TheBhagavadGita JUNE 16 2021
TheBhagavadGita JUNE 16 2021
And
Lectures by HH Sri Vidyasagara Madhava Teertha
Publisher: upanishat.com
ii
ISBN: 978-81-928503-4-4
Contents
Introduction - Background and Battleground........................... 1
The Gita and the Number 18.............................................. 4
Overview of Gita Chapters................................................. 6
Organization of the Book.................................................. 15
Chapter 1 – Arjuna’s Distress................................................. 18
What did my Clan and the Pandavas do in Kurukshetra?........ 20
Duryodhana’s Apprehension.............................................. 21
Bugle Calls......................................................................... 26
Arjuna Inspects the Armies............................................... 31
Arjuna Develops Cold Feet............................................... 34
Arjuna Argues Against War............................................... 38
Arjuna Drops His Weapons............................................... 42
Summary of Chapter 1...................................................... 43
Chapter 2 – The Path of Doctrines........................................ 47
Arjuna, Rise Up and Wage this Just War......................... 48
Arjuna’s Dilemma and Surrender to Krishna................... 49
The Soul is Eternal, The Body is Perishable................... 54
Attachment Causes Misery................................................ 56
Eternal, Indestructible Soul reflects the Lord................... 60
Fighting a Just War is Arjuna’s Duty............................... 69
Instrument to Acquire Knowledge.................................... 74
Vedas – Peripheral and Inner Meanings........................... 77
Duty is Worship................................................................. 80
Equanimity and Mental Tranquility.................................. 89
Dangers in Sensual Indulgence......................................... 96
Characteristics of a Realized Soul.................................. 102
Summary of Chapter 2.................................................... 105
ix
***
xvi
1
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Chapter 1 – Arjuna’s Distress
‘“b ûcmoH$:
› Xod§ Zmam¶U§ ZËdm gd©Xmof{dd{O©V‘² &
n[anyUª Jwê§$íMmZ² JrVmWª dú¶m{‘ bofV… &&
devaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ natvā sarvadoṣa vivarjītaṃ
paripūrṇaṃ gurūṃścāṇ gītārthaṃ vakṣyāmi leśataḥ
Benedictory Verse (Gita Bhashya) : Salutations to the
Lord and teacher Narayana (Vedavyasa) who is revealed
by the Gita. He is ever devoid of defects such as
dependence and ignorance. He is not limited by time,
space, and attributes. (Even though the Gita is full of
many meanings, only a simple meaning is given here to
aid general readers).
Y¥Vamï´> CdmM Ÿ-
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_m_H$m… nmÊS>dmü¡d {H$_Hw$d©V g§ÄO` Ÿ&& 1 &&
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś cai 'va kim akurvata sañjaya
Dhrutarashtra said:
O Sanjaya! Assembled at Kuru Kshetra, the designated
land for committing righteous acts (Field of Righteousness),
what did my clan of Kauravas and Pandavas do? (1.1)
Comments: The first verse in the Gita starts with King
Dhrutarashtra asking the above question to his aide
Sanjaya. The first word here is ‘Dharma’ which is one of
Chapter 1 21
Duryodhana’s Apprehension
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AmMm©_wng§Jå` amOm dMZ_~«drV² Ÿ&& 2 Ÿ&&
22 The Bhagavad Gita
sañjaya uvāca
dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṁ vyūḍhaṁ duryodhanas tadā
ācāryam upasaṅgamya rājā vacanam abravīt
Sanjaya said:
King Duryodhana, upon seeing the formation of the
Pandavas’ army, immediately rushed to his teacher Drona
and said as follows. (1.2)
Comments: Sanjaya answers Dhrutarashtra’s question
in the following 9 verses. Sri Sumateendra Teertha in his
Bhava Ratna Kosha [BRK] draws attention to the use of
the word ‘tu’ as implying Duryodhana’s anxiety as soon
as he saw the formidable Pandava army (‘tu’ is normally
used to add emphasis). Hence, the Karurava prince
immediately rushes to his teacher Drona. It is interesting
to note that Duryodhana approaches his teacher Drona
and not the commander of the Kaurava forces, Bheeshma,
to give him information about the Pandava army, perhaps
to acknowledge the fact that many warriors in the Pandava
army were Drona’s students.
Bugle Calls
AOw©Z CdmM Ÿ-
goZ`moé^`mo_©Ü`o aW§ ñWmn` _o@À`wV Ÿ&& 21 &&
arjuna uvāca
senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta
g§O` CdmM Ÿ-
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{dg¥Á` gea§ Mmn§ emoH$g§{d¾_mZg… Ÿ&& 47 &&
Saṅjaya uvāca
evam uktvā 'rjunaḥ saṅkhye rathopastha upāviśat
visṛjya saśaraṁ cāpaṁ śokasaṁvignamānasaḥ
Sanjaya said:
Having said thus, Arjuna, stricken with deep sorrow in
his mind, drops his bow and arrows and sits still in the
middle of his chariot. (1.47)
Comments: While Arjuna indicates to Krishna his
anxiety and unwillingness to wage war, his relinquishing
of his bow and arrows is a signal to his large army that
he is not yet ready to start the war. (The army of course
could not have heard the conversation between Arjuna
Chapter 1 43
Summary of Chapter 1
The Bhagavad Gita is a conversation between Arjuna
and Lord Krishna as narrated by Lord Vedavyasa in the
epic, Mahabharata. The great war between the armies of
the Kaurava and the Pandava cousins, was witnessed by
Sanjaya, aide of the blind King Dhrutarashtra who was
head of the Kaurava dynasty. Sanjaya rushes to
Dhrutarashtra soon after the fall of Bheeshma, the
commander of the Kaurava army. The stunned Dhrutarashtra
wants to know everything that happened on the battlefield
from the very beginning. Sanjaya narrates all the events
from the beginning of the war. He stays with the king till
the end of the war relaying all the events to him. He is
able to do this because Sage Vedavyasa grants him
divine vision to view the war remotely and provide him
the updates.
The King begins by asking Sanjaya what happened
between his clan (the Kauravas) and the Pandavas in
Kurukshetra (which is known as Dharma Kshetra or the
‘Field of Righteousness’) (1.1). This question reveals the
King’s apprehensions. He is convinced that the Pandavas
with the guidance of Lord Krishna would be invincible
(but, Krishna has sworn not to touch or take up arms).
On the other hand, Bheeshma, the very epitome of justice,
was also known to be invincible. The King was therefore
hoping against hope that his sons would not be defeated,
especially in a war that was being fought in an area known
as the Field of Righteousness. So he is shocked to hear
44 The Bhagavad Gita
many of his near and dear ones. Arjuna tells Krishna that
his body is trembling, and that he is unable to hold his
weapons. He was feeling disoriented and disillusioned. He
was further seeing bad omens and felt there was nothing
good coming out of this war. He says he does not crave
for victory or a kingdom won after losing so many near
and dear ones (1.20-1.39). He reasons that with massive
destruction of men, familial values would perish, and
unrighteousness would take over society. Arjuna says that
such a war has no benefits either here or hereafter. He
says he would rather drop his weapons and let the Kauravas
kill him rather than be responsible for such a destructive
war. Saying thus, Arjuna drops his weapon to the ground
and sits in his chariot feeling extremely dejected
(1.40 - 1.47).
The rest of the Gita is a sermon from Lord Krishna to
Arjuna to help him overcome his distress and doubts. The
dropping of weapons by Arjuna is equivalent to one
abdicating one’s responsibility. At this stage, the following
points are worth noting: Duryodhana was also distressed
after looking at the Pandavas’ army but there is a big
difference between the distress of Duryodhana and that of
Arjuna. Duryodhana was distressed at the thought of not
being able to win the war and thereby usurp the Pandavas
share of the kingdom illegally. On the other hand, Arjuna’s
distress was out of compassion towards his loved ones.
Duryodhana shows no such compassion. Arjuna was not
afraid of fighting as he had fought many wars before and
had won them. But this time it was different. His enemies
were people he cared for dearly.
{ÛVr`mo@Úm`… - gm§»¶¶moJ…
Chapter 2 – The Path of Doctrines
Chapter Introduction: This chapter of 72 verses is
termed Sankhya Yoga (The Path of Doctrines). In this
chapter, the Lord answers Arjuna’s basic questions about
the purpose of life and related philosophical concepts.
Sensing that Arjuna’s reservations about fighting the war
were due to his fear of losing his loved ones, the Lord
delves into the nature of individual souls, the indestructibility
of souls, the relationship between individual souls and
Himself. He reminds Arjuna that He gave human forms
to individual souls to help them in their spiritual journey
and that everyone must play their dutiful role in society.
In verses (2.12) to (2.39), the Lord lectures on the nature
of individual souls and the Supreme soul (Lord Almighty).
In verse (2.39), the Lord tells Arjuna how to acquire
divine, spiritual knowledge which is explained in brief in
verses (2.45) to (2.51). In these verses, the Lord discusses
the concept of nishkama karma, that is, performing
prescribed duties without expectations. The Lord urges
Arjuna not to despair over the hurt that may be caused to
his elders and teachers in the war, as they had chosen to
support the evil king Duryodhana, and reminds Arjuna
that he had an obligation to fight this just war to protect
his citizens. Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna to focus on
performing his prescribed duty of protecting his citizens
as an offering to the Lord Almighty and not let his
emotions come in the way. Chapter 2 can be considered
the foundational chapter of the entire Gita as it answers
Arjuna’s (and through Arjuna, everyone’s) basic questions
about the purpose of life. The remaining chapters serve to
expand on the concepts presented in this chapter.
48 The Bhagavad Gita
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sañjaya uvāca: taṁ tathā kṛpayā 'viṣṭam aśrupūrṇāku-
lekṣaṇam
viṣīdantam idaṁ vākyam uvāca madhusūdanaḥ
Sanjaya said:
Lord Madhusoodana said the following to grief stricken
Arjuna who was overcome with self-pity and had tears in
his eyes. (2.1)
Comments: Sensing Dhrutarashtra’s curiosity as to the
events that follow Arjuna’s dropping of his weapons,
Sanjaya continues with his narration of the next
set of events starting with Lord Krishna’s questioning of
Arjuna’s actions.
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AZm`©Owï>_ñd½`©_² AH$s{V©H$a_Ow©Z Ÿ&& 2 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca: kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame
samupasthitam
anāryajuṣṭam asvargyam akīrtikaram arjuna
The Lord said:
O Arjuna! What caused this delusion for you to give
up your duties at a time of crisis? This is not expected of
wise men, it does not lead to glory, or heavens and it only
brings infamy. (2.2)
Chapter 2 49
Arjuna said:
O Madhusoodana (Annihilator of demon Madhu)! How
can I direct my arrows at Bheeshma and Drona who are
worthy of worship? (2.4)
Comments: Arjuna who is overcome with grief and
emotion is not able to relate to Krishna’s advice and
reiterates his position in 5 verses. Arjuna indicates that
even if he were to approach the war as a duty, he could
not hurl his arrows at Bheeshma and Drona who have
taught him much and are worthy of worship.
