Chapter 1: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of
Kurukshetra
Two armies, those of the Pandavas and the Kauravas,
face each other on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Many signs indicate victory for the Pandavas.
Dhrtarashtra, the Pandavas’ uncle and the Kauravas’
father, doubts the possibility of his sons’ victory and
asks Sanjaya, his secretary, to describe the scene on
the battlefield.
Arjuna, one of five Pandava brothers, undergoes a
crisis just before the fight. He is overwhelmed by
compassion for his family members and teachers,
whom he is supposed to kill. After submitting before
Krishna many noble and moral reasons why he wishes
not to fight, Arjuna casts aside his weapons,
overwhelmed with grief. Arjuna’s reluctance to fight
indicates his kind heart; such a person is fit to receive
transcendental knowledge.
Chapter 2: Contents of the Gita Summarized
Krishna does not sympathize with Arjuna’s arguments.
Rather, He reminds Arjuna that his duty is to fight and
orders him to overcome his weakness of heart. Arjuna
is torn between his aversion to killing his relatives and
Krishna’s desire that he should fight. Aggrieved and
confused, Arjuna asks Krishna for guidance and
becomes his disciple.
Krishna takes up the role of Arjuna’s Spiritual Master
and teaches him that the soul is eternal and cannot
be killed. Dying in battle promotes a fighter to the
heavenly planets, so Arjuna should rejoice that those
persons he is about to kill will achieve superior births.
A person is eternally an individual. Only his body
perishes. Thus, there is nothing to lament.
Arjuna’s decision not to fight is based on his desire to
enjoy life with his relatives, even at the cost of
wisdom and duty. Such a mentality keeps one bound
to the material world. Krishna advises Arjuna to
engage in buddhi-yoga, work without attachment to
the results. By fighting in this way, Arjuna will free
himself from the cycle of birth and death and become
eligible to enter the kingdom of God.
Chapter 3: Karma – Yoga
Arjuna is still confused. He thinks that buddhi-yoga
means that one should retire from active life and
practice penance and austerities. But Krishna says, “no.
Fight! But do it in a spirit of renunciation and offer all
the results to the Supreme. This is the best
purification. By working without attachment, one
attains the Supreme.”
Performing sacrifices for the pleasure of the Lord
guarantees material prosperity and freedom from
sinful reactions. Even a self-realized person never
gives up his duty. He acts for the sake of educating
others.
Arjuna then asks the Lord what it is that causes one
to engage in sinful acts. Krishna answers that it is lust
which induces one to sin. This lust bewilders one and
entangles one in the material world. Lust presents
itself in the senses, mind, and intelligence, but it can
be counteracted by self – control.
Chapter 4: Transcendental Knowledge
The science of Bhagavad – gita was first spoken by
Krishna to Vivasvan, the sun-god. Vivasvan taught the
science to his descendents, who taught it to humanity.
This system of transmitting knowledge is called
disciplic succession.
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religion
and a rise of irreligion, Krishna appears in His Original
Transcendental Form, untouched by material nature.
One who understands the transcendental nature of
the Lord attains the Lord’s eternal abode at the time
of death.
Everyone surrenders to Krishna, directly or indirectly,
and Krishna reciprocates according to one’s surrender.
Krishna created a system called varnasrama, with
divisions of social and spiritual life, to engage people
according to their psychophysical natures. By
sacrificing the results of work to the Supreme, people
gradually rise to the platform of transcendental
knowledge. Ignorant and faithless people who doubt
the revealed knowledge of the scriptures can never be
happy, nor attain God Consciousness.
Chapter 5: Karma – yoga – Action in Krishna
Consciousness
Arjuna is still confused about what is better:
renunciation of work or work in devotion. Krishna
explains that devotional service is better. Since
everything belongs to Krishna, nothing is one’s own to
renounce. Thus whatever one possesses one should
use in Krishna’s service. A person working in such
consciousness is renounced. This process, called
karma yoga, helps one escape the result of fruitive
action—entanglement in rebirth.
One, who works in devotion with his mind and senses
controlled, is in divine consciousness. Although his
senses are engaged with sense objects, he is aloof,
situated in peace and happiness.
