Githartha Sangraha

Githartha Sangraha

Sri Yamunacharya (Alavandar), grand son of Sri Nathamuni and responsible for selecting Sri Ramanuja as the future Acharya had composed a number of sanskrit stotrams which formed the foundation fof Sri Ramanauja's Visitadwatham and other literary works.

Following are the works of Sri Yamunacahrya

• ChathuslOki
• StOtra Ratnam
• Siddhitrayam which consists of AtmaSiddhi, Samvitsiddhi and Iswara Siddhi
• Agama Pramanya
• Maha Purusha Nirnayam
• Gitartha Sangraha
• Nityam
• Maayaa Vaadha Khandanam

Gitartha Sangraha by Yamunacharya consisting of 32 verses contains the very essense of 700 verses of Bhagavad Gita.

The following verse sums entire Bhagavad Gita.

    svadharma jnAna vairAgya sAdhya bhakti eka gocaraH | 

    narayanaH param brahma gIta sAstre samIritaH ||

Sri Velukkudi Krishanan says "One who performs his prescribed duty, with full knowledge of himself and his master, devoid of desire, reaches the stage of practice of bhakti-yoga. By bhakti-yoga one can please Narayana and reach HIM." in reference to this sloka

Sri Velukkudi Krishanan says " The Gita is divided in three sections of six chapters each (shatkam). The first six chapters deal with karma-yoga and jnAna-yoga, which are required for realising the jivatma, the individual self. After realising the jivatma, one goes to realise his master, the Paramatma or Supreme Self. Once he knows the greatness of the Paramatma, he naturally wishes to reach Him. The second six chapters deals with the unparalleled mastery of Krishna, who is the Paramatma, and bhakti-yoga, which is to be practiced to reach Lord Krishna. The last six recapitulate and again explain the atma, Paramatma and the three yogas, adding whatever was left unsaid in the first 12 chapters. So the three shatkas lead us to successive steps in liberation, moksha. All together, there are 18 chapters which are akin to 18 rungs in the ladder to moksha. Unless one goes through each of this rungs, it is difficult to reach moksha."

Above write up is based on Sri Velukudi Krishnanan's discourses and writings. Any mistakes are purely mine.
                                                                                                                                                                Sri yamunacahrya has earmarked one verse each for 18 Chapters of Gita summing up the essence of each chapter . Please click video below to listen to Gitartha Sangraha by Sri Yamunacharya. I dedicate this to Lord Krishna. Sarvam Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu.