Dr. V.K.Maheshwari, M.A(Socio, Phil) B.Sc. M. Ed, Ph.D
Former Principal, K.L.D.A.V.(P.G) College, Roorkee, India
The Bhagavad-gītā is just like a cow, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. The milk is the essence of the Vedas, and Arjuna is just like a calf. The wise men, the great sages and pure devotees, are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-gītā.
The Bhagavad-gītā is the best known and the most frequently translated of Vedic religious texts. Bhagavad-gītā is also known as Gītopaniṣad. It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the most important Upaniṣads in Vedic literature. The Bhagavad-gita is universally renowned as the jewel of India’s spiritual wisdom. Spoken by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His intimate disciple Arjuna, the Gita’s seven hundred concise verses provide a definitive guide to the science of self realization. No other philosophical or religious work reveals, in such a lucid and profound way, the nature of consciousness, the self, the universe and the Supreme.
The Bhagavadgita is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. The philosophy, concepts andteachings of the Bhagavadgita can help us lead a stress free life and deal with our problems peacefullyand confidently.. It teaches us how to maintain inner stability and sameness even while performing the mostcomplex tasks, accept the vicissitudes of life with detachment and overcome the uncertainty and anxietyabout one’s future with faith in God and by renouncing ownership and doer ship.
Bhagavadgita contains profound philosophy, whichis based mostly upon the philosophy contained in the Upanishads. The concepts of the Bhagavadgita arederived mostly from the concepts present in Vedanta Philosophy only.
The Bhagavad¬Gita is one of the most ancient religious scriptures of the world. It contains the direct message of God. It is a dialogue between God and his closest devotee
The Gita is not meant for any one person or creed or nation; it is meant for humanity. It speaks to a mind that has fought in life, a mind that is dissatisfied with constant want, a mind that is alert and thinking, and that has many conflicts. Swami Dayananda from the Teaching of the Bhagavad Gita.
The book is a discourse of immense spiritual value, for people engaged in daily battles of life, symbolically or even truly reflected by the episode of Arjuna, who was stricken with sorrow and confusion, being taught and assisted by God himself, in the middle of the battle field of Kurukshetra where good and evil forces stood in confrontation with each other.
It has drama, for its setting is a scene of two great armies, poised for battle. It has ambiguity, and the fact that Arjuna and his charioteer Kṛṣṇa are carrying on their dialogue between the two armies suggests the indecision of Arjuna about the basic question: should he enter battle against and kill those who are friends and kinsmen? It has a properly complicated view of the ways of the religious life and treats of the paths of knowledge, works, discipline and faith and their inter-relationships.
The purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is to deliver mankind from the nescience of material existence. Every man is in difficulty in so many ways, as Arjuna also was in difficulty in having to fight the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Arjuna surrendered unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and consequently this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken.
Lord Kṛṣṇa descends specifically to reestablish the real purpose of life when man forgets that purpose. Here the Lord informs Arjuna that this system of yoga, the Bhagavad-gītā, was first spoken to the sun-god, and the sun-god explained it to Manu, and Manu explained it to Ikṣvāku, and in that way, by disciplic succession, one speaker after another, this yoga system has been coming down. But in the course of time it has become lost. Consequently the Lord has to speak it again, this time to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra.
The Bhagavad¬Gita contains 18 chapters and 700 verses.Each verse is considered to be a very sacred mantra. The subject of the Bhagavad-gītā entails the comprehension of five basic truths. First of all, the science of God is explained and then the constitutional position of the living entities, jīvas. So in the Bhagavad-gītā the subject matter deals with the īśvara, the supreme controller, and the jīvas, the controlled living entities. Prakṛti (material nature) and time (the duration of existence of the whole universe or the manifestation of material nature) and karma (activity) are also discussed..
Chapter one introduces, the scene in the sacred plain of Kuruksetra. The setting is a battlefield. The circumstances is war. The main characters are the Supreme Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna,. After naming the principal warriors on both sides, Arjunas growing dejection is described due to the fear of losing friends and relatives in the course of the impending war and the subsequent sins attached to such actions. Arjuna had no desire to fight with his cousins and brothers, but he was forced to come onto the battlefield by the obstinacy of Duryodhana, who was never agreeable to any peaceful negotiation.