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hËdm@W©H$m_m§ñVw Jwê${Zh¡d
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gurūn ahatvā hi mahānubhāvān śreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣyam
apī ’ha loke
hatvā ’rthakāmaṁs tu gurun ihai ’va bhuñjīya bhogān rud-
hirapradigdhān
It is better to live by begging for alms than kill our
great teachers. How can one enjoy the luxuries of a
kingdom attained by spilling the blood of these teachers
who are waging a war for riches? (2.5)
Comments: Arjuna argues that it is not worth winning
the war which would entail killing his elders and teachers
who are pious and God fearing, as that would not lead to
any joy in this world and would bring difficulties hereafter
also. A better option would be to give up fighting and live
by begging for alms.
Chapter 2 51
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`ÀN´>o`… ñ`m{Þ{üV§ ~«y{h VÝ_o
{eî`ñVo@h§ em{Y _m§ Ëdm§ ànÞ_² Ÿ&& 7 Ÿ&&
kārpaṇyadoṣopahatasvabhāvaḥ pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-
saṁmūḍhacetāḥ
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me śiṣyaste ’haṁ śādhi
māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
52 The Bhagavad Gita
Z {h àní`m{_ __mnZwÚmX²
`ÀN>moH$_wÀN>mofU{_pÝÐ`mUm_² Ÿ&
Admß` ^y_mdgnËZ_¥Õ§
amÁ`§ gwamUm_{n Mm{YnË`_² Ÿ&& 8 Ÿ&&
na hi prapaśyāmi mamā ’panudyād yac chokam uc-
choṣaṇam indriyāṇām
avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaṁ rājyaṁ surāṇām api cā
’dhipatyam
Sanjaya said:
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JVmgyZJVmg§yü ZmZwemoMpÝV npÊS>Vm… Ÿ&& 11 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca: aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñāvādāṁś
ca bhāṣase
gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nā ’nuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ
The Lord said:
You are grieving over those who do not deserve
sympathy and saying whatever is coming to your mind.
Learned ones do not grieve over those who are about to
die just as they do not grieve over those living. (2.11)
Comments: Elders and teachers such as Bheeshma and
Drona, even though worthy of worship, were on the side
of evil and so Arjuna should not have been grieving over
their impending death. Krishna uses the word ‘Prajnaavada’
which has two meanings – one who says whatever is
coming to one’s mind and secondly, one whose words are
not acceptable to the wise.
Chapter 2 55
Weapons cannot cut the soul, fire cannot burn the soul,
water cannot wet the soul and wind cannot parch the soul.
(2.23)
Comments: While it was made clear that the intrinsic
body of a soul does not decay or get destroyed over time,
some can question whether it would be possible to harm
or destroy a soul with physical elements such as weapons
(made from mining earth), fire, water, wind etc. In this
verse it is clarified that it is not possible to harm or destroy
a soul by any of these means. Further, as clarified by Sri
Rayaru [GV], it is also not possible to destroy a soul
through a curse (as in the episode of Daksha Prajapati
having his head chopped off due to a curse, there was no
destruction of his soul).
Duty is Worship
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AmË_Ý`odm@Ë_Zm Vwï>… pñWVàkñVXmoÀ`Vo Ÿ&& 55 &&
Chapter 2 91
that one who has achieved control over sense organs can
indulge in sense activities just enough to maintain physical
wellbeing. In verse (2.59), it was indicated that one would
need to undertake difficult tasks such as fasting to achieve
self-control. Here it is clarified that one does not need to
completely avoid consuming foods as one has to ensure
physical wellbeing. It is possible to indulge in activities
such as consuming minimum amount of required food
while still exerting control over the sense organs.
In summary the sequence of events that would unfold
from achieving self-control are as follows: Self-control
(over sense organs)-> mental peace -> concentrated
meditation -> divine knowledge -> elimination of sadness
(due to evisceration of sins) -> liberation.
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g_wÐ_mn… à{depÝV `ÛV² Ÿ&
VÛV² H$m_m `§ à{depÝV gd}
g empÝV_mßZmo{V Z H$m_H$m_r Ÿ&& 70 &&
āpūryamāṇam acalapratiṣṭhaṁ samudram āpaḥ praviśanti
yadvat
tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśanti sarve sa śāntim āpnoti na
kāmakāmī
104 The Bhagavad Gita
Summary of Chapter 2
With the context for the teachings in the Gita established
in Chapter 1, the actual sermon of Lord Krishna to Arjuna
(and through Arjuna to the rest of humanity) begins in
Chapter 2.
Seeing Arjuna in a pitiable condition not wanting to
wage the war, Krishna asks Arjuna why he wants to avoid
performing his prescribed duties and thereby risk losing
respect in society. Such an abdication of responsibility is
not worthy of a great prince like Arjuna who had a stellar
106 The Bhagavad Gita
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Chapter 3 – The Path of Action
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śrībhagavān uvāca
lokesmin dvividhā niṣṭhā purā proktā mayānagha
jñānayogena sāṅkhyānāṁ karmayogena yoginām
The Lord said:
O Anagha (Arjuna, the one without sins)! As explained
before, in this world there are two paths towards liberation,
depending on one’s innate nature, talent, and situation.
Kings such as Janaka (karma yogi) achieve liberation by
sincerely ruling their kingdoms (path of action), and sages
such as Sanaka (jnana yogi) achieve liberation by learning,
teaching, and spreading spiritual knowledge to others
(path of knowledge). (3.3)
Comments: Lord Krishna clarifies that there are two
main paths to liberation based on one’s innate nature,
ability, and eligibility. Arjuna, as a ruler, belongs to the
class of karma yogi and hence he should perform his
prescribed duty of waging this war to protect his citizens.
This answers Arjuna’s question in (3.1). It is further
clarified in [GV] that everyone must follow both the path
of knowledge and the path of action. However, in jnana
yogis, knowledge is predominant and hence they should
follow the path of knowledge and in the process also
follow necessary activities (path of action). Likewise, for
karma yogis such as Arjuna, the path of action (war, in
this case) is the superior path and traversing that path also
114 The Bhagavad Gita
Arjuna said:
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‘hmeZmo ‘hmnmß‘m {dÕçoZ{‘h d¡[aU‘² Ÿ&& 27 &&
śrībhagavān uvāca
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajoguṇasamudbhavaḥ
mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam
138 The Bhagavad Gita
Summary of Chapter 3
This chapter is a continuation of chapter 2, where the
Lord provides more details on the concept of duties
without expectations. In the first 2 verses (3.1,3.2), Arjuna
expresses confusion about the superiority between the
paths of knowledge and action. In verses (3.3-3.9), the
Lord teaches that both these paths lead to liberation and
the choice of path depends on one’s innate nature, talent,
and background. The Lord cautions Arjuna against
avoiding all actions as no one can survive without
performing some action or the other. The Lord also
provides clarification on the nature of duties that are
prescribed to living beings. In verses (3.10-3.13), the Lord
introduces the concept of yagna (ritual sacrifice) and the
need for one to perform them to propitiate the deities who
govern the various entities essential for the functioning of
this universe. The Lord explains the Cyclic Order of the
Universe in verses (3.14-3,16) where the interrelationships
among the various constituents of the universe, namely –
the individual souls, the deities, inert nature and the
supreme Lord are briefly presented. For the universe to
function, everyone must play their designated role in the
circle of life. In verses (3.17-3.21), the Lord teaches that
those who have achieved the state of ultimate consciousness
and have realized the Lord have no obligation to perform.
duties. Likewise, souls that are liberated have no obligation
to perform any activities. However, they continue to
perform activities to set an example to the masses. Such
souls do enjoy deeper levels of bliss in moksha. In verses
(3.22-.3.24), the Lord clarifies that He has no obligation
to perform any activity but does so out of pure compassion
to set an example to others and to ensure order in society.
146 The Bhagavad Gita
B{V V¥Vr`mo@Ü`m`…
End of Chapter 3
147
MVwWm}@Ü`m`…- kmZ`moJ…
Chapter 4 - Wisdom in Action
Chapter Introduction: This chapter of 42 verses is
known as Jnana Yoga (The Path of Knowledge). It is
predominantly about the spiritual knowledge that a seeker
needs to perform prescribed action (karma). Knowledge
regarding the individual souls, various deities and the
attributes of the Lord Almighty are explained to instill
devotion in a seeker. The Lord explains that He incarnates
in this world from time to time to establish virtue and to
vanquish immorality. Knowledge about the various types
of actions – right action, wrong action and inaction are
also covered here. In the previous chapter, in verse (3.8),
the Lord taught that one must perform one’s prescribed
duties without expectations (nishkama karma). In this
chapter, till verse (4.15), some important attributes of the
Lord Almighty are described. Verses (4.16) to (4.23)
provide a comparison of nishkama karma to other types
of activities with details of the types of nishkama karma
such as worship and sacrifice. A central feature of this
chapter is the classification and description of the different
types of sacrifices (yagna) or austerities that yogis perform.
These are described in verses (4.25) to (4.30).
Succession of Knowledge
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{ddñdmZ² _Zdo àmh _Zw[aúdmH$do@~«drV² Ÿ&& 1 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākavebravīt
148 The Bhagavad Gita
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arjuna uvāca
aparaṁ bhavato janma paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ
katham etad vijānīyāṁ tvam ādau proktavān iti
Arjuna said:
Krishna! Your birth is in recent times. Surya (the Sun
deity) was born a long time ago. How am I to understand
that you taught this knowledge to Surya? (4.4)
Comments: In verse (3.30), the Lord stated that to
achieve liberation one must perform one’s prescribed
duties without expectation, as an offering to Him. This
implies that the Lord is supreme and worthy of worship.
In other verses such as (2.12), the Lord clarified that He
does not experience births and deaths like individual
souls. Sri Rayaru in [GV] explains that Arjuna (a jnani
himself who had already listened to Krishna’s teachings in
Chapter 2 and 3) was not asking about the Lord’s birth (or
manifestations), but about the evidence to prove the diff-
erence between the Lord Almighty and individual souls.
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~hÿ{Z _o ì`VrVm{Z OÝ_m{Z Vd MmOw©Z Ÿ&
VmÝ`h§ doX gdm©{U Z Ëd§ doËW na§Vn Ÿ&& 5 Ÿ&&
Chapter 4 151
Categories of Beings
Types of Action
Spiritual Sacrifices
Summary of Chapter 4
In chapter 3, the Lord taught that one must perform
one’s prescribed duties without expectations. (nishkama
karma). In this chapter, the Lord teaches more about the
nature of activities (karma) of both the Lord and
individual beings. In verses (4.1) to (4.3), the Lord says
that He had taught this spiritual knowledge previously to
182 The Bhagavad Gita
B{V MVwWm}@Ü`m`…
End of Chapter 4
184 The Bhagavad Gita
n#m_mo@ܶm`… - H$_©gÝÝ`mg`moJ…
Chapter 5 - The Path of Renunciation
Arjuna said:
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V`moñVw H$_©gÝÝ`mgmV²² H$_©`moJmo {d{eî`Vo Ÿ&& 2 &&
śrībhagavān uvāca
saṁnyāsaḥ karmayogas ca niḥśreyasakarāv ubhau
tayos tu karmasaṁnyāsāt karmayogo viśiṣyate
The Lord said:
Renunciation of worldly pleasures (sanyasa) and
performing prescribed duties (yoga) are both necessary
for one to achieve liberation. Performing prescribed action
is better than merely renouncing worldly pleasures. (5.2)
Comments: The Lord categorically states that both–
renunciation of worldly pleasures (sanyasa), and
performing prescribed duties as an offering to Him (karma
yoga) are necessary for one to achieve self-realization and
liberation. One cannot conclude that only ascetics practice
detachment and they do not have any obligations on
action. Nor do householders only practice prescribed
activities without practicing self-control. So, one cannot
argue that sanyasa and karma yoga cannot co-exist in the
same person. Lord Krishna recognizes Arjuna’s motivation
in this question and states that performing prescribed
duties as an offering to the Lord (karma yoga) is superior
to mere detachment, equanimity etc. (sanyasa), but both
are required for achieving self-realization and ultimate
liberation. Again, the Lord is impressing upon Arjuna that
he must not avoid participating in his prescribed duty of
fighting the just war.
