Situational Gita
by Vedalearn Academy

The stage is set for the conversation between Sri Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra in about 3102 B.C.

The story opens to the scene of a battlefield just prior to the start of a colossal war. Gathered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas and the Kauravas are preparing for war. The stage is set for the conversation between Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna.

As the opposing armies stand poised for battle, Arjuna, the mighty warrior, sees his intimate relatives, teachers and friends in both armies ready to fight and sacrifice their lives.

Dhrtarashtra asks Sanjaya about the current situation in the battlefield:

“Dhrtarashtra said: O Sanjaya, after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukshetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, being desirous to fight?”

Duryodhana, son of Dhrtarashtra and leader of the opposing army expresses his confidence in victory:

“Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhisma, whereas the strength of the Pandavas, carefully protected by Bhima, is limited.”

Arjuna patrols the battlefield and asks his divine charioteer, Kṛṣṇa, to place his chariot between the two armies so he can see who he has to fight. To his dismay, Arjuna sees in both armies friends, family, teachers, and respected elders, all willing to fight and die.

“Arjuna said: 0 infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see who is present here, who is desirous of fighting, and with whom I must contend in this great battle attempt.”

He ponders that the kingdom is not necessarily worth the deaths of so many people. He worries that killing is a sinful act, especially if he is killing members of his own family.

“Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhrtarashtra and our friends. What should we gain, 0 Kṛṣṇa, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?”

Knowing that by engaging in this war, family members and friends will be lost on both sides of the battle line, Arjuna is faced with a personal and ethical crisis.

Arjuna expounds his reasons for his non violence, presents his arguments for refusing to fight. Basically, he says fears the sinful reactions of killing:

“O Janardana, although these men, overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing one’s family or quarreling with friends, why should we, with know­ledge of the sin, engage in these acts?”

“When irreligion is prominent in the family, 0 Kṛṣṇa, the women of the family become corrupt, and from the degradation of womanhood, 0 descendant of Vrishni, comes unwanted progeny.”

“Due to the evil deeds of the destroyers of family tradition, all kinds of community projects and family welfare activities are devastated.”

Overcome by grief and pity, Arjuna fails in strength, his mind becomes bewildered, and he gives up his determination to fight:

“Sañjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.”

The history is, that the same family, there was dispute who would occupy the throne. Dhṛtarāṣṭra was actually the eldest son of the king, and next was Pāṇḍu. So by the law of primogeniture, the eldest child occupies the throne.

So there were two parties. Dhṛtarāṣṭra was the eldest son, but he was blind, bodily defective. Therefore he was not awarded the throne. His next brother, Pāṇḍu, he was offered the throne, but he died in a very early age, a young man. And the Pāṇḍus, his five sons, Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, they were very small children.

They were taken care of by Dhṛtarāṣṭra and other elderly family like Bhīṣmadeva. He was the grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas. He was the elder uncle of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Bhīṣma was elder brother of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s father.

Now, after the death of Pāṇḍu, there was conspiracy. Dhṛtarāṣṭra wanted that “Actually, this is my kingdom. Now, somehow or other, I could not get it. Now my brother is dead. So if I do not inherit, why not my sons?”

This was the politics. Politics are always there, and enviousness, jealousy.

This is the nature of this material world. You cannot avoid it. Spiritual world means just the opposite, there are no politics. There is no jealousy. There is no enviousness. That is spiritual world. And material world means politics, jealousy, diplomacy, enviousness, so many things. This is material world. So even in the heavenly planets, these things are there, politics. Even in animal kingdom these politics are there.

One man is envious of another man. It doesn’t matter even they are brothers or family members. Here the family members, Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu, two brothers, their sons, they were family members, but the enviousness caused the whole problem.

So formerly, when there was fight between two kings, it is on the principle that who is giving good protection to the citizens, not for personal profit. Who is able to give good protection, life, security for life and property, he should become king. So these persons, this Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his sons, they were jealous. How they could give protection to the citizens? They are themselves jealous.

Just like nowadays, all these politicians, they are jealous. They cannot give any protection to the citizens. They are simply interested with their party politics.

They have no time even to think how to give nice protection to the citizen so that they may feel happy always.

So they see that “we have got good government”, there is no cause of anxiety. We have got sufficient food, sufficient protection, sufficient opulence—everything sufficient.“ That is good government.

→ TAKE AWAYS

Confidence in victory in all paths of life is due to having good relations, people that you can rely on for advice and support.

Although Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His causeless mercy He was engaged in the service of His friend. He never fails in His affection for His devotees, and thus He is addressed herein as infallible.

As charioteer, He had to carry out the orders of Arjuna, and since He did not hesitate to do so, He is addressed as infallible. Although He had accepted the position of a charioteer for His devotee, His supreme position was not challenged.

Arjuna accepts the position of a disciple of Kṛṣṇa and requests him to instruct on how to dispel his grief. This chapter also summarizes the contents of the Gita.

Kṛṣṇa begins His teachings to Arjuna by telling him to stop posing as a person that cares and knows.

“The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.”

“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.”

Kṛṣṇa continues His discourse by explaining the fundamental distinction between the temporary material body and the eternal spiritual soul:

“Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.”

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”

As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.

Kṛṣṇa encouraged Arjuna to fight:

“Considering your specific duty as a ksatriya, you should know that there is no better engagement for you than fighting on religious principles; and so there is no need for hesitation.”

“Do thou fight for the sake of fighting, without considering happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat -and, by so doing, you shall never incur sin.”

“Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. 0 beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.”

“You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.”

“Be steadfast in yoga, 0 Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.”

The nature of selfless service to the Supreme is described:

“O Dhananjaya, rid yourself of all fruitive activities by devotional service, and surrender fully to that consciousness. Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers.”

“A man engaged in devotional service rids himself of both good and bad actions even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga, 0 Arjuna, which is the art of all work.”“

The wise, engaged in devotional service, take refuge in the Lord, and free themselves from the cycle of birth and death by renouncing the fruits of action in the material world. In this way they can attain that state beyond all miseries.“

Characteristics of a self-realized person:

“The Blessed Lord said: 0 Partha, when a man gives up all varieties of sense desire which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.”

“One who is not disturbed in spite of the threefold miseries, who is not elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.”

