The Bhagavad-Gita

by Dr. Ramanada Prasad

1. ARJUN'S DILEMMA
King Dhritaraashtr said: O Sanjay, assembled in the holy field of Kurukshetr and eager to fight, what did my people and the
Paandavs do? !"#!$ Sanjay said: Seeing the battle formation of the Paandav%s army, King Duryodhan approa&hed his guru and
spoke these words: !"#'$ O master, behold this mighty army of the sons of Paandu, arranged in battle formation by your other
talented dis&iple" (here are many great warriors, valiant men, heroes, and mighty ar&hers" ) shall name a few of them for you"
!"#*+#,$ -lso know, O best among the men, the distinguished ones on our side"
Introduction of the army commanders
) shall name the &ommanders of my army and many other heroes who have risked their lives for me" (hey are armed with various
weapons, and all are skilled in warfare" !"#.+#/$ Our army is invin&ible, while their army is easy to &on0uer" (herefore, all of
you, o&&upying your respe&tive positions on all fronts, prote&t our &ommander, 1hishm" !"!#+!!$
(he mighty 1hishm, the eldest man of the Kuru dynasty, roared as a lion and blew his &on&h loudly, bringing joy to Duryodhan"
!"!'$ -fter that, &on&hes, kettledrums, &ymbals, drums, and trumpets were sounded together" (he &ommotion was tremendous"
!"!*$ (hen 2ord Krishn and -rjun, seated in a grand &hariot yoked with white horses, blew their &elestial &on&hes" !"!3$ Krishn
blew 4is &on&h5 then -rjun and all other &ommanders of various divisions of the army blew their respe&tive &on&hes" (he
tumultuous uproar, resounding through earth and sky, tore the hearts of the Kauravs" !"!6+!/$
Arjun ants to ins!ect the army a"ainst hom he is a#out to fi"ht
Seeing the Kauravs standing, and the war about to begin with the hurling of weapons, -rjun, whose banner bore the emblem of
2ord 4anumaan, took up his bow and spoke these words to 2ord Krishn: O 2ord, please stop my &hariot between the two armies
until ) behold those who stand here eager for the battle and with whom ) must engage in this a&t of war" !"'#+''$ ) wish to see
those who are willing to serve and appease the evil+minded Kauravs by assembling here to fight the battle" !"'*$ Sanjay said: O
King, 2ord Krishn, as re0uested by -rjun, pla&ed the best of all the &hariots in the midst of the two armies fa&ing 1hishm, Dron,
and all other Kings, and said to -rjun: 1ehold these assembled Kauravs7 !"'3+'6$ (here, -rjun saw his un&les, grandfathers,
tea&hers, maternal un&les, brothers, sons, grandsons, and &omrades" !"',$
Arjun's di$emma
Seeing fathers+in+law, &ompanions, and all his kinsmen standing in the ranks of the two armies, -rjun was over&ome with great
&ompassion and sorrowfully said: O Krishn, seeing my kinsmen standing with a desire to fight, my limbs fail and my mouth
be&omes dry" 8y body 0uivers and my hairs stand on end" !"'.+'/$ (he bow slips from my hand, and my skin intensely burns"
8y head turns, ) am unable to stand steady, and O Krishn, ) see bad omens" ) see no use of killing my kinsmen in battle" !"*#+*!$
) desire neither vi&tory, nor pleasure nor kingdom, O Krishn" 9hat is the use of the kingdom, or enjoyment, or even life, O
Krishn? 1e&ause all those +++ for whom we desire kingdom, enjoyments, and pleasures +++ are standing here for the battle, giving
up their lives and wealth" !"*'+**$ ) do not wish to kill tea&hers, un&les, sons, grandfathers, maternal un&les, fathers+in+law,
grandsons, brothers+in+law, and other relatives who are about to kill us, even for the sovereignty of the three worlds, let alone for
this earthly kingdom, O Krishn" !"*3+*6$
O 2ord Krishn, what pleasure shall we find in killing the sons of Dhritaraashtr? :pon killing these felons, we shall in&ur only sin"
!"*,$ (herefore, we should not kill our &ousin brothers, the sons of Dhritaraashtr" 4ow &an we be happy after killing our
relatives, O Krishn? !"*.$ (hough they, blinded by greed, do not see evil in the destru&tion of the family, or sin in being
trea&herous to friends, why should not we, who &learly see evil in the destru&tion of the family, think about turning away from
this sin, O Krishn? !"*;+*/$
