The Gita Code : Phulgenda Sinha's 'The Gita as it was'

Phulgenda Sinha pretty much decimates the Bhagavad Gita, cutting it down from 700 verses to just 84.  Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is similarly culled, from the 195 verses we know and love to  83. The Samkhy Karika loses 13 verses.

Sinha writes of the Samkha

'These interpolations are so evident that they should have been noticed by the many scholars who have written on Samkhy philosophy. Most interestingly, these interpolations betray themselves when Samkhy-karika is referred to as the shasti-tantra ( the science of sixty verses). Our suspicions are immediately aroused seeing that there are 73 verses, 13 too many' p121

Attempting to identify the original versions of these texts is not new. It's not so much a question of IF verses have been interpolated but rather WHICH verses, HOW MANY and WHY.

Sinha claims that what distinguishes his approach is that he is considering these texts together, rather than in isolation and out of their historical context. He argues that the Yoga Sutra is based on Samkhya philosophy and so cuts away anything not in keeping with that philosophy. The Gita, in turn, is based on Samkhy and Yoga and gets cut accordingly.


The argument
'(i)     The basis of yoga as a discipline and as a system is known as Samkhya Darshan ( Samkhya philosophy).  This philosophy was established by Kapila, who lived about 700 B. C. 


(ii)     Though yoga was practiced during the period of Harappa and Mohenjodaro civilisation (generally dated 3000 B.C), we do not have any deciphered writing on Yoga from that period. The first known and comprehensively discussed book on the Yoga is Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, dated about 400 B.C. In yoga Sutra, Patanjali accepted everything taught by Kapila in his Samkhya Philosophy, and added more to make a comprehensive system for achieving a healthy, happy and creative life.


(iii)     Yoga reached it's highest and most glorious stage in the work of Vyasa in about 400 B.C. Vyasa wrote the Gita by incorporating all the basic theories and concepts of Kapila and Patanjali and by adding much original thought of his own. Thus by 400 B.C. India as a civilisation had produced a matchless philosophical work presented in the simple form of song, telling how dukha (sorrow) can be eliminated and how sukha (happiness) in life can be achieved. This philosophical work was the Gita.


(iv)     In the post vedic period, up to 800 A.D., the thinkers and writers of India were men of a rational outlook. They did not accept the idea of a single, almighty deity. A close study of all the available records indicates that theistic concepts were non-existent in India prior to about 800 A.D. 


(v)     In a surprising way, the thought pattern of India changed after 800 A.D. Monotheism made sudden inroads into India.' p. xvi

Conspiracy 
Now this is were the book at times sounds like a classic conspiracy theory novel.

Sinha argues that India became more exposed to monotheism through some Christian colonies, trade relations with Alexandria particularly in the south of India and in 711 A.D. the arrival of Islam in Sindh, one of the four provinces of present day Pakistan. 

However it was the revival of Brahmanism.  and the Brahmin acceptance of Monotheism that ultimately resulted in the rewriting of the Gita, Samkhy karika and Yoga Sutra.  

'Brhamins accepted monotheism and began interpreting the whole history of India, from Vedas to Upanishads, in a completely new way'. p 93

Shankaracharya, in particular, is named and shamed.

'Shankaracharya was the first Indian to openly accept, propagate and expound the concept of monotheism as a part of Hindu religion' p95

'India after 800 A.D. adopted quite a different outlook. the ideas proposed by writers and commentators were now mostly matters of belief and faith, coloured by religion, mysticism, and caste. Not Man but God was held to be supreme. Man could do only what was predestined by God. there was a Heaven and hell. man possessed a soul which did not die but was reincarnated according to past and present deeds. The brahmans were superior to all castes and the word brhamin was synonymous with Brahma ( one of the post-vedic gods) and all the divinities. Indian thought in this period bore certain resemblances to to the teachings of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.' p. xvi

The Consequences for yoga


'In answer to a question raised by Arjuna as to who are better versed in yoga. Krishna says: 


"Those who fix their mind on me, worship me, with highest faith are the best in yoga in my opinion" (XII,2)


"If you are unable to fix your mind on me, then seek to reach me by constant practice of Yoga, o Arjuna" (XII, 9)


" But, if you are unable to do even this, then, seek union with me and renounce the fruits of all actions while controlling your mind " (XII,11)


There is little wonder then that yoga could no longer remain a secular system. It could neither become popular with the masses not be taught in the academic institutions of India - until recently. Yoga became a system of practice mixed with religious, spiritual and cultic values, and it remained confined to ashrams (centres dedicated to religious values and practices). 


The cult of guruism developed. Those learning and practicing Yoga in the ashrams became disciples of the guru (master of the centre) and worked as devout followers of the cult. being cultic, it thrived on secrecy, mysticism, rituals, superstitions and devotion. yoga became sectarian." p 114

What Sinha is really concerned with is the future of India. He is basically arguing that India took a wrong turn around 800AD, from rationalism to spiritualism and that this is why India has, despite it's wealth of resources, lagged behind other societies and civilisations ever since. A rediscovery of India's rationalist roots he seems to believe will revitalise India.

This is a highly readable textual study, at times it reads like a novel with good guys and bad guys, conspiracies galore. It's almost an Indian Da Vinci code. It had me running to google and the library to try and check facts and sources. He wears his motives on his sleeve a little too much for my liking, but they are noble motives. I don't think I swallow half of his story but then you don't have to.

The only thing to decide is if the Gita and the Yoga Sutra changed dramatically to incorporate monotheism or not.

The book is out of print but there are some used copies floating around Amazon. Get a copy while you still can and decide for yourself.

Below are my earlier posts with Sinha's 'original' Yoga Sutra ( the text in the post are the same verses but from an online source, not Sinha's translation) as well as the verses that get left out.

The original Yoga Sutra of Patanjali

and here's the my earlier post on the Gita ( again not Sinha's translation).

The original Gita

Of course if you do manage to eliminate spiritualism and mysticism from the Gita and Yoga Sutra your left with Samkhya, dualism. A case of out of the frying pan and back into the proverbial fire.

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And one possible response