Herein Sañjaya informed King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that his unwise policy of deceiving the sons of Pāṇḍu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons on the seat of the kingdom was not good.
In chapter two Arjuna as a disciple of Lord Krishna requests the Lord to instruct him in how to dispel his lamentation and grief. This chapter is often deemed as a summary to the complete Bhagavad-Gita. Here many subjects are explained such as: karma yoga, jnana yoga, sankhya yoga, buddih yoga and the atma which is the soul. Predominance has been given to the immortal nature of the soul existing within all living entities and it has been described in great detail. Thus this chapter is entitled: The Eternal Reality of the Souls’ Immortality. . This chapter instructs in self-realization by an analytical study of the material body and the spirit soul, as explained by the supreme authority, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Material compassion, lamentation and tears are all signs of ignorance of the real self. Compassion for the eternal soul is self-realization. This realization is made possible by working with the furtive being situated in the fixed conception of the real self.
The third chapter is entitled: The Eternal Duties of Human Beings. Lord Kṛṣṇa elaborately explained karma-yoga, or work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness . This chapter establishes the fact by various points of view that the performance of prescribed duties is obligatory for everyone. Here Lord Krishna categorically and comprehensively explains how it is the duty of each and every member of society to carry out their functions and responsibilities in their respective stage of life in accordance to the rules and regulations of the society in which one lives. The Perfect Karma The karmayogi, who, regulating his senses by his mind, begins karmayoga (yoga of action) without any attachment is the best. The man of knowledge knowing well the difference between action and qualities of nature
and that qualities move amidst qualities is never attached to actions. Further the Lord explains why such duties must be performed, what benefit is gained by performing them, what harm is caused by not performing them. Plus what actions lead to bondage and what actions lead to salvation. All these points relating to duty have been described in great detail.
In chapter four Lord Krishna reveals how spiritual knowledge is received by disciplic succession and the reason and nature of His descent into the material worlds. Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gītā traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the royal order, the kings of all planets. “In the beginning of the Tretā-yuga [millennium] this science of the relationship with the Supreme was delivered by Vivasvān to Manu. Manu, being the father of mankind, gave it to his son Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, the King of this earth planet and forefather of the Raghu dynasty in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared. Therefore, Bhagavad-gītā existed in the human society from the time of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku.” Here He also explains the paths of action and knowledge as well as the wisdom regarding the supreme knowledge which results at the culmination of the two paths. Thus this chapter is entitled: Approaching the Ultimate Truth.
This chapter is entitled: Action and Renunciation In chapter five Lord Krishna delineates the concepts of action with detachment and renunciation in actions explaining that both are a means to the same goal. Here He explains how salvation is attained by the pursuance of these paths. The work in devotional service is better than dry mental speculation. Devotional service is easier than the latter because, being transcendental in nature, it frees one from reaction.
The sixth chapter is entitled: The Science of Self-Realization.In this chapter Lord Krishna reveals astanga yoga, and the exact process of practicing such yoga. The Lord explains that the process of the eightfold yoga system is a means to control the mind and the senses. However, this is very difficult for people in general to perform, especially in the age of Kali. He explains in detail the difficulties of the mind and the procedures by which one may gain mastery of their mind through yoga which reveals the spiritual nature of a living entity.
To act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the duty of every living entity because all are constitutionally parts and parcels of the Supreme. The parts of the body work for the satisfaction of the whole body. The limbs of the body do not act for self-satisfaction but for the satisfaction of the complete whole. Similarly, the living entity who acts for satisfaction of the supreme whole and not for personal satisfaction is the perfect sannyāsī, the perfect yogī.
In chapter seven Lord Krishna gives concrete knowledge of the absolute reality as well as the opulence of divinity. This chapter is entitled: Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth.In this Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the nature of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is fully described. Kṛṣṇa is full in all opulences, and how He manifests such opulences is described herein. Also, four kinds of fortunate people who become attached to Kṛṣṇa, and four kinds of unfortunate people who never take to Kṛṣṇa are described in this chapter.
