Repetition technique of the Bhagavad Gita / No Yoga Sutras
The Bhagavad Gita uses the technique of repetition of concepts while in the Aphorisms on Yoga it is not allowed
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Bhagavad Gita
Another important aspect that differentiates the Bhagavad Gita from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is that the Bhagavad Gita uses the technique of repetition of concepts while repetition is not allowed in the Aphorisms on Yoga.
To be qualified as Sutras, they must not contain repetition (Astobham). Some scholars refuse to accept the Yoga Sutras as Sutras, because they contain the phrase “Ishwara Pranidhana”, “surrender to Ishvara” (the divine) twice, once in 1.23 and then again in 2.45.
“(Success in meditation) can also be obtained by surrender to Ishvara” (YS 1.23).
“Success in Samadhi comes from surrender to Ishvara” (YS 1.45).
Others argue that Patanjali did this deliberately to emphasize the importance of Ishvara, which is where Yoga Philosophy differs from its sister Kapila's Atheist Sankhya Philosophy, which has no reference to Ishvara and does not rely on Ishvara to explain its entire complex philosophy.
In general the Yoga Sutras do not repeat concepts, but they do repeat the ability to quiet the mind by surrendering to Ishvara, thus highlighting the importance of Ishvara.
When the Dharma is about to be annihilated by the forces of evil, Sri Krishna incites Arjuna to fight in his depressed state (“I will not fight”). It is a moment of great tension, they are located right between the two armies and the battle of Kurukshetra is about to begin. The Bhagavad Gita is a message of wisdom and self-knowledge that Krishna explained through Arjuna, for all humanity, most of them profane, not experts in philosophy or metaphysics.
Krishna, who represents the incarnation of supreme knowledge, immediately detects Arjuna's state of dejection, and for this reason he will transmit the sacred Bhagavad Gita to him over 18 nights. Krishna, as a good psychologist, applies the strategy of repeating concepts, of explaining a concept from different points of view.
Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita, Sankhya Yoga, which contains its essence, explains or presents the main teachings of Krishna. Between chapters 3 and 17, Krishna will repeat these teachings from other points of view, complementing the teachings of Chapter 2. In these chapters Krishna will also answer questions that Arjuna did not understand, and therefore he is forced to repeat concepts.
Several Shlokas of the Bhagavad Gita reuse a significant portion of earlier Shlokas. An example of this can be found in the following two Shlokas:
“Those who subdue all their senses and keep their minds always absorbed in Me are established in perfect knowledge” Bhagavad Gita 2-61
A very important concept that Krishna talks about in the second chapter is that of control of the senses, and the definition of a person of constant wisdom, Sthitaprajna, obtained through control of the senses:
“He whose mind is not disturbed by pain, who does not crave pleasures and is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called the sage of firm wisdom (Sthitaprajna)” Bhagavad Gita 2.56
Since the second chapter is a condensation of the entire Bhagavad Gita, this concept subsequently lays the foundation for the sixth chapter, Dhyana Yoga or the Yoga of Meditation.
Técnica repetición Bhagavad Gita / No Yoga Sutras.
The Yoga Sutras are aphorisms and therefore do not follow a meter designed to sing them. The shlokas of the Bhagavad Gita, however, are considered mantras, meaning they have the power to influence the mind.
The two meters used in the Bhagavad Gita are Anushtubh (the most common) and Tristubh.
Traditionally, people memorize the Gita before understanding its meaning. When meter is followed, shlokas are easier to memorize and also have a significant influence on the mind.
However, preserving these metrics in other language translations of the Bhagavad Gita is extremely complicated.
Related information:
(c) Gita Institute
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