The Anu Gita is a discourse given by Shree Krishna to Arjuna after the Mahabharata war when the latter confesses that he had forgotten the discourse given by Krishna on Kurukshetra before the war i.e. the Bhagavad Gita. The Anu Gita is found in the Ashvamedhika Parva of the Mahabharata.
Now, many Shaivites and even some Smarthas have argued Krishna was in union with Shiva while reciting the Bhagavad Gita and that the original Gita was the Isvara Gita of the Kurma Purana, a discourse given by Shiva to Nara-Narayana. These people have cited the Anu Gita to proof their point since it supposedly shows Krishna being unable to recite the Bhagavad Gita a second time:
'Vasudeva said, 'I made thee listen to truths that are regarded as mysteries. I imparted to thee truths that are eternal. Verily, I discoursed to thee on Religion in its true form and on all the eternal regions. It is exceedingly disagreeable to me to learn that thou didst not, from folly, receive what I imparted. The recollection of all that I told thee on that occasion will not come to me now. Without doubt, O son of Pandu, thou art destitute of faith and thy understanding is not good. It is impossible for me, O Dhananjaya, to repeat, in detail, all that I said on that occasion. That religion (about which I discoursed to thee then) is more than sufficient for understanding Brahma. I cannot discourse on it again in detail. I discoursed to thee on Supreme Brahma, having concentrated myself in Yoga. I shalt now, however, recite to thee an old history upon the same topic. O foremost of all persons, observant of duty, listen to everything I now say, so that, with an understanding adapted to my teaching, thou mayst succeed in attaining to the highest end. O chastiser of foes, on one occasion, a Brahmana came to us from the regions of Heaven. Of irresistible energy, he came from the regions of the Grandsire. He was duly reverenced by us. Listen. O son of Pritha, without yielding to scruples of any kind, to what he, O chief of Bharata's race, said, in answer to our enquiries, agreeably to heavenly forms.' (Source).
The above translation was done by K.M. Ganguli who not only translated the Anu Gita but the entire Mahabharata which is considered one of the best English translations of the Mahabharata.
Vaishnavas on the other hand, have countered the argument by saying its wrong translation and misinterpretation of Krishna's words. This is how Narayanastra, a Vaishnavite blog translates and inteprets it:
Anticipating this objection, bhagavAn answers below.
para.n hi brahma kathitaM yogayuktena tanmayA |itihAsa.n tu vakShyAmi tasminnarthe purAtanam || 12|| yathA tAM buddhimAsthAya gatimagryA.n gamiShyasi |shR^iNu dharmabhR^itA.n shreShTha gadataH sarvameva me || 13||
Meaning: Indeed, the highest knowledge (paraM) of the vedas (brahma) was described by me (on the battlefield), by making use of my will which is unfettered (yoga yuktEna), ie, it was not because you performed any sAdhana to earn it. But now (on account of your rejection of my grace), I shall relate to you an ancient history based on that subject. So that by engaging your intellect to that (rememberance), you will attain to the highest state. Upholder of righteousness (dharmabhRta)! Listen to all that I say.
This “yOga-yuktEna” has been misused and abused by a number of internet vishNu-dvEshis.
“yOga-yukta” – If the Shaivas had read how many times “yOga” occurs in the gIta, they wouldn’t be misusing this term to claim that “krishNa was in yOga with shiva to discourse gIta”. For that matter, why bizarrely introduce shiva when he is nowhere mentioned either here or in the bhagavad gIta?
Firstly, these people need to understand the etymology of yOga. Here is what the amarakoSha says:
yogaH sannahana upAya dhyAna san’gati yuktishu (amara kosha 3.3.22) Based on this, “yoga” can be interpreted in the following way for bhagavAn: “yoga” means “dhyAna” – for bhagavAn, “dhyAna” means “thought” or “will”. “yoga-yukta” – By engaging or making use of my divine will, which is unimpeded by anything. It was his will or sankalpa to discourse the gIta to Arjuna, and he does not have that sankalpa now, due to Arjuna causing displeasure for him.
BhagavAn himself has said this in the gIta itself, as follows: maya prasannena tavarjunedam rupam param darsitam atma-yogat (~gIta 11.47) Meaning: Through the unfettered power of my will (Atma-yOgAt), out of grace to you, ie, favoring you who are devoted to me (prasannEna), I have shown my cosmic form to you.
Thus, “yOga-yukta” has the same meaning as “Atma yOgAt” here. It is not to be interpreted as “meditation”, etc.
You can read the full blog here.
So my question is how have other translators such as Bibek Debroy translated the Anu Gita? Do they agree with K.M. Ganguli's translation or Narayanastra's?
