāsa(who compiled the scriptures in written form), praises the Bhagavad Gita in his gita mahatmya, 

ekaḿ śāstraḿ devakī-putra-gītam
eko devo devakī-putra eva
eko mantras tasya nāmāni yāni
karmāpy ekaḿ tasya devasya sevā

Let there be one scripture only, one common scripture for the whole world — Bhagavad-gita. Let there be one God for the whole world — Śri Krsna. Let there be only one hymn, one mantra, one prayer — the chanting of His name: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Let there be one work only — the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Vēḍa Vyāsa existed more than 4000 years ago not in the second half of the first millenium.

Pūrvapakṣa 3: Scholars vary on pinpoint dating, but 500—200 BC is generally accepted.

Refutation: The Mahābhāraṭā datings can be used to prove that the Bhagavad Gita was spoken by the Lord more than 5000 years ago and was written 4000 years ago, one can refer to the refutation to the objection above, for the Mahābhāraṭā's datings. One may also say that the Bhagavad Gita was later added to the Mahābhāraṭā,  There's no basis behind the claim that Gita was later added into Mahabharata. It is an integral part of the epic, not a later day addition. Had the Bhagavad-gita been a later interpolation it could not have been referred to in the Mahabharata itself as many as seven times. Three times in the Narayaniya Section of the Santi parvan, once in connection with the Anugita section of the Asvamedhaparvan, and thrice in the Adi parvan (MB 7.336.36, 7.336.48-49, 14, I. Poona edition).

According to J. A. B. van Buitenen, an Indologist known for his translations and scholarship on Mahabharata, the Gita is so contextually and philosophically well knit with the Mahabharata that it was not an independent text that "somehow wandered into the epic". Kashi Nath Upadhyaya who is also a renowned Indologist states that the Gita was always a part of the Mahabharata.

There are more mentions of the Bhagavad Gita in the scriptures, one can find the glories of the Bhagavad Gita here.

Pūrvapakṣa 4: The Bhagavad Gita addresses such Hindu beliefs as righteousness or moral duties, devotion to Hindu deities, and the spiritual, physical, and mental practices of yoga that lead to emancipation.

Refutation: The Divisions of Bhagavad Gita

1. Karma Kanda - Furtive activities
2. Jnana Kanda – Speculative knowledge activities
3. Upasana Kanda - Bhakti or devotional activities

Main subject matters of Bhagavad Gita

1. Īṣvarā – the Supreme Lord

2. Jīvā – the living enteritis

3. Kālā – the time factor

4. Prakriṭi – the material nature

5. Karma – activities.

The Bhagavad Gita emphasizes only on the worship of one god, i.e., Krishna, not on HINDU DEITIES as claimed, 

Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 7.20

Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.

The conclusion of the Bhagavad Gita is 

Bhagavad Gita 18.66

Lord Krishna: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

Pūrvapakṣa 5: In his English language commentary, Hindu scholar Swami Mukundananda provides a brief overview of the Bhagavad Gita: “Unable to d.............

Refutation: Is Swāmī Mukunḍanandā authentic, can he be accepted?

No, he cannot be accepted since he is not an authentic person. He was a disciple of Kripalu Ji who is avaidik(non-vedic), they don't come under any of the four authentic vaishnava sampradayas.

tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
“In order to learn the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master in disciplic succession, who is fixed in the Absolute Truth.” »Muṇḍakopaniṣad 1.2.12

"Vamana, Brahma, Ananta Sesha and Sanaka Kumara will appear as brahmanas by the order of Visnu, for the preservation of eternal righteousness in kali yuga. Visnuswami, Madhvacarya, Ramanuja and Nimbaditya will appear respectively as a portion of Vamana, Brahma, Ananta Sesha and Sanaka Kumara. These four saviours will be the establishers of the four authorised and empowered spiritual channels of disciplic succession in the period calculated from the reign of King Vikrama in 54 B.C. subsequently through the 432,000 year cycle of kali yuga. These four authorised and empowered spiritual channels of disciplic succession are to be fully accepted by all beings; as any word, combination of words or formulation of sound frequencies, invoked or addressed, audible or inaudible, secret or revealed, ancient or contemporary outside their auspices prove to have absolutely no efficacy."

Garga Samhita, 10:61:23-26

Since he is not an authority, he cannot be accepted under any circumstances, so any objection made on the pure vaishnavas and the Bhagavad Gita on the basis of unauthoritative posts or comments of these people. Hence whatever they may say, correct or incorrect is discarded.

Pūrvapakṣa 6: The Bhagavad Gita’s 18 chapter titles are as follows:............

The names of all the chapters mentioned in the post is incorrect, the following will assign the correct names with it's english translation and also show the false names given on the site,

Incorrect name of Chapter 1: Lamenting the Consequence of War.

