Gita Inside Pages

Shrimat
Bhagwat Gita
The song celestial…
ARUNESHWAR GUPTA
SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta | 1

2 | SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta
Contents
1. Preface ................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
2. It – A Chart ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
3. Words as they mean ........................................................................................................................................... 5
4. Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga .................................................................................................. 8
5. Chapter 2 – Sankhya Yoga .................................................................................................................... 12
6. Chapter 3 – Karma Yoga ........................................................................................................................ 14
7. Chapter 4 – Gyana Karma Yoga ................................................................................................... 17
8. Chapter 5 – Karma Sanyasa Yoga .............................................................................................. 20
9. Chapter 6 – Atman Sanyam Yoga ............................................................................................... 22
10. Chapter 7 – Gyana Vigyana Yoga ................................................................................................ 25
11. Chapter 8 – Akshra Brahma Yoga ............................................................................................... 27
12. Chapter 9 – Raj Vidya Rajaguhya Yoga ............................................................................... 29
13. Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga .................................................................................................................... 31
14. Chapter 11 – Vishwa-rupa Darshana Yoga ..................................................................... 33
15. Chapter 12 – Bhakti Yoga ...................................................................................................................... 36
16. Chapter 13 – Kshetra Khetragya Vibhaga Yoga .......................................................... 38
17. Chapter 14 – Guna - Triya Vibhaga Yoga ......................................................................... 40
18. Chapter 15 – Purushotama Yoga .................................................................................................. 42
19. Chapter 16 – Daiva-sura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga ..................................................... 44
20. Chapter 17 – Shradha - triya Vibhaga Yoga ................................................................... 46
21. Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga ........................................................................................ 48

Preface
B hagwat Gita has a basic thought underlying it, which many may call
presumptions. Every reader of logic may say that, “You have presumed the
existence of certain facts and what is sought to be established are the
presumptions themselves.” Believe me, these basic underlying principles of life
are not presumptions, but fundamentals reached after deep inquiry by persons
of highest integrity. The endeavour is merely to restate them in a simpler form,
to enable clearer and better reflection.
Every individual is in a constant struggle to achieve total harmony and
perpetual happiness. Every person continues to make serious and sincere
efforts to resolve the conflicts within ones’ self and those existing in the world
around. In the process, every person at every moment tries to appreciate,
understand and express himself to his very best. The expressions are, however,
circumscribed and limited by the extent of one’s own exposure, experience,
analysis, knowledge and understanding of the conflicts and realisation of the
Truth.
Reading and understanding Bhagwat Gita is yet another step to help the
perception of the conflicts and resolve them or help the perception of absence
of such conflicts and negate them. In the absence of correct appreciation,
understanding and realization of the Truth, every human being not only
thwarts own development and progress towards the Ultimate, but also gets
involved in social reactions and interactions which defeat the very purpose of
existence. The inability of human being to perceive the Whole or Its true nature
brings about thoughts and feelings like disapproval, disappointment, displea-
sure, annoyance, anger, dissatisfaction, depression, frustration, guilt, fear,
jealousy, hatred, melancholy etc. leading to social expressions and social
phenomena like lack of sympathy, unfriendliness, hostility, aggression, enmity,
abuse, violence, exploitation, brutality, terrorism, poverty, corruption, divorce
etc. which religion and law endeavour to minimise and control.
This book is neither intended to unsettle the minds of those who are
attached to pleasure and power or to invite their opinion. This is meant merely
to induce and reinforce in the wise the stimulus and vitality to persistently and
precisely carry on their activities, leading to a perfectly harmonised social
order and help every other individual to reach Self-realisation…
January 10, 2007 Author

Word meanings
01. Self Atman, Conscience, Consciousness, Cosmic Reality,

Cosmic Energy, God, Life Element, Living Spark,
Purusha, Soul, Spirit, Truth, Will, Prana etc… (IV
phase).
02. Liberation A state when after the dissolution of the body, Self
becomes Self-existing.
03. Nature Prakriti or every thing other than the Self.
04. Being The co-existence of the Self and the body, mind and
intellect.
05. Life A process for being, with liberation/ realisation as its

purpose.
06. Death The de-linking of the Self from the body, mind and
intellect.
07. Ego The bond between the Self and the body, mind and
intellect.
08. Emotions The bond between beings.
09. Art The expression of Self in nature.
10. Body The part of the being, which perceive the objects (I
Phase).
11. Mind The part of the being, which feel the emotions (II
Phase).
12. Intellect The part of the being, which thinks, reasons, analyses
and memorises the thoughts, feelings and actions (III
Phase).
13. Realisation A state of the being when complete/ total expression/

manifestation of Self takes place through the body,
mind and intellect – a state of Satt – Chitt - Anand

14. Attachment The bond between the beings and nature
15. Wisdom The power/ capacity to express/ apply the Truth in

nature.
16. Integrity The extent of harmony between the body, mind and
intellect.
17. Corruption The extent of disharmony between the body, mind

and intellect.
18. Intelligence The power of discriminating Self and nature and their
manifestations.
19. Knowledge a. With respect to Self - The extent / capacity of the

being to understand the Self and its manifesta-
tions and leading to abhaya, asangh and ahimsa.
b. With respect to nature - The extent/ capacity of

the being to deal with/control the nature.
20. Experience a. With respect to Self - The extent of awareness/

knowledge of the being about expressions/ mani-
festations of the Self.
b. With respect to nature - The extent of aware-

ness/ knowledge of the being of the various
interactions and effects of nature.
21. Education a. With respect to Self- The training that enables

the being to further express the Self and progres-
sively achieve the purpose of life.
b. With respect to nature - The training which

enables the being to deal with/ control the nature
and progressively achieve complete/ total integ-
rity/ harmony between the body, mind and
intellect so as to develop a perfect social order.
22. Religion Rules to regulate/ keep the body, mind and intellect
in harmony/ integrity to enable/ lead the being to
realisation/ liberation.

23. Law Rules that regulate/ keep the society in harmony by
regulating the interactions/ effects of being(s) and
being(s) and being(s) and nature.
24. Power The extent of control of a being on Self, other being(s)

or nature.
25. Politics The manipulation of being(s) by being(s) to attain

power.
26. Basic Elements Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space
27. Gyanendriyan Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue and Skin
28. Karmendriyan Arms (including legs), Eyelids, Mouth, Genital Or-

gans and Anus
29. Temple A place where prana prathishtha of a Hindu deity has

been undertaken and Its powers are regularly in-
voked by undertaking puja according to rituals.
30. Puja A phonetic combination to invoke the powers of a

Devi, Devta, Avatar or any other Hindu deity.
31. Mantra A phonetic combination to bring about harmony in

nature.
32. Parikrama A process of going round a deity (except Shiva) to

circumscribe its powers / gunas and inculcate within
ones own self to achieve the purpose of life.

CHAPTER - I
Arjuna Vishada Yoga
D hritarashtra said: Gathered together at Kurukshetra as

the field of religious activities, what, O Sanjay, did my
war-inclined sons and those of Pandu do?
Sanjay said: Now seeing the Pandva army arrayed properly
the prince Duryodhana drew near his preceptor Drona and
spoke these words:
“Behold, O Master, this mighty army of the sons of
Pandu, marshaled by the son of Drupada, your talented
disciple. Here are mighty archers and peers in warfare to
heroic as Bhima and Arjuna. Yujudhana, Virata and
Drupada are great chariot-warrior. Dhirshtaketu, Chekitana
and the valiant king of Kasi, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Saibya,
the best among men.
Know you, O the best of the twice born, all those who
are our distinguished chiefs, the leaders of my army, I name
them for your information. Your venerable self, Bhishma,
Karna, Kripa victorious in fight, Aswathama, Vikarna and
Saumadathi as well. And there are yet other heroes well
trained in warfare, which equipped with manifold weapons
and missiles, are ready to lay down their lives for my sake.
Unlimited is our army marshalled by Bhishma, but
limited is the army of theirs marshalled by Bhima. Now all
of you assume positions in your respective directions and
protect Bhishma alone, by all means”.

In order to embolden Duryodhana, Bhishma the mighty
grandsire, the oldest of the Kurus, now raised a lion’s roar and
blew his conch. Then suddenly blared forth conches, kettle-
drums, tabors, trumpets and cow-horns; and tremendous was
that noise.
Then seated as Madhva and Pandva were in their magnifi-
cent chariot yoked to white steads, gracefully blew their divine
conchs. Panchjanya was blown by Hrishikesha and Devadatta
by Dhananjaya. Vrikodara of terrible exploits blew his great
conch, Paundra. The king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew
Anantavijaya, Nakula and Sahadeva blew Sughosha and
Manipushpaka, and the ruler of Kasi, the adept archer and
Shikhandi the great chariot-warrior Dheshtdyumna and Virata
and Satyaki, the invincible. O ruler of the earth, Drupada and
the sons of Draupadi and the mighty armed son of Subhadra
all these as well blew their several conchs. Filling the earth and
the sky with reverberation and tumultuous uproar that rent the
hearts of the sons of Dhritarashtra. Then, O ruler of the earth,
seeing Dhritrashtra sons being positioned and the fight about
to commence, Pandva, whose ensign badge is Hanuman, lifting
his bow and spoke the following words to Krishna.
Arjuna said: Place my chariot, O Achyuta, between the two
armies so that I may behold the war indeed that stands here
and with whom I must wage this war. I desire to discern those
that throng here to fight, intent on pleasing in battle the evil-
minded son of Dhritrashtra.
Sanjaya said: Thus requested by Gudakesha, Hrishikesha,
having placed the best of chariots in between the two armies;
facing Bhishma and Drona and all the rulers of the earth, spoke,
“O, Partha, behold all the Kurus gathered together.”
Standing there Partha then beheld in both the armies,
paternal uncles, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, cous-

ins, sons, grandsons, comrades, fathers-in-law and benefactors.
He, the son of Kunti, gazing at those kinsmen posted in
positions spoke this in sadness, filed as he was with choking
compassion.
Arjuna said: Seeing these my kinsmen, collected here
prompted by war, my limbs fail me, O Krishna, and my mouth
is parched up. My body quivers and my hair stand on end. The
bow Gandiva slips from my hand and my skin burns all over.
I am unable to stand; my mind whirls as it guise, and Kesava,
I see adverse omens. I do not foresee any good ensuing from
the slaughter of kinsmen in battle. O Krishna, I hanker not for
victory or empire or pleasure even. Of what avail to us is
kingdom or enjoyment or even life. O Govinda, those for
whose sake we seek kingdom, enjoyments and pleasures, they
stand here in battle, staking life and property. Teachers, fathers,
sons as well as grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law,
grandsons, brothers-in-law and other relatives.
Though myself be slain by them, I would not, O Madhusudan
seek to slay them even for the sake of domination over the three
worlds, how then for the earth? What delight can we derive,
O Janardana, by doing away with these sons of Dhritrashtra?
Sin only will accrue to us by slaying these desperadoes. We
should not, therefore, slay the sons of Dhritrashtra, our
kinsmen. How can we, O Madhava killing our own kinsmen,
be happy? Although these, with understanding clouded by
greed, see no guilt in the in termination of a family, no crime
in hostility to friends, why should we not learn to recoil from
such a sin? O Janardana, we who see evil in the destruction of
a family? In the decline of a family, its time-honoured
usages perish, with the perishing of sacred rites impiety
overtakes the entire family. With the growth of impiety, O
Krishna, the family women become unchaste, and women

getting corrupted, O Varshneya caste admixture ensues.
Hell is verily the lot of the family and family destroyers
through caste admixture, for, their ancestors fall deprived of
manes-cakes and liberation.
The everlasting caste virtues and the family merits get
ruined because of the caste confusion created by the bad deeds
of the family-destroyers. We have heard. O, Janardana, that
hell is verily the long lasting abode of the men whose family
religious practices have been broken. Goaded by the greed of
the pleasures of a kingdom, we are alas, bent on perpetrating
the great sin of killing our kinsmen. Should the sons of
Dhritarashtra with weapons in hand slay me, unresisting and
unarmed in the battle that would indeed the better for me.
Sanjay said: So saying, overwhelmed with sorrow in the
battlefield, Arjuna sat on the seat of his chariot, abandoning his
bow and arrows.

CHAPTER - II
Sankhya Yoga
S anjay said: Madhusudana spoke these words to him who

was thus overwhelmed with compassion and drowned in
distress and whose eyes were drenched in tears of despon-
dency.
The Blessed Lord said: Whence has this unmanly, heaven
barring and shameful dejection come upon you, at this
juncture, O Arjuna? yield not, O Partha to feebleness. It does
not befit you. Cast off this petty faint-heartedness; wake up, O
vanquisher of foes.
Arjuna said: O slayer of Madhusudhan, O slayer of foes,
how shall I with arrows counterattack Bishma and Drona, who
are worthy of worship? Even to eat the beggar’s bread, is far
better in this world than to slay these great souled masters. But
if I kill them, my enjoyment of wealth and desires in this world
itself will be stained with blood. Whether we should conquer
them or they conquer us, I do not know which would be better.
These very sons of Dhritarashtra stand before us, after slaying
whom we should not care to live. My nature is weighed down
with the taint of feeble mindedness; my understanding is
confused as to duty. I entreat you; say definitely what is good
for me. I am your disciple. Do instruct me who have taken
refuge in you. I do not find any remedy to the grief that parches
my senses. Though I was to gain unrivalled and prosperous
monarchy on earth or even sovereignty over the celestials.

Sanjay said: After addressing the Lord of the senses thus,
Gudakesha, the terror of the foes, submitted to Govinda, I shall
not fright and held silence. Then smiling, as it were, Hrishikesha
spoke these words to the desponding one placed between the
two armies.
The Blessed Lord said: O Bharata, you grieve for those who
should not be grieved for, yet you spell words of wisdom. The
wise grieve neither for the living nor for the dead. Nor I, nor
you, nor any of these ruling princes were ever non-existent
before nor is it that we shall not cease to be in the future. As
the indweller in the body experiences childhood, youth and old
age in the body, He also passes on to another body. The serene
one is not affected thereby. The contacts of the senses with
their objects create, O son of Kunti, feelings of heat and
cold, of pain and pleasure. They come and go and are
impermanent. Bear them patiently, O Bharata.
That man, O the best of men, is fitted for immortality, whom
these do not torment, who is balanced in pain and pleasure and
steadfast. The unreal has no existence, the real never ceases
to be. The truth about both has been realized by the seers.
Know that to be verily indestructible by which all this is
pervaded. None can effect the destruction of the immutable.
These bodies of the indweller, who is eternal, indestructible
and immeasurable are said to have an end. Fight, therefore, O
Bharata. He who hold Atman as slayer and he who considers
it as slain, both of them are ignorant. It slays not, nor is it slain.
The Atman is neither born nor does it die. Coming into being
and ceasing to be, do not take place in It. It is unborn, eternal,
constant and ancient.
It is not killed when the body is slain. He who cognizes the
Atman as indestructible, eternal, unborn and changeless, how
can he slay, O Partha, or cause another to slay? As a man casting

off worn out garments puts on new ones, so the embodied,
casting off worn out bodies, enters into others. Weapons do
not cleave the Atman, fire burns it not, water wets it not, and
wind dries it not. This self is uncleavable, incombustible and
neither wetted nor dried. It is eternal, all pervading, stable
immovable and everlasting. This Atman is said to be
unmenifested, unthinkable and immutable. Therefore, know-
ing it as such, you should not grieve. Or if you conceive of
Atman as given to constant births and deaths, even then, O
mighty armed, you should not sorrow. Death is certain for
that which is born, birth is certain for that which is dead.
You should not therefore, lament over the inevitable.
Beings are all, O Bharata, unmanifested in their origin,
manifested in their mid-state and unmanifested again in their
end. What is the point then for anguish? One beholds the self
as wonderful, another mentions of it as marvelous, another
again hears of it as strange, though hearing yet another knows
it not at all. This indweller in the bodies of all is ever
invulnerable, O Bharata.
Therefore, you should not grieve for any thing. Again
looking at your own, duty as well, you should not waiver for
there is nothing more welcome to a Kshatriya than righteous
war. Happy are the Kshatriya, O Partha, who obtain such a
warfare that comes unsought as an open gateway to heaven.
But if you will not wage this righteous warfare, then forfeiting
your own duty and honor, you will incur sin. The great chariot
warriors will view you as one fled from the war out of fear, you
that were highly esteemed by them will be lightly held. Your
enemies will also slander your strength and speak many
unseemly words. What can be more painful than that.
Slain you will gain heaven, victories you will enjoy the earth.
Therefore, rouse up O son of Kunti, resolved to fight. Treating

alike pain and pleasure, gain and loss, victory and defeat,
engage yourself in the battle. Thus you will incur no sin. The
ideal of self-knowledge has been presented to you. Hearken
now the practice thereof. Endowed with it, O Partha, you will
break through the bonds of karma. In this there is no loss of
attempt, nor is there any adverse effect. The practices of
even a little of this dharma protects one from great fear. To the
firm-in-mind, O joy of the Kurus, there is in this but one
decision, many branching and endless are the decisions of the
infirm-in-mind.
The unwise who delight in the flowery words, disputing
about the Vedas, say that there is nothing other than this, they
are desire-ridden, they hold the attainment of heaven as the
goal of birth and its activities, their words are laden with
specific rites bringing in pleasure and lordship. There is no
fixity of mind for them who cling to pleasure and power
and whose discrimination is stolen away. The Vedas enu-
merate the three gunas. You transcend the three gunas, O
Arjuna. Be free from the pair of opposites, ever-balanced,
unconcerned with getting and keeping and centered in the
Self. To an enlightened Brahma all the Vedas are as useful
as a tank when there is a flood everywhere. Seek to perform
your duty, but lay not claim to its fruits. Be you not the
producer of the fruits of karma, neither shall you lean
towards inaction. Perform action, O Dhananjaya, being fixed
in yoga, renouncing attachment and even-minded in success
and failure; equilibrium is verily yoga.
Motivated karma is, O Dhananjaya, far inferior to that
performed in the equanimity of mind, take refuge in the
evenness of the mind, wretched are the result seekers. The one
fixed in equanimity of mind frees oneself in this life from vice
and virtues alike, therefore, devote yourself to yoga, work done

to perfection is verily yoga. The wise, imbued with evenness
of mind, renouncing the fruits of their actions, freed from the
fetters of births, verily go to the stainless state. When your
understanding transcend the taint of delusion, then shall
you gain indifference to things heard and those yet to be
heard. When your intellect, tossed about by the conflict of
opinions, has become poised and firmly fixed in equilib-
rium, then you shall get into yoga.
Arjuna said: What, O Kesava, is the mark of the man of
steadfast wisdom, steeped in Samadhi? How does the man
firm in wisdom speak, how sit, how walk?
The Blessed Lord said: When a man abandons, O Partha,
all the desires of the heart and is satisfied in the self by the self,
then is he said to be one stable in wisdom. His mind is not
perturbed by adversity. He who does not crave for happiness,
who is free from fondness, fear and anger, is the Muni of
constant wisdom. He who is unattached everywhere, who is
not delighted at receiving good or dejected at coming of evil,
is poised in wisdom. When also, like a tortoise its limbs, he can
withdraw the senses from sense objects, his wisdom is then set
firm. Sense objects drop out of the abstinent man, though not
the longing for them. His longing also ceases when he intuits
the Supreme.
The excited senses, O son of Kunti, impetuously carry
away the mind of even a wise man, striving for perfection.
The yogi having controlled them all, sits focused on Me as the
Supreme goal His wisdom is constant whose senses are under
subjugation. Brooding on the objects of senses, man devel-
ops attachment to them, from attachment comes desire,
from desire anger sprouts forth. From anger proceeds
delusion, from delusion confused memory, from confused
memory the ruin of reason, due to the ruin of reason he

perishes. But the disciplined yogi, moving among objects with
the sense under control and free from attraction and aversion
gains in tranquility. In tranquility all his sorrows are destroyed.
For the intellect of the tranquil-minded is soon anchored in
equilibrium. There is no wisdom in the fickle minded nor is
there meditation in him. To the unmeditative, there is no
peace. And how can the peace-less enjoy happiness? Just as
a gale pushes away a ship on the waters, the mind that yields
to the rowing senses carries away his discrimination. There-
fore, O mighty-armed, his cognition is well poised, whose
senses are completely restrained from their objects. That
which is night to all beings, in that the disciplined man wakes.
That in which all beings wake, is night to the Atman-cognizing
Muni. Not the desire of desires, but that man attains peace, in
whom all desires merge as rivers flow into the ocean, which is
full and unmoving. That man attains peace who lives devoid
of longing, freed from all desires and without the feeling of
‘I’ and ‘Mine’. This O Partha, is the Brahma state. Attaining
this, none is bewildered. Being established in It, even at the
death-hour, a man gets into oneness with Brahman.

CHAPTER - III
Karma Yoga
A rjuna said: If it is held by you, O Janardana, that

knowledge is superior to action, why then do you, O
Keshava enjoin on me this terrible action. With these perplex-
ing words, you are, as it were, confusing my comprehension.
Tell me with certainity the path by pursuing which, I may reach
the supreme.
The Blessed Lord said: The twofold path was given by me,
O sinless one, to the world in the beginning, the path of
knowledge to the discerning, the path of work to the active.
Man gains not actionlessness by abstaining from activity, nor
does he rise to perfection by mere renunciation. None can
even remain really actionless even for a moment, for everyone
is helplessly driven to action by the gunas, born of Prakriti,
That deluded man is called a hypocrite who sits controlling
the organs of action, but dwelling in his mind on the objects
of senses. But he excels, O Arjuna, who, restraining the senses
by the mind unattached directs his organs of action at the path
of work.
Engage yourself in obligatory work, for action is superior to
inaction and if you are inactive, even the mere maintenance of
your body would not be possible. The world is bound by
actions, other than those performed for the sake of yagya. Do
therefore, O son of Kunti, earnestly perform action for yagya
alone, free from attachment. Having created mankind in the

beginning together with yagya, the Prajapati said “By this shall
you propagate, this shall be the milch of your desires. Cherish
the Devas with this and may those Devas cherish you. Thus
cherishing one another, you shall reap the supreme good.
Cherished by yagya, the Devas shall bestow on you the
enjoyments you desire.”
A thief verily is he, who enjoys what is given by them
without returning them anything. Those who eat the remains
of yagya are freed from all sins, but the sinful ones, who cook
food only for themselves, they verily eat sin. From food beings
become, from rain is food produced, from yagya rain proceeds,
yagya is born of karma. Know karma to have risen from the
Veda and the Veda from the imperishable. The all pervading
Veda is therefore, ever centered in yagya. He who does not
follow on earth the wheel thus revolving, sinful of life and
rejoicing in the senses, he O Partha, lives in vain. But the man
who rejoices in the self, is satisfied with the self and is centered
in the self, for him verily there is no obligatory duty. For him
there is in this world no object to acquire by doing an
action, nor is there any loss by not doing an action, nor has
he to depend on anybody for anything.
Therefore, constantly perform your obligatory duty without
attachment, for by doing duty without attachment, man verily
obtains the supreme as Janaka and others. Having an eye to
the guidance of men also you should perform action.
Whatever a great man does is followed by others, people
go by the example he sets up. There is naught in the three
worlds, O Partha that has not been done by Me or anything
unattained that might be attained still I engage in action. If ever
I did not engage in work relentlessly, O Partha, men would in
every respect follow My path. These worlds would perish if I
did not do action, I should be the cause of confusion of species

and I should destroy these beings. As the unenlightened act
from attachment to action, O Bharata, so should the enlight-
ened act without attachment, desirous of the guidance of the
multitude.
Let not the wise man unsettle the mind of ignorant people
attached to karma. By doing persistently and precisely, let the
wise induce the others in all activities. The gunas of Prakriti
perform all karma, with the understanding clouded by
egoism, man thinks – I am the doer. But, O mighty armed
the one intuitive into the nature of guna and karma knows that
gunas as senses abide with gunas as objects and does not
become entangled. Those deluded by gunas of Prakriti get
attached to the functions of the gunas. The man of perfect
knowledge should not unsettle the mediocre whose knowl-
edge is imperfect. Surrendering all actions to Me. with your
thoughts resting in self, freed from hope and selfishness and
cured of mental fever, engage in battle.
Those who ever abide in this teaching of mine, full of
shradha and free from caviling, they too are released from
actions. But those who carp at my teachings and act not
thereon, deluded in all knowledge and devoid of discrimina-
tion, know them to be ruined. Even a wise man behaves in
conformity with his own nature, what shall restraint avail?
Attachment and aversion of the senses for their respective
objects are natural, but none comes under their domina-
tion, they are verily his enemies. One’s own dharma, though
imperfect, is better than the dharma of another well dis-
charged. Better death in one’s own dharma, the dharma of
another is full of fear.
Arjuna said – But dragged on by what a man commits sin,
unwillingly though, O Varshneya constrained as it were by
force.

The Blessed Lord said: It is desire, it is wrath begotten by
the rajo guna, all consuming, all sinful, know this as the foe here
on earth. As fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as
an embryo by the womb, so is this covered by that. Knowledge
is covered, O son of Kunti, by this insatiable fire of desire, the
constant foe of the wise. The senses, the mind and the intellect
are said to be its seat, by these it deludes man by veiling his
wisdom. Therefore, O eminent of the Bharatas, mastering first
the senses, slay it – the sinful the destroyer of knowledge and
realization. The senses are said to be superior to the body; the
mind is superior to the senses, the intellect is superior to the
mind, and what is superior to the intellect is Atman. Thus
knowledge is superior to the intellect. Restraining the self by
the self slay, O mighty armed, the enemy in the form of
desire, difficult to overcome.

CHAPTER - IV
Gyana Karma
Sanyasa Yoga
T he Blessed Lord said: This imperishable yoga, I declared

to Vivasvat; Vivasvat taught it to Manu, Manu told it to
Ikshvaku, thus transmitted in regular succession the royal sages
know it. This yoga, by long efflux of time decayed in this world,
O scorcher of foes. The same ancient yoga has been today told
to you by Me, for you are my devotee and friend and this secret
is supreme indeed.
Arjuna said: Later was your birth, earlier the birth of
Vivasvat, how then I to understand that you told it in
beginning?
The Blessed Lord said: Many are the births taken by Me
and you, O Arjuna, I know them all while you know not
Prantapa. Though I am unborn, imperishable and the lord of
beings, yet subjugating My Prakriti, I come into being by My
own maya. Whenever there is decay of dharma and rise of
adharma, I embody Myself O Bharata. For the protection of
the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the
establishment of dharma, I am born age after age. He who
thus knows my divine birth and action in true light,
having dropped the body, comes not to birth again, but comes
into Me.
O Arjuna, freed from passion, fear and anger, filled with Me,
taking refuge in Me, purified by penance in the fire of
knowledge, many have entered into My Being. In whatever way

men identify with Me, in the same way do I carry out their
desires, men pursue My path, O Partha, in all ways. Longing
for success in action on earth, they worship the Devas, for
quickly is success born of action in this world of man. The
fourfold caste system was created by me by the different
distribution of guna and karma. Though I be the author
thereof, know me to be actionless and changeless. Neither do
actions taint Me nor is the fruits of action desired by Me. He
who thus knows Me, is not bound by actions. Having known
thus even the ancient seekers after freedom preformed
action, therefore, do you perform action, as did the ancient in
the olden times.
Sages too are perplexed as to what is action, what is inaction.
Therefore, I shall tell you what is action, by knowing which you
shall be freed from evil. It is needful to discriminate action, to
discriminate forbidden action and to discriminate inaction,
inscrutable is the way of karma. He who sees inaction in action
and action in inaction, he is wise among men, he is a yogi and
accomplisher of every thing. Whose doings are all devoid of
design and desire for results and whose actions are all burnt
by the fire of knowledge, him the sages call wise. Having
abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, ever content,
depending on nothing, though engaged in karma, verily he
does not do anything. Hoping for naught, his mind and self
controlled, having abandoned all possessions, performing
karma by the body alone, he incurs no sin. Content with what
he obtains without effort, free from pair of opposites, without
envy, balanced in success and failure, though acting he is not
bound. Of one unattached, liberated, with mind absorbed in
knowledge, performing work for yagya alone, his entire karma
melts away. The oblation is Brahma, the clarified butter is
Brahma, offered by Brahma in the fire of Brahma, unto

Brahma verily he goes who cognizes Brahma alone in his
action.
Some yogis perform sacrifices to Devas alone, while others
offer the self as sacrifice by the self verily in the fire of Brahma.
Some offer hearing and other senses as sacrifice in the fire of
restraint, while others offer sound and other sense objects as
sacrifice in the fire of the senses. Others again offer all the
actions of the senses and the functions of the life-energy, as a
sacrifice in the fire of self-control, kindled by knowledge. Yet
others offer wealth, austerity and yoga as sacrifice, while still
others of self-denial and extreme vows, offer sacred study and
knowledge as sacrifice. Yet others offer as sacrifice the outgoing
breath in the incoming and the incoming in the outgoing,
restraining the flow of the outgoing and incoming breaths,
solely absorbed in the regulation of the life-energy. Still others
of regulated food habits offer in the Pranas the functions
thereof. All these knowers of yagya have their sins destroyed
by yagya.
The eaters of the nectar, the remnants of yagya go to the
eternal Brahma. This world is not for the non-sacrificer, O best
of the Kurus. Various yagyas such as these are spread out in the
storehouse of Vedas. Know them all to be born of karma and
thus knowing you shall be free. Knowledge-sacrifice, O scorcher
of foes, is superior to wealth sacrifice. All karma in its
entirety, O Partha, culminates in knowledge. Seek that
enlighten by prostrating, by questioning and by service, the
wise, the seers into the Truth will instruct you in that
knowledge. Knowing this Partha, you will not again fall into
this confusion; by this you will see the whole of the creation in
yourself and in Me.
Even if you be the most sinful of all sinners, yet shall you
cross over all sin by the raft of knowledge. As the blazing fire

reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of
knowledge reduce all karma to ashes. Verily there is no
purifier in this world like knowledge. He that is perfected in
yoga, realizes it in this own heart in due time. The man of
shradha, the devoted, the master of his senses obtains knowl-
edge. Having obtained knowledge he goes promptly to the
peace supreme. The ignorant, the man devoid of shradha,
the doubting self, goes to destruction. The doubting self
has neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness. With
work absolved in yoga and doubts rent asunder by knowledge,
O Dhananjaya, actions do not bind him, who is poised in the
self. Therefore, severing with the sword of knowledge this
ignorance born doubt about the self, dwelling in your heart, be
established in yoga. Stand up, O Bharata.

CHAPTER - V
Karma Sanyasa Yoga
A rjuna said: Renunciation of action, O Krishna, you

commend and again its performance. Of the two, which
one is the better? Tell me that conclusively.
The Blessed Lord said: Renunciation and performance of
action both lead to freedom. Of the two, performance of action
is superior to the renunciation of action. He should be known
a constant sanyasi, who neither hates nor desires, free from the
pair of opposites, O mighty armed, he is easily set free from
bondage. Children, not the wise, speak of knowledge and
performance of action as different. He who is truly established
in one obtains the fruit of both. The stage reached by the karma
yogis. He sees who sees gyana and karma yoga as one. Sanyas,
O mighty armed, is hard to attain to without karma yoga. The
man of meditation, purified by karma yoga quickly goes to
Brahma. With the mind purified by karma yoga, the self
disciplined and the senses subdued, one who realizes one’s self
as the self in all beings, though acting, is not affected.
The sage centered in the self should think, “I do nothing at
all”. Though seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going,
sleeping, breathing, speaking, emptying, holding, opening and
closing the eyes, firm in the thought that the senses move
among sense objects. He who acts, abandoning, attachment,
dedicating his deeds to Brahman, is untainted by sin as a lotus
leaf by water. The yogi, abandoning attachment, performs

work with the body, the mind, the intellect and the senses
only, for self-purification. Abandoning the fruits of action,
the yogi attains peace born of steadfastness. Impelled by desire,
the non-yogi is bound, attached to fruit. Having mentally
renounced all actions, the self disciplined indweller rests
happily in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing to
act.
The Lord does not create agency or actions for the world.
The Omnipresent does not take note of the merit or demerit
of any. Knowledge is veiled by ignorance; mortals are thereby
deluded. Shining like the Sun, knowledge reveals the Supreme
in them, in whom ignorance is destroyed by self-knowledge.
Those who think of That merge in That, get fixed in That, have
That as the God, they attain to non-return, their taints being
dispelled by knowledge. Man of self-knowledge is same sighted
on a Brahma imbibed with learning and humility, a cow, an
elephant, a dog and an outcaste. Transitory existence is
overcome even here by them whose mind rests on equality.
Brahma is flawless and the same in all, therefore, be
established in Brahma. Established in Brahma with firm
understanding and with no delusion, the knower of Brahma
rejoices not, getting what is pleasant and grieves not, getting
what is unpleasant. With the self-detached from the external
contacts he realizes the bliss in the self. Devoted as he is to the
meditation of Brahma, he enjoys imperishable Bliss. The
delights that are contact born are verily the wombs of pain,
they have, O son of Kunti, a beginning and an end, no wise man
rejoices in them. He who is able to resists the impulse of desire
and anger even here before he quits the body, he is a yogi, he
is a happy man.
He whose happiness is within, whose delight is within,
whose illumination is within only, that yogi becomes Brahma

and gains the beatitude of Brahma with sins destroyed, doubts
/dualities removed, mind disciplined, being delighted in the
welfare of all beings, the rishis attain the beatitude of Brahma.
The beatitude of Brahma is both here and hereafter for those
sanyasies who have shed lust and anger, subdued their desire
and realized the self. Shutting out external objects, fixing the
gaze between the eyebrows, equalizing the outward and
inward breaths moving in the nostrils, the sage who has
controlled the senses, mind and intellect, who is solely pursu-
ing liberation, who has cast away desire, fear and anger, he is
verily liberated. Having Me known as the Lord of yogas and
asceticisms, as the ruler of all the worlds, as the friends of all
beings, he attains peace.

CHAPTER - VI
Atman Sanyam Yoga
T he Blessed Lord said: He who discharges his duty

without desiring for its fruits, he is the sanyasi and he is
the yogi not he who is without sacred fire and without rites.
Know that as yoga, O Pandava, which is called sanyasa, for
none becomes a yogi without renouncing sankalpa. Karma
is said to be the means of the muni who seeks to attain the yoga;
serenity is said to be the means when he has attained to yoga.
Then alone is one said to have attained to yoga when, having
renounced all sankalpas, one does not get attached to sense
objects and actions. Let a man raise himself by his own self; let
him not debase himself. For he is himself his friend and himself
his foe.
To him who has conquered his base self by the divine self,
his own self is the friend, but to him who has not subdued the
self, his own self acts as the foe. The self disciplined and serene
man’s supreme self is constant in cold and heat, pleasure and
pain, also in honour and dishonour. That yogi is steadfast who
is satisfied with knowledge and wisdom, who remains un-
shaken, who has conquered the senses, to whom a clod, a stone
and a piece of gold are the same. He stands supreme who has
equal regard for friends, companions, enemies, neutrals, arbi-
ters, the hateful, the relatives, saints and sinners.
A yogi should always try to concentrate his mind living alone
in solitude, having subdued his mind and body and got rid of

desires and possessions. Having firmly fixed in a clear place, his
seat neither too nigh nor too low, and having spread over it the
kusha - grass, a deer skin and a cloth, one over the other, sitting
thereon his seat, making the mind one-pointed and restraining
the thinking faculty and the senses, he should practice yoga for
self purification. Let him hold the body, head and neck erect
and still, gazing at the tip of his nose, without looking around.
Firm and fearless, firm in the vow of a brahmachari, subdued
in mind, he should sit in yoga thinking on Me and intent on Me
alone. Keeping himself ever steadfast in this manner, the yogi
of subdued mind attains the peace abiding in Me and culmi-
nating in Nirvana.
Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much or for him
who abstains too much from eating. It is not for him, O Arjuna,
who sleeps too much or too little. For him who is moderate in
eating and recreation, temperate in his actions, who is regu-
lated in sleep and wakefulness, yoga becomes the destroyer of
pain. When the disciplined mind rests in the self-alone, free
from desire for objects, then is one said to be established in
yoga. ‘As a lamp in a windless place does not flicker’ – this
is the simile used for the disciplined mind of yoga practicing
concentration on the self. When the mind, disciplined by the
practice of yoga, attains quietude and when beholding the self
by the self, he is satisfied in the self, when he feels that supreme
bliss which is perceived by the intelligence and which tran-
scends the senses and wherein established he never moves
from the Reality and having gained which, he thinks that there
is no greater gain than that, wherein established he is not
shaken even by the heaviest affliction. Let this disconnection
from union with pain be known by the name of yoga.
This yoga should be practiced with determination and with
undistracted mind. Abandoning without reserve all desires

born of sankalpa and curbing in, by the mind, all the senses
from all sides, with his intellect set in firmness let him attain
quietude little by little. With the mind fixed on the self let him
not think of anything. By whatever cause the wavering and
unsteady mind wanders away, let him curb it from that and
subjugate it solely to the self. Supreme bliss verily comes to that.
yogi whose mind is calm, whose passions are pacified, who has
become one with Brahma and who is sinless. Constantly
engaging the mind this way, the yogi who has put it away, attains
with ease the infinite bliss of contact with Brahma. His mind
being harmonized by yoga, he sees himself in all beings and all
beings in himself, he sees the same in all. He who sees Me
everywhere and sees all in Me, he never becomes lost to Me,
nor do I become lost to him. He, who established in oneness,
worships Me abiding in all beings, that yogi lives in Me,
whatever may be his mode of living. That yogi, O Arjuna, is
regarded as the Supreme, who judges pleasure or pain
everywhere by the same standard as he applies to himself.
Arjuna said: This yoga of equanimity taught by you, O
Madhusudana, I do not see any stability in it, because of
restlessness. The mind verily is O Krishna, is restless, turbulent,
strong and obstinate. It deems it as hard to control as the wind.
The Blessed Lord said: Doubtless, O mighty armed the
mind is restless and hard to control but by practice and non-
attachment, O son of Kunti, it can be controlled. Yoga is hard
to attain, I concede, by a man who cannot control himself, but
it can be attained by him who has controlled himself and who
strives by right means.
Arjuna said: He who is unable to control himself, though
possessed of faith, whose mind deviates from yoga, what end
does he meet with, O Krishna. Having failed to attain perfec-
tion in yoga, fallen from both, does he not perish like a rent

cloud, without any hold, O mighty armed, deluded in the path
of Brahma. Design, to dispel completely this doubt of mine, O
Krishna, for there is none but yourself who can destroy this
doubt.
The Blessed Lord said: O Partha, neither in this world nor
in the next is there destruction for him, for the doer of good.
O my son never comes to grief. Having attained to the worlds
of the righteous and having lived for countless years, he who
falls from yoga is reborn in the house of the pure and
prosperous or he is born in a family of wise yogis only; a
birth like this is verily very difficult to obtain in this world.
There he regains the knowledge acquired in his former body
and he strives more than before for perfection, O joy of the
Kurus. By that very former practice, he is led on inspite of
himself. Even he who merely wishes to know of yoga rises
superior to the performer of Vedic rites. The yogi who strives
with assiduity, purified from sins and perfected through many
births reaches then the supreme good. The yogi is deemed
superior to ascetics, superior to men of knowledge even, he is
also superior to ritualists. Therefore, be you a yogi, O Arjuna
and of all yogis, he who worships Me with faith, his in-most self
merges in Me, him I hold to be the most devout.

CHAPTER - VII
Gyana Vigyana Yoga
T he Blessed Lord said: Listen, O Partha, how, with your

mind clinging to Me and taking refuge in Me and
practicing yoga, you will without any doubt know Me in full.
I shall teach you in full this knowledge combined with
realization, which being known, nothing more here remains to
be known. Among thousands of men scarcely one strives for
perfection, and of those who strives and succeed, scarcely
one knows Me in truth. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind,
intellect and egoism, thus is My Prakriti divided eight fold. This
is My lower Prakriti but different from it, know O mighty
armed, My higher Prakriti - the life element, by which this
universe is upheld. Know that these two are the womb of all
beings.
I am the origin and desolation of the universe. There is
nothing whatsoever higher than Me. O Dhananjaya. These are
strung on Me, as rows of gems on a string. I am the sapidity in
water, O sun of Kunti, I am the radiance in moon and sun; I am
the syllable Om in all the Vedas, sound in ether and manliness
in man. I am the sweet fragrance in earth and the brilliance in
fire. I am the life in all beings and the ascetism in ascetics. Know
Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings; I am the
intelligence of the intelligent, the splendor of the splendid. I am
the strength of the strong devoid of desire and passion. In
beings I am desire, not contrary to dharma, O chief of the

Bharatas and whatever being are the sattvika, of rajas or of
tamas, know them to proceed from Me; still I am not in them,
they are in Me.
Deluded by these three fold dispositions of Prakriti – the
gunas, this world does not know Me, who on above them and
immutable. Verily this divine illusion of Mine, made up of the
gunas, is hard to surmount. But those who take refuge in Me
alone, they cross over this illusion. The evildoers, the deluded,
the lowest of men, deprived of discrimination by maya and
following the way of the asuras, do not seek refuge in Me. Four
type of virtuous men worship Me. O Arjuna, the man in
distress, the man seeking knowledge, the man seeking
wealth and the man imbued with wisdom, O the best of the
Bharatas.
Of these, the wise man, ever steadfast and devoted to Me,
excels, for supremely dear am I to the wise and he is dear to Me.
Noble indeed are all these but the wise man, I deem, to the My
very self. For steadfast in mind, he is established in Me alone,
as the supreme goal. At the end of many births, the man of
wisdom takes refuge in Me, realizing that Vasudeva is all that
is. Rare indeed is that great soul. But those whose discrimina-
tion has been led astray by this or that desire to go to other
Gods, following this or that rite, constrained by their own
nature. Whatever form any devotee with faith wishes to
worship, I make that faith of his steady. Endowed with that
faith, he engages in the worship of that form, and from it he
obtains his desires, which are being actually ordained by Me.
But the fruit that accrues to those men of small intellect is
finite.
The worshipers of the Gods go to the Gods, My devotees
come to Me. Men of poor understanding think of me, the
unmanifest as having manifestation, not knowing my supreme

state, immutable and unsurpassed. I am not revealed at all, as
I am veiled by yoga maya. This deluded world knows Me not,
the unborn, the unchanging. I know, O Arjuna, the beings of
the past, the present and the future, but no one knows Me. By
the delusion of the pair of opposites arising from desire and
aversion, all beings O Bharatas, are subject to illusion at birth.
O harasser of foes, but those men of virtuous deeds whose sins
have come to an end, who are freed from the delusion of the
pairs of opposites, worship Me, remaining steadfast in their
vows. Those who take refuge in Me and strive for deliverance
from decay and death, they realize in full that Brahma, the
individual self and all karma. Those who realize me in the
Adhibuta, in the Adhidaiva and in the Adhiyagya, they of
steadfast mind realize Me even in the hour of death.

CHAPTER - VIII
Akshra Brahma Yoga
A rjuna said: What is that Brahma? What is Adhyatma?

What is karma? O best among man. What is said to be
Adhibhuta and what is called Adhidaiva? Who and how is
Adhiyagya here in this body. O Madhusudana? And how at the
time of death, art thou to be known by the self-controlled?
The Blessed Lord said: I the imperishable Brahma. The
supreme dwelling in the individual body is called Adhyatama.
The offering which causes the origin of beings is called karma.
Adhybhuta pertains to the perishable nature and Purusha is the
Adhidaivata. I alone am the Adhiyagya here in this body. O best
of the embodied and whoever at the time of death, leaving the
body, goes forth remembering Me alone, he attains My being.
There is no doubt about this. Whatever being a man thinks of
at the last moment when he leaves his body, that alone does he
obtain. O Kaunteya, be ever absorbed in the thought thereof.
Therefore, at all times think upon Me only and fight with mind
and understanding set on Me, you will surely come to Me.
With the mind not wandering after any thing else, made
steadfast in yoga of constant practice, he who meditates on the
supreme resplendent Purusha reaches Him. O Partha, the
Omniscient, the Ancient, the Ruler, Minuter than an atom, the
supporter of all, of form inconceivable, effulgent like the sun
and beyond all darkness, he who meditates on this resplendent,
supreme Purusha, at the time of death, with a steady mind,

devotion and strength of yoga, by fixing the entire Prana in the
middle of the eye brows, he reaches Me. That which the
knower of Veda call the imperishable and into which enters the
sanyasies, self controlled and freed from attachment and
desiring which they lead a life of continence, that I shall disclose
to you, in brevity. All the gates of the body closed, the mind
confined within the heart, having fixed his life energy in the
head, engaged in firm yoga, uttering the one syllabled ‘Om
Brahma’, thinking of Me, he who departs, leaving the body,
attains the supreme Goal.
I am easily attainable, O Partha, by that ever-steadfast yogi,
who constantly remembers Me daily and thinks of none else.
All worlds including that of Brahma are subject to return, O
Arjuna, but on reaching me, O son of Kunti, there is no rebirth.
Those who know that the day of Brahma lasts a thousand yugas
and that his night last a thousand yugas, they are the knower
of day and night. At the coming of day all manifest beings
proceed from the unmanifested and at the coming of night
they merge again in the same, which is called the unmanifested.
This multitude of beings, coming forth again and again,
merge O Partha, inspite of themselves, at the approach of
night, and remanifest themselves at the approach of day. But
beyond this unmanifested, there is yet another unmanifested
eternal existence, which does not perish even when all exist-
ences perish. This unmanifested is called the Imperishable. It
is said to be the ultimate goal. Those who attain to it, return not.
That is My Supreme abode. That supreme Purusha, O Partha
is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone within
whom all beings dwell, by whom all this is pervaded.
Now I shall tell you, O the best of the Bharatas, the time in
which the yogis depart never to return and also the time in
which they depart to return. Fire, light, day, the bright half of

the moon and the six months of the northern path of the sun,
then going forth, the knower of Brahma go to Brahma. The
bright and the dark, these paths are deemed to be the world’s
eternal paths by the one man, who goes, not to return, by the
other he returns again. Knowing these two paths, O Partha, no
yogi is deluded. Therefore, O Arjuna, be steadfast in yoga, at all
times. The yogi who knows this transcends the fruits of
meritorious deeds attached to the study of the Vedas, sacrifices
and gifts and attains to the supreme primeval abode.

