A Layman's Bhagavad Gita: Volume II

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The Bhagavad Gita is a book of life, not of death and the hereafter. It is a book for every day guidance, for men engaged in their usual vocations and not for recluses. It asks each man to do his duty for the good of the world, dedicating it to God and without hankering after its fruits. It preaches selfless work for the good of all created things for development of one's own complete personality.

The Gita gives profound insights which are valid for all times and for all religious life yet, as a great sage put it, it ought to be commented on, in every age in the spirit of that age, in order that the people of that age many understand it well.

This is what great commentators from Sankara down to Mahatma Gandhi have done, constructing a bridge between man and God on the firm foundations of the Gita.

The author in the present book of translation and commentary attempts to explain the scripture to the modern generation of laymen unacquainted with philosophical terms and technique and bring home to them the priceless and life-giving teachings of the Gita.

About the Author:

Justice A.S.P. Ayyar, M.A., I.C.S., F.R.S.L., Bar-at Law, was born at Aiylam Village in Palghta, Kerala State, on January 26th, 1899. He passes B.A. examination with double first class and a first in Madras University. He joined the Law College, Madras, in 1918, and proceeded to England for the coveted I.C.S. examination under Tata scholarship. He passed I.C.S. with high rank and also took his M.A. degree in Oxford.

On his return to India he started his career as Sub-divisional Officer but soon quit the Executive for the Judiciary because he did not wish to be privy to the lathi charging on fellow Indians during the Civil Disobedience Movement. After Independence he became a judge of the Madras High court when Shri Rajagopalchari was the Chief Minster. He was known for his impeccable style in delivering his judgments, which were often interspersed with a high sense of humour. He was noted for his acumen, absolute integrity and strong nationalistic views.

An amiable personality and a charming conversationalist, quick at repartee, Ayyar was also known for his literary eminence rare among the Service class.

He had a number of publications to his credit, which include fiction, drama, travelogue, biography, autobiography, literary criticism, religious writing and jurisprudence.

Bhavan's first edition of this book in two volumes and Sri Krishna: The Darling of Humanity were brought out at the request of his daughter Smt. Asokam S. Easwar.

Ayyar died on 11th April 1963.