“He who is without attachment, who does not rejoice when he obtains good, nor lament when he obtains evil, is firm ly fixed in perfect knowledge.”

“One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws his limbs within the shell, is to be understood as truly situated in knowledge.”

“One who can control his senses by practicing the regulated principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord and thus become free from all attachment and aversion.”

“For one who is so situated in the Divine consciousness, the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer; in such a happy state, one’s intelligence soon becomes steady.”

“A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires-that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still-can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.”

“A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego-he alone can attain real peace.”

“O son of Prtha, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy.”

“O son of Kunti, the non-permanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception. 0 scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.”

“Such a liberated person is not attracted to material sense pleasure or external objects but is always in trance, enjoying the pleasure within. In this way the self-realized person enjoys unlimited happiness, for he concentrates on the Supreme.”

“Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.”

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.”

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”

“It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable, and un­ changeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.”

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.”

“While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attach­ ment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.”

“From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.”

“Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self­ realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.”

“There are three gates leading to this hell-lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.”

“One who is not disturbed in spite of the threefold miseries, who is not elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.”

“One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon Me is known as a man of a steady inteligence.”

“The senses are so strong and impetuous, 0 Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.”

“A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires-that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still­ can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.”

“One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possi­bility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?”

“A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego-he alone can attain real peace.”

“There are three gates leading to this hell-lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.”

“One should perform sacrifice, penance and charity with the word tat. The purpose of such transcendental activities is to get free from the material entanglement.”

→ TAKE AWAYS

The way to achieve happiness is to tolerate all desires and remain satisfied by engaging in duty, while fixing consciouness in the Supreme.

Kṛṣṇa delivers a stern talk to Arjuna about the duties every member of the society needs to carry out. Arjuna opens the chapter asking Kṛṣṇa why He is encouraging fighting if intelligence is better than fruitive work.

“Arjuna said: O Janardana, O Kesava, why do You urge me to engage in this ghastly warfare, if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work?”

Kṛṣṇa then explains ‘karma-yoga’, reaction-free devotional work, and clears up Arjuna’s mistaken idea that all work is fruitive and leads to bondage:

“All men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment.”

“One who restrains the senses and organs of action, hut whose mind dwells on sense objects, certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.”

“On the other hand, he who controls the senses by the mind and engages his active organs in works of devotion, without attachment, is by far superior. Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction.”

“A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work. Kṛṣṇa explains that Arjuna should fight, for avoiding sinful reactions though devotional work is better than attempting to escape reactions though renouncing work.”

“Work done as a sacrifice for Vishnu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, 0 son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.”

“A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.”

Kṛṣṇa therefore tells Arjuna to fight, but with knowledge and detachment, without falling victim to his own attractions and aversions:

“Attraction and repulsion for sense objects are felt by embodied beings, but one should not fall under the control of senses and sense objects because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.”

“Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers’ lack of knowledge.”

Arjuna questions on the cause of a soul’s being impelled to improper action or neglect of duty:

“Arjuna said: O descendant of Vrishni, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwilil ngly, as if engaged by force?”

Kṛṣṇa names the enemy, lust:

“The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.”

“The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.”

He then recommends Arjuna to regulate his senses, become fixed in his pure identity as a servant of Kṛṣṇa, and thereby avoid lust’s control:

“Then, with spiritual strength and deliberate intelligence, he should conquer that forceful enemy –lust.”

“Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and thus­ by spiritual strength, conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.”

“It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another’s duties. Destruction in the course of per­ forming one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.”

“Everyone must engage in some sort of activity in this material world. But actions can either bind one to this world or liberate one from it. By acting for the pleasure of the Supreme, without selfish motives, one can be liberated from the law of karma (action and reaction) and attain transcendental knowledge of the self and the Supreme.”

“Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty; for by working without attachment, one attains the Supreme.”

“Arjuna said: My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively what is most beneficial for me.”

“Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work. Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties.Therefore,just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.”

“The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.”

“Therefore, 0 Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.”

“Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and thus­ by spiritual strength - conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.”

→ TAKE AWAYS

Nobody is free from action, so actions are to be performed in our line of duty and with spiritual consciousness. Then actions lead to liberation instead of bondage.

Since in Chapter Three, Kṛṣṇa has recommended that Arjuna fight in full knowledge of Him, in Chapter Four, He explains different aspects of transcendental knowledge. This four first chapters are the ABC of the Gita.

First Kṛṣṇa explains attaining knowledge through the disciplic succession:

“The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to lksvaku.”

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.”

“That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.”

“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.”

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, 0 descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time I descend Myself.”

“In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.”

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activi­ties does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, 0 Arjuna.”

“Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became puritied by knowledge of Me-and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.”

“All of them-as they surrender unto Me - I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, 0 son of Prtha.”

“One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.”

“Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions.”

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.”

“O chastiser of the enemy, the sacrifice of knowledge is greater than the sacrifice of material possessions. 0 son of Prtha, after all, the sacrifice of work culminates in transcendental knowledge. In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendntal knowledge.”

“Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has achieved this enjoys the self within himself in due course of time.”

“Kṛṣṇa glorifies transcendental knowledge and requests Arjuna to arm himself with this knowledge – which burns all sinfull reactions to ashes – and fight!”

“Therefore the doubts which have arisen in your heart out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, 0 Bharata, stand and fight.”

“Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge, you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries.”

“As the blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, 0 Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge bum to ashes all reactions to material activities.”

“A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.”

→ TAKE AWAYS

Approach a spiritual master and get transcendental knowledge from him to burn all karma and attain the supreme spiritual peace.

Arjuna opens Chapter Five by asking Kṛṣṇa to definitively explain whether the renunciation of work or work in devotion is superior:

“Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, first of all You ask me to renounce work, and then again You recommend work with devotion. Now will You kindly tell me definitely which of the two is more beneficial?”

Lord Kṛṣṇa explains the concepts of action with detachment and renunciation in actions and how both are a means to the same goal of salvation:

“The Blessed Lord said: The renunciation of work and work in devotion are both good for liberation. But, of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of works.”

Kṛṣṇa answers that one who is detached from his work’s results is the one who is truly renounced:

“Such a person knows that while the body acts, he, the soul, actually does nothing.”