CHAPTER - IX
Rajavidya Rajaguhya
Yoga
T he Blessed Lord said: To you who do not cavil, I shall

surely declare this, the most profound knowledge com-
bined with realization by knowing which you will be released
from evil. The sovereign science, the sovereign secret, the
supreme purifier is this, directly realizable in accord with
dharma, very easy to practice and imperishable. Men devoid
of shradha for this dharma do not attain Me, O Oppressor of
the foes, but return to the path of the mortal world. All this
universe is pervaded by Me, in My unmanifested form, all
beings exist in Me, but I do not abide in them. Nor do the
beings dwell in Me, behold My divine yoga. Bringing forth and
supporting the beings, My self does not dwell in them. As the
mighty wind moving everywhere rest in the akasha, know that
so do all beings rest in Me.
All beings, O Kaunteya, go into My Prakriti, at the end of a
kalpa. I generate them again at the beginning of the next kalpa.
Animating My Prakriti I send forth again and again all this
multitude of beings helpless under the regime of Prakriti. Nor
do these acts, O Dhananjaya, bind Me who remain like one
unconcerned, unattached to these acts. Because of My prox-
imity. Prakriti produces all this, the moving and the unmoving,
the world, therefore, resolves. O son of Kunti fools disregard
Me as one clad in human form, not knowing My higher
nature as the Great Lord of beings. Of vain hopes, of vain

actions, of vain knowledge, devoid of discrimination, partaking
verily of the delusive nature of Rakshasas and Asuras. But the
Mahatmas, O Partha, partaking of the divine nature, worship
Me with a single mind, knowing Me as the immutable and the
source of all beings. Glorifying Me always, striving, firm in
vows, prostrating before Me, they worship Me with devotion,
steadfast.
Yet others sacrifice with the Yajna of knowledge and
worship Me in various ways as the one, as the distinct and as
the all faced. I am Kratu, I am Yajna, I am swadha, I am the
medicinal hub, I am mantra, I am also the clarified butter, I am
fire, I am oblation, I am the Father of this world, the mother,
the dispenser and the Grandfather; I am the knowable, the
purifier, the syllable Om and also the Rick, the saman and the
Yojus. I am the Goad, the supporter, the Lord, the witness, the
Abode, the shelter, the friend, the origin, the dissolution, the
foundation, the treasure house and the seed imperishable. I
give heat, I withhold and send forth the rain; I am immortality
and death; I am being as well as non-being, O Arjuna.
The knower of the three Vedas, the drinkers of soma,
purified of sin, worshipping Me by sacrifices, pray for the way
of heaven. They reach the holy world of the Lord of the Devas
and enjoy in the heaven the celestial pleasures of Devas. Having
enjoyed the vast world of heaven, they return to the world of
mortals of the exhaustion of their merits; thus abiding by the
injunctions of the three Vedas desiring objects of desires they
go and come. To those men who worship Me alone, thinking
of no other, who is ever devout, I provide gain and security.
Even those devotees who endowed with Sraddha, worship
other gods, worship Me alone, O son of Kunti, by the wrong
method. I am verily the Enjoyer and the Lord of all Yojnas. But
these men do not know Me in reality hence they fall.

Votaries of the Devas go to Devas; the votaries of the Pitrus
go to Pitrus, to the Bhutas go to Bhutas worshippers; My
votaries come to Me. Whoever offer Me with devotion, a leaf,
a flower, a fruit or water, I accept that, the pious offerings of the
pure in heart whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you
offer in sacrifices, whatever you gift away, whatever austerity
you practice, O Kauntiya, do it as an offering to Me. This shall
you be free from the bondage of actions yielding good and bad
results.
With the mind firmly set in the yoga of renunciation and
liberated, you shall come to Me. I am the same to all beings; to
Me there is none hateful, none dear. But those who worship Me
with devotion, they are in Me and I also am in them. Even if
man of the most sinful conduct worships Me with undeviating
devotion, he must be reckoned as righteous, for he has rightly
resolved. Soon does he become a man of righteousness and
obtains lasting peace. O Kauntiya, know for certain that My
devotee never perishes. For those who take refuge in Me, O
Partha, though they be of inferior birth-women, vaisyas and
sudras- when they attain the supreme Goal. How much more
then the holy Brahmanas and devoted royal saints. Having
cone into this transient joyless world, do worship Me. Fix your
mind on Me, be devoted to Me; sacrifice unto Me, bow down
to Me, taking Me as the Supreme Goal, you will come to me.

CHAPTER - X
Vibhuti Yoga
T he Blessed Lord said: Once again, O mighty-armed,

listen to My supreme word. Out of a desire to do you good
I wish of it to your absorbing delight. Neither the hosts of devas
nor the great rishis know My origin, for in every respect I am
the source of the devas and the great rishis. He who knows Me
as unborn and beginningless, as the Great Lord of the world,
he among mortals is undeluded and freed from all sins.
Intellect, wisdoms, non-delusion, patience, truth, self-restraint,
calmness, pleasure, pain, birth, death, fear and fearlessness,
non-injury, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame
and obloquy these different qualities of beings arise from Me
alone.
The seven great rishis and the ancient Manus, endowed with
My power were born of My mind and from them have come
forth all the creatures in the world. He who knows in truth this
glory and power of Mine is endowed with unfaltering yoga, of
this there is no doubt. I am the origin of all, from Me all things
evolve. The wise know this and adore Me with all their heart.
With their minds fixed on Me., with their life absorbed in Me,
enlightening each other and ever speaking of Me, they are
contented and delighted. To them, ever devout, worshipping
Me with love, I give the yoga of discrimination by which they
come to Me. Out of pure compassion for them dwelling in their

hearts, I destroy the ignorance born darkness by the luminous
lamp of wisdom.
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahma, the Supreme
Abode, the Supreme Purifier, the Eternal, Divine Purusha, the
Primeval Deity, the born, the Omnipresent. All the rishis have
thus acclaimed you, as also the Deva rishi Narada, so also Asita,
Devala and Vyasas and now you yourself say it to Me. I hold
as true, all that you say to me, O Kesava. Neither the devas nor
the danavas, O Lord, know your manifestation. Verily you
alone know yourself by yourself, O Purushottama, O source of
beings, O Lord of being, O God of gods, O Ruler of the world.
Condescend to tell without reserve of your divine glories by
which glories you remain pervading in all these worlds. How
may I know you, O Yogi, by constant meditation? In what
various aspects are you, O Lord, to be thought of by me? Tell
me again in detail, O Janaradana, of your yoga powers and
attrtributes for I am not satisfied with hearing your life infusing
words.
The Blessed Lord said: Very well. I shall now tell you My
divine glories according to their prominence. O best of the
Kurus, there is no end to the details of My manifestation. I am
the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings. I am the
beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings. Of the
adityas I am Vishnu, of the luminaries the radiant sun; I am
Marichi of the Maruts, of the asterisms I am the Moon. Of the
vedas I am the sama, I am Vasava among the Devas; of the
senses I am the mind and among living beings I am conscious-
ness. Of the Rudras I am Shankara, of the Yakshas and
Rakshasas I am Kubera of the Vasus I am Pavaka and of
mountains I am Meru. Of priests, O Partha, know Me to be the
chief Brihaspati; of generals I am Skanda and of bodies of water
I am the ocean. Of the great rishis I am Bhrigu.

Of utterances I am the monosyllable ‘Om’. Of yagyas I am
japayagya and of unmoving things the Himalaya. Of all trees
I am Ashvatha, of Deva Rishis I am Narada; of the Gandharvas
I am Chitraratha and of the Siddhas I am the Muni Kapila. Of
horses, know Me to be the mentor-born Ucchaisravas, of lordly
elephants Airavata and of men the monarch. O weapons I am
thunderbolt; of cows I am kamadhenu. I am Kandarpa of the
progenitors of serpents I am Vasuki. Of the Nagas I am Ananta;
of the water deities I am Varuna; of the Pitrus I am Aryans; of
controllers I am Yama.
Of the Daivtas I am Prahlada and of beckoners I am Prime;
of beasts I am the lord of beasts and Vainatiya of birds. Of
purifiers I am the wind, of the wielders of weapon I am Rama,
of fishes, I am then Shark and of rivers I am the Ganges. Of
created things I am the beginning and the end and also the
middle, O Arjuna of the sciences I am the science of the self,
of those who debate I am the reason. Of letters I am the letter
A and of word compounds I am the dual (Dvandva). I am verily
the inexhaustible time, I am the dispenser facing everywhere
and I am the all-devouring death. I am the prosperity of those
who are to be prosperous and of female qualities I am fame,
fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, constancy and forbear-
ance. Of the Saman hymns I am the Brihat- saman, of the
mantra I am Gayatri.
Of months I am Margasirsha and of seasons I am the
flooring spring. I am the gambling of the fraudulent; I am the
splendor of the splendid; I am the victory, I am the effort, I am
the goodness of the good. Of the Vrishnis I am Vasudeva; of the
Pandavas, Dhananjaya, of the sages I am Vyasa and of the seers
I am Usara the seer. Of punishers I am the scepter; of those that
seek victory I am statesmanship and of secrets I am also silence
and I am the wisdom of the wise, and whatever is the seed of

all beings, that am I. O Arjuna, there is no being whether
moving or unmoving that can exist without Me. There is no
end of My divine manifestations, O harasser of foes, this is only
a brief exposition by Me of the extent of My glories. Whatever
being there is glorious, prosperous or powerful, know that to
have sprung but from a spark of My splendor. But what need
is there, O Arjuna, for this detailed knowledge, I stand
supporting the whole universe with a single fragment of
Myself.

CHAPTER - XI
Vishvarupa Darshana
Yoga
A rjuna said: By the profound discourse concerning the

self, which you have delivered out of compassion for me,
my delusion has been dispelled. From you, O Lotus eyed, have
been hard by me in detail of the origin and dissolution of beings
and also of your inexhaustible greatness. As you have declared
yourself to be, so it is. O Lord Supreme, yet I desire to see your
Ishwara from O Purushottama. If you O Lord think it possible
for me to see it, then does O Lord of Yoga show me your Eternal
Self?
The Blessed Lord said: Behold My forms, O Partha by
hundreds and thousands, manifold and divine and of
multicolours and shapes. Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the
Rudras, the two Ashwins and also the Maruts. Behold, O
Bharata many marvels never seen before. Behold here today,
O Gudakesa, the whole universe of the moving and the
unmoving, and whatever else you desire to see, all integral of
My body. But you cannot see Me with these eyes of yours, I give
you divine sight, behold My Supreme Yoga.
Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken, O king, the great Lord of
Yoga, Hari showed to Partha. His supreme Ishwara form, with
many mouths and eyes, with many marvelous sights, with
many divine ornaments, with many uplifted divine weapons;
wearing heavenly garlands and raiment’s, anointed with celes-
tial perfumes all wonderful, resplendent, boundless with faces

on all sides. If the splendour of a thousand suns were to
blaze forth all at once in the sky, that would be like the
splendour of that Mahatman. There in the body of the God
of Gods, Pandava then saw the whole universe with its
many divisions drawn together into one. Then Dhananjaya,
struck with amazement, his hair standing on end, bowing
down his head to the Lord in adoration, spoke with joined
palms.
Arjuna said: I see all the Gods, O God, in your body and
hosts of all grades of beings. Brahma the Lord, seated on the
lotus and all the rishis and celestial serpents. I behold you,
infinite in forms on all sides, with countless arms, stomachs,
mouths and eyes, neither your end nor the middle for the
beginning do I see, O Lord of the Universe, O universal form.
I see you with diadem, club and discus; a mass of radiance
blazing everywhere, hard to look at, all round dazzling like a
glowing fire and sun and immeasurable. You are the imperish-
able, the Supreme Being to be realized. You are the great
treasure house of this universe; you are the imperishable
Guardian of the Eternal Dharma.
You are the ancient Pursha, I deem, I see you without
beginning, middle or end infinite in power, of infinite arms, the
sun and the moon being your eyes, the burning fire your
Mouth, heating the whole universe with your radiance. This
space between heaven and earth and all the quarters are filled
by you alone. Having seen this, your Marvelous and terrible for,
the three worlds are trembling; with fear, O Mahatman. These
hosts of Devas indeed enter into you, some in awe extol you
with joined palms, bands of great Rishis and Siddhas pro-
nounce, “May it be well” and praise you with sublime hymns.
The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas Vishvas, Asvins, Maruts,