Chapter 6: Dhyana – yoga
The process of mystic yoga entails cessation of
material activities. Yet the true mystic is not he who
performs no duty. A real yogi works according to
duty, without attachment to results or a desire for
sense gratification. Real yoga entails meeting the
Supreme Soul within the heart and following His
dictation. This is achieved with the help of a
controlled mind. Through knowledge and realization,
one becomes unaffected by the dualities of material
existence (heat and cold, honor and dishonor, etc.). By
regulation of eating, sleeping, work, and recreation,
the yogi gains control over his body, mind and
activities and becomes steady in his meditation on the
transcendent self. Ultimately, he achieves Samadhi,
characterized by the ability to relish transcendental
pleasure through transcendental sense. The highest
yogi is he who always thinks of Krishna, the Supreme
Soul
Chapter 7: Knowledge of the Absolute
Krishna reveals Himself as the origin of all material
and spiritual energies. Although His energy manifests
material nature, with three states of being (goodness,
passion, and ignorance), Krishna is not under material
control. But everyone else is, except those who have
surrendered unto Him.
Krishna is the essence of everything; the taste of
water, the heat in fire, the sound in ether, the light of
the sun and the moon, the ability in man, the original
fragrance of the earth, the intelligence of the
intelligent, and the life of all that lives.
Four types of men surrender to Krishna, and four
types don’t. Those who do not surrender remain
covered by Krishna’s temporary, illusory potency and
can never know Him, but pious people become
eligible for surrender to devotional service. Among
them, those who understand that Krishna is the cause
of all causes engage in devotional service with great
determination and become dear to Krishna. These rare
souls are sure to attain Him.
Chapter 8: Attaining the Supreme
Arjuna asks Krishna seven questions: What is
Brahman? What is self? What are fruitive activities?
What is material manifestation? Who are demigods?
Who is the Lord of sacrifice? And how can those
engaged in devotional service know Krishna at the
time of death?
Krishna replies “brahman” refers to the indestructible
living entity (jiva): the “self” refers to the soul’s
intrinsic nature of service; and “fruitive activities”
means actions that develop material bodies. The
material manifestation is the ever -changing physical
nature; the demigods and their planets are part of the
universal form of the Supreme Lord; and the Lord of
sacrifice is Krishna Himself as the Super soul.
As for knowing Krishna at the time of death, it
depends on one’s consciousness. The principle is this:
“Whatever state of being one remembers when he
quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.”
Krishna says, “whoever, at the end of life, quits his
body remembering Me alone at once attains My
nature without a doubt. Therefore, My dear Arjuna,
you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna
and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty
of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and
your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will
attain Me without doubt.”
During each day of Brahma, all living entities become
manifest, and during his night they merge into the
unmanifested nature. Although there are auspicious
and inauspicious times for leaving one’s body,
devotees of Krishna do not care about them, for by
engaging in pure devotional service to Krishna they
automatically attain all the results derived from
studying the Vedas or engaging in sacrifice, charity,
philosophical speculation, and so on. Such pure
devotees reach the Lord’s Supreme Eternal Abode.
Chapter 9: The Most Confidential Knowledge
According to Lord Krishna, the most confidential
knowledge, knowledge of devotional service, is the
purest knowledge and the topmost education. It gives
direct perception of the self by realization, and it is
the perfection of religion. It is everlasting and joyfully
performed.
Krishna’s unmanifested form pervades everything, but
Krishna Himself remains detached from matter.
Material nature, working under His direction, produces
all moving and non-moving beings.
Krishna’s unmanifested form pervades everything, but
Krishna Himself remains detached from matter.
Material nature, working under His direction, produces
all moving and non-moving beings.
Different worshipers reach different goals. Men who
want to attain the heavenly planets worship the
demigods and then take birth among them to enjoy
godly delights; but such men, after exhausting their
pious credits, return to earth. Men, who worship
ancestors, go to the planets of the ancestors, and
those who worship ghosts become ghosts. But one
who worships Krishna with exclusive devotion goes to
Him forever.
Whatever Krishna’s devotee does, eats, offers, or gives
away in charity, he does as an offering unto the Lord.
Krishna reciprocates by carrying what His devotee
lacks and preserving what he has. By taking shelter of
Krishna, even lowborn people can attain the Supreme
destination.
Chapter 10: the Opulence of the Absolute
Devotees know Krishna as the unborn, the beginning
less, the Supreme Lord of all worlds, the creator of the
patriarchs from whom all living being descend, the
origin of everything.