Correct name: arjuna-viṣāda-yogaḥ

Arjuna's Lamentation/ Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra

Chapter 2: The Eternal Reality of the Souls Immortality

Correct name: sāṅkhya-yogaḥ; sarva-gītārtha-sūtraṇam

Contents of the Gītā Summarized

Chapter 3: The Eternal Duties of Human Beings

Correct name: karma-yogaḥ

Karma-yoga

Chapter 4: Approaching the Ultimate Truth

Correct name: jñāna-yoga; jñāna-karma-saṁnyāsa-yogaḥ; brahmārpaṇa-yogaḥ.
Transcendental Knowledge

Chapter 5: Action and Renunciation

Correct name:karma-saṁnyāsa-yogaḥ; saṁnyāsa-yogaḥ; sva-svarūpa-parijñānam

Karma-yoga – Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness

Chapter 6: The Science of Self Realization

Correct name: dhyāna-yogaḥ; ātma-saṁyama-yogaḥ; adhyātma-yoga

Dhyāna-yoga

Chapter 7: Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth

Correct name:  jñāna-vijñāna-yogaḥ; vijñāna-yoga; adhikāri-bhedenajñeya-dhyeya-pratipādya-tattva-brahma-nirūpaṇaṁ

Knowledge of the Absolute

Chapter 8: Attainment of Salvation

Correct name: akṣara-para-brahma-yogaḥ; tāraka-brahma-yoga; adhikāri-bhedenākṣara-para-brahma-vivaraṇaṁ

Attaining the Supreme

Chapter 9: Confidential Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth

Correct name: rāja-vidyā-rāja-guhya-yogaḥ; adhikāri-bhedenarāja-vidyā-rāja-guhya-yogaḥ;

The Most Confidential Knowledge

Chapter 10: The Infinite Glories of the Ultimate Truth

Correct name: vibhūti-yogaḥ; adhikāri-bhedenavibhūti-yogaḥ

The Opulence of the Absolute

Chapter 11: The Vision of the Universal Form

Correct name: viśva-rūpa-darśana-yogaḥ

The Universal Form

Chapter 12: The Path of Devotion

Correct name: bhakti-yogaḥ

Devotional Service

Chapter 13: The Individual Consciousness and Ultimate Consciousness

Correct name: kṣetra-kṣetrajña-yogaḥ; prakṛti-puruṣa-viveka-yogaḥ

Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness

Chapter 14: The Three Qualities of Material Nature

Correct name: guṇa-traya-vibhāga-yogaḥ

The Three Modes of Material Nature

Chapter 15: Realization of the Ultimate Truth

Correct name: puruṣottama-yoga

The Yoga of the Supreme Person

Chapter 16: The Divine and the Demoniac Natures Defined

Correct name: daivāsura-sampad-vibhāga-yoga

The Divine and Demoniac Natures

Chapter 17: The Three Divisions of Material Existence

Correct name: śraddhā-traya-vibhāga-yoga

The Divisions of Faith

Chapter 18: Final Revelations of the Ultimate Truth

Correct name: mokṣa-saṁnyāsa-yogaḥ; paramārtha-nirṇayaḥ; saṁnyāsa-yogaḥ

Conclusion – The Perfection of Renunciation

Pūrvapakṣa 7: The Appeal of Hinduism in Western Culture

Answer: To make it clear, we(hare krishna devotees are not hindus).

This is the prediction of the Lord himself, that the whole world will chant his names one day,

Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma “In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard.” (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya 4.126).

Answer: Revelation 15:4 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

Pūrvapakṣa 8: Conclusion on the Bhagavad Gita

Answer:There is no greater fallacy than considering the Bhagavad Gita to be a mythical work,

Gita mahatmya 2  If one reads Bhagavad-gita very sincerely and with all seriousness, then by the grace of the Lord the reactions of his past misdeeds will not act upon him.

Reincarnation is not everyone's cakewalk to understand,read more on reincarnation to the answer to the objection number 5 in this post.

So there is no surprise, people are starting to adopt the principles of the Bhagavad Gita.

Jesus is not any avaṭār of god, the word avaṭār here is used here as a lowly term, but there is no difference between go and his avaṭār, read more on this in the answer to objection number 3 here.

Jesus is the son of god, an advocate of god.

The bible says, 

John14:16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate...

The word "another" plays an important role, as another means, Jesus himself was an advocate of god.

Read more on Jesus' position here.

[Bhagavad Gita 10.8]

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.

[Bhagavad Gita 10.9]

The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.

[Bhagavad Gita 10.10]

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

[Bhagavad Gita 10.11]

To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.

विश्वं सत्यं हरिः कर्ता जीवोऽन्यः परमात्मनः । वेदः सत्यः प्रमाणं चेत्येवं व्यासमतस्थितिः ॥

“Śrī Hari being truly other than jīvas is the creator of this true and real world, he - the supreme paramātma is alone the doer. Vedas are true too and of upmost authority, thus is position of Śrī Vyāsa!”

— Śrī Viṣṇudāsācārya’s Śrīmad Vādaratnāvalī

Hare Krishna!

ṣri kṛṣnārpaṇamasṭu