Ushmapas, hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Aswas and Sidddhas
- they are all gazing at you and they are amazed. Seeing your
immeasurable form with myriad mouths and eyes, O mighty-
armed, with myriad arms, thighs and feet, with myriad
stomachs and terrible with myriad tusks – the worlds is terror
struck and so am I. When I see you touching the sky blazing
with many colours, with mouths wide open, with large fiery
eyes, my heart trembles in fear and I find neither courage nor
peace.
O Vishnu, when I see your mouths terrible with tusks
resembling Pralaya-fires, I know not the four quarters nor do
I find peace. Be gracious, O Lord of the gods, O Abode of the
universe. All the sons of Dhritarashtra, with hosts of kings of
the earth, Bhishma, Drona and Sutaputra, with the warrior
chiefs of ours, enter hurrying into your mouth, terrible with
tusks and fearful to look at. Some are found sticking in the gaps
between the teeth with their heads crushed to powder. Truly
as the many torrents of river rush towards the ocean, so do
these heroes in the world of men fling themselves into your
fiercely flaming, mouths? As moths rush headlong into a
blazing fire for destruction, so do these creatures hurriedly
speed into your mouths for their destruction? Devouring all
the worlds an every side with your flaming mouths. You lick
your lips. Your fiery rays, filling the whole world with radiance,
are burning, O Vishnu. Tell me who you are, so fierce in form.
I bow down to you, O God Supreme; have merry. I desire to
know you, the Primal one. I know not yoiur purpose.
The Blessed Lord said: I am the mighty world-destroying
time now engaged in wiping out the world. Even without
you the warriors arrayed in hostile armies shall not survive.
You therefore, arise and obtain fame. Conquer the enemies and

enjoy the unrivalled kingdom. By Me have they been verily
slain already? You be merely an external cause. O Sauyasachin,
Slay Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and other brave
warriors who are already doomed by Me. Be not distressed
with fear. Fight and you will conquer your enemies in battle.
Sanjaya said: Having heard that speech of Kesava, the
crowned one (Arjuna) with joined palms, trembling, prostrat-
ing himself, again addressed Krishna in a chocked voice,
bowing down, overwhelmed with fear.
Arjuna said: It is meet, O Hrishikesa that the world is
delighted and rejoices in your praise, Rakshasas fly in fear in
all directions and all the hosts of siddhas bow to you. And why
should they not, O Great souled One, bow to you, greater than
all, the Primal cause, even of Brahma, O infinite Being, O Lord
of Gods, O abode of the universe; you are the Imperishable, the
being and the non-being, that which is the Supreme. You are
the Primal God, the ancient Purusha; You are the Supreme
Abode. Of all this, you are the knower and the knowable and
the Supreme Abode, this universe is pervaded by You. O Being
of infinite form, you are Vayu, Yama, Agini, Varuna, the Moon,
Prajapati and the great grandfather. Salutation, salutation to
you, a thousand times, and again and again salutation to you.
Salutation to you before, salutation to you behind, salutation to
you on every side.
O all infinite in might and immeasurable in strength, You
pervade all and therefore, You are all. Whatever I have rashly
said from carelessness or love, addressing you as ‘O Krishna, O
Yadava, O Sakheti’, looking on you merely as a friend, ignorant
of this your greatness, in whatever way I may have insulted you
for jest while at play, reposing, sitting or at meals, when alone,
O Achyuta, or in company, that I implore you, immeasurable

one, to forgive. You are the father of this world, moving and
unmoving. You are to be adored by this world, You the Greatest
Guru; none there exists, who is equal to You in the three
worlds; who then can excel you, O Being of unequalled power.
Therefore, bowing down, prostrating my body, I implore You,
adorable Lord to forgive me. Bear with me, O Lord, as a father
with a son, as a friend with a friend, as a lover with his beloved.
I rejoice that I have seen what was never been seen before, but
my mind is confounded with fear. Show me that form only, O
God, have mercy, O God of Gods, O Abode of the universe,
I desire to see you as before, crowned bearing a mace and a
discus in the hand, in your former form only, having four arms.
O thousand armed, O universal form.
The Blessed Lord said: Graciously have I shown you, O
Arjuna, this supreme form, by My yoga power. This resplen-
dent, universal infinite, primeval, which none but you have
ever seen. Neither by the study of the Vedas, nor by yagyas, nor
by gifts, nor by rituals, nor by severe penances, can this form
of Mine be seen in the world of men by any one else but you,
O hero of the Kurus. Be not afraid nor bewildered on seeing
this terrible form of Mine, free from fear and delighted at heart,
do you again see this My former form.
Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus to Arjuna, Vasudeva
showed again His own form, and the great souled one assumed
his gentle form and consoled him who was terrified.
Arjuna said: Having seen this your gentle human form, O
Janaradana, I am now composed and am restored to my own
nature.
The Blessed Lord said: Very hard it is, indeed, to see this
form of Mine, which you have seen. Even the devas are very
eager to see this form. Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity,

nor by gift, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as you
have seen Me. But by unswerving devotion can I, of this form,
be known and seen in reality and also entered into, O scorcher
of foes. He who does work for Me, who is devoted to Me,
who is free from attachment, who is without hatred for any
being, he comes to me, O Pandava.

CHAPTER - XII
Bhakti Yoga
A rjuna said: Those devotees who, ever steadfast, worship

you thus and those again who worship the imperishable,
the unmanifest – which of these are better versed in yoga?
The Blessed Lord said: Those who have fixed their minds
on Me and who, ever steadfast and endowed with supreme
shraddha, worship Me – them do I consider perfect in yoga.
But those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the
unmanifest, the omnipresent, the unthinkable, the unchange-
able, the immovable, the eternal - having restrained all the
senses, even-minded everywhere, engaged in the welfare of all
beings-verily they also come into Me. Greater is their difficult
whose minds are set on the unmanifested, for the goal of
the unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach.
But those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me,
regarding Me a the supreme goal, meditating on Me with single
minded yoga – for them whose thought is set on Me, I become
very soon, O Partha, the deliverer from the ocean of the mortal
Sansara.
Fix your mind on me alone, let your thoughts dwell in Me.
You will hereafter live in Me alone. Of this there is no doubt.
If you are not able to fix your mind steadily on Me, O
Dhananjaya, then seek to reach Me by abhyasa yoga. If you are
unable even to practice abhyasa yoga, be you intent on doing
actions for My sake. Even by performing actions for My sake

you will attain perfection. If you are not able to do even this,
then taking refuge in Me, abandon the fruits of all actions with
the self-subdued. Better indeed is knowledge than formal
abhyasa, better than knowledge is meditation, better than
meditation is the renunciation of the fruit of action; peace
immediately follows renunciation.
He who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate
to all, who is free from the feeling of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’, even minded
in pain and pleasure and forbearing, ever content, steady in
meditation, self controlled and possessed of firm conviction,
with mind and intellect fixed on Me, he My devotee is dear to
Me. He by whom the world is not afflicted and whom the world
cannot afflict, he who is free from joy, anger, fear and anxiety-
he is dear to Me. He who has no wants, who is pure and
prompt, unconcerned, untroubled and who is selfless in all his
undertakings, he who is thus devoted to Me, is dear to Me. He
who neither rejoices nor hates nor grieves nor desires, re-
nouncing good and evil, full of devotion, he is dear to Me. He
who is the same to foe and friend and also in honour and
dishonour, who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and
pain, who is free from attachment, to whom censure and praise
are equal, who is silent, content with every thing, homeless,
steady minded, full of devotion - that man is dear to Me. They
verily who follow this immortal dharma described above
endued with Shradha, looking upon Me as the supreme goal,
and devoted-they are exceedingly dear to Me.

CHAPTER - XIII
Kshetra Kshetragya
Vibhaga Yoga
A rjuna said: Prakriti and Purusha, also the Kshetra and

Kshetrajna, knowledge and that which ought to be
known, these O, Kehsava, I desire to learn.
The Blessed Lord said: This body, O Kaunteya, is called
kshetra, the field. He who knows it is called kshetrajna by the
sages. And know Me as the kshetrajna in all Kshetras, O
Bharata. The knowledge of kshetra and kshetrajna is deemed
by Me as true knowledge. Hear briefly from Me, what the
kshetra is, what its properties are, what its modifications are,
whence is what, and who He is and what His powers are. This
has been sung by rishis in many ways, in various distinctive
chants, in passages indicative of Brahma, full of reasoning and
convincing.
The great elements, egoism, intellect, as also the unmenifested
the ten senses and the one mind, and the five objects of the
senses, desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate intelligence,
firmness - the kshetra has been thus briefly described with its
modifications. Humility, modesty, non injury, forbearance,
uprightness, service of the teacher, purity, steadfastness, self
control, dispassion towards the objects of the senses and also
absence of egoism, perception of evil in birth, death, old age,
sickness and pain; unattachment, non identification of self with
son, wife, home and the like and constant equanimity in the
occurrence of the desirable and the undesirable, unswerving

devotion to Me in yoga of non separation, resort to sequestered
places, distaste for the society of men, constancy in self
knowledge, perception of Truth as the end of the knowledge.
This is declared to be knowledge and what is opposed to it is
ignorance. I shall describe that which has to be known,
knowing which one attains to immortality.
Beginning-less is the supreme Brahma. It is not said to be ‘sat’
or ‘asat’, with hands and feet everywhere, with eyes and mouths
everywhere, with ears everywhere. He exists enveloping all.
Shining by the functions of all the senses, yet without the
senses. Absolute, yet sustaining all, devoid of gunas, yet, He
experiences them, without and within all beings, the unmoving
and also the moving, because of this subtlety, He is incompre-
hensible, he is far and near. He is undivided and yet he seems
to be divided in beings. He is to be known as the supporter of
beings. He devours and He generates the light of all lights, He
is said to be beyond darkness, knowledge the knowable, the
goal of knowledge, seated in the hearts of all. Thus the kshetra,
knowledge and that which has to be known has been briefly
described. My devotee on knowing this, is fitted for My state.
Know that Prakriti and Purusha are both without beginning
and know also that all modifications and gunas are born of
Prakriti. In the production of the body and the senses, Prakriti
is said to be the cause, in the experience of pleasure and pain,
Purusha is said to be the cause. Purusha seated in Prakriti,
experiences the gunas born of Prakriti. Attachment to the
gunas is the cause of his birth in good and evil wombs. The
supreme Purusha in this body is also called the spectator, the
one who permits, the supporter, the one who experiences, the
great lord and the supreme self. He who thus knows the
Purusha and Prakriti together with the gunas, is never
born again, in whatever way he may live.

By meditation some behold the self in the self, others by the
yoga of knowledge and yet others by karma yoga. Still others,
not knowing thus, worship as they have heard from others,
they too go beyond death by their devotion to what they have
heard. Whatever being is born, the unmoving or the moving,
O best of the Bharatas, know it to be form then union of
kshetra and kshetrajna. He sees, who sees the supreme Lord,
remaining the same in all beings, the eternal in the dying.
Because he who sees the Lord seated the same everywhere
destroys not the self by the self, therefore, he reaches the
supreme goal. He verily sees who sees that all actions are
done by Prakriti alone and that the Atman is actionless,
when he realizes the whole variety of beings as resting in
one and in an evolution form that one alone, then he
becomes Brahma.
Having no beginning and possessing no gunas, this supreme
self, imperishable, though dwelling in the body, O Kaunteya,
neither acts nor is tainted. As the all-pervading akash is not
tainted by reason of its subtlety, so the self-seated in the body
everywhere is not tainted. As the one sun illumines this whole
world, so does the Lord of the kshetra illumines the whole
kshetra, O Bharata. They who perceive with the eye of wisdom
this distinction between the kshetra and the kshetrajna and the
deliverance of beings from the Prakriti, they go to the Supreme.