Intelligence, knowledge, truthfulness, mental and
sensory control, fearlessness, non-violence, austerity,
birth, death, fear, distress, infamy–all qualities, good
and bad, are created by Krishna. Devotional service
helps one develop all good qualities.
The devotees who lovingly engage in devotional
service have full faith in Krishna’s opulences, mystic
power, and supremacy. The thoughts of such devotees
dwell in Krishna. Their lives are devoted to His service,
and they derive great bliss and satisfaction by
enlightening one another and conversing about Him.
Devotees engaged in pure devotional service, even if
lacking education or knowledge of the Vedic
principles, are helped from within by Krishna, who
personally destroys the darkness born out of
ignorance.
Arjuna has realized Krishna’s position as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode and the
Absolute Truth, the purest, the transcendental and the
original person, the unborn, the greatest, the origin,
and the Lord of all. Now Arjuna wants to know more.
Lord Krishna tells more, and then concludes: “All
opulent, beautiful, and glorious creations spring from
but a spark of My splendor.”
Chapter 11: The Universal Form
To protect innocent people from imposters, Arjuna
asks Krishna to prove His divinity by exhibiting His
universal form – a form that anyone who claims to be
God should be prepared to show. Krishna gives Arjuna
divine vision by which to see the brilliant, glaring,
unlimited universal form, which reveals, in one place,
everything that ever was or now is or will be.
Arjuna offers obeisances with folded hands and
glorifies the Lord. Krishna then reveals that except for
the five Pandavas, all the soldiers assembled on the
battlefield will be killed. Therefore Krishna exhorts
Arjuna to fight as His instrument and guarantees him
victory and a flourishing kingdom.
Arjuna requests Krishna to withdraw His fearful form
and show His original form. The Lord then exhibits His
four-armed form and at last His original two-armed
form. Upon seeing the Lord’s beautiful humanlike
form, Arjuna becomes pacified. One who is engaged
in pure devotional service can see such a form.
Chapter 12: Devotional Service
“Who is more perfect,” Arjuna asks, “the devotee
worshiping and servicing the Lord’s personal form or
the transcendentalist meditating on the impersonal
Brahman?”
Krishna replies, “the devotee who fixes his mind on
My personal form is most perfect.”
Because devotional service employs the mind and
senses, it is the easy, natural way for an embodied
soul to reach the supreme destination. The impersonal
path is unnatural and fraught with difficulties. Krishna
does not recommend it.
In the topmost stage of devotional service, one’s
consciousness is totally fixed on Krishna. A step lower
is the practice of regulative devotional service. Lower
than that is karma-yoga, renouncing the fruits of
action. Indirect processes for attaining the Supreme
include meditation and cultivating knowledge.
A devotee who is pure, expert, tolerant,
self-controlled, equipoised, non-envious, free from
false ego, friendly to all living entities, and equal to
friends and enemies is dear to the Lord.
Chapter 13: Nature, the Enjoyer and Consciousness
Arjuna wants to know about prakriti (nature), purusa
(the enjoyer), ksetra (the field), ksetra-jna (the knower
of the field), jnana (knowledge), and gnaya (the object
of knowledge).
Krishna explains that the ksetra is the conditioned
soul’s field of activity the body. Within it reside both
the living entity and the Supreme Lord, who are called
ksetra-jna, the knowers of the field. Jnana, knowledge,
means understanding of the body and its knowers.
Knowledge involves qualities such as humility,
nonviolence, tolerance, cleanliness, self-control,
absence of false ego, and even – mindedness amid
pleasant and unpleasant events.
Jnaya, the object of knowledge, is the Super soul.
Prakriti, nature, is the causes of all material causes and
effects. The two purusas, or enjoyers, are the living
entity and the Super soul. A person who can see that
the individual soul and the Super soul remain
unchanged throughout various types of material
bodies they successfully inhabit and is said to possess
the vision of eternity. By understanding the difference
between the body and the knower of the body, and
by understanding the process of liberation from
material bondage, one reaches the supreme goal.
Chapter 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature
The total material substance is the source of the three
modes of material nature: goodness, passion and
ignorance. These modes compete in exerting their
influence upon the conditioned soul. By observing the
modes at work, we can understand that they are
active, not we, and that we are separate. In this way,
the influence of material nature gradually diminishes
and we attain Krishna’s spiritual nature.