“One who neither hates nor desires the fruits of his activities is known to be always renounced. Such a person, liberated from all dualities, easily overcomes material bondage and is completely liberated, 0 mighty-armed Arjuna.”

“Only the ignorant speak of karma-yoga and devotional service as being different from the analytical study of the material world [sankhya]. Those who are actually learned say that he who applies himself well to one of these paths achieves the results of both.”

“One who knows that the position reached by means of renunciation can also be attained by works in devotional service and who therefore sees that the path of works and the path of renunciation are one, sees things as they are.”

Arjuna should therefore, do his duty and steadily act for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa:

“One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.”

Impartially viewing the external world, he should reside in his body aloof from bodily activities:

“A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hear­ing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping, and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all.”

“Because while speaking, evacuating, receiving, opening or closing his eyes, he always knows that only the material senses are engaged with their objects and that he is aloof from them.”

“One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme God, is not affected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water.”

By fixing his consciousness on the Supreme and knowing that Kṛṣṇa is the true enjoyer, the goal of sacrifice and austerity, and the Lord of all planets, he the pure soul, will find true peace beyond this material world:

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the bene­factor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

In the first five chapters, Kṛṣṇa has explained ‘buddhi-yoga’, working with consciousness focused on Kṛṣṇa without fruitive desires. The Lord has also explained ‘sankhya’, ‘karma-yoga’, and ‘jnana-yoga’ to obtain liberation and as stepping stones to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Now, at the end of the Fifth Chapter (5.27-28) and continuing on to the Sixth Chapter (wherein Kṛṣṇa explains practical points for a practicioner), Kṛṣṇa explains ‘dhyana yoga’ concluding that ‘dhyana’, or meditation upon Kṛṣṇa, is meditation’s final goal.

Outwardly performing all actions but inwardly renouncing their fruits, the wise man, purified by the fire of transcendental knowledge, attains peace, detachment, forbearance, spiritual vision and bliss.

→ TAKE AWAYS

We should know the purpose of all sacrifices, austerities, the Supreme Lord of all creation and the well wisher and friend of all living entities. This is the way to peace and freedom from miseries.

This Chapter is about the best way of thinking, what is the mind and how to utilize it. The last verse is the conclusion.

Astanga-yoga is a mechanical meditative practice, to control the mind and the senses and focus concentration on Paramatma (the Supersoul, the form of the Lord situated in the heart). This practice culminates in samadhi, full consciousness of the Supreme.

Lord Kṛṣṇa talks about ’astanga yoga,’ and how to practice it, so one may gain mastery of the mind and reveal the spiritual nature:

“To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kusha-grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth.”

“The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogī should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point.”

Kṛṣṇa begins the Sixth Chapter by explaining that the neophyte yogi engages in fruitive sitting postures while the advanced yogi, the true ‘sannyasi’, works without attachment. Such a yogi liberates, not degrades, himself by his mind’s activities.

Carefully controlling his mind and engaging it body, and his self in Kṛṣṇa’s service, the yogi strictly practices ‘dhyana yoga’ in a secluded place. Fixing his mind on the self and on Kṛṣṇa, he attains transcendental happiness in the kingdom of God.

Arjuna then points out the main difficulty in practicing yoga is controlling the mind. Kṛṣṇa responds by saying that one can overcome the obstinate mind through constant practice and determination.

In responding to Arjuna’s about the fate of an unsuccessful yogi, Kṛṣṇa answers that one unsuccessful in his practice will still take birth in a family of wise transcendentalists and automatically become attracted to yogic principles.

“A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.”

“For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the gratest enemy.”

“From whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.”

“The Blessed Lord said: 0 mighty-armed son of Kunti, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by constant practice and by detachment.”

“There is no possibility of one’s becoming a yogi, 0 Arjuna, if one eats too much, or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.”

“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.”

He is a perfect yogi who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, both in their happiness and distress, 0 Arjuna!

Kṛṣṇa finally states in the last two verses of the chapter that the yogi is greater than the ascetic, the jnani and the karmi. And the greatest of all yogis is he who always thinks of Kṛṣṇa and with grest faith worships Him in loving service.

“And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.”

→ TAKE AWAYS

The best yogi is who always worships Krsna with great faith in transcendental loving service.

Knowing Kṛṣṇa’s instruction at the end of Chapter Six, one should initiate his practice of yoga from the point of concentrating of the mind upon Kṛṣṇa.

Chapter Seven thus opens with Kṛṣṇa explaining knowledge of Himself and His opulent energies. Arjuna can fully worship Kṛṣṇa, as described at the end of Chapter Six, and think of Him with devotion as he fights:

“Now hear, O son of Pṛthā (Arjuna), how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.”

Kṛṣṇa first explains that as He is the Supreme Truth, everything in existence is a combination of His material and spiritual energies. He is the active principle within all and is all-pervasive through His diverse material and spiritual energies:

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.”

“Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.”

Because the world’s activities are conducted by the three modes of nature which emanate from Him, (Although Kṛṣṇa is independent and above them) only those who surrender to Kṛṣṇa can cross beyond these modes to know Him. Four kinds of impious souls never surrender to Kṛṣṇa while four kinds of pious souls do surrender:

“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.”

“O best among the Bharatas (Arjuna), four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.”

Kṛṣṇa also covers Himself from the impersonalists, who are less intelligent, and from those who surrender to the demigods:

“I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency (yoga-maya); and so the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible.”

But those who are truly pious, the undeluded, serve Kṛṣṇa as the governor of the material manifestation, the demigods, and sacrifice, can know and understand Kṛṣṇa – even at the time of death:

“Those who know Me as the Supreme Lord, as the governing principle of the material manifestation, who know Me as the one underlying all the demigods and as the one sustaining all sacrifices, can, with steadfast mind, understand and know Me even at the time of death.”

Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Truth, the supreme cause and sustaining force of everything, both material and spiritual. Advanced souls surrender unto Him in devotion, whereas impious souls divert their minds to other objects of worship.

Lord Kṛṣṇa tells us about the Absolute reality, why it is difficult to overcome Maya and the four types of people that are attracted to, and opposed to divinity:

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me, can easily cross beyond it.”