Chapter 5 187
V×þÕ`ñVXmË_mZñV{Þð>mñVËnam`Um… Ÿ&
JÀN>ÝË`nwZamd¥qÎm kmZ{ZYy©VH$ë_fm… Ÿ&& 17 &&
tadbuddhayas tadātmānas tanniṣṭhās tatparāyaṇāḥ
gacchanty apunarāvṛttiṁ jñānanirdhūtakalmaṣāḥ
One whose mind is firmly established in the Lord, who
accepts the Lord as one’s owner, who has unflinching
faith in the Lord, and who has taken shelter in the Lord,
will be rid of sins due to divine knowledge and will reach
the abode of the Lord, never to return. (5.17)
Comments: Verse (5.16) stated that a seeker must
acquire indirect knowledge through scriptural studies to
destroy ignorance which leads to acquiring divine, spiritual
knowledge eventually leading to moksha. This verse
clarifies that one cannot expect to acquire direct knowledge
(aparoksha) immediately after acquiring indirect
knowledge. One must repeatedly study scriptures with the
mind fully immersed in the Lord and ensure that the
knowledge acquired is without any doubts and develop
full conviction in such knowledge. This will allow a
seeker to be prepared to absorb direct, divine, spiritual
knowledge which leads the seeker to moksha.
`mo@ÝV…gwImo@ÝVamam_ñVWm@ÝVÁ`m}{Vaod `… Ÿ&
g `moJr ~«÷{Zdm©U§ ~«÷^yVmo@{YJÀN>{V Ÿ&& 24 &&
yontaḥsukhontarārāmas tathāntarjyotir eva yaḥ
sa yogī brahmanirvāṇaṁ brahmabhūtodhigacchati
A yogi who has realized the futility of seeking pleasures
from the external world will experience inner bliss and
will realize Lord Almighty. Such a person who is truly
knowledgeable about the true nature of the Lord will
indeed reach the Lord’s abode. (5.24)
Comments: The next few verses describe the nature of
learned ones. They experience bliss on two counts. Firstly,
by overcoming passions such as desire and aversion they
feel liberated. Second, by focusing on the Lord in their
mind, they experience inner bliss. They are focused only
on the Lord and nothing else, indicated by use of the word
eva (only) in the first line. The Lord here is described as
‘anatarjyoti’ meaning the one who is self-effulgent.
Contours of Meditation
`VopÝж_Zmo~w{Õ_w©{Z_m}jnam`U… &
{dJVoÀN>m^`H«$moYmo `… gXm _wº$ Ed g… Ÿ&& 28 &&
yatendriyamanobuddhirmunir mokṣaparāyaṇaḥ
vigatecchābhayakrodho yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ
One who has control over sense organs and has a
steady mind, who focuses eyes in the area between the
Chapter 5 207
Summary of Chapter 5
In chapter 3, the Lord taught that one must perform
one’s prescribed duties without expectations. (nishkama
karma). In chapter 4, the Lord imparts knowledge (jnana)
about the nature of activities (karma) of both the Lord
and individual beings. In chapter 5, the Lord answers
some fundamental questions from Arjuna (5.1) regarding
the concepts of renunciation (sanyasa) and action (karma).
It is apparent from Arjuna’s question that if renunciation
were a better option than action, he could perhaps adopt
the life of an ascetic and avoid waging the war. The Lord
answers (5.2) by stating that while both the paths of
renunciation and action lead one to liberation, the path of
action is superior. The Lord goes on to describe the
characteristics of a renunciant (5.2) and clarifies that one
must incorporate both these paths to achieve self-
realization (5.6). An of quoted example is that of a person
who is sick in the stomach due to an unhealthy diet. For
such a person to heal it is important to both consume the
medication prescribed by the doctor and at the same time
avoid indulging in an unhealthy diet. By stating that the
path of action is superior, the Lord is clarifying to Arjuna
that he must participate in his prescribed duty of waging
this war to protect his citizens while detaching himself
from any outcomes of his actions. The Lord also clarifies
that both ascetics and householders are equally eligible to
attain salvation, based on their efforts. An ascetic who
may have acquired divine, spiritual knowledge will still
be involved in performing activities and likewise a
Chapter 5 209
fð>mo@ܶm`… - AmË_g§`_`moJ…
Chapter 6 - The Path of Self Restraint
Chapter Introduction: This chapter of 47 verses is
termed Atma Samyama Yoga (The Path of Self Restraint)
or Dhyana Yoga (The Path of Meditation). The previous
chapters described the broad contours of the path of action
(karma yoga) and the path of knowledge (jnana yoga).
Further, the characteristics of a seeker who is on a journey
to self-realization was broadly identified as one having
detachment from outcomes of action (sanyasa) and
performing prescribed duties (yoga) as an offering to the
Lord. This was briefly described in verse (2.39). Yoga as
described here prepares a seeker to learn more about the
greatness of the Lord which is covered in detail in
chapters 7 to 12. This chapter delves more into the details
of yoga (action) and its components. Yoga has two
components – external and internal. The external
component of yoga refers to the prescribed activities that
one must perform which are visible to others. For example,
Arjuna waging the war to protect his citizens from the
Kauravas’ misrule. This aspect of yoga was briefly
described in verse (2.45) and was expanded in chapters 3
to 5. The internal component of yoga is termed dhyana
yoga (path of meditation), This is also an essential aspect
of yoga and was briefly described in verse (5.27). This
chapter delves into details of dhyana yoga. Characteristics
of a true yogi are described. The physical aspects of
meditation such as place, physical pose, breath control
etc., are also described. Requirements for moderation in
consumption are also discussed. To a question from Arjuna
regarding the condition of those who make a sincere
212 The Bhagavad Gita
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g gÝÝ`mgr M `moJr M Z {Za{¾Z© Mm{H«$`… Ÿ&& 1 &&
śrībhagavān uvāca
anāśritaḥ karmaphalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ
sa saṁnyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnir na cākriyaḥ
The Lord said:
One who performs prescribed duties without
expectations is both a real ascetic and a real yogi; not the
one who has simply relinquished performing ritual fire
sacrifices. (6.1).
Comments: As indicated before, this chapter delves
into details of dhyana yoga, the internal component of
yoga (path of action). When is a seeker eligible to follow
the path of dhyana (meditation) which prepares one to
learn about the qualities of the Lord? This verse states that
a true seeker who has both detachment towards outcomes
of actions and commitment to performing prescribed
duties is ready and eligible for dhyana yoga.
Some schools such as sankhya, hold the view that
ascetics who have relinquished ritual fire sacrifices are the
only ones eligible for dhyana yoga. This verse clarifies
Chapter 6 213
For one who wins over the mind with the intellect, the
mind is indeed a friend. For one who cannot win over the
mind, it becomes an enemy (the Lord becomes a friend to
the devoted, and an enemy to those not devoted). (6.6)
win over the mind as well as the Lord. This allows the
seeker to realize the Lord (direct knowledge), which in
turn equips the seeker with equanimity in the face of
extreme situations.
Equal Treatment
gwöpÝ_Ìm`w©XmgrZ_Ü`ñWÛoî`~ÝYwfw Ÿ&
gmYwîd{n M nmnofw g_~w{Õ{d©{eî`Vo Ÿ&& 9 &&
suhṛnmitrāryudāsīnamadhyasthadveṣyabandhuṣu
sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu samabuddhir viśiṣyate
Such a person treats everyone – well-wishers, friends,
enemies, casual acquaintances, middlemen, the hateful,
family along with virtuous people, and sinners equally.
Equality is in the sense that the same blemishless Lord
full of infinite auspicious attributes is indwelling in
everyone. (6.9)
Comments: This verse continues to describe important
attributes of a seeker who has achieved self-realization
(with direct, divine knowledge). The population that one
deals with daily is categorized into seven types-
* Well-wishers: Those who help others unconditionally
* Friends: Those who go out of their way to save
others from danger
* Enemies: Those who always harm others
* Casual acquaintances: Those who neither help
nor hurt.
* Middlemen: Those who help sometimes and harm
sometimes
Chapter 6 219
Moderation in Consumption
Mental Tranquility
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Ag§e`§ _hm~mhmo _Zmo Xw{Z©J«h§ Mb_² Ÿ&
Aä`mgoZ Vw H$m¡ÝVo` d¡am½`oU M J¥÷Vo Ÿ&& 35 &&
śrībhagavān uvāca
asañśayaṁ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṁ calam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
nmW© Z¡doh Zm_wÌ {dZmeñVñ` {dÚVo Ÿ&
Z {h H$ë`mUH¥$V² H$[üÔþJ©{V§ VmV JÀN>{V Ÿ&& 40 &&
śrībhagavān uvāca
pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśas tasya vidyate
na hi kalyāṇakṛt kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati
The Lord said:
O Partha! Such a sincere person will not experience
any ill effects in this world or the next. One who indulges
in even limited virtuous activities will never experience
downfall. (6.40)
Comments: The Lord answers Arjuna’s questions in
the next four and half verses. Arjuna’s questions were
based on the following arguments. Some seekers may
avoid performing activities that would result in rewards
such as heavens, based on their belief that those rewards
are temporary. Given the difficulty in performing
236 The Bhagavad Gita
Summary of Chapter 6
gá_mo@Ü`m`… - kmZ{dkmZ`moJ…
Chapter 7 - The Path of Knowledge and Wisdom
Chapter Introduction: In this chapter of 30 verses,
the Lord teaches the concepts of jnana (knowledge) and
vijnana (special knowledge or wisdom). In verse (2.39),
the Lord stated that He would teach about the yoga (way/
path) to achieve divine, spiritual knowledge, knowing
which one would be able to properly perform prescribed
duties, get rid of accrued sins and achieve liberation. Such
procedures were described from chapters 2 to 6. The path
described had two components, external and internal. The
external component dealt with the procedures performed
that were evident to others and this was covered till
chapter 5. Chapter 6 dealt with the internal procedure of
dhyana meditation that a seeker needs to perform. Thus,
the first 6 chapters were broadly concerned with
descriptions of the methods and procedures (both external
and internal) a seeker would need to perform to be able
to acquire divine, spiritual knowledge. The next 6 chapters
describe in more detail such divine, spiritual knowledge
about the Lord Almighty which forms the principle
message of the Gita. In earlier chapters 2 – 6, there were
some discussions on the Lord’s attributes which were
included contextually, but the next 6 chapters provide
more, exclusive details about the Lord’s attributes. The
term jnana in general means ordinary knowledge, which
is acquired through study of scriptures, learning from
teachers etc. This is also known as paroksha jnana
(indirect knowledge) as one acquires this before attaining
self-realization. Vijnana is specialized knowledge or
wisdom acquired after self-realization. This is also known
Chapter 7 243
Discourse on Divinity
lr^JdmZwdmM &
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Ag§e`§ g_J«§ _m§ `Wm kmñ`{g VÀN>¥Uw Ÿ&& 1 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
mayy āsaktamanāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan madāśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
The Lord said:
O Partha! With your mind fully absorbed in Me,
seeking refuge in Me, meditate on Me. Listen to Me to
understand the way (yoga) you can extensively know Me,
dispelling all doubts. (7.1)
Comments: The Lord starts His sermon to Arjuna
about His attributes. To understand these, seekers would
require their minds to be completely focused on the Lord
with firm conviction that the Lord is the protector and
shelter for all. The Lord uses the adjectives asamshayam
(without doubt) and samagram (complete) in this verse.