CHAPTER - XIV
Guna-triya Vibhaga
Yoga
T he Blessed Lord said: I shall again declare that supreme

knowledge, the best of all forms of knowledge by knowing
which, all the sages have passed from this world to the highest
perfection. They who, having devoted themselves to this
knowledge having attained to unity with Me, are neither born
at the time of creation nor are they disturbed at the time of
dissolution.
My womb is the Mahat Brahma (Prakriti), in that I place the
germ, thence O Bharata, is the birth of all beings. Whatever
forms are produced, O Kaunteya in any womb whatsoever, the
great Brahma (Prakriti) is their womb, I the seed-giving father.
Sattva, rajas, tamas - three gunas, O mighty armed, born of
Prakriti, bind the indestructible embodied one fast in the body.
Of these sattva, being stainless is luminous and unobstructive.
It binds, O sinless one, by creating attachment to happiness and
attachment to knowledge. Know Rajas to be of the nature of
passion, the source of thirst and attachment, it binds fast, O
Kaunteya, the embodied one by attachment to action. But
know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all embodied
beings, it binds fast, O Bharata, to heedlessness, indolence and
sleep.
Sattva binds one to happiness and Rajas to action, O
Bharata, while tamas verily veils knowledge and binds one to
heedlessness. Sattva asserts itself, O Bharata, by predominat-

ing over rajas and tamas, and rajas over sattva and tamas and
tamas over sattva and rajas. When the light of knowledge
beams through all the gateways of the body, then it may be
known that Sattva is predominant.
Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions unrest, longing-
these arise, O best of the Bharatas, when rajas is predominant.
Indiscrimination, inertness, heedlessness and delusion- these
arise, O joy of Kurus, when tamas is predominant. If the
embodiment one meets with death when sattva is predomi-
nant, then he goes to the pure worlds of those who know the
highest. Meeting with death in Rajas, he is born among those
attached to action and dying in Tamas, he is born in the wombs
of the deluded.
The fruit of good action, they say, is sattvika and pure; verily
the fruit of Rajas is pain and ignorance is fruit of tamas. From
sattva rises wisdom and greed from Rajas; heedlessness and
error arise from tamas and also ignorance. Those who are fixed
in sattva go upwards; the rajasikas remain in the middle and
the tamasikas, abiding in the functions of the lowest gunas, go
downwards.
When the seer perceives no agent other than the gunas and
knows him who is higher than the gunas, he enters into My
Being. The embodied one having crossed over these three
gunas out of which the body is evolved, is freed from birth,
death, decay and pain, and attains to immortality.
Arjuna said: What are the marks, O Lord, of him who has
crossed over the three Gunas? What is his conduct? And how
does he rise above the Gunas?
The Blessed Lord said: He, O Pandava who hates not light,
activity and delusion, when present, nor longs after them when
absent. He who, sitting like one unconcerned is moved not by
the gunas, who, knowing that the gunas operate, is firm and

moves not. Balanced in pleasure and pain, self-abiding, viewing
a clod of earth, a stone and gold alike; the same to agreeable and
disagreeable firm, the same in censure and praise, the same in
honour and dishonour, the same to friend and foe, abandoning
all undertakings-he is said to have risen above the Gunas. And
he who serves Me with an unswerving devotion, he going
beyond the Gunas, is fitted for becoming Brahma for I am
abode of Brahma, the Immortal and the Immutable, the
Eternal Dharma and Absolute Bliss.

CHAPTER - XV
Purushotama Yoga
T he Blessed Lord said: They speak of an imperishable

Ashvatha tree with its roots above and branches below. Its
leaves are the Vedas, he who knows it is the knower of the
Vedas. Below and above spread its branches, nourished by the
gunas; sense objects are its buds and below in the world of men
stretch its roots, engendering action. Its form is not here
perceived as such, neither its end, nor its origin, nor its
existence. Having cut asunder this firm rooted ashvatha with
the strong axe of non-attachment, then that goal should be
sought for, going whither, they do not return again.
Seek refuge in that primeval Purusha whence streamed
forth the eternal activity. Free from pride and delusion, with the
evil of attachment conquered, ever dwelling in the self, their
desires being completely stilled, liberated from the pairs of
opposites known as pleasure and pain, the undeluded reaches
that goal eternal. That the sun illumines not, nor the moon, nor
fire, that is My Supreme abode, going whither they return not.
An eternal portion of Myself having become the jiva in the
world of jivas, attracts the senses, with mind as the sixth,
abiding in Prakriti when the Lord obtains a body and when he
leaves it, he takes these and goes, as the wind carries the scents
from their sources.

Presiding over the ear, the eye, the touch, the taste and the
smell, as also the mind, he experiences objects. The deluded
do not see him who departs, stays and enjoys, who is
conjoined with the Gunas, but they see who possesses the
eye of wisdom. Those who strive endued with yoga, cognize
Him dwelling in the self; though striving, the undefined and
unintelligent see Him not.
That light which residing in the sun illumines the whole
world, that which is in the moon and in the fire-know that light
to be Mine. Entering the earth I support all beings, by My
energy and having become the sapid moon, I nourish all herbs.
Abiding in the body of living beings as Vishvanara, associated
with prana and aapana, I digest the four kind of food and I am
seated in the hearts of all. From Me are memory, knowledge,
as well as their loss. I am verily that which has to be known by
all the Vedas. I am indeed the author of the Vedanta as well as
the knower of the Vedas.
There are two Purushas in the world, the perishable and the
imperishable, and the Kutastha is called the imperishable. But
distinct is the Supreme Purusha called the Highest Self, the
indestructible Lord, who pervades and sustains the three
worlds. As I transcend the perishable, and am even above the
imperishable, therefore, I am known in the world and in the
Veda as ‘Purhshottama’ the Highest Purusha. He, who
undeluded, knows me as the Highest Self – he knows all, O
Bharata, and he worships me with all his heart. Thus, O sinless
one, has this most profound teaching being imparted by Me,
knowing this a man becomes enlightened, O Bharata, and all
his duties are accomplished.

CHAPTER - XVI
Daiva-sura Sampad
Vibhaga Yoga
T he Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart,

steadfastness in knowledge and yoga, alms giving, control
of the senses, yajna, study of the scriptures, austerity and
straightforwardness, non-injury, truth, absence of anger, re-
nunciation, serenity, absence of calumny, compassion to be-
ings, uncovetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickle-
ness, vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, and
absence of pride, these belong to one born for a divine state,
O Bharata.
Ostentation, arrogance and self conceit, anger and also
harshness and ignorance belong to one who is born, O Partha,
for a demoniac state. The divine nature is deemed for libera-
tion, the demoniacal for bondage. Grieve not, O Pandava, you
are born for a divine state. There are two types of beings in this
world, the divine and the demoniacal. The divine has been
described at length, hear from Me, O Partha, of the demonia-
cal. The demoniac know not what to do and what to refrain
from; neither purity, nor right conduct nor truth is found in
them. They say,
“the universe is unreal, without a moral basis, without a
God, born of mutual union, brought about by lust, what
else?”
Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect, of
fierce deeds, rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction.

Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride and
arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion, they work with
impure resolve. Beset with immense cares ending, only with
death. Regarding gratification of lust as the highest and feeling
sure that that is all, bound by a hundred ties of hope, given
over to lust and anger, they strive to secure by unjust means
hoards of wealth for sensual gratification.
“This today has been gained by me, this desire I shall fulfill;
this is mine, and this earth also shall be mine in future. That
enemy has been slain by me, and others also shall I slay. I
am a lord, I enjoy, I am successful, powerful and happy. I am
rich and well born who else is equal to me? I will sacrifice.”
Thus deluded by ignorance, bewildered by many a fancy,

enmeshed in the senses of delusion, addicted to the gratification
of lust, they fall into foul hell. Given over to egoism, power,
insolence lust and wrath, these malicious people hate me in their
own bodies and in those of others. Those cruel haters, worst
among men in the world, I hurl these evildoers forever into the
wombs of the demons only. Entering into demoniac wombs, the
deluded ones, in birth after birth, without ever reaching Me, they
thus fall, O Kaunteya, into a condition still lower.
Triple is this gate of hell, destructive of the self – lust, anger
and greed; therefore should one abandon these three. The man
who is liberated from these three gates to darkness, O
Kaunteya, practices what is good for him and thus goes to the
Supreme Goal. He who casting aside the ordinances of the
scriptures, acts on the impulse of desire, attains not perfection,
nor happiness nor the Supreme Goal. Therefore, let the
scriptures be your authority in deciding what ought to be done
and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in
the ordinance of the scriptures you should act here.

CHAPTER - XVII
Shradha-triya
Vibhaga Yoga
A rjuna said: What is the nature of the devotion of those,

O Krishna, who though disregarding the ordinance of the
Shastras, perform sacrifice with Shraddha? Is it one of Sattva,
Rajas or Tamas.
The Blessed Lord said: The shradha of the embodied is of
three kinds, borne of their nature – the sattvika the rajasika
and the tamasika. Hear now about it. The Shraddha of every
man, O Bharata, is in accordance with his natural disposition.
Man is of the nature of shradha; what is shradha is that verily
he is. Sattvika men worship the devas, rajasika, the yakshas and
the rakshasas, the others – the tamasika men-the pretas and
the hosts of bhutas. Those men who practice violent austerities
not enjoined by the scriptures, given to hypocrisy and egoism,
impelled by the force of lust and attachment, fools that they are,
they torture their bodily organs and Me too, who dwell within
the body. Know that they are asurika in their resolve.
The food also that is dear to all is of three kinds. So are the
yagyas, austerities and gifts. Hear now of the distinction of
these. The foods that augment vitality, energy, vigour, health,
joy and cheerfulness which are savory and epigenous, substan-
tial and agreeable are liked by the sattvika. The food that is
bitter, sour, saline, over hot pungent, dry and burning are liked
by the rajasika, and are productive of pain, grief and disease.
That which is stale, tasteless, stinking, cooked overnight refuse
and impure is the food liked by the tamasika.

That yagya is sattvika which is performed by men desiring
no fruit as enjoined by ordinance, with their mind fixed on the
yagya alone for its own sake. That which is performed, O best
of the Bharatas, in expectation of reward or for self- glorifica-
tion, know it to be a rajasika yagya. They declare that yagya to
be tamasika which is contrary to the ordinances, in which no
food is distributed, which is devoid of mantras, gifts and
shradha. Worship the Gods of the twice born, of teachers and
of the wise.
Purity, uprightness, continence and non-injury – these are
said to be the austerity of the body. The speech which causes
no excitement, which is truthful, pleasant and beneficial and
also the practice of sacred recitation, these are said to form the
austerity of speech. Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-
control and purity of disposition – this is called the mental
austerity. This threefold austerity practiced by steadfast men
with the utmost shradha, desiring no fruit they call sattvika.
The austerity, which is practiced with the object of gaining
respect, honour and reverence and with ostentation is here
said to be rajasika, it is unstable and transitory. That austerity
which is practiced with a foolish obstinacy, with self-torture or
for the purpose of destroying another, is declared to be
tamasika.
That gift which is made to one who can make no return,
with the feeling that it is one’s duty to give, and which is given
at the right place and time and to a worthy person, that gift is
held sattvika. That gift which is given with a view to receive in
return, or looking for the fruit, or again grudgingly is accounted
as rajasika. The gift that is given at a wrong place or time, to
unworthy persons, without respect or with insult that is
declared to be tamasika.
Om Tat Sat, this has been declared to be the triple

designation of Brahma. By that were made the Brahma and the
Vedas. Therefore, with the utterance of Om carry on the acts
of sacrifice, gift and austerity, as enjoined in the scriptures,
always undertaken by the followers of the Vedas. Uttering, Tat
without aiming at the fruits, carry on the acts of sacrifice and
austerity and the various acts of gifts as performed by the
seekers of moksha. The word Sat is used in the sense of reality
and of goodness and so, also, O Partha, the word Sat is used
in the sense of an auspicious act. Steadfastness in sacrifice,
austerity and gift is also called Sat and action for the sake of the
Lord is also called Sat. Whatever is sacrifice, given or per-
formed and whatever austerity is practiced without shradha, it
is called asat, O Partha. It is of no account, here or hereafter.