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The transcendental nature of the ultimate reality, the importance of surrender and devotion, and the significance of acquiring spiritual knowledge to attain liberation.

Kṛṣṇa wants to convince us to work for him. What are we going to get in return? Kṛṣṇa teaches us what we are going to get. Kṛṣṇa gives, is an offer that no one can compete with.

Kṛṣṇa gives us something that no boss gives: eternal life insurance. You get all results of tapasya, learning, etc.:

“A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing sacrifices, undergoing austerities, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. Simply by performing devotional service, he attains all these, and at the end he reaches the supreme eternal abode.”

Chapter Eight begins by Arjuna asking Kṛṣṇa about Brahman, karma, the demigods, the material world, and knowing Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Kṛṣṇa first briefly answers Arjuna’s the five questions and then begins explaining in detail how to know Kṛṣṇa at the time of death.

Since one attains what one remembers at the time of death, if one remembers Kṛṣṇa, one goes to Him. Kṛṣṇa then explains how He can be constantly thought of as the transcendental person who knows everything, the oldest controller, the smallest, the maintainer.

Thus by practicing yoga and remembering Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa explains, one will go to the eternal spiritual world and never again to return to this temporary, miserable material world.

Then, after describing the different yogic ways in which one may leave this world, Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna not worry about other paths – either Vedic study, yoga, austere sacrifices, charity, jnana, or karma – for the results of these will all be obtained through performing bhakti.

And in the end, such a yogi in devotion, reaches the supreme eternal abode.

By remembering Lord Kṛṣṇa in devotion throughout one’s life, and especially at the time of death, one can attain to His supreme abode, beyond the material world.

Lord Kṛṣṇa explains the various ways of abandoning the material world, the destination to which each leads to and the rewards they receive:

“Those who know the Supreme Brahman pass away from the world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at an auspicious moment, during the fortnight of the moon and the six months when the sun travels in the north.”

“The mystic who passes away from this world during the smoke, the night, the moonlight fortnight, or in the six months when the sun passes to the south, or who reaches the moon planet, again comes back.”

“A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. At the end he reaches the supreme abode.”

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By remembering Lord Kṛṣṇa in devotion throughout one’s life, and especially at the time of death, one can attain to His supreme abode, beyond the material world.

Kṛṣṇa gives us His “password” for everything. It is just like our boss gave us his ATM password. What is that password? Bhakti. That is what opens Kṛṣṇa’s world.

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.”

“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform – do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me.”

“In this way you will be freed from bondage to work and its auspicious and inauspicious results. With your mind fixed on Me in this principle of renunciation, you will be liberated and come to Me.”

He continues speaking, in Chapter Nine, the knowledge about Himself that He had begun explaining in Chapter Seven.

Kṛṣṇa thus prefaces Chapter Nine by stating that the knowledge He’ll now reveal is most confidential, for it is about His actual position, which only the non-envious and faithful can understand.

Kṛṣṇa continues explaining that although independent and aloof, He pervades, creates and anihilates the entire cosmos through His material energy.

Those mahatmas who know Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead take shelter of Him and serve Him as the only enjoyer and the supreme object of worship.

Kṛṣṇa then explains the fortunate position of such devotees: If one worships Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa cares, compensates for his deficiencies, and preserves his strengths:

“How much greater then are the brahmanas, the righteous, the devotees and saintly kings who in this temporary miserable world engage in loving service unto Me.”

And all Kṛṣṇa asks for is an offering of a leaf, a flower, or some water – if it is offered with devotion. Thus His devotee comes to Him:

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit a water, I will accept it.”

“O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.”

“In this way you will be freed from all reactions to good and evil deeds, and by this principle of renunciation you will be liberated and come to Me.”

Even if a devotee unintentionally commits a horrendous act, he will be rectified, for Kṛṣṇa promises that His devotee will never perish:

“Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.”

“He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.”

Lord Kṛṣṇa explains how the material existence is created, pervaded, maintained and destroyed by divine powers, the sovereign secret science.

Kṛṣṇa, Origin and ultimate rest of everything:

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.”

“And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities, and although I am everywhere, still My Self is the very source of creation.”

Fools and wise:

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.”

“O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.”

Manifestations of the Supreme Lord:

“I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support, and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable om. I am also the Rk, the Sama, and the Yajur (Vedas).”

“I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.”

“O Arjuna, I control heat, the rain and the drought. I am immortality, and I am also death personified. Both being and nonbeing are in Me.”

Sacrifices and worship:

“Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly. They take birth on the planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights.”

“But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form-to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.”

“I am the only enjoyer and the only object of sacrifice. Those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.”

The bhakta:

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.”

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Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Godhead and the supreme object of worship. The soul is eternally related to Him through transcendental devotional service (bhakti). By reviving one’s pure devotion one returns to Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual realm.

Kṛṣṇa, Original Source and Repos of everything:

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”

Knowledge and devotion:

“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”

Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme:

“O mighty conqueror of enemies, there is no end to My divine manifestations. What I have spoken to you is but a mere indication of My infinite opulences.”

“Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.”

Thus pure and wise devotees worship Kṛṣṇa, converse about Him, and with thoughts dwelling in Him, undeluded and free from sin, engage in His service:

The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered to Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me.

Out of compassion, Kṛṣṇa within their hearts destroys any remaining ignorance:

“Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.”

After hearing of Kṛṣṇa’s opulences, Arjuna confirms Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord by quoting authorities and explains that only Kṛṣṇa can truly know Himself:

“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.”

Kṛṣṇa then tells of His divine manifestations within this world – as the Supersoul, the ocean, the Himalayas – which merely indicate His limitless opulences, for a single fragment of Kṛṣṇa’s energy pervades and supports this entire universe!

All wondrous phenomena showing power, beauty, grandeur or sublimity, either in the material world or in the spiritual, are but partial manifestations of Kṛṣṇa’s divine energies and opulence. As the supreme cause of all causes and the support and essence of everything, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme object of worship for all beings.

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Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, explaining His opulences and the devotion of pure and wise devotees who worship Him as the source of all.

Arjuna, convinced of Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy, requests to witness Kṛṣṇa’s all-pervading Universal Form, acknowledging that Kṛṣṇa is the unborn and Supreme Lord who, when known as such, frees one from all sins.