Arjun descri#es the e%i$s of ar
<ternal family traditions and &odes of &ondu&t are destroyed with the destru&tion of the family" )mmorality prevails in the family
due to the destru&tion of family traditions" !"3#$ -nd when immorality prevails, O Krishn, the women of the family be&ome
&orrupted5 when women are &orrupted, many so&ial problems arise" !"3!$ (his brings the family and the slayers of the family to
hell5 be&ause the spirits of their an&estors are degraded when deprived of &eremonial offerings of ri&e+ball and water" !"3'$ (he
everlasting 0ualities of so&ial order and family traditions of those who destroy their family are ruined by the sinful a&t of
1&. '(E SU)REME )ERS*N
+reation is $i,e a tree created #y the !oers of Maya
(he Supreme 2ord said: (hey speak of the eternal banyan tree that has its origin above in the Supreme
1eing Par1rahm$ and its bran&hes below in the &osmos, and whose leaves are the =edi& hymns" One who
understands this tree is a knower of the =edas" See also !#"#;$ !6"#!$ (he bran&hes of this &osmi& tree of
8aya )llusion$ spread all over the &osmos" (he tree is nourished by three modes >unas$ of material
?ature Prakriti$5 sense pleasures are its sprouts5 and its roots of ego and desires stret&h below in the human
world, &ausing Karmi& bondage" !6"#'$
(o to cut the tree of attachment and attain sa$%ation #y ta,in" refu"e in -od
(he real form of this tree is not per&eptible here on earth, nor is its beginning, end, or e@isten&e" 4aving &ut
the firm roots +++ the desires +++ of this tree by the mighty a@ of Self+knowledge and deta&hment5 thus
thinking: A) take refuse in that very primal person from whi&h this primal manifestation &omes forthA, seek
that supreme abode from where one does not &ome ba&k to the mortal world$ again" !6"#*+#3$ (he wise
rea&h that eternal goal, who are free from pride and delusion, who have &on0uered the evil of atta&hment,
who &onstantly dwell in the Supreme Self with all lust Kaam$ &ompletely stilled, and who are free from
dualities of pleasure and pain" !6"#6$ (he sun does not illumine there, nor the moon, nor the fire" (hat is
8y supreme abode" 4aving rea&hed there people do not &ome ba&k to the temporal world$" See also !*"!.
and !6"!'$ !6"#,$
'he em#odied sou$ is the enjoyer
(he eternal individual soul Beevaatma$ in the body of living beings is, indeed, 8y integral part" )t
asso&iates with the si@ sensory fa&ulties of per&eption +++ in&luding the mind +++ and a&tivates them" !6"#.$
Bust as the air takes aroma away from the flower5 similarly, the individual soul Beevaatma$ takes the si@
sensory fa&ulties from the physi&al body it &asts off during death to the new physi&al body it a&0uires in
rein&arnation by the power of Karm$" See also '"!*$ !6"#;$ (he living entity Beev$ enjoys sense
pleasures using si@ sensory fa&ulties of hearing, tou&h, sight, taste, smell, and mind" (he ignorant &annot
per&eive Beev departing from the body, nor staying in the body and enjoying sense pleasures by asso&iating
with the modes of material ?ature" 1ut those who have the eye of Self+knowledge &an see it" !6"#/+!#$
(he yogis, striving for perfe&tion, behold the living entity Beev$ abiding in their inner psy&he as
&ons&iousness$, but the ignorant and those whose inner psy&he is not pure5 even though striving, do not
per&eive 4im" !6"!!$
S!irit is the essence of e%erythin"
Know the light energy to be 8ine that &omes from the sun and illumines the whole world, and is in the
moon and in fire" See also !*"!. and !6"#,$ !6"!'$ <ntering the earth, ) support all beings with 8y
energy" 1e&oming the sap+giving moon, ) nourish all the plants" !6"!*$ 1e&oming the digestive fire, )
remain in the body of all living beings" :niting with vital life for&es Praan and -paan$, ) digest all types of
food" !6"!3$ -nd ) am seated in the inner psy&he of all beings" 8emory, Self+knowledge, and removal of
doubts and wrong notions about the <ternal 1eing by reasoning, or in tran&e Samaadhi$$ &ome from 8e" )
am, in truth, that whi&h is to be known by the study of all the =edas" ) am, indeed, the author of the =edant