Sri Madhwacharya in his [GB] clarifies that these words
cannot be interpreted to conclude that one can completely
understand the Lord. Rather they refer to the knowledge
that a seeker can acquire, meaning that by listening to the
Lord’s teachings attentively, a seeker can understand the
Lord’s attributes to the maximum extent (based on the
244 The Bhagavad Gita
Eight-Fold Nature
Summary of Chapter 7
The first 6 chapters were broadly concerned with
descriptions of the methods and procedures (both external
and internal) that a seeker would need to perform to be
able to acquire divine, spiritual knowledge. The next 6
chapters describe in more detail such divine, spiritual
knowledge about the Lord which forms the principle
message of the Gita. In earlier chapters 2 – 6, there were
some discussions on the Lord’s attributes which were
included contextually, and the next 6 chapters provide
more exclusive details about the Lord’ attributes. Chapter
7 provides a detailed discussion of the two types of
learning – knowledge and wisdom. Ordinary knowledge
(jnana) is that knowledge that is gained from scriptural
studies and through teachers. Wisdom or direct knowledge
266 The Bhagavad Gita
Aï>_mo@Úm`… - Aja~«÷`moJ…
Chapter 8 - The Imperishable Lord
Chapter Introduction: This chapter, titled ‘Akshara
Brahma Yoga’, the path of the imperishable Lord,
comprising 28 verses shows the sure path to reach the
Lord through concentrated meditation and single pointed
devotion. The previous chapter covered the issues of
indirect knowledge and direct knowledge as they relate to
the Lord. Towards the end of the chapter, in verses (7.29)
and (7.30), the Lord introduced some special topics such
as Adhibhoota, Adhidaiva, Adhiyajna etc. This terminology
was used for the first time, and Arjuna naturally has
questions about their context and meaning. The Lord
answers Arjuna’s questions, and much of the chapter is
devoted to the act of remembering the Lord during one’s
final moments, and one’s journey hereafter.
Arjuna said:
O Purushottama (The Supreme One)! Who is ‘Brahma’
(Lord Almighty)? What is ‘Adhyatma’ (Prime Self)? What
is ‘Karma’ (Fruitive Action)? What does one call
‘Adhibhoota’ (Prime Nature)? Who are ‘Adhidaiva’ (Prime
Deities)? (8.1)
O Madhusoodana! Who is known as ‘Adhiyajna’ (Lord
of Sacrifice) in this body? And why? How are you to be
known at the time of departure by yogis (seekers) with
self-control? (8.2)
Comments: In verse (7.30), the Lord stated the need
for one to have proper knowledge about Him, especially
during one’s last moments. Arjuna has eight questions
regarding the concepts in verses (7.29) and (7.30). Lord
Krishna answers these questions in the next few verses.
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
Aja§ ~«÷ na_§ ñd^mdmo@Ü`mË__wÀ`Vo Ÿ&
^yV^mdmoØdH$amo {dgJ©… H$_©g§{kV… Ÿ&& 3 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ svabhāvodhyātmam ucyate
bhūtabhāvodbhavakaro visargaḥ karmasaṁjñitaḥ
The Lord said:
‘Brahma’ refers to the imperishable Lord who pervades
everything and everyone. ‘Adhyatma’ refers to the material
equipment that allows a soul to act (body, sense organs,
Chapter 8 269
H$qd nwamU_Zwem{gVma‘²
AUmoaUr`m§g_Zwñ_aoÚ… Ÿ&
gd©ñ` YmVma_{MÝË`ê$n‘²
A{XË`dUª V_g… nañVmV² Ÿ&& 9 &&
kaviṁ purāṇam anuśāsitāraṁ aṇor aṇīyāṁsam anusmared
yaḥ
sarvasya dhātāram acintyarūpaṁ ādityavarṇaṁ tamasaḥ
parastāt
One should meditate on the Lord Almighty as one who
is omniscient, who is ancient, who governs the entire
universe, who is smaller than the smallest object, who
supports and protects everyone and everything in the
universe, who is incomprehensible, who has the radiance
274 The Bhagavad Gita
à`mUH$mbo _Zgm@MboZ
^ŠË`m `wº$mo `moJ~boZ M¡d Ÿ&
^«wdmo_©Ü`o àmU_mdoí` gå`H²$
g V§ na§ nwéf_wn¡{V {Xì`_² Ÿ&& 10 &&
prayāṇakāle manasācalena bhaktyā yukto yogabalena cai-
va
bhruvor madhye prāṇam āveśya samyak sa taṁ paraṁ pu-
ruṣam upaiti divyam
One who, at the time of leaving one’s body, meditates
on the divine form of the Lord with utmost devotion, with
Chapter 8 275
verse also states that the seeker should focus the mind on
‘hrudi’ which Sri Rayaru in [GV] clarifies is a reference
to Lord Narayana. The word hrudi expands as harati +
jagat, meaning 'One who dissolves the universe'.
The primordial syllable Om succinctly represents the
Lord. Om, made up of three letters a, u and ma expands
into the three parts of the holy Gayatri hymn which itself
expands into the three sections of the Vedic hymn the
Purusha Sookta from where all Vedic literature emerged.
Later in chapter (10.25), the Lord Himself states that
among all letters, He dwells in the letter Om giving it
supremacy. Verse (17.23) also has additional details on the
primordial syllable Om.
Summary of Chapter 8
Chapter 7 covered the issues of knowledge and wisdom
as they relate to the Lord. Towards the end of that chapter,
in verses (7.29) and (7.30), the Lord introduced some
special topics such as Adhibhoota, Adhidaiva, Adhiyajna
etc. This terminology was used for the first time and
Arjuna naturally had questions about their context and
meaning. The Lord answers Arjuna’s questions in this
chapter, is devoted to the act of remembering the Lord
during one’s final moments and one’s journey hereafter.
Arjuna asks eight questions in verses (8.1) and (8.2) and
the Lord answers them in verses (8.3) - (8.5). ‘Brahma’
refers to the imperishable Lord. ‘Adhyatma’ refers to
material equipment that allow a soul to act (body, sense
organs, conscience). ‘Karma' refers to the Lord’s act of
creation which is responsible for the birth and existence
of all living beings. Basic elements of material nature
such as earth and fire form ‘Adhibhoota’. Superior deities
who reside inside and govern the physical bodies of living
beings (namely Sesha, the serpent deity and the four faced
deity Brahma) form ‘Adhidaiva’. Powering all living
beings and the consumer of offerings in all sacrifices is
the Lord, going by the name of ‘Adhiyajna’ (Lord of
Sacrifice). The Lord answers Arjuna’s eighth question by
stating that learned seekers remember the Lord at the time
of leaving body which results in them attaining Him. In
verses (8.6)-(8.14), the Lord teaches the need for one to
remember Him during the final moments and the procedure
to do the same. Verses (8.15)-(8.16) state that those who
remember the Lord properly during their final moments
will not return to earth. The concept of Lord Almighty’s
day and night and their relationship to His acts of creation
288 The Bhagavad Gita
Zd_mo@Ü`m`… - amO{dÚmamOJwø`moJ…
Chapter 9 – Path of Supreme Knowledge and
Supreme Secrets
Chapter Introduction: This chapter, titled the ‘Path of
Supreme Knowledge and Supreme Secrets’ comprises of
34 verses. The central message contained here is an
assurance to all seekers that they will have their desires
fulfilled through devoted worship and meditation on the
Lord. The wise seek the Lord through such devotion and
worship, while the ignorant seek limited material and
mundane gains, and never lead a fulfilled life. This chapter
is a continuation of the concepts in Chapter 7 where some
important attributes of the Lord were revealed. Towards
the end of Chapter 7, the Lord introduces some new
concepts such as Adhyatma, Adhibhoota, Adhidaiva,
Adhiyajna etc. Arjuna’s questions about these concepts
were answered in Chapter 8. Now, the Lord continues the
discussion from Chapter 7. In that sense, Chapters 7, 8
and 9 are in proper sequence. While the Lord has infinite
auspicious forms, attributes, activities etc., there are eight
activities of the Lord Almighty that directly impact living
beings. They are – creation (Srishti), sustenance (Stithi),
dissolution (laya), regulation (niyamana), knowledge
(jnana), ignorance (ajnana), bondage (bandha) and
liberation (moksha). Together they are called Janmadi
ashtaka and they are also covered in this chapter. This
chapter is called the Path of Supreme Knowledge (‘Raja
Vidya Yoga’) as it teaches these particularly important
concepts about the Lord. It is also called the Path of
Supreme Secrets (‘Raja Guhya Yoga’) as it should only be
taught to the faithful and the deserving.
290 The Bhagavad Gita
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
BX§ Vw Vo JwøV_§ àdú`må`Zgy`do Ÿ&
kmZ§ {dkmZg{hV§ `ÁkmËdm _moú`go@ew^mV² Ÿ&& 1 &&
śrībhagavān uvāca
idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave
jñānaṁ vijñānasahitaṁ yaj jñātvā mokṣyaseśubhāt
Summary of Chapter 9
While the Lord has infinite auspicious forms, attributes,
activities etc., there are eight activities of the Lord that
directly impact living beings. They are – creation (srishti),
sustenance (sthiti), dissolution (laya), regulation
(niyamana), knowledge (jnana), ignorance (ajnana),
bondage (bandha), and liberation (moksha). Together they
are called Janmadi ashtaka and they are covered in this
chapter. This chapter is called ‘Raja Vidya Yoga’ as it
teaches these important concepts about the Lord. The
Lord provides the context for the teachings in this chapter
in verses (9.1), (9.2), and (9.3) where He resolves to
impart both general knowledge (acquired through
scriptures - jnana) and special, divine knowledge about
Himself (vijnana). The attribute of sthiti (sustenance)
among the eight major attributes of the Lord as they relate
to living beings is covered in verses (9.4) – (9.6). In verses
9.7 and 9.8, the Lord’s attributes of creation (srishti) and
dissolution (laya) are covered and in 9.10, His attribute of
regulation (niyamana) of the universe is discussed. Verse
9.13 describes the attribute of knowledge (jnana) as it
pertains to pious souls, and verses (9.11), (9.12) pertain to
the attribute of false knowledge (ajnana) of demoniac
souls. In verse (9.1), the Lord resolved to impart Arjuna
both the jnana general knowledge – obtainable through
scriptures and also very special knowledge about Himself
(vijnana). The Lord describes such general knowledge in
12 verses from (9.4) to (9.15) and in four verses (9.16) to
(9.19), the Lord instructs special, divine knowledge
(vijnana) which identifies His presence in all entities, all
activities, all sounds and indeed in everything. In verses
(9.20) to (9.25), the Lord explains the difference in
316 The Bhagavad Gita
Xe_mo@Ü`m`… - {d^y{V`moJ…
Chapter 10 - Divine Manifestations
Chapter Introduction: Number ten signifies fullness.