Arjuna, although acknowledging that Kṛṣṇa in the two-armed form that he now sees before him is Supreme, still requests Kṛṣṇa to reveal that all-pervading Universal Form that supports the Universe:

“O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see here before me Your actual position, I yet wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours.”

Lord Kṛṣṇa grants Arjuna divine vision and reveals His spectacular unlimited form as the cosmic universe:

“The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Prtha, behold now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine forms, multicolored like the sea.”

Thus He conclusively establishes His divinity. Kṛṣṇa explains that His own all-beautiful humanlike form is the original form of Godhead. One can perceive this form only by pure devotional service.

Thus, in this Chapter Eleven, Kṛṣṇa proves Himself as the Supreme Lord and He establishes the criteria that anyone who claims to be God must also show a Universal Form. Kṛṣṇa then reveals to Arjuna His wondrous effulgent, all-expansive form, and Arjuna sees all soldiers on both sides dying within it:

“All the sons of Dhrtarastra along with their allied kings, and Bhisma, Drona and Karna, and all our soldiers are rushing into Your mouths, their heads smashed by Your fearful teeth. I see that some are being crushed between Your teeth as well.”

Kṛṣṇa explains His form as time, the destroyer of all world, and requests that Arjuna, knowing in advance the inevitable death of all the warriors, become His instrument:

“The Blessed Lord said: Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. With the exception of you (the Pandavas), all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.”

“Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasacin, can be but an instmment in the fight.”

In answer to Arjuna’s fearful prayers, Kṛṣṇa first shows His four-armed form before again returning to His original two-armed form:

“O universal Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form.”

Kṛṣṇa then states that his two-armed form can only be seen by pure devotees, and such pure devotees, working for Kṛṣṇa, free from desiring fruitive activities, and who make Kṛṣṇa the goal of their lives, certainly come to Him:

“The form which you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am.”

His confusion was so strong that his bow and arrows fell from his hand, and he could not perceive anything clearly. He was so afraid that he begged pardon for his dealings with Kṛṣṇa as an intimate friend.

As a friend, Arjuna often behaved unceremoniously with the Lord, and upon seeing the awesome universal form, Arjuna said:

“I have in the past addressed You as ‘O Kṛṣṇa,’ ‘O Yadava,’ ‘O my friend,’ without knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times while relaxing or while lying on the same bed or eating together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. Please excuse me for all my offenses.”

Who are You?” The Lord presented Himself as kala, death personified. By nature’s law, when there is an unwanted increase in population, kala appears, and by some arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, people are killed wholesale in different ways, by war, pestilence, famine and so on.

Although Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the greatest among all greats, still He remained with those royal brothers, being attracted by their devotion, by their friendship and by their love. That is the proof of how great this process of devotional service is.

It can attract even the Supreme Personality of Godhead. God is great, but devotional service is greater than God because it attracts Him. People who are not in devotional service can never understand what great value there is in rendering service to the Lord.

Arjuna requested that Kṛṣṇa to show His universal form, because he knew that “I am accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, but there are many persons with poor fund of knowledge, they may not accept.” Therefore he requested Kṛṣṇa to show him the universal form:

“If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that universal self.”

The philosophical take is that the universal form of God, is everything within the universe, but Kṛṣṇa is even more than that whole complete universal form. He is the origin of that universal form.

Arjuna understood that although Kṛṣṇa was his friend, He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and therefore the proper person to be his guru.

He therefore told Kṛṣṇa at the beginning of Bhagavad-gita (2.7),

“sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam”

“Now I am Your disciple and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.”

Non-devotees think that because Kṛṣṇa says, “I am God,” they and everyone else can say the same. But if asked to show their universal form, they cannot do it. That is the difference between a pseudo god and the real God.

Universal Form of the Lord which includes all diversities of matter beginning from Brahma to the ant, is but one-fourth portion of the inconceivable mystic powers of the Lord.

The gigantic universal form of the Lord called adhidaivatam is contemplated by the neophyte who cannot approach the Supreme Lord in His manifestation as Supersoul.

“My dear Arjuna, he who engages in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of fruitive activities and mental speculation, he who works for Me, who makes Me the supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living being – he certainly comes to Me.”

“Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, 0 Savyasacin, can be but an instrument in the fight.”

“You are the Supreme Lord, to he worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respects and ask Your mercy. Please tolerate the wrongs that I may have done to You and hear with me as a father with his son, or a friend with his friend, or a lover with his beloved.”

“Sañjaya said to Dhrtarashtra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, while speaking thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed form, and at last He showed him His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna.”

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Krishna grants Arjuna’s wish and reveals His universal form, demonstrating His divinity and establishing criteria for recognizing a true God.

Arjuna, initially fearful and confused, acknowledges Krishna’s greatness and seeks forgiveness for his past behavior. This chapter emphasizes the significance of devotional service, with Arjuna recognizing Krishna as the Supreme Lord and requesting guidance as his guru.

In this Chapter, Lord Kṛṣṇa extols the glory of true devotion to God and explains the different forms of spiritual disciplines.

Bhakti-yoga, pure devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the highest and most expedient means for attaining pure love for Kṛṣṇa, which is the highest end of spiritual existence. Those who follow this supreme path develop divine qualities.

In this Chapter Twelve, Arjuna, after witnessing Kṛṣṇa’s awesome Universal Form, wishes to clarify his own position as a devotee, the highest worshiper of the Supreme.

He thus asks whether worshiping Kṛṣṇa through devotional service or worshiping the impersonal is superior. Kṛṣṇa immediatly responds saying that one engaged in His personal service is the topmost:

“The Blessed Lord said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect.”

One should therefore engage in Kṛṣṇa’s service and fix his mind solely upon Kṛṣṇa, and, if that cannot be done, one should follow the rules and regulations of ‘bhakti-yoga’, which purify one so he is later able to do so.

Kṛṣṇa then describes other processes that eventually lead to His pure devotional service:

“But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, fixed, and immovable-the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth-by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.”

There are qualities that endear a devotee to Kṛṣṇa, which Kṛṣṇa next mentions, such as equality in both happiness and distress, independence from the ordinary course of activities, satisfaction, and the faithful following of the path of devotional service, are also part of the process of worshiping Kṛṣṇa in devotional service:

“For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Prtha, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.”