He describes His illusory energy in the material existence called Maya and declares how extremely difficult it is to surmount it. He also describes the four types of people attracted to divinity and the four types of people who are opposed to divinty. In conclusion He reveals that one in spiritual intelligence takes exclusive refuge of the Lord without reservation in devotional service.
The chapter eight is entitled: Attainment of Salvation In this chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa answers these different questions of Arjuna beginning with, “What is Brahman?”. The Lord also explains karma, fruitive activities, devotional service and yoga principles, and devotional service in its pure form. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam explains that the Supreme Absolute Truth is known as Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. In addition, the living entity, individual soul, is also called Brahman. Arjuna also inquires about ātmā, which refers to body, soul and mindLord Krishna emphasizes the science of yoga. Revealing that one attains whatever one remembers at the end of one’s life the Lord emphasizes the utmost importance of the very last thought at the moment of death. Also he gives information on the creation of the material worlds as well as establishing a distinction between them and the spiritual world. Here he explains the light and dark paths in regards to leaving this material existence, the destination to which they each lead to and the reward received by each.
The chapter nine is entitled: Confidential Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth. In this chapter Lord Krishna reveals that the sovereign science and the sovereign secret. He explains how the entire material existence is created, prevaded, maintained and annihilated by His external energy and all beings are coming and going under His supervision. The subjects matters covered subsequently are primarily concerned with devotional service and the Lord Himself declares that these subject matters are most confidential.
In this Chapter the glories of the Lord will be delineated.The matters which are described in this Chapter deal with unalloyed, pure devotion. Therefore this is called the most confidential. One who is situated in the most confidential knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is naturally transcendental; he therefore has no material pangs, although he is in the material world. In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu it is said that although one who has a sincere desire to render loving service to the Supreme Lord is situated in the conditional state of material existence, he is to be considered liberated. Similarly, we shall find in the Bhagavad-gītā,
The devotees who are constantly engaged in the Supreme Lord’s service. The Lord understands the mentality and sincerity of a particular living being and gives him the intelligence to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa.
Knowledge (idaṁ jñānam) refers to pure devotional service, which consists of nine different activities: hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, obeying, maintaining friendship and surrendering everything. By the practice of these nine elements of devotional service one is elevated to spiritual consciousness,
As a devotee hears more and more about the Supreme Lord, he becomes enlightened. This hearing process is recommended inGita: “The messages of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are full of potencies, and these potencies can be realized if topics regarding the Supreme Godhead are discussed amongst devotees. This cannot be achieved by the association of mental speculators or academic scholars, for it is realized knowledge.”
The chapter ten is entitled : The Opulence of the Absolute. Chapter reveals Lord Krishna’s exalted position as the cause of all causes. Also specifying His special manifestations and opulences. Arjuna prays to the Lord to describe more of the opulences and the Lord describes those which are most prominent. . Now in this chapter He explains His specific opulences to Arjuna. in this chapter He tells Arjuna about His manifestations and various opulences. One who is full in six opulences, who has full strength, full fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty and renunciation, is paramam, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. While Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, He displayed all six opulences.
The chapter eleven is entitled: The Vision of the Universal Form. Lord Krishna is beseeched by Arjuna to reveal His universal form showing all of existence . Thus this chapter reveals Kṛṣṇa as the cause of all causes. He is even the cause of the Mahā-Viṣṇu, and from Him the material universes emanate. Kṛṣṇa is not an incarnation; He is the source of all incarnations.
Now, as far as Arjuna is concerned, he says that his illusion is over. This means that Arjuna no longer thinks of Kṛṣṇa as a mere human being, as a friend of his, but as the source of everything. Arjuna is very enlightened and is glad that he has a great friend like Kṛṣṇa, but now he is thinking that although he may accept Kṛṣṇa as the source of everything, others may not. So in order to establish Kṛṣṇa’s divinity for all, he is requesting Kṛṣṇa in this chapter to show His universal form.