It is very fitting that the Lord details His greatness in this
tenth chapter of 42 verses. In the 6th chapter, the Lord
provided details of dhyana meditation, and in the last
verse of Chapter 9 the Lord taught that one should
concentrate and focus the mind exclusively on Him to
achieve everlasting bliss (moksha). For one to develop
such firm conviction in meditation, one needs to be fully
aware of the Lord’s greatness and attributes. It is also
necessary for one to develop a mental picture of the Lord
to focus the mind during meditation. The Lord details
many of His glorious forms from verse (10.21) to (10.38),
to aid in meditation. Some of the Lord’s attributes and
special presence in activities and entities were briefly
described in (5.29), (7.8), (9.16) etc. More details on these
concepts are provided in this grand chapter.
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
^y` Ed _hm~mhmo e¥Uw _o na_§ dM… Ÿ&
`Îmo@h§ àr`_mUm` dú`m{_ {hVH$må``m Ÿ&& 1 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavānuvāca
bhūya eva mahābāho śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ
yat tehaṁ prīyamāṇāya vakṣyāmi hitakāmyayā
The Lord said:
O Arjuna, Mighty Armed One! Listen to some more of
My paramount qualities. I will speak unto you for your
welfare as you will delight in them. (10.1)
318 The Bhagavad Gita
Arjuna said:
O Krishna! Great sages, deities and heavenly singers
praise you as the supreme entity, the ultimate abode for
everyone, supremely sacred, full of auspicious attributes,
eternal, and omnipresent. You have also taught me the
same. (10.12) (10.13)
O Keshava! I trust everything you have said to me. O
Lord! Neither great deities nor demons nor indeed any
others knows you fully. O Purushottama! Controller of the
universe, and Lord of everyone and everything. Only you
know yourself fully. (10.14) (10.15)
Please educate me about your divine majestic forms
with which you pervade this universe. O Lord of Infinite
Abilities! How should I be thinking about you? O Supreme
Lord! How do I visualize you and your presence in
different entities in this universe? O Janardana! Tell me
more details about your supreme abilities and majestic
forms. I will never be satisfied with any amount of your
sweet nectarine words. (10.16) (10.17) (10.18)
Comments: After hearing about the Lord’s greatness
and attributes in brief, Arjuna is now curious and interested
in learning more. He states that great sages and deities
have praised the Lord’s attributes and the Lord Himself
has reiterated them. Further, Arjuna knows that even great
deities are not capable of fully knowing the Lord who is
the creator of even Brahma and Rudra (indicated by the
use of the Lord’s name Keshava in 10.14, where ka refers
to Brahma and Isha refers to Rudra, and Keshava is in
fact the one who created both Brahma and Rudra). Only
Chapter 10 327
the Lord knows His forms fully. Arjuna further states that
for one to meditate on the Lord, it is important for one to
visualize His forms. Hence, Arjuna would like to learn
about the Lord’s majestic forms. In 10.16, Arjuna requests
the Lord to teach him fully about His forms. Arjuna is
never satisfied with any amount of the sweet nectarine
words of the Lord.
In 10.16, Arjuna uses the term vibhuti while referring
to the Lord’s form. Sri Rayaru in [GV] explains that
vibhuti has two different meanings. Firstly, vibhuti =
vividhatayaa bhootayaha meaning different forms of the
Lord such as Rama, Krishna etc., and secondly vibhuti =
vishishtaha bhootayaha, meaning the form of the Lord
that bestows superiority to a specific entity or quality
among its peers. These will be detailed in later verses.
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
hÝV Vo H$W{`î`m{_ {Xì`m ømË_{d^yV`… Ÿ&
àmYmÝ`V… Hw$éloð> ZmñË`ÝVmo {dñVañ` _o Ÿ&& 19 &&
śrībhagavān uvāca
hanta te kathayiṣyāmi divyā hy ātmavibhūtayaḥ
prādhānyataḥ kuruśreṣṭha nāsty anto vistarasya me
Summary of Chapter 10
In this chapter, the Lord details His forms and presence
in many entities and attributes in response to Arjuna’s
questions which appeared in verses (10.12) to (10.18).
Arjuna was keen to learn about the Lord’s divine glories
and countless manifestations as one needs to form a
mental image of the Lord to visualize Him during
concentrated meditation. The Lord identifies His divine
manifestations and special presence in entities which gives
them superiority. These are described in 18 verses from
(10.21) to (10.38). Sri Rayaru in [GV] explains that vibhuti
roopa (divine manifestation) is of two types – direct
forms and hidden forms. Direct form refers to His forms
of Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Vyasa, Kapila etc., while
hidden forms refer to the Lord’s presence in specific
entities that gives them supremacy. The superiority among
the hidden forms is of three types: (i) supreme among
similar objects, (ii) supreme among dissimilar objects
which share a common condition, and (iii) supreme
among objects except for an obvious leader. Also, Sri
Rayaru uses shabda nishpatti (word derivation) to indicate
the specific attribute of the Lord signified by the name of
the chosen superior entity in each class. In verse (10.21),
He identifies Ravi (sun) as the entity that is superior
among similar objects, namely luminaries. In the same
verse, the Lord also identifies Shashi (Moon) as superior
among stars. The Moon is not a star. However, the Moon
and the stars share the common attribute of being visible
in the night sky. In that sense, the Moon is superior to
Chapter 10 345
EH$mXemo@ܶm¶… - {dœê$nXe©Z_²
Chapter 11 - The Lord’s Universal Form
Arjuna said:
O Krishna! Out of compassion, You blessed me with
the most secret divine knowledge. My ignorance is
dispelled by Your words. (11.1)
348 The Bhagavad Gita
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
ní` _o nmW© ê$nm{U eVemo@W ghòe… Ÿ&
ZmZm{dYm{Z {Xì`m{Z ZmZmdUm©H¥$Vr{Z M Ÿ&& 5 &&
Chapter 11 349
śrībhagavān uvāca
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi śataśotha sahastraśaḥ
nānāvidhāni divyāni nānāvarṇākṛtīni ca
AZoH$~mhÿXad³ÌZo̧
ní`m{_ Ëdm§ gd©Vmo@ZÝVê$n_² Ÿ&
ZmÝV§ Z _ܶ§ Z nwZñVdm@qX
ní`m{_ {dœoœa {dœê$n Ÿ&& 16 &&
anekabāhūdaravaktranetraṁ paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvatonan-
tarūpam
nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ paśyāmi viśveśvara
viśvarūpa
You have no end. You are the Supreme One. You are
the one to be known. You are the primary shelter to this
world. Your strength never diminishes. You are the
protector of timeless righteous values. You have no
beginning, You are eternal, and You are described in
scriptures such as the Puranas. (11.18)
AZm{X_Ü`mÝV_ZÝVdr`©‘²
AZÝV~mhþ§ e{egy`©ZoÌ_² Ÿ&
ní`m{_ Ëdm§ XráhþVmed³Ì§ Ÿ
ñdVoOgm {dœ{_X§ VnÝV_² Ÿ&& 19 &&
anādimadhyāntam anantavīryam anantabāhuṁ śaśisūrya-
netram
paśyāmi tvāṁ dīptahutāśavaktraṁ svatejasā viśvam idaṁ
tapantam
You have infinite powers with no beginning, middle or
end. You have infinite shoulders and Your infinite eyes
power the Sun and the Moon. I can see Your form
brightening and burning the entire Universe with blazing
fire in Your mouth. (11.19)
Comments: While verses (11.16) and (11.18) made
references to the Lord spanning infinite spaces and times,
this verse states that the Lord’s attributes are also infinite.
The reference to the Sun and the Moon mirrors the
description in the Purusha Sookta.
Úmdmn¥{Wì`mo[aX_ÝVa§ {h
ì`m᧠Ëd`¡Ho$Z {Xeü gdm©… Ÿ&
ÑîQ‰>m@ØþV§ ê$n_wJ«§ VdoX§
bmoH$Ì`§ àì`{WV§ _hmË_Z² Ÿ&& 20 &&
dyāvāpṛthivyor idam antaraṁ hi vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśaś
ca sarvāḥ
dṛṣṭvādbhutaṁ rupam ugraṁ tavedaṁ lokatrayaṁ pra-
vyathitaṁ mahātman
Your single form spreads from heaven to earth, it fills
the interspace and pervades in all directions. O Greatest
Chapter 11 357
~hÿXa§ ~hþX§ï´>mH$amb§
ÑîÛm bmoH$m… àì`{WVmñVWm@h_² Ÿ&& 23 &&
rūpaṁ mahat te bahuvaktranetraṁ mahābāho ba-
hubāhūrupādam
bahūdaraṁ bahudañṣṭrākarālaṁ dṛṣṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitās
tathāham
Z^…ñn¥e§ Xrá_ZoH$dUª
ì`mÎmmZZ§ Xrá{dembZoÌ_² Ÿ&
ÑîQ‰>m {h Ëdm§ àì`{WVmÝVamË_m
Y¥qV Z {dÝXm{_ e_§ M {dîUmo Ÿ&& 24 &&
nabhaḥspṛśaṁ dīptam anekavarṇaṁ vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-
viśālanetram
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntarātmā dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi
śamaṁ ca viṣṇo
X§ï´>mH$ambm{Z M Vo _wIm{Z
ÑîQ‰>¡d H$mbmZbg{Þ^m{Z Ÿ&
{Xemo Z OmZo Z b^o M e_©
àgrX Xodoe OJ{Þdmg Ÿ&& 25 Ÿ&&
daṁṣṭrākarālāni ca te mukhāni dṛṣṭvaiva kālānala-
saṁnibhāni
diśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma prasīda deveśa
jagannivāsa
Ho${M{Ûb¾m XeZmÝVaofw
g§Ñí`ÝVo My{U©V¡éÎm_m“¡… Ÿ&& 27 Ÿ&&
vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti daṁṣṭrākarālāni bhayānakāni
kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu saṁdṛśyante cūrṇitair ut-
tamāṅgaiḥ
Bheeshma, Drona, Karna the son of Soota, and all the
sons of Dhrutarashtra, along with many Kings and many
brave warriors from our side are all seen running towards
Your terrifying mouth which has dreadful, sharp teeth
and many are seen with their heads smashed and stuck
between Your teeth. (11.26) (11.27)
Comments: The reference to the Kauravas and other
warriors seen entering the Lord’s open mouth which has
sharp, dreadful teeth is a symbolic way of indicating their
impending death in the war. A question that arises currently
is as follows. If the Gita was taught by Lord Krishna to
Arjuna before the start of the war, how could Arjuna see
the vision of many warriors dying in the war as indicated
here. Sri Rayaru in [GV] explains that Arjuna was granted
Divine Vision by the Lord so that he could see the His
Universal Form. The same Divine Vision also gave Arjuna
the ability to see things that would happen in the future.