“One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me-he is very dear to Me.”

The last four verses tell us how we can become dear, very dear, or dearest worker to Kṛṣṇa:

“My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and not striving for some result, is very dear to Me.”

“One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things – such a devotee is very dear to Me.”

“One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service – such a person is very dear to Me.”

“Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me.”

“Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.”

“My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me.”

“If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.”

“If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.”

“If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.”

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Krishna emphasizes the significance of true devotion to God, highlighting that pure devotional service to Him, known as Bhakti-yoga, is the most effective means for attaining pure love and divine qualities.

The subsequent verses explain that being free from envy, possessing equanimity in pleasure and pain, and engaging in devotional service with determination make one dear to Krishna, offering a gradual path towards the highest devotion.

In this Chapter, Lord Kṛṣṇa shows us the difference between the physical body and the immortal soul - the transitory and the perishable, versus the immutable and the eternal.

Arjuna opens by inquiring about the field of activities and the knower of that field. Kṛṣṇa answers that the conditioned soul’s body and that body’s interactions within the material world are His limited field of activities:

“Arjuna said: O my dear Krsna, I wish to know about prakrti (nature), Purusa (the enjoyer), and the field and the knower of the field, and of knowledge and the end of knowledge. The Blessed Lord then said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.”

“O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge. That is My opinion.”

By understanding the difference between the body, the soul, and the Supersoul and by following the process of knowledge, the soul can transcend the good and the bad he meets, realize his eternal subordination to Kṛṣṇa, and attain the supreme destination.

This Thirteenth Chapter clearly explains that by humbly developing knowledge one can become free from material entanglement. It is also explained that the living entity’s entanglement within the material world due to his association with the modes of material nature:

“Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the modes of matter are products of material nature.”

“Nature is said to be the cause of all material activities and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.”

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.”

Paramatma,t he Lord in the heart is accompanying the individual soul:

“Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.”

“One who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies and who understands that neither the soul nor the Supersoul is ever destroyed, actually sees.”

One who understands the difference between the body, the soul and the Supersoul beyond them both attains liberation from this material world:

“Those with the vision of eternity can see that the soul is transcendental, eternal, and beyond the modes of nature. Despite contact with the material body, O Arjuna, the soul neither does anything nor is entangled.”

“The Supreme Truth exists both internally and externally, in the moving and nonmoving. He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know. Although far, far away, He is also near to all.”

“He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart.”

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Kṛṣṇa elucidates the distinction between the perishable physical body and the immortal soul, emphasizing the soul’s eternal nature and its transcendence over material entanglements.

By comprehending the difference between the body, the soul, and the Supersoul, and through the pursuit of knowledge, one can attain liberation from the material world and recognize their eternal subordination to Kṛṣṇa.

In this Chapter, Lord Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna to relinquish ignorance and passion and how everyone can adopt the path of pure goodness to acquire the ability to transcend them all.

There are three Prison Bars (modes), Kṛṣṇa explains the bars and gives us the tools how to cut them. He explains the three modes – goodness, passion and ignorance – those forces that bind and control all conditioned souls within this world. A soul can, however, transcend these modes through devotional service. All other processes are contaminated by the modes.

Virtue, Passion and Ignorance.

All embodied souls are under the control of the three modes, or qualities, of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance:

“Material nature consists of the three modes-goodness, passion and ignorance. When the living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these modes.”

Lord Kṛṣṇa explains what these modes are, how they act upon us, how one transcends them, and the symptoms of one who has attained the transcendental state.

Thus the limitations imposed by his field of activities can be overthrown and the soul can be elevated to the Brahman platform, the constitutional position of purity and happiness – a platform of which Kṛṣṇa is the basis:

“And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable and eternal.”

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Krishna advises Arjuna to transcend ignorance and passion by adopting the path of pure goodness, explaining the three modes – goodness, passion, and ignorance – that bind and control conditioned souls.

Krishna reveals the process of freeing oneself from the material world’s grip, likening it to an upside-down banyan tree, and emphasizes that knowing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engaging in His service is the ultimate purpose of Vedanta.

In this Chapter, Lord Kṛṣṇa reveals the transcendental characteristics of the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent and explains the purpose and value of knowing and realizing God.

The scape Plan (map) is The Vedas. Vedas give you the scape plan: where are the guards etc.

In this chapter, auspicious, elevating activities are described as part of the banyan tree.

The ultimate purpose of Vedic knowledge is to detach one self from the entanglement of the material world and to understand Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

One who understands Kṛṣṇa ’s supreme identity surrenders unto Him and engages in His devotional service:

“One who is free from illusion, false prestige, and false association, who understands the eternal, who is done with material lust and is freed from the duality of happiness and distress, and who knows how to surrender unto the Supreme Person, attains to that eternal kingdom.”

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to he known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.”

As one must be detached from the modes and their results in order to be attached to the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa describes in Chapter Fifteen the process of freeing oneself from matter’s grip.

He begins by comparing the material world to a gigantic, upside-down banyan tree, invoking Arjuna to detach himself from it through surrender. Thus, the soul can end his transmigrations and return to Him in the spiritual world.

Although the foolish cannot understand that the soul transmigrates, quitting one body to obtain a new body based on his mind’s desires, transcendentalists see this clearly.

The foolish can learn to see properly by understanding that it is Kṛṣṇa who is the splendor of the sun, moon, and fire, as the one keeping the planets in orbit and making vegetables succulent.

They can see Kṛṣṇa as the fire of digestion; as the Paramatma in everyone’s heart; as the giver of remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness; and as the goal of the Vedas and the compiler of Vedanta:

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.”

Kṛṣṇa then reveals that knowing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engaging in His service is the ultimate purpose of the Vedanta and the most confidential part of the Vedas:

“Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person.”

“0 sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode develop knowledge, hut they become conditioned by the concept of happiness.”

From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, grief develops; and from the mode of ignorance, foolishness, madness and illusion develop.

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Kṛṣṇa reveals the transcendental characteristics of God and emphasizes the significance of understanding and realizing Him, with the Vedas serving as the comprehensive guide.

The ultimate goal of Vedic knowledge is to attain detachment from the material world and recognize Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, leading to surrender and engagement in devotional service.

