"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh PalThe book culminated from teaching-discussion sessions conducted by the author for over a decade in Mumbai. The students varied a lot; coming from various socio-economic strata, ranging from young adults to the elderly, some of whom were educated and professionally qualified, while others were not. The effort has always been to stimulate reflection, question unexamined beliefs, and opinions, and expose their hollowness, and irrationality, enable comprehension of human frailties, and reveal the rationale underlying the precepts of the Bhagavad Geeta.
The Geeta is sought to be presented as a guide to good living, not determined by a god/gods but as the outflow from the right comprehension of oneself, the nature and processes of the universe, and the very notion of what the Divine is.
The book departs from the usual shloka-commentary format. Instead, it is a dialogue between Arjuna, now a highly evolved radiant master, and Rashmi, a new millennium aspirant. The teaching is interspersed with Arjuna’s recall of his early failings and frailties, and Rashmi’s asides, reflections, and articulation of her misgivings about herself. It is hoped that this format of the Geeta will resonate more intimately with the psyche of the new millennial.
Suryaprabha Shashidharan
Dr. Suryaprabha Shashidharan taught Philosophy at Govt. of Maharashtra’s colleges in Mumbai and retired as Reader in Philosophy. She has post-graduate degrees in Philosophy, and Education from Bombay University and a doctorate from Poona University. Increasingly drawn to the expanding parameters of Philosophy and its alliances with the sciences, and her own deepening insights into traditional Indian Philosophy, she sought voluntary retirement. She has continued her efforts at delving deeper into Samkhya, Yoga, and Advaita systems,Kashmir Shaivism, Buddhist metaphysics and studies of the mind, the issue of mind-body-consciousness, and the margins of Philosophy and Science. This brought alienation from main-stream positivistic-analytic tradition-upholding academia. Dr. Shashidharan says she has never regretted her decision.
Dr. Shashidharan is also trained in hatha yoga by hatha yogi Shri Nikam Guruji, founder of Ambika Yoga Kutir, Thane, Maharashtra. She teaches yoga as community service. She also conducts teaching-discussion sessions on the Geeta, Samkhya, Yoga, and Advaita Vedanta philosophies, and some works of Adi Shankaracharya. The objective has always been to bring to focus the spiritual over ritualistic religion.
