________________
784
GITA-RAHASYA OR KARMA-YOGA
that the purport of the Gita was consistent with their own doctrines, would also in that case not have become necessary. A doubt is raised by some scholars that many changes must. have been made from time to time in the Gita in the present Mahābhārata, on the ground that the present Gita contains many mutually contradictory doctrines. But, I have shown above that these inconsistencies are not substantial, and that this mental confusion is due to people not having properly understood the previous and subsequent Vedic methods of expounding religion. In short, it will be seen from the above exposition that (i) the original Bharata and the original Gita, which propounded the original Bhagavata religion, were written about 500 years after the rise of the Bhāgavata religion, which harmonised the various ancient Vedic aspects of religion,. and specially supported the Path of Energism, that is to say, about 900 years before Christ; that (ii) though, when the Bharata was changed into the Mahabharata, there might have been some minor improvements in the original Gita, which would be promotive cf its purport, yet, the form of the original Gits was not then substantially changed; and that (iii) after the present Gits had been included in the present Mahabharata, there was no subsequent change in it, nor was it possible that any such. change should take place. The fixing of the form and the date of the original Gita and the original Bharata have been made by me approximately and in a liberal way, because that amount of information which would be necessary for fixing those matters definitely is not now available. But, the same is not the case with the present Mahabharata and the present Gita; and there are ways available for fixing their respective dates. I have, therefore, discussed that matter separately in the next part of this Appendix. My readers must, however, bear it in mind that the present Gita and the present Mahabharata, that is to say, the forms in which the Gita and the Mahabharata are now found by us, after changes have taken place in their respective forms in course of time, are not the original forms of those respective books.