Sri Rayaru in [GV] explains that deities who have
Divine Vision can view things with infinite precision. In
the epic Vishnu Dharma, there is an episode related to
King Puroorava and the Ashwini deities who visit him.
The King requests them to wait a short while as he wanted
to see them after taking a shower and dressing himself in
his royal clothes and ornaments. The deities see him later
and laugh at him. The King asks the deities the reason for
their reaction. They say that even though the King took
362 The Bhagavad Gita
lr^JdmZwdmM &
H$mbmo@pñ_ bmoH$j`H¥$Ëàd¥Õmo
bmoH$mZ² g_mhVw©{_h àd¥Îm… Ÿ&
F$Vo@{n Ëdm§ Z ^{dî`pÝV gd}
`o@dpñWVm… àË`ZrHo$fw `moYm… Ÿ&& 32 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
kālosmi lokakṣayakṛt pravṛddho lokān samāhartum iha
pravṛttaḥ
ṛtepi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve yevasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣu
yodhāḥ
The Lord said:
I am the controller of Time and Space, mighty enough
to destroy all the worlds, and I have resolved to destroy
Chapter 11 365
Arjuna said:
dm`w`©_mo@{¾d©éU… eem§H$…
àOmn{VñËd§ à{nVm_hü Ÿ&
Z_mo Z_ñVo@ñVw ghòH¥$Ëd…
nwZü ^y`mo@{n Z_mo Z_ñVo Ÿ&& 39 Ÿ&&
vāyur yamognir varuṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ prajāpatis tvaṁ
prapitāmahaś ca
namo namas testu sahastrakṛtvaḥ punaś ca bhūyopi namo
namas te
You are the primordial Lord. You are the One described
in the scriptures. You are the shelter for the entire Universe.
You know everything. You teach everything. You are the
one to be known. You are full of infinite lustre. O One
with Infinite Forms! The Universe is filled by You. (11.38)
You are - Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Chandra, Prajapati,
and grandfather to all. I offer my obeisance to You
thousands of times, again and again. (11.39)
Comments: In verse (11.38) Arjuna continues his prayer
to the Lord. The Lord is everywhere, always full of
infinite, auspicious attributes. In verse (11.39), Arjuna
describes the Lord as Vayu (form of strength and wisdom),
Yama (blemishless), Agni (activator of the inert Universe),
Varuna (accepts any offering from devotees), Chandra (full
of bliss), Prajapati (ruler of subjects) and Pitamaha
(grandfather- father of Brahma who himself is the father
to all). He is indwelling in all these deities and He powers
Chapter 11 371
their activities. The deities are in fact named after the Lord
indwelling in them as indicated by the meanings above.
`ƒmnhmgmW©_gËH¥$Vmo@{g
{dhmaeæ`mgZ^moOZofw Ÿ&
EH$mo@Wdm@ß`À`wV VËg_j§
VËjm_`o Ëdm_h_à_o`_² Ÿ&& 42 Ÿ&&
yac cāvahāsārtham asatkṛtosi vihāraśayyāsanabhojaneṣu
ekothavāpy acyuta tatsamakṣaṁ tat kṣāmaye tvām aham
aprameyam
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
_`m àgÞoZ VdmOw©ZoX§
ê$n§ na§ X{e©V_mË_`moJmV² Ÿ&
VoOmo_`§ {dœ_ZÝV_mÚ§
`Ý_o ËdXÝ`oZ Z Ñï>nyd©_² Ÿ&& 47 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ rūpaṁ paraṁ darśitam āt-
mayogāt
tejomayaṁ viśvam anantam ādyaṁ yan me tvadanyena na
dṛṣṭapūrvam
Z doX`kmÜ``Z¡Z© XmZ¡-
Z© M {H«$`m{^Z© Vnmo{^éJ«¡… Ÿ&
Ed§ê$n… eŠ` Ah§ Z¥bmoHo$
Ðïw>§ ËdXÝ`oZ Hw$éàdra Ÿ&& 48 Ÿ&&
376 The Bhagavad Gita
_m Vo ì`Wm _m M {d_yT>^mdmo
ÑîQ‰>m ê$n§ Kmoa_rÑL²> ‘_oX_² Ÿ&
ì`noV^r… àrV_Zm… nwZñËd§
VXod _o ê$n{_X§ àní` Ÿ&& 49 Ÿ&&
mā te vyathā mā ca vimūḍhabhāvo dṛṣṭvā rūpaṁ ghoram
īdṛṅ mamedam
vyapetabhīḥ prītamanāḥ punas tvaṁ tad eva me rūpam
idaṁ prapaśya
The Lord said:
O Arjuna! As I Am pleased with you, I showed you
My amazing Universal Form which is full of infinite
energy and has no beginning or end. No one else has seen
this form before. (11.47)
O Arjuna, Bravest Among Kurus! The Universal form
that you were able to see has not been visible to anyone
in this world. One cannot see this even if one has carried
out elaborate sacrifices or practiced intense austerities or
made significant charitable donations or undertaken deep
study of the scriptures. (11.48)
Do not be frightened and bewildered by seeing My
terrifying Universal form. Set aside your fears and put
your mind at ease as I will now appear in the form
which you have seen before. (11.49)
Chapter 11 377
g§O` CdmM
BË`Ow©Z§ dmgwXodñVWmoŠËdm
ñdH§$ ê$n§ Xe©`m_mg ^y`… Ÿ&
Amœmg`m_mg M ^rV_oZ§
^yËdm nwZ… gm¡å`dnw_©hmË_m Ÿ&& 50 &&
sañjaya uvāca
ity arjunaṁ vāsudevas tathoktvā svakaṁ rūpaṁ darśayām
āsa bhūyaḥ
āśvāsayām āsa ca bhītam enaṁ bhūtvā punaḥ saumyavapur
mahatma
378 The Bhagavad Gita
Sanjaya said:
Lord Vasudeva having said thus, appeared before
Arjuna in His earlier form. Lord Almighty Krishna
having appeared thus pacified Arjuna. (11.50)
Comments: Sanjaya relays the next development as an
answer to King Dhrutarashtra’s curiosity. The Lord,
responding to Arjuna’s request in verse (11.46), puts him
at ease by reappearing in His own human like form that
Arjuna was used to seeing before.
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
gwXwX©e©{_X§ ê$n§ Ñï>dmZ{g `Ý__ Ÿ&
Xodm Aß`ñ` ê$nñ` {ZË`§ Xe©ZH$m{¬U… Ÿ&& 52 &&
Chapter 11 379
śrībhagavān uvāca
sudurdarśam idaṁ rūpaṁ dṛṣṭvān asi yan mama
devā apy asya rūpasya nityaṁ darśanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ
Summary of Chapter 11
After listening to the Lord’s teachings on His divine
manifestations, His amazing activities in terms of creation
of the universe etc., in the previous chapter, Arjuna is
naturally curious to physically see the Lord’s form.
(11.1-11.4). The Lord now exhibits His grand Universal
Form which is the core of this chapter termed Vishwa
Roopa Darshana (Vision of The Lord’s Universal Form).
The Lord empowers Arjuna with divine vision as one
cannot view Him with ordinary eyes (11.8). Arjuna views
the Lord’ amazing, incredible, Universal Form spanning
the entire universe with countless heads, limbs etc. The
descriptions of the Lord’s Universal Form mirrors that in
the Rig Vedic hymn the Purusha Sookta. Arjuna describes
the grand sight and compares the Lord’s energy to that of
thousands of rising suns (11.12). He is able to see the
entire universe sheltering inside the Lord including all the
deities starting from four faced Brahma (11.15). He also
sees many deities entering the Lord and praying to the
Lord with utmost humility (11.21). Everyone is frightened
382 The Bhagavad Gita
ÛmXemo@Ü`m`… - ^{º$¶moJ…
Chapter 12 - The Path of Devotion
Chapter Introduction: This chapter of 20 verses is
known as Bhakti Yoga (The Path of Devotion). In chapter
10, the Lord described His special presence in beings and
objects which gave them superiority among peers, and in
chapter 11 the Lord revealed His Universal Form to Arjuna
to convince him of His strength and powers. The Lord
also states that it is exceedingly difficult for one to behold
a vision of His Universal Form and Arjuna was indeed
fortunate to have been granted that Divine Vision. In the
concluding verses of chapter 11, the Lord declares that
sincere devotion towards Him is the best way for a seeker
to reach Him. This chapter expands on the concept of
devotion and is hence termed the Path of Devotion. In
verse (7.23), it was stated that those who propitiate other
deities will achieve only temporary fruits and not
everlasting bliss. However, in the scriptures it is stated
that the Lord’s consort Goddess Mahalakshmi, who is
ever liberated is worshipped by all deities from Brahma
onwards and that she grants liberation to the eligible. A
natural question that would arise is about the effects of
propitiating Goddess Lakshmi who is also known to grant
moksha to devotees. Arjuna (on behalf of other seekers)
seeks clarification on the benefits of propitiating Goddess
Lakshmi who is the governing deity for the principle of
the unmanifest (avyakta). The Lord responds to Arjuna’s
question in verses (12.2) to (12.7) of this chapter and
concludes that worshipping Lord Narayana is an easier
way to attain moksha as pleasing Mahalakshmi is difficult.
Further, Lakshmi operates under the Lord Almighty’s
384 The Bhagavad Gita
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
_æ`mdoí` _Zmo `o _m§ {ZË``wº$m CnmgVo Ÿ&
lÕ`m na¶monoVmñVo _o `wº$V_m _Vm… Ÿ&& 2 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ nityayuktā upāsate
śraddhayā parayopetāḥ te me yuktatamā matāḥ
The Lord said:
In My opinion, those seekers who worship Me with
supreme faith, and conduct their prescribed duties and
meditation with the mind immersed in Me, are
superior. (12.2)
386 The Bhagavad Gita
Summary of Chapter 12
In chapter 10, the Lord described His divine presence
in beings and objects which give them superiority among
their peers, and in chapter 11, the Lord revealed His
Universal Form to Arjuna to convince him of His strength
and powers. The Lord also stated that it is exceedingly
difficult for one to achieve the vision of His Universal
Form and that Arjuna was indeed fortunate to have been
granted that Divine Vision. In the concluding verses of
chapter 11, the Lord declares that sincere devotion towards
Him is the best way for a seeker to reach Him. This
chapter expands on the concept of devotion and is hence
termed the Path of Devotion. In verse (7.23), it was stated
that those who propitiate other deities will achieve only
temporary fruits and not everlasting bliss. However, in the
scriptures it is stated that the Lord’s consort, Goddess
Mahalakshmi who is ever liberated is worshipped by all
deities from Brahma onwards and she grants liberation to
the eligible. A natural question that would arise is about
the effects of propitiating Goddess Lakshmi who is also
398 The Bhagavad Gita
Ì`moXemo@Ü`m`… - joÌjoÌk`moJ…
Chapter 13 -
The Field and The Knower of the Field
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
BX§ eara§ H$m¡ÝVo` joÌ{_Ë`{^Yr`Vo Ÿ&
EVÚmo do{Îm V§ àmhþ… joÌk B{V V{ÛX… Ÿ&& 2 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate
etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ kṣetrajña iti tadvidaḥ
The Lord said:
O Son of Kunti! This body made of inert nature is the
field of activity. One who has a good understanding of the
constituents of this field of activity is the knower. (13.2)
Comments: The Lord uses the word shareera (physical
body) to identify the entity that forms kshetra (the field of
activity), based of word derivation. Here, shareera = shar
(the entity subject to feelings) + eera (the entity owing its
existence to the Lord). The knower of the field of activity
is termed kshetrajna, the one who knows kshetra which is
derived from ksheeyate (the entity with indwelling Lord
Almighty).