“The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purification of one’s existence, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity; nonviolence, truth­ fulness, freedom from anger; renunciation, tranquility, aversion to fault­ finding, compassion and freedom from covetousns; gentleness, modesty and steady determination; vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, free­ dom from envy and the passion for honor-these transcendental quali­ties, 0 son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.”

After mentioning twenty-six godly qualities, Kṛṣṇa explains the demoniac nature which degrades the soul through arrogant, ignorant, and conceited pursuits of sense gratification and power.

After mentioning twenty-six godly qualities, Kṛṣṇa explains the demoniac nature which degrades the soul through arrogant, ignorant, and conceited pursuits of sense gratification and power.

Kṛṣṇa explains the demonic mentality as follows:

“They say that this world is unreal, that there is no foundation and that there is no God in control. It is produced of sex desire, and has no cause other than lust.”

“While plotting to kill their ‘competitor’ enemies, they think themselves powerful and happy, and they, surrounded by their relatives, use sacrifices and charity only to further increase their happiness.”

“Perplexed by illusory anxieties, bewildered by self-complacency, impudency, and wealth; and envying the Supersoul within their own bodies and within the bodies of others, demons blaspheme real religion.”

“These mischievous, lowest amongst men are repeatedly cast by Kṛṣṇa into demonic species to gradually sink to the most abominable forms of existence.”

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.”

Arrogance, pride, anger, conceit, harshness and ignorance-these quali­ties belong to those of demonic nature, 0 son of Prtha.

The demoniac person thinks: “So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in the future, more and more.

He is my enemy, and I have killed him; and my other enemy will also be killed. I am the lord of everything, I am the enjoyer, I am perfect, powerful and happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives.

There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I shall perform sacrifices, I shall give some charity, and thus I shall rejoice.“ In this way, such persons are deluded by ignorance.

There are three gates leading to this hell-lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.

The Inmates

The inmates in this prison are the baddies and the not so bad. Associate with the goodies to go out sooner.

Kṛṣṇa ends the chapter by explaining that because lust, anger and greed are the beginnings of demonic life, all sane men should therefore give them up and understand their duty through faithfully following the scriptures.

Kṛṣṇa has concluded Chapter Sixteen by declaring that the ultimate difference between the divine and the demoniac is that the divine follow the scriptures while the demons do not:

“But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.”

Those who possess demoniac qualities and who live whimsically, without following the regulations of scripture, attain lower births and further material bondage.

But those who possess divine qualities and regulated lives, abiding by scriptural authority, gradually attain spiritual perfection.

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Kṛṣṇa delineates divine and demoniac natures, emphasizing righteous conduct, godly qualities, and the consequences of demonic pursuits such as arrogance, ignorance, and sense gratification.

Kṛṣṇa concludes by highlighting the importance of forsaking lust, anger, and greed to understand one’s duty through scripture and achieve spiritual perfection.

The prison key, the easiest way to get out of the jail is outlined in the last four verses and purports of this chapter.

In the beginning of Chapter Seventeen, Arjuna inquires more about those who don’t follow scriptures, but who worship according to their imaginations:

“Arjuna said, O Krsna, what is the situation of one who does not follow the principles of scripture but worships according to his own imagination? Is he in goodness, in passion or in ignorance?”

Kṛṣṇa answers by describing how the combination of the modes of material nature that control a particular person will dictate a person’s faith, worship, eating, sacrifices, charity and austerity:

“The Supreme Lord said, according to the modes of nature acquired by the embodied soul, one’s faith can be of three kinds-goodness, passion or ignorance. Now hear about these.”

In this Chapter, Kṛṣṇa tells us about the three divisions of faith and how these different qualities determine that character of human beings and their consciousness in this world.

It is a more detailed description of the Chapters 14 and 15.

Everything belongs to the Lord, thus everything should be offered to the Lord. If you live by that, you are free. That is the key.

The Bhagavad gita ends in 17 Chapters, but if you cannot put in practice the teachings or does not understand, then go to Chapter 18. If nothing is working, go to Chapter 18.

There are three types of faith, corresponding to and evolving from the three modes of material nature.

• Acts performed by those whose faith is in passion and ignorance yield only impermanent, material results,
• Whereas acts performed in goodness, in accord with scriptural injunctions, purify the heart and lead to pure faith in Lord Kṛṣṇa and devotion to Him.

The chapter ends with Kṛṣṇa explaining the syllables ‘om tat sat’ and how these syllables indicate that any sacrifice, austerity, or charity dictated by the modes and performed without devotional service is useless in this life and the next.

“Thus the transcendentalists undertake sacrifices, charities, and penances, beginning always with om, to attain the Supreme.”

“One should perform sacrifice, penance and charity with the word tat. The purpose of such transcendental activities is to get free from the material entanglement.”

“The Absolute Truth is the objective of devotional sacrifice, and it is indicated by the word sat. These works of sacrifice, of penance and of charity, true to the absolute nature, are performed to please the Supreme Person, O son of Prtha.”

“But sacrifices, austerities and charities performed without faith in the Supreme are nonpermanent, O son of Prtha, regardless of whatever rites are performed. They are called asat and are useless both in this life and the next.”

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Arjuna questions Kṛṣṇa about those who don’t follow scriptures but worship based on their imagination. Kṛṣṇa explains how the modes of material nature influence a person’s faith, worship, and actions.

The chapter emphasizes the three types of material existence and concludes with Kṛṣṇa highlighting the importance of dedicating all actions to the Lord for true freedom.

The main message in this Chapter is: if all else fails, “follow Me.”

Kṛṣṇa summarizes the takeaways from the previous chapters and describes the attainment of salvation by the paths of karma and jnana yoga. Arjuna learns to discriminate nectar from poison and returns to war.

Kṛṣṇa explains the meaning of renunciation and the effects of the modes of nature on human consciousness and activity. He explains Brahman realization, the glories of the Bhagavad-gita, and the ultimate conclusion of the Gita: the highest path of religion is absolute, unconditional loving surrender unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, which frees one from all sins, brings one to complete enlightenment, and enables one to return to Kṛṣṇa’s eternal spiritual abode.