The mode of goodness illuminates. It frees one from
all sinful reactions but conditions one to a sense of
happiness and knowledge. One who dies in the mode
of goodness attains the higher planets.
A person influenced by the mode of passion is
plagued by unlimited desires for boundless material
enjoyment, especially sex pleasure. To satisfy those
desires, he is always forced to engage in hard work
that binds him to sinful reactions, resulting in misery.
A person in the mode of passion is never satisfied
with the position he has already acquired. After death,
he again takes birth on earth among persons engaged
in fruitive activities.
The mode of ignorance means delusion. It fosters
madness, indolence, laziness, and foolishness. If one
dies in the mode of ignorance, he has to take birth in
the animal kingdom or the hellish worlds.
A person who transcends the three modes is steady in
his behavior, aloof from the temporary material body,
and equally disposed towards friends and enemies.
Such transcendental qualities can be achieved by full
engagement in devotional service.
Chapter 15: The Yoga of the Supreme Person
The “tree” of this material world is but a reflection of
the real “tree”, the spiritual world. Just as a tree’s
reflection is situated on water, the material reflection
of the spiritual world is situated on desire, and no one
knows where it begins or ends. This reflected tree is
nourished by the three modes of material nature. Its
leaves are the Vedic hymns, and its twigs are the
objects of the senses. One who wants to disentangle
himself from this tree must cut it down with the
weapon of detachment and seek shelter of the
Supreme Lord.
Everyone in this world is fallible, but in the spiritual
world everyone is infallible. And beyond all others is
the Supreme Person, Krishna.
Everyone in this world is fallible, but in the spiritual
world everyone is infallible. And beyond all others is
the Supreme Person, Krishna.
Chapter 16: The Divine and Demoniac Natures
Two classes of created beings, the divine and the
demoniac, are endowed with different qualities. Godly
men like Arjuna possess the godly qualities: charity,
self-control, gentleness, modesty, forgiveness,
cleanliness, austerity, simplicity, non-violence,
truthfulness, tranquility, fearlessness, freedom from
anger, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, aversion to
fault-finding, compassion for all living beings, freedom
from covetousness, and steady determination.
Demoniac qualities such as pride, anger, envy,
harshness, arrogance, ignorance, Impudence,
uncleanliness, and improper behavior bind people in a
network of illusion that makes them take birth again
and again in demoniac species of life. Unable to
approach Krishna, the demoniac gradually sink down
to hell.
Two kinds of action – regulated and
unregulated—yield different results. A person who
discards scriptural injunctions attains neither
perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme
destination. People regulated by scripture understand
what duty is and what is not. They gradually attain the
supreme destination by performing acts conducive to
self–realization.
Chapter 17: The Divisions of Faith
Arjuna asks. “what mode of nature governs those
who do not follow the principles of scripture but
worship according to their own imagination?”
In reply, Krishna analyzes the different kinds of faith,
food, charity, austerity, sacrifice, and penance that
mark the different modes of material nature.
The three words “om tat” sat are symbolic
representations of the Supreme Absolute Truth. Om
indicates the Supreme, tat is used for getting free
from material entanglement, and sat indicates that the
Absolute Truth is the objective of devotional service.
Any sacrifice, charity, or penance performed without
faith in the Supreme is called asat, impermanent.
Chapter 18: Conclusion: The Perfection of
Renunciation
Arjuna asks Krishna about the purpose of tyaga
(renunciation) and sannyasa (the renounced order of
life). Krishna explains these and the five causes of
action, the three factors that motivate action, and the
three constituents of action. He also describes action,
understanding, determination, happiness, and work
according to each of the three modes of material
nature.
One attains perfection by doing one’s own work, not
another’s, as prescribed duties are never affected by
sinful reactions. Thus one should work as a matter of
duty, without attachment or expectation of result. One
should never give up one’s duty.
The highest platform of self-realization is pure
devotional service to Krishna. Accordingly, Krishna
advises Arjuna to always depend on Him, work under
His protection, and be conscious of Him. If Arjuna
refuses to fight for Krishna, he will still be dragged
into warfare as it is his nature as a ksatriya to fight.
Nonetheless, he is free to decide what he wants to do.
By Krishna’s grace, Arjuna’s illusion and doubt vanish,
and he chooses to fight according to Krishna’s
directions.