The chapter twelve is entitled: The Path of Devotion. Lord Krishna extols the glory of transcendentalist’s devotion to God. Along with this he explains the different forms of spiritual disciplines and discusses the qualities of the devotees who by performing their activities in this way become very dear to Him. Kṛṣṇa has now explained about the personal, the impersonal and the universal and has described all kinds of devotees and yogīs. Generally, the devotees can be divided into two classes. One is the impersonalist, and the other is the personalist. The personalist devotee engages himself with all energy in the service of the Supreme Lord. The impersonalist engages himself not directly in the service of Kṛṣṇa but in meditation on the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested.
The different processes for realization of the Absolute Truth, bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is the highest. If one at all desires to have the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he must take to devotional service.
Those who worship the Supreme Lord directly by devotional service are called personalists. Those who engage themselves in meditation on the impersonal Brahman are called impersonalists. Arjuna is here questioning which position is better. There are different ways to realize the Absolute Truth, but Kṛṣṇa indicates in this chapter that bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to Him, is highest of all. It is the most direct, and it is the easiest means for association with the Godhead.
In chapter thirteen Lord Krishna reveals the distinct difference between the physical body and the immortal soul. This chapter is entitled: The Individual and Ultimate Consciousness. The chapter deals with Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness He explains that the physical is transitory and perishable whereas the soul is immutable and eternal. The Lord also gives precise knowledge about the individual soul and the ultimate soul.
Arjuna was inquisitive about prakṛti or nature, puruṣa, the enjoyer, kṣetra, the field, kṣetrajña, its knower, and of knowledge and the object of knowledge. When he inquired about all these, Kṛṣṇa said that this body is called the field and that one who knows this body is called the knower of the field. This body is the field of activity for the conditioned soul. The conditioned soul is entrapped in material existence, and he attempts to lord over material nature. And so, according to his capacity to dominate material nature, he gets a field of activity. That field of activity is the body. And what is the body? The body is made of senses. The conditioned soul wants to enjoy sense gratification, and, according to his capacity to enjoy sense gratification, he is offered a body, or field of activity. Therefore the body is called kṣetra, or the field of activity for the conditioned soul. Thus there is a difference between the knower of the field of activities and the actual field of activities. A living conditioned soul can thus understand that he is different from the body. It is described in the beginning-dehe ‘smin-that the living entity is within the body and that the body is changing from childhood to boyhood and from boyhood to youth and from youth to old age, and the person who owns the body knows that the body is changing.
Now, how the living entity comes into contact with material nature, how he is delivered by the Supreme Lord through the different methods of fruitive activities, cultivation of knowledge, and the discharge of devotional service are explained. Although the living entity is completely different from the material body, he somehow becomes related. This also is explained.
The chapter fourteen. is entitled; The Three Qualities of Material Nature. Lord Krishna reveals matters pertaining goodness, passion and nescience which everything in the material existence is influenced by. He gives pertinent details on the essential characteristics of each individually, their cause, the level of their potency, how they influence a living entity affected by them as well as the signs of one who has risen above them. Here he clearly advises to relinquish oneself from ignorance and passion and adopt the path of pure goodness until acquiring the ability to transcend them. Now, the Lord Himself is further enlightening Arjuna. If one understands this chapter through the process of philosophical speculation, he will come to an understanding of devotional service.
Now, in this chapter, the Supreme Personality explains what those modes of nature are, how they act, how they bind and how they give liberation. The knowledge explained in this chapter is proclaimed by the Supreme Lord to be superior to the knowledge given so far in other chapters. By understanding this knowledge, various great sages attain perfection and transfer to the spiritual world. This knowledge is far, far superior to all other processes of knowledge.
The chapter fifteen is entitled: Realization of the Ultimate Truth.In this chapter Lord Krishna reveals the virtues, the glories and transcendental characteristics of God being omnipotenet, omniscient and omnipresent. Also He explains the purpose and value of knowing about God and the means by which He can be realized.
It is explained in this chapter that the purpose of Vedic study is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who is engaged in devotional service, already knows the Vedas.