“O mighty-armed Arjuna, according to the Vedānta there are five causes for the accomplishment of all action. Now learn of these from Me.”

“The place of action (the body), the performer, the various senses, the many different kinds of endeavor, and ultimately the Supersoul – these are the five factors of action.”

“Whatever right or wrong action a man performs by body, mind or speech is caused by these five factors.”

“Therefore one who thinks himself the only doer, not considering the five factors, is certainly not very intelligent and cannot see things as they are.”

“One who performs his duty without association with the modes of material nature, without false ego, with great determination and enthusiasm, and without wavering in success or failure is said to be a worker in the mode of goodness.”

“O best of the Bhāratas, now please hear from Me about the three kinds of happiness by which the conditioned soul enjoys, and by which he sometimes comes to the end of all distress.”

“That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.”“

“That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but poison at the end is said to be of the nature of passion.”

“And that happiness which is blind to self-realization, which is delusion from beginning to end and which arises from sleep, laziness and illusion is said to be of the nature of ignorance.”

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, 0 Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.”

“And one who listens with faith and without envy becomes free from sinful reaction and attains to the planets where the pious dwell.”

“Every endeavor is covered by some sort of fault, just as fire is covered by smoke. Therefore one should not give up the work which is born of his nature, 0 son of Kunti, even if such work is full of fault.”

“Wherever there is Krsna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victo­ ry, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.”

“The worker who is free from all material attachments and false ego, who is enthusiastic and resolute and who is indifferent to success or failure, is a worker in the mode of goodness.”

“If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditional life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such con­ sciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.”

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, 0 Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.”

“O son of Prtha, that understanding by which one knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, that understanding is established in the mode of goodness.”

“And that happiness which is blind to self-realization, which is delusion from beginning to end and which arises from sleep, laziness and illusion is said to be of the nature of ignorance.”

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.”

“Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victo­ry, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.”

The entire Bhagavad-gita is concluded in seventeen chapters and in the Eighteen Chapter, Kṛṣṇa reviews the knowledge already presented. In this chapter Kṛṣṇa concludes, as He has done througout the Bhagavad-gita, that one should practice devotional service – Kṛṣṇa conciousness.

If instructions on chapters 15, 16 and 17 do not work or can’t do it, just follow me.

“sarva dharman paritjyaija”

Vraja means go. Just follow me, don’t worry.

It is like a lawyer comes to our rescue. All crimes will be purified, the reasons you are in jail will be cleared, forget about all dharmas, just hold to Kṛṣṇa instructions, guidance, lotus feet and you will be free, you will get moksha.

Kṛṣṇa is our Lawyer 24/7. He will show how to cut the bars, gives you the map, the plan of the prison house, with whom you should associate with, and the key.

And if everything fails just follow Me and you will be OK.

“O Arjuna, when one performs his prescribed duty only because it ought to be done, and renounces all material association and all attachment to the fruit, his renunciation is said to be in the mode of goodness.”

Since Arjuna’s basic desire to renounce his duty of fighting was fear of sinful reaction, Kṛṣṇa explains true renunciation and how to transcend sinful reactions through:

Becoming renounced from the fruits of activities:

“The Supreme Lord said, To give up the results of all activities is called renunciation (tyaga) by the wise. And that state is called the renounced order of life (sannyasa) by great learned men.”

“All these activities should be performed without any expectation of result. They should be performed as a matter of duty, O son of Prtha. That is My final opinion.”

Worshiping the Lord through one’s fruits of work by acting either as ’brahmana’, ’ksatriya’, etc.:

“But he who performs his prescribed duty only because it ought to be done, and renounces all attachment to the fruit-his renunciation is of the nature of goodness, O Arjuna.”

“By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection.”

Thus, one can achieve the self-realized position of ‘brahma-bhuta’ and that position, detached from all material things, one can practice pure devotional service:

“O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.”

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.”

Kṛṣṇa can only be known through surrendering to Him in devotional service, and by this direct process – free from karma or jnana, Arjuna should need not fear any sinful reactions. Under Kṛṣṇa’s protection, such a pure devotee will reach “Kṛṣṇa-loka”:

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.”

“If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditional life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.”

Kṛṣṇa instructs Arjuna that he should surrender to the Supreme Lord within his heart and thus attain peace in His supreme, eternal abode. The most confidential knowledge is then explained by Kṛṣṇa:

“Become My devotee, always think of Me, act for Me, worship Me, and offer all homage unto Me. Surrender unto Me alone. Do not fear sinful reactions.”

After hearing the instructions of Sri Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is fixed and ready to fight:

“Arjuna said, My dear Krsna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.”

Sanjaya, after narrating this conversation to Dhritarashtra, ecstatically thinks of the wondrous two-armed form of Kṛṣṇa and predicts victory for Arjuna, the supreme archer, for he is surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, the master of all mystics:

“Sanjaya said: Thus have I heard the conversation of two great souls, Krsna and Arjuna. And so wonderful is that message that my hair is standing on end.”

“O King, when I remember the wonderful form of Lord Krsna, I am struck with even greater wonder, and I rejoice again and again.”

“Wherever there is Krsna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.”

The Gita ends with Kṛṣṇa telling Arjuna he must choose the path of good or evil, as it his his duty to fight the Kauravas for his kingdom. In that, he is correcting the balance of good and evil, fulfilling his dharma, and offering the deepest form of selfless service. Arjuna understands and, with that, proceeds into battle.

It is appropriately the longest discourse in the poem. It deals particularly with the relationship between knowledge (jnana) and action (karma), which is what Arjuna needs to know in order to choose wisely among the options facing him, that is, in order to discriminate.

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Kṛṣṇa emphasizes the importance of surrendering to Him in devotional service, outlining the paths of karma and jnana yoga for attaining salvation. Arjuna learns to discern right and wrong actions based on the five factors influencing all deeds.

Kṛṣṇa underscores the significance of performing duties without attachment, achieving true renunciation, and ultimately surrendering to Him for liberation, while highlighting the interplay between knowledge and action.

The Gita concludes with Kṛṣṇa advising Arjuna to choose the path of righteousness and fulfill his duty in the battle against the Kauravas, ultimately stressing the supreme importance of unconditional loving surrender to Lord Kṛṣṇa for spiritual freedom.