and the knower of the =edas" See also ,"*/$ !6"!6$
.hat are the su!reme s!irit/ s!irit and the indi%idua$ sou$0
(here are two entities Purushas$ in the &osmos: (he &hangeable or temporal Divine 1eings Kshar
Purush$, and the un&hangeable <ternal 1eing 1rahm, -kshar Purush$" -ll &reated beings are subje&t to
&hange, but the <ternal 1eing does not &hange" !6"!,$ (here is another Supreme Personality of the
>odhead beyond both the temporal and the eternal$ &alled the -bsolute Ceality or Paramaatma, who
sustains both the temporal and the eternal Kshar and -kshar$ by pervading all three planetary spheres
2okas$ as the eternal 2ord )shvar$" !6"!.$ 1e&ause ) am beyond both the temporal Kshar$ and the
eternal -kshar$5 therefore, ) am known in this world and in the =eda as the Supreme 1eing Par1rahm,
Paramaatma, Purushottam, the -bsolute, (ruth, Sat, Supersoul, et&"$" !6"!;$ (he wise, who truly
understand 8e as the Supreme 1eing Purushottam$, know everything and worship 8e wholeheartedly, O
-rjun" See also ."!3, !3"',, and !;",,$ !6"!/$ (hus, ) have e@plained this most se&ret s&ien&e of Self+
knowledge (aaratamya+vidyaa, 1rahm+vidyaa$ , O sinless -rjun" 4aving understood this, one be&omes
enlightened, and one%s all duties are a&&omplished, O -rjun" !6"'#$
11. DI2INE AND DEM*NI+ 3UALI'IES
A $ist of major di%ine 4ua$ities that shou$d #e cu$ti%ated for sa$%ation
(he Supreme 2ord said: Dearlessness, purity of the inner psy&he, perseveran&e in the yog of Self+
knowledge, &harity, sense+restraint, sa&rifi&e, study of the s&riptures, austerity, honesty5 nonviolen&e,
truthfulness, absen&e of anger, renun&iation, &almness, abstinen&e from mali&ious talk, &ompassion for all
&reatures, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, absen&e of fi&kleness, splendor, forgiveness, fortitude,
&leanliness, absen&e of mali&e, and absen&e of pride +++ these are the twenty+si@$ 0ualities of those
endowed with divine virtues, O -rjun" !,"#!+#*$
A $ist of demonic 4ua$ities that shou$d #e "i%en u! #efore s!iritua$ journey can #e"in
O -rjun, the marks of those who are born with demoni& 0ualities are: 4ypo&risy, arrogan&e, pride, anger,
harshness, and ignoran&e" !,"#3$ Divine 0ualities lead to salvation 8oksh$5 the demoni& 0ualities are said
to be for bondage" Do not grieve, O -rjun, you are born with divine 0ualities" !,"#6$
'here are on$y to ty!es of human #ein"s/ the ise and the i"norant
1asi&ally, there are only two types or &astes of human beings in this world: (he divine, and the demoni&"
(he divine has been des&ribed at length" ?ow hear from 8e about the demoni&, O -rjun" !,"#,$ Persons
of demoni& nature do not know what to do and what not to do" (hey have neither purity nor good &ondu&t
nor truthfulness" !,"#.$ (hey say that the world is unreal, without a substratum, without a >od, and
without an order" (he world is &aused by se@ual union of man and woman alone and nothing else" !,"#;$
-dhering to this wrong, atheisti& view, these degraded souls +++ with small intelle&t and &ruel deeds +++ are
born as enemies for the destru&tion of the world" !,"#/$ Dilled with insatiable desires, hypo&risy, pride,
and arrogan&e5 holding wrong views due to delusion5 they a&t with impure motives" !,"!#$ Obsessed with
endless an@iety lasting until death, &onsidering sense gratifi&ation their highest aim, and &onvin&ed that
sense pleasure is everything5 !,"!!$
1ound by hundreds of ties of desire and enslaved by lust and anger, they strive to obtain wealth by
unlawful means to fulfill sensual pleasures" (hey think: !,"!'$ (his has been gained by me today5 ) shall
fulfill this desire5 ) have this mu&h wealth and will have more wealth in the future5 !,"!*$ that enemy has
been slain by me, and ) shall slay others also" ) am the lord" ) am the enjoyer" ) am su&&essful, powerful,
and happy5 !,"!3$
) am ri&h and born in a noble family" 9ho is e0ual to me? ) shall perform sa&rifi&e, ) shall give &harity, and
) shall rejoi&e" (hus deluded by ignoran&e, !,"!6$ bewildered by many fan&ies, entangled in the net of
delusion, addi&ted to the enjoyment of sensual pleasures, they fall into a foul hell" !,"!,$ Self+&on&eited,
