Divine Self, Human Self: The Philosophy of Being in Two Gita Commentaries

“This work by Ram-Prasad (Lancaster Univ., UK), on philosophy of being in the Gita commentaries, despite what the title and table of contents might suggest is not a study of the Bhagavad Gita. Further, the author does not seek to provide a subcommentary on the commentaries of either Sankara or Ramanuja. Rather, he borrows from Christian theology and asserts his approach as one of constructive theology. Beginning with an introduction to the various texts, this volume then delves into an understanding of the nature of divinity, selfhood, and being, and the relationships between them. By illustrating the dialectic between how Sankara understands Krsna and a metaphysics of being and Ramanuja’s perspective, the author draws readers into a rich discussion of the various ways of understanding divinity in the Gita. The juxtaposition also enables a clear understanding of these differing conceptions of the self and its relationship with the divine. Again, while this volume does not serve as a traditional or synoptic commentary on the Gita, it nonetheless provides a new and insightful lens through which to approach the text and is rich commentaries. Summing Up: Upper-level undergraduate and graduate students.” – C.A. Barsley, Transylvania University, “CHOICE””” “The author presents both a re-thinking of the traditional interpretations of the commentaries and new thinking about their implications for contemporary theology, including the moral psychology of action and devotion.” -Robert R. Rahl, “Catholic Library World”