9. has self-control
10. renounces sensual desires
11. is devoid of ego
12. is always aware of the distressful conditions of birth,
death, old age, and disease
13. is detached from worldly possessions
14. is not excessively attached to family and possessions
15. is equanimous in the face of pleasure and pain
16. is exclusively devoted to the Lord
17. prefers to be in solitude
18. stays from crowds indulging in useless activities
(not dear to the Lord)
19. is constantly involved in learning about the Lord
20. is immersed in contemplation of scriptures for
realizing the Lord
The Object of Knowledge
Summary of Chapter 13
As indicated in the introductory chapter, Sri Rayaru in
[GV] has provided an excellent categorization of the 18
chapters in Gita by dividing them into 3 groups of 6
Chapter 13 427
MVwX©emo@Ü`m`… - JwUÌ`{d^mJ`moJ…
Chapter 14 - Division of Qualities
Chapter Introduction: This chapter of 27 verses is
termed Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga (Division of Qualities).
This chapter has details on the three qualities of nature
(sattv – pious, rajas – passion, tamas – ignorance) which
define one’s personality. These concepts were introduced
in chapter 3 (3.5) and are expanded here. The creation of
the universe through sentient Mother Nature is described.
The ways in which the three qualities bind a person are
also explained. The method to escape from the clutches of
the three qualities are described. The previous chapter had
a discussion on the interactions between inert nature, the
individual soul, and the Lord. Verse (13.22) indicated the
impact of the three qualities of nature on living beings.
Activities of living beings are influenced by the three
qualities of nature and such activities entangle them. This
chapter provides details on the three qualities of nature in
terms of their origin, influence, impact and more
importantly, the method to overcome them.
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
na§ ^y`… àdú`m{_ kmZmZm§ kmZ_wÎm__² Ÿ&
`ÁkmËdm _wZ`… gd} nam§ {g{Õ{_Vmo JVm… Ÿ&& 1 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
paraṁ bhūyaḥ pravakṣyāmi jñānānāṁ jñānam uttamam
yaj jñātvā munayaḥ sarve parāṁ siddhim ito gatāḥ
lr^JdmZwdmM Ÿ&
àH$me§ M àd¥qÎm M _moh_od M nmÊS>d Ÿ&
Z Ûo{ï> g§àd¥Îmm{Z Z {Zd¥Îmm{Z H$m¬{V Ÿ&& 22 Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
prakāśaṁ ca pravṛttiṁ ca moham eva ca pāṇḍava
na dveṣṭi saṁpravṛttāni na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati
The Lord said:
O Son of Pandu! One who has transcended the three
qualities of nature (gunas) neither abhors the light of
knowledge, activity, and delusion when they occur, nor
craves for them when they cease.
Or
On worldly issues, such people do not despise
knowledge (due to sattva), activity (due to rajas) or
ignorance (due to tamas). But on the issue of the Lord’s
attributes, they crave for knowledge (due to sattv) and
activity (due to rajas) and abhor delusion (due to tamas).
(14.22)
440 The Bhagavad Gita
Summary of Chapter 14
As indicated in the introductory section, the third set of
chapters (from Chapter 13 to 18), provide more details on
specific concepts discussed in the earlier sets of chapters.
The previous chapter had a discussion on the interaction
between inert nature, the individual soul, and the Lord,
and indicated the impact of the three qualities of nature,
namely sattv (piety), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance)
on living beings. Activities of living beings are influenced
by the three qualities of nature and such activities entangle
them. For one to get freed from bondage and achieve
liberation, it is important to understand the ways that one
gets influenced by the three qualities of nature. This
chapter provides details on the three qualities of nature in
terms of their origin (verses 14.3-14.4), entanglement
(verses 14.5 –14.8), impact and result (verses 14.11-
14.18). Verse (14.19) clarifies that the Lord Almighty
controls and is beyond the three qualities of nature. The
Lord also states in (14.21) that a seeker should strive to
traverse beyond these three qualities to achieve liberation.
In verses (14.22) to (14.27), the Lord enumerates the traits
of those who escape entanglement by these three qualities
and eventually reach His abode.
n#mXemo@Ü`m`… - nwéfmoÎm_`moJ…
Chapter 15 – Theology of The Supreme Being
Chapter Introduction: This chapter of 20 verses is
known as Purushottama Yoga (Theology of The Supreme
Being). This chapter is principally concerned with the
establishment of the principle of the Lord Almighty’s
supremacy and hence is termed Purushottama Yoga where
uttama means Supreme and purusha means Being. This
chapter is considered by many to have the core teachings
of the entire Gita. The Gita has 700 verses spread over
18 chapters. Chapter 15 which has 20 verses, interestingly
has 700 letters (15 verses have 32 letters each and the
remaining 5 verses have 44 letters each)! This gives
credence to the argument of this chapter’s importance
based on numerology. While the Lord had previously
described the components of the universe such as living
beings, inert objects, and the Lord, in this chapter He
illustrates the interrelations among them using the example
of a banyan tree. The Lord had indicated His presence in
living beings previously, especially within their hearts in
verses (9.4), (10.20), and (13.18). This chapter provides
more details on the aspects of His presence in living
beings. Further, in a previous chapter (13.24), it was stated
that a seeker who understands the relationship between
the Lord (purusha) and nature will eventually achieve
liberation. This chapter provides more details on the
attributes of the Lord (purusha). In verse 15, the Lord
explicitly states His presence in everyone and declares
that He is the primary subject matter of the Vedas. In
verses 16 to 20, the Lord emphatically describes Himself
as the Supreme Being, different from all other beings,
446 The Bhagavad Gita
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NÝXm§{g `ñ` nUm©{Z `ñV§ doX g doX{dV² Ÿ&& 1 &&
śrībhagavān uvāca
ūrdhvamūlam adhaḥśākham aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam
chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa vedavit
The Lord said:
The eternal banyan tree of the Universe is characterized
by the following - The Lord is like the earth that supports
the tree, Mother nature is the root of the tree. The 8
principles of nature are the branches of the tree. The tree
is eternally transforming like a running stream. The Vedas
are the leaves of this tree. One who knows these, knows
the Vedas.
Comments: This enigmatic verse describes the universe
using the example of a banyan tree. One must carefully
analyze each word to understand the inner meanings in
this verse. Sri Rayaru in his [GV] based on Sri
Madhwacharya’s [GB] and [GTN] provides an excellent
interpretation for this verse using the word derivation
approach of Sanskrit.
Firstly, the word ‘oordhwa’ is derived from ‘uttamatvaat’
and means ‘one that is superior’. Further, in the Vedas,
Chapter 15 447
Z ê$n_ñ`oh VWmonbä`Vo
ZmÝVmo Z Mm{XZ© M gåà{Vð>m Ÿ&
AœËW_oZ§ gw{dê$T>_yb‘²
Ag“eóoU ÑT>oZ {N>Ëdm && 3 Ÿ&&
na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādir na ca
saṁpratiṣṭhā
aśvattham enaṁ suvirūḍhamūlaṁ asaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena
chittvā
This tree is constantly evolving (like a flowing stream)
and does not stagnate; hence cannot be seen. It has neither
beginning nor end. One should chop this tree with the
sharp weapon of firm detachment (as the tree has very
strong roots), so as to separate the hidden roots from other
parts of the tree (one should use the strong weapon of
devotion and detachment to understand the distinction
between the Lord, Nature and the individual souls).
(15.3)
Comments: After having described the structure of the
Tree of the Universe in previous verses, this verse states
the action that a seeker needs to take to progress on the
spiritual path. The tree is constantly evolving as new
sprouts, leaves, flowers, and fruits bloom and the old ones
wither. However, the earth and the strong roots do not
wither. Similarly, the entities in the universe such as living
beings and inert objects are constantly changing but the
Lord and Mother Nature who are represented by the strong,
foundational roots of this tree, are not subject to any change
and do not perish. This verse clarifies that the Lord who
pervades all and is invisible during the beginning and end
of the universe (during the time epoch kalpa) continues to
Chapter 15 451
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nirmānamohā jitasaṅgadoṣā adhyātmanityā vinivṛttakāmāḥ
dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukhaduḥkhasaṁjñaiḥ gacchhanty
amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat
One who has overcome pride, ignorance, and worldly
pleasures, and who is involved in spiritual pursuits, who
performs duties with no expectations, and who treats
happiness and distress with equanimity, will indeed reach
the destination of eternal bliss. (15.5)
Comments: The previous verses stated that a seeker
needs to develop detachment in worldly affairs to imbibe
divine knowledge. This verse identifies additional
characteristics which enables such a seeker to reach the
Lord’s abode.
Summary of Chapter 15
This chapter of 20 verses and 700 letters is considered
by many to be the most important chapter in the entire
Chapter 15 465
Gita, the one that summarizes all its 700 verses. This
chapter is principally concerned with the establishment of
the principle of the Lord Almighty’s superiority and hence
is termed Purushottama Yoga where uttama means
supreme and purusha means the Being. The relationship
between the inert universe, individual souls and the Lord
Almighty were previously discussed. In this chapter, these
fivefold differences are explained with the example of a
banyan tree. Verses (15.1) and (15.2) describe the structure
of the tree. This description is enigmatic, and one can
appreciate the explanation provided by Sri Rayaru in [GV]
to help understand the real meaning of these verses. The
correspondence between the components of the tree and
the entities in the universe are as follows: Earth (supporting
the tree) = The Lord Almighty; Roots = Sentient and inert
nature; New roots = The three qualities of nature; Branches
= The five basic elements of nature; Sub-branches =
Physical bodies of living beings; Leaves = The Vedas;
Flowers, Fruit = Worldly desires, Liberation. Using the
analogy of a banyan tree, these two verses appear to
illustrate the concepts of gradations among various deities
described previously in (3.42). Verses (15.3) – (15.5)
describe the manner in which a seeker needs to approach
the concepts in the Tree of the Universe to understand the
nature of the Lord. Verses (15.6) to (15.14) describe some
specific attributes of the Lord such as omnipresence and
omniscience. Verse (15.15) is one of the most famous
verses in the Gita in which the Lord emphatically declares
His presence in the hearts of all living beings and states
that He is knowable through the Vedas. Verses (15.16) to
(15.20) establish the relationship between the Lord
466 The Bhagavad Gita
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Chapter 16 –
The Divine and the Demoniac Nature
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XmZ§ X_ü `kü ñdmÜ`m`ñVn AmO©d_² Ÿ&& 1 Ÿ&&
468 The Bhagavad Gita
śrībhagavān uvāca
abhayaṁ sattvasaṁśuddhir jñānayogavyavasthitiḥ
dānaṁ damaś ca yajñaś ca svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam
Demoniac Attributes
Resultant Destinations
Author's Note : The idea that the world is real has been
widely discussed in Hindu philosophical circles [OPM].
One school of thought holds the position that the world is
neither real not unreal. It's proponents use an oft quoted
example of a sea shell and a piece of silver to make the
point. Our Acharyas have pointed out the sheer futility of
the argument which is based on totally convoluted and
irrational thinking. That the world is real is a position
seminal to the philosophy of Sri Madhwacharya, and The
Bhagvad Gita itself supports this in its every verse.
Chapter 16 473
Summary of Chapter 16
Some of the characteristics of the divine and the
demoniac were described in verses (9.11) to (9.14) and
other verses to help a seeker inculcate divine characteristics
and avoid association with demoniac characters. This
chapter provides more details on these characteristics.
People with divine natures typically exhibit the following
traits: honesty, straightforwardness, compassion,
gentleness, sense control, peace of mind, pleasing
personality, helpfulness, anger control, purity in body and
mind, charitable nature etc. Those with demoniac natures
are characterized by some of these traits: arrogance, anger,
obstinacy, attachment to worldly pleasures, disrespect
towards teachers and elders, conceit, cruelty, hypocricy
etc. In verses (16.1) to (16.3), the Lord describes 26
attributes that characterize those endowed with divinity.
Verses (16.7) to (16.18) have a detailed description of
demoniac natures and its resultant conduct. The destination
for those with demoniac conduct (which is a result of
their demoniac nature) is described in verses (16.19) to
(16.21). Verses (16.22) to (16.23) describe the methods
for one to overcome demoniac tendencies. This chapter
concludes in verse 16.24 with Lord Krishna declaring that
one needs to resort to the scriptures to discriminate
between right and wrong actions.
gáXemo@Ü`m`… - lÕmÌ`{d^mJ`moJ…
Chapter 17 - The Threefold Faith
Arjuna said:
O Krishna! Some worship and perform sacrifices with
sincerity, but without knowing scriptural procedures. What
is their conviction? Is it sattvic (virtuous), rajasic (passion)
or tamasic (ignorance)? (17.1)
Comments: In the last verse of the previous chapter
(16.24), the Lord stated that the scriptures are the guidelights
for a seeker to discriminate between right and wrong deeds.
Arjuna wants to know about those who do not know about
scriptural procedures. If they perform deeds with sincerity,
would they be sattvic, rajasic or tamasic?
Outwardly, the phrase śāstravidhim utsṛjya seems to
refer to those who ignore the procedures indicated in the
scriptures. Sri Rayaru in [GV] based on Sri Madhwacharya’s
[GB] states that this phrase refers to those who do not
have knowledge about scriptural procedures. After all, not
everyone has access to the scriptures, yet they also perform
meditation, charity etc., based on their belief system. The
question that Arjuna is asking is about the nature of their
activities. This will be clear based in Lord’s response in
the next two verses.
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gmpÎdH$s amOgr M¡d Vm_gr Mo{V Vm§ l¥Uw Ÿ&& 2Ÿ&&
śrībhagavān uvāca
trividhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāvajā
sāttvikī rājasī caiva tāmasī ceti tāṁ śṛṇu
The Lord said:
Living beings are predisposed (based on their innate
nature) into one of three qualities - sattvic, rajasic or
tamasic. Listen to their description. (17.2)
Chapter 17 483
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añ`m… pñZ½Ym: pñWam öÚm Amhmam… gmpÎdH${à`m… Ÿ&& 8 &&
āyuḥsattvabalārogyasukhaprītivivardhanāḥ
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvikapriyāḥ
Sattvic (virtuous) people like food items that are
pleasant, nourishing, sweet, tasty, and are easy to digest.
486 The Bhagavad Gita
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Amhmam amOgñ`oï>m Xw…IemoH$m_`àXm… Ÿ&& 9 &&
kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ
Rajasic (passionate) people like food items that are
extremely bitter/spicy, acidic, salty, hot, pungent, sour,
and burnt. These result in misery and discomfort at the
time of consumption, and disease later. (17.9)
Comments: This verse describes the food habits of the
rajasic. While food items which are sour, salty etc., are
also essential for one’s wellbeing, they need to be
Chapter 17 487
Summary of Chapter 17
In this chapter the Lord identifies the three divisions of
faith - sattvic, rajasic and tamasic which influence the
attitudes and activities of living beings. These attributes
are innate (swabhava) to individual souls. The impact of
496 The Bhagavad Gita
Aï>mXemo@Ü`m`… - ‘mojgÝݶmg¶moJ…
Chapter 18 - Liberation and Renunciation
Chapter Introduction: This chapter of 78 verses is
termed Mokshasanyasa Yoga (Liberation and Renunciation).
It starts with a discussion on the subtle differences between
renunciation (sanyasa) and relinquishment of rewards
from labour (tyaga). The types of rewards from actions
are also discussed. The five prerequisites of performing
any action are identified. Different types of knowledge,
action, doers, intellect, determination, and happiness are
also discussed. Additional details are provided on four
societal categories of people which were briefly indicated
in (4.13). The concept of liberation (moksha) is discussed
in detail in this chapter. The first 55 verses contain
discussions on the topics identified so far. The Lord
concludes His sermon in the next 17 verses. Arjuna
responds to Lord Krishna’s entire teaching in verse 73.
Sanjaya, who has been describing the proceedings in the
war to King Dhrutarashtra concludes his commentary in
the remaining 5 verses.
Arjuna starts by requesting Krishna to explain the
difference between renunciation (sanyasa) and
relinquishment (tyaga) as both seem to imply the same.
The Lord provides answers to Arjuna’s questions with a
detailed description of the various aspects of renunciation
and relinquishment. This chapter expands on the concept
of doership, provides more details on the influence of the
three qualities of nature and gives additional explanation
on societal categories. There is further an elaborate
discussion on the methods to achieve salvation (moksha).
The Lord also describes the glory of the Gita.
498 The Bhagavad Gita
Arjuna said:
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śrībhagavān uvāca
kāmyānāṁ karmaṇāṁ nyāsaṁ saṁnyāsaṁ kavayo viduḥ
sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṁ prāhus tyāgaṁ vicakṣaṇāḥ
Chapter 18 499
Types of Renunciation
are some who are aware of their prescribed duties but find
excuses such as bodily discomfort to avoid doing them.
Their abandonment is rajasic and does not earn the Lord’s
grace. The sattvic consider their prescribed duties as an
obligation and perform them without attachment and
expectations. Their renunciation of attachment to activities
and rewards is sattvic and is to be followed by everyone.
Characteristics of Renunciation
Awareness of Doership
Concept of Doership
Threefold Knowledge
Threefold Doers
muktasaṅgonahaṁvādī dhṛtyutsāhasamanvitaḥ
siddhyasiddhyor nirvikāraḥ kartā sāttvika ucyate
Arjuna’s Reawakening
Arjuna said:
O Achyuta! My delusion is dispelled. Through Your
grace, my sense of duty has been restored. I stand with
deep conviction, with all my doubts removed. I will
execute Your command. (18.73)
Comments: In this verse Arjuna responds to Lord
Krishna enthusiastically by stating that his delusion has
dissipated, and he is now firmly convinced about his duty
of waging the war to protect his citizens. There are three
important points that must be noted here-
1. The Lord had asked Arjuna in the previous verse if
he had listened to His sermon with attention and got
all his doubts removed. Arjuna states that his doubts
have been cleared because of the Lord’s grace
(tvatprasādāt). This implies that in addition to one’s
effort, one needs the Lord’s grace to succeed in any
venture.
2. Arjuna indicates that his sense of duty has been
awakened. This implies that Arjuna (who is an
incarnation of deity Indra and was well versed in
divine knowledge) had knowledge about his
prescribed duties, but that knowledge had been
temporarily lost. Hence, he is stating that his memory
of divine knowledge has returned (smṛtir labdhā)
3. In verse (18.63), it was stated that the Lord’s
concluding direction to Arjuna stated in ‘yathecchasi
tathā kuru’ was a rhetorical direction from Him. It
was by no means granting Arjuna the freedom to do
what he wished. In this verse, Arjuna does not state
that he would act as per his wishes but that he would
Chapter 18 541
Summary of Chapter 18
This chapter has 78 verses. The first 55 verses contain
the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna regarding
clarifications on concepts previously covered in other
chapters. The Lord concludes His teaching in the next 17
verses. Arjuna thanks the Lord in the 73rd verse. The last
5 verses have concluding remarks from Sanjaya. Arjuna
begins by asking Krishna what the difference between
renunciation (saṁnyāsa) and relinquishment (tyāga) was,
as both seem to imply the same. In verse (5.2), it was
stated that renunciation (sanyāsa) was essential to attain
liberation (moksha), and in verse (12.12), relinquishment
(tyāga) was lauded as a superior means to attain liberation
546 The Bhagavad Gita
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Sri Vishnuruvaacha:
Praarabdham bhujyamaano hi geetaabhyaasaratah sadaa;
Sa muktah sa sukhee loke karmanaa nopalipyate.
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Suta Uvaacha:
Maahaatmyam etad geetaayaah mayaa proktam sanaat-
nam;
Geetaante cha pathedyastu yaduktam tatphalam labhet.
Summary: This passage which extols the virtues of
the Gita is from the epic Varaha Purana. Goddess
Dharadevi (the governing deity for earth) asks Lord
Vishnu how human beings (earth dwellers) can realize
the Lord when they are preoccupied with worldly
afflictions. The Lord teaches her about the glory of the
Gita which helps human beings navigate the river of
worldly afflictions. The greatness of the Gita as stated by
the Lord can be summarised as follows.
* Those who are engaged in the practice of reciting
the Gita will not be entangled by their actions.
* The place where one finds books on the Gita or
ongoing lectures on the Gita is said to be the home
of all great, sacred rivers and pilgrimage centers.
* It is also the place where great sages and yogis
reside. The Lord also resides there.
552 The Bhagavad Gita
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554 The Bhagavad Gita
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś cai 'va kim akurvata sañjaya
References
1. The Bhagavad Gita [BG] by Sage Sri Vedavyasa –
From Bheeshma Parva of Mahabharata
2. Gita Bhashya [GB] by Sri Madhwacharya-
Commentary on the [BG]
3. Gita Tatparya Nirnaya [GTN] by Sri Madhwacharya
– Conclusive treatise on the Gita
4. Prameya Deepika [PD] by Sri Jaya Teertha –
Commentary on [GB]
5. Nyaya Deepika [ND] by Sri Jaya Teertha –
Commentary on [GTN]
6. Prameya Deepika Bhava Deepa [PDBD] by Sri
Raghavendra Teertha – Commentary on [PD]
7. Nyaya Deepika Bhava Deepa [NDBD] by Sri
Raghavendra Teertha – Commentary on [ND]
8. Gita Vivruti [GV] of Sri Raghavendra Teertha (with
Kannada Translation) by Scholars of Poornaprajna
Vidyapeetha
9. Vishnu Tattva Vinirnaya [VTV] by Sri Madhwacharya
10. Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya [MBTN] by Sri
Madhwacharya
11. Bhagavata Tatparya Nirnaya [BTN] by Sri
Madhwacharya
12. Bhagavad Gita Saroddhara [BGS] by Sri Madinur
Vishnu Teertha
567