stubborn, filled with pride and into@i&ation of wealth, they perform sa&rifi&e &harity,Eajn$ only in name,
for show, and not a&&ording to s&riptural injun&tion" !,"!.$ (hese mali&ious people &ling to egoism,
power, arrogan&e, lust, and anger5 and hate 8e who dwells in their own bodies and those of others" !,"!;$
Sufferin" is the destiny of the i"norant
) hurl these haters, &ruel, sinful, and mean people into the &y&les of rebirth in the womb of demons again
and again" !,"!/$ O -rjun, entering the wombs of demons, birth after birth, the deluded ones sink to the
lowest hell without ever attaining 8e" !,"'#$
Lust/ an"er/ and "reed are the three "ates to he$$
2ust, anger, and greed are the three gates of hell leading to the downfall or bondage$ of the individual"
(herefore, one must learn to$ give up these three" !,"'!$ One who is liberated from these three gates of
hell, O -rjun, does what is best and &onse0uently attains the supreme abode" !,"''$
*ne must fo$$o the scri!tura$ injunctions
One who a&ts under the influen&e of his or her desires, disobeying s&riptural injun&tions, neither attains
perfe&tion nor happiness nor the supreme abode" !,"'*$ (herefore, let the s&ripture be your authority in
determining what should be done and what should not be done" Eou should perform your duty following
the s&riptural injun&tion" !,"'3$
15. '(REE6*LD 6AI'(
-rjun said: 9hat is the mode of devotion of those who perform spiritual pra&ti&es with faith, but without
following the s&riptural injun&tions, O Krishn? )s it in the mode of goodness Saattvik$, passion Caajasik$,
or ignoran&e (aamasik$? !."#!$
'hree ty!es of faith
(he Supreme 2ord said: (he natural faith of embodied beings is of three kinds: >oodness, passion, and
ignoran&e Saattvik, Caajasik, and (aamasik$" ?ow hear about these from 8e" !."#'$ O -rjun, the faith of
ea&h is in a&&ordan&e with one%s own natural disposition governed by Karmi& impressions$" One is known
by one%s faith" One &an be&ome whatever one wants to be if one &onstantly &ontemplates on the obje&t of
desire with faith$" !."#*$ Persons in the mode of goodness worship &elestial &ontrollers Devas$5 those in
the mode of passion worship supernatural rulers and demons5 and those in the mode of ignoran&e worship
ghosts and spirits" !."#3$ )gnorant persons of demoni& nature are those who pra&ti&e severe austerities
without following the pres&ription of the s&riptures, who are full of hypo&risy and egotism, who are
impelled by the for&e of desire and atta&hment, and who senselessly torture the elements in their body and
also 8e who dwells within the body" !."#6+#,$
'hree ty!es of food
(he food preferred by all of us is also of three types" So are the sa&rifi&e, austerity, and &harity" ?ow hear
the distin&tion between them" !."#.$ (he foods that promote longevity, virtue, strength, health, happiness,
and joy are jui&y, smooth, substantial, and nutritious" Su&h foods are liked by persons in the mode of
goodness" !."#;$ People in the mode of passion like foods that are very bitter, sour, salty, hot, pungent,
dry, and burning5 and &ause pain, grief, and disease" !."#/$ People in the mode of ignoran&e like foods that
are stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, refuse, and impure su&h as meat and al&ohol$" !."!#$
'hree ty!es of sacrifices
Selfless servi&e Seva, Eajn$, enjoined by the s&riptures and performed without the desire for the fruit, with
a firm belief and &onvi&tion that it is a duty, is in the mode of goodness" !."!!$ Selfless servi&e Seva,
Eajn$ that is performed only for show and aiming for fruit, is in the mode of passion, O -rjun" !."!'$
Selfless servi&e Seva, Eajn$ that is performed without following the s&ripture, in whi&h no food is
distributed, whi&h is devoid of mantra, faith, and gift, is said to be in the mode of ignoran&e" !."!*$
Austerity of thou"ht/ ord/ and deed
(he worship of &elestial &ontrollers Devas$, the priest, the guru, and the wise5 purity, honesty, &eliba&y,
and nonviolen&e +++ these are said to be austerity of deed" !."!3$ Spee&h that is non+offensive, truthful,
pleasant