The entanglement of this material world is compared here to a banyan tree. For one who is engaged in fruitive activities, there is no end to the banyan tree. He wanders from one branch to another, to another, to another. The tree of this material world has no end, and for one who is attached to this tree, there is no possibility of liberation. The Vedic hymns, meant for elevating oneself, are called the leaves of this tree. This tree’s roots grow upward because they begin from where Brahmā is located, the topmost planet of this universe. If one can understand this indestructible tree of illusion, then one can get out of it.
This tree, being the reflection of the real tree, is an exact replica. Everything is there in the spiritual world. The impersonalists take Brahmā to be the root of this material tree, and from the root, according to sāṅkhya philosophy, come prakṛti, puruṣa, then the three guṇas, then the five gross elements (pañca-mahābhūta), then the ten senses (daśendriya), mind, etc. In this way they divide up the whole material world.. The material world is the perverted reflection, so the spiritual world must have the same variegatedness, but in reality. The prakṛti is the external energy of the Supreme Lord, and the puruṣa is the Supreme Lord Himself, and that is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Since this manifestation is material, it is temporary.
In chapter sixteen Lord Krishna describes explicitly, explaining seperately and in detail the divine properties, conduct and actions which are righteous in nature and conducive to divinity. Thus this chapter is entitled: The Divine and the Demoniac Natures Defined. Also he delineates the evil propensities and ill conduct which are unrighteous in nature and which determine the unrighteous and which are antagonistic to divinity.
In this Chapter the Lord explains both the transcendental nature and its attendant qualities, as well as the demoniac nature and its qualities. He also explains the advantages and disadvantages of these qualities.
Abhijātasya ,the word abhijātasya in reference to one born of transcendental qualities or godly tendencies is very significant.
The next item is charity. Charity should be given to the right receiver. There are different kinds of charitiescharity in the modes of goodness, passion and ignoranceThen as far as damaḥ (self-control) is concerned, it is not only meant for other orders of religious society.
Sacrifice is another item The best sacrifice recommended in this age is called saṅkīrtana-yajña.
Then svādhyāyaḥ, Vedic study, and tapas, austerity, and ārjavam, gentleness or simplicity and the study of Vedic literature for cultivation of spiritual knowledge. This is called svādhyāyaḥ.
Ahiṁsā means not arresting the progressive life of any living entity. Real ahiṁsā means not checking anyone’s progressive life.
Satyam. This word means that one should not distort the truth for some personal interest.
Akrodhaḥ means to check anger. Even if there is provocation one should be tolerant, for once one becomes angry his whole body becomes polluted. Anger is the product of the modes of passion and lust, .
Śaucam means cleanliness, not only in mind and body but in one’s dealings also.All these sixteen qualifications mentioned are transcendental qualities.
The chapter seventeen is entitled: The Three Divisions of Material Existence. Lord Krishna classifies the three divisions of faith, revealing that it is these different qualities of faith in the Supreme that determine that character of living entities. These three types of faith determine one’s consciousness in this world.
Arjuna is putting some questions to Kṛṣṇa like, if one, with faith, follows some rules which are not mentioned in the scriptural injunctions, what is his position? Are those who create some sort of God by selecting a human being and placing their faith in him worshiping in goodness, passion or ignorance? Do such persons attain the perfectional stage of life? Is it possible for them to be situated in real knowledge and elevate themselves to the highest perfectional stage? Do those who do not follow the rules and regulations of the scriptures but who have faith in something and worship gods and demigods and men attain success in their effort?. These doubts of Arjuna is cleared by Kṛṣṇa.
In chapter eighteen is entitled: Final Revelations of the Ultimate Truth Lord Krsishna sums up the conclusion of the previous chapters and describes the attainment of salvation by the paths of karma in chapters one through six and in jnana yoga section which are chapters thirteen through eighteen. The Lord explains that while doing so one must offer without reservation everything to God. The knowledge revealed gets progressively more and more confidential then in all the previous chapters.
The Eighteenth chapter is a supplementary summarization of the topics discussed before. In every chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa stresses that devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate goal of life. This same point is summarized in the Eighteenth Chapter as the most confidential path of knowledge.