CHAPTER - XVIII
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
A rjuna said: I desire to know severally, O mighty-armed,

the truth of sanyasa, O Hrishikesha, as also of tyaga O
slayer of Kesi.
The Blessed Lord said: The renunciation of kamya karma,
the sages understand as Sanyasa. The wise declare that the
abandonment of the fruits of all actions as tyaga. Some sages
declare that all action should be relinquished as evil, while
other say that yagya, gift and austerity should not be relin-
quished. Learn from Me the truth about this abandonment, O
best of the Bharatas. Abandonment, verily O best of men, has
been declared to be of three kinds. Acts of yagya, gift and
austerity should not be given up, but should be performed;
yagya, gift and austerity are purifying to the wise. But even
these actions should be performed giving up attachment and
the fruits, O Partha. This is My certain and best belief.
Verily, the abandonment of any obligatory duty is not proper.
Such abandonment out of ignorance is declared to be tamasika.
He who from fear of bodily trouble abandons action, because
it is painful, thus performing a rajasika abandonment, obtains
not the fruit thereof. Whatever obligatory work is done, O
Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done, abandoning
attachment and also the fruit, that abandonment is deemed to
be sattvika. The relinquisher imbued with sattva and a
steady understanding and with his doubts dispelled, hates

not a disagreeable work nor is he attached to an agreeable
one.
It is indeed impossible for an embodied being to renounce
actions entirely. But he who renounces the fruits of action,
is regarded as one who has renounced. The threefold fruits
of action wise, good and mixed accrues after death to one who
does not relinquish but there is none ever for the one who
renounces, Learn from Me, O mighty armed, the five factors
in the accomplishment of all actions, as taught in the Sankhya
which is the end of action. The body, the agent, the various
senses, the different functions of various sorts and the presid-
ing deity as the fifth.
Whatever action a man performs with his body, speech or
mind, whether right or wrong-these five are its causes. That
being so, the man of perverse mind, who on account of his
imperfect understanding looks upon the self, the absolute,
as the agent – he does not see at all. He who is free from the
notions of egoism and whose understanding is not tainted –
though he kills these people, he kills not, nor is he bound.
Knowledge, the object of knowledge and the knower form the
threefold incitement to action; and the instrument, the object
and the agent are the three fold constituents of action.
Knowledge, action and actor are declared in the science of
gunas to be of three kinds only, according to the distinction of
gunas; hear of them also as they are. The knowledge by which
the one imperishable Being is seen in all existences, undivided
in the divided, knows that that knowledge is sattvika. But that
knowledge by which one sees in all beings manifold entities of
different kinds as varying from one another- know that that
knowledge is rajasika. And the knowledge that clings to one
single effect as if it was the whole, and is without reason,
without foundation in truth, and trivial, that knowledge is

declared to be tamasika.
An action which is ordained, which is free from attachment,
which is done without love or hatred by one not desirous of the
fruit, the action is declared to be Sattvika. But that action
which is done by one craving for desires or again with egoism
or with much effort, that is declared to be rajasika. That action
which is undertaken from delusion, without heed to the
consequences, loss, injury and ability that is declared to be
tamasika.
An agent, who is free from attachment, non-egoistic,
endued with firmness and zeal and unaffected by success or
failure, is called sattvika. Passionate, desiring to obtain the fruit
of action, greedy, cruel, impure, moved by joy and sorrow, such
an agent is said to be rajasika. Unsteady, vulgar, stubborn,
deceitful, malicious, indolent, despondent, procrastinating
such an agent is called tamasika.
Hear the threefold distinction of understanding and firm-
ness, according to the Gunas, as I explain them exhaustively
and severally, O Dhananjaya. The intellect, which knows the
paths of work and renunciation, right and wrong action, fear
and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, that intellect, O
Partha, is sattvika. The intellect that makes a distorted grasp
of dharma and adharma, of what ought to be done and what
ought not to be done, that O Partha, is rajasika. That which is
enveloped in darkness, regards adharma as dharma and views
all things in a perverted way, that intellect, O Partha, is
tamasika.
The unswerving firmness by which, through yoga, the
functions of the mind, the prana and the senses are regulated,
that firmness, O Partha, is sattvika. But the firmness, O Arjuna,
by which one holds fast to dharma, kama and artha, desirous
of the fruit of each from attachment, that firmness, O Partha,

is rajasika. That by which a stupid man do not give up sleep,
fear, grief, despair and also conceit, that firmness, O Partha, is
tamasika.
And now hear from Me, O chief of the Bharatas the three
kinds of happiness. That in which one comes to rejoice by a
long practice and in which he reaches the end of his sorrow,
that which is like poison at first, but like nectar at the end, that
happiness is said to be sattvika, born of the translucence of
intellect due to self realization. That happiness which arises
from the contact of the senses and their objects and which is
like nectar at first, but like poison at the end, it is held to be
rajasika. That happiness which deludes the self both at the
beginning and at the end and which arises from sleep, sloth and
miscomprehension, that is declared to be tamasika.
There is no being on earth or again in heaven among the
devas, that is liberated from the three gunas, born of Prakriti.
The duties of brahmins, kshatriyas and vaishyas as also of
shudras, O scorcher of foes, are distributed according to the
Gunas born of their own nature.
Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and also
uprightness, knowledge, realization belief in a hereafter, these
are the duties of the brahmins, born of their own nature.
Heroism, vigour, firmness, resourcefulness, not flying from
battle, generosity and lordliness are the duties of the kshatriyas
born of their own nature. Agriculture, cattle rearing and trade
are the duties of the vaishyas, born of their own nature; and
action consisting of services is the duty of the shudras born of
their own nature. Devoted each to his own duty, man attains
the highest perfection.
How engaged in his own duty, he attains perfection, that do
you hear. He from whom is the evolution of all beings, by whom
all this is pervaded, worshipping him with his own duty, man

attains perfection. Better is one’s own dharma, though
imperfect, than the dharma of another well performed. He
who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.
One should not abandon, O Kauanteya, the duty to which
one is born, though it is attended with evil; for all under-
takings are enveloped by evil, as fire by smoke.
He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has
subdued his self, from whom desires have disappeared, he by
renunciation attains the supreme state of freedom from
actions. Learn from Me in brief, O Kaunteya, how reaching
such perfection, he attains to Brahma that supreme consum-
mation of knowledge.
Endowed with pure understanding, restraining the self with
firmness, turning away from sound and other objects and
abandoning attraction and aversion, dwelling in solitude eating
but little, speech, body and mind subdued, always engaged in
meditation and concentration, endued with dispassion. Hav-
ing abandoned egoism, violence, arrogance, desire, enmity,
property, free from the notion of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ and
peaceful, he is fit for becoming Brahma. Becoming Brahma,
serene minded he neither grieves, nor desires, the same to
all beings; he obtains supreme devotion to Me.
By devotion he knows Me in truth, what and who I am, then
having known Me in truth, he forthwith enters into Me. Doing
continually all actions whatsoever, taking refuge in Me, by My
grace he reaches the eternal undecaying abode. Mentally
resigning all deeds to Me, having Me as the highest goal,
resorting to buddhi yoga, do you ever fix your mind on Me.
Fixing your mind on Me, you will by My grace, overcome all
obstacles, but if from egoism you will not hear Me, you will
perish. If filled with egoism, you think “I will not fight” vein is
this, your resolve; your nature will compel you. Bound by your

own karma born of your nature, that which from delusion
you wish not to do, even that you shall do helplessly, against
your will.
O Kaunteya, the lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O
Arjuna, and by his maya causes all beings to resolve as though
mounted on a machine. Seek refuge in Him alone with al your
heart, O Bharata. By his grace you will gain supreme peace and
the eternal abode. Thus has wisdom more profound than all
profundities been declared to you by Me.
Reflect upon it fully and act as you choose. Listen again
to My supreme word, the profoundest of all. You are beloved
of Me and steadfast at heart, therefore, I shall tell what is good
for you. Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to
Me, prostrate before Me, so shall you come to Me. This is My
pledge to you, for you are dear to Me. Renounce all dharma and
take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins, grieve
not.
This is never to be spoken by you to one who is devoid
of austerities, nor to one who is not devoted, nor to one who
does not do service, nor to one who speaks ill of Me. He who
with supreme devotion to Me will teach this immensely
profound philosophy to My devotees, shall doubtlessly come to
Me alone. Nor is there any among men who renders dearer
service to Me than he, nor shall there be another on earth
dearer to Me then he.
And he who will study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him
I shall have been worshipped by Gyana Yoga, such is My
conviction. And the man, who fears this, full of faith and free
from scoff, even he, liberated from evil, shall attain the
auspicious regions of righteous. Has this been heard by you, O
Partha, with an attentive mind? Has the delusion of your
ignorance been destroyed, O Dhananjaya?

Arjuna said: My delusion is destroyed. I have regained my
memory through your grace, O Achyuta, I am firm, and I am
free from doubt. I shall act according to your words.
Sanjaya said: Thus have I heard this wonderful dialogue
between Vasudeva and the high souled Partha, causing my hair
to stand on end. Through the grace of Vyasa have I heard the
supreme and the most profound yoga directly from Krishna,
the Lord of Yoga, himself declaring it? O King, as I recall again
and again this wonderful and holy dialogue between Keshva
and Arjuna I rejoice again and again. And as often as I recall
that most wondrous form of Hari, great is my astonishment, O
King, and I rejoice again and again. Wherever Krishna is, is
Partha, the wielder of the bow, there are prosperity,
victory, expansion, and sound policy, such is my convic-
tion.
Sri Krishna Pranama

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Shrimat

SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta | 1

3. Words as they mean ........................................................................................................................................... 5

4. Chapter 1 – Arjuna Vishada Yoga .................................................................................................. 8

5. Chapter 2 – Sankhya Yoga .................................................................................................................... 12

6. Chapter 3 – Karma Yoga ........................................................................................................................ 14

7. Chapter 4 – Gyana Karma Yoga ................................................................................................... 17

8. Chapter 5 – Karma Sanyasa Yoga .............................................................................................. 20

9. Chapter 6 – Atman Sanyam Yoga ............................................................................................... 22

10. Chapter 7 – Gyana Vigyana Yoga ................................................................................................ 25

11. Chapter 8 – Akshra Brahma Yoga ............................................................................................... 27

12. Chapter 9 – Raj Vidya Rajaguhya Yoga ............................................................................... 29

13. Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga .................................................................................................................... 31

14. Chapter 11 – Vishwa-rupa Darshana Yoga ..................................................................... 33

15. Chapter 12 – Bhakti Yoga ...................................................................................................................... 36

16. Chapter 13 – Kshetra Khetragya Vibhaga Yoga .......................................................... 38

17. Chapter 14 – Guna - Triya Vibhaga Yoga ......................................................................... 40

18. Chapter 15 – Purushotama Yoga .................................................................................................. 42

19. Chapter 16 – Daiva-sura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga ..................................................... 44

20. Chapter 17 – Shradha - triya Vibhaga Yoga ................................................................... 46

21. Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga ........................................................................................ 48

SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta | 3

January 10, 2007 Author

4 | SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta

01. Self Atman, Conscience, Consciousness, Cosmic Reality,

03. Nature Prakriti or every thing other than the Self.

05. Life A process for being, with liberation/ realisation as its

08. Emotions The bond between beings.

09. Art The expression of Self in nature.

13. Realisation A state of the being when complete/ total expression/

6 | SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta

15. Wisdom The power/ capacity to express/ apply the Truth in

17. Corruption The extent of disharmony between the body, mind

19. Knowledge a. With respect to Self - The extent / capacity of the

b. With respect to nature - The extent/ capacity of

20. Experience a. With respect to Self - The extent of awareness/

b. With respect to nature - The extent of aware-

21. Education a. With respect to Self- The training that enables

b. With respect to nature - The training which

SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta | 7

24. Power The extent of control of a being on Self, other being(s)

25. Politics The manipulation of being(s) by being(s) to attain

26. Basic Elements Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space

27. Gyanendriyan Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue and Skin

28. Karmendriyan Arms (including legs), Eyelids, Mouth, Genital Or-

29. Temple A place where prana prathishtha of a Hindu deity has

30. Puja A phonetic combination to invoke the powers of a

31. Mantra A phonetic combination to bring about harmony in

32. Parikrama A process of going round a deity (except Shiva) to

8 | SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta

Arjuna Vishada Yoga

D hritarashtra said: Gathered together at Kurukshetra as

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SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta | 11

12 | SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta

S anjay said: Madhusudana spoke these words to him who

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18 | SHRIMAT BHAGWAT GITA – Aruneshwar Gupta

A rjuna said: If it is held by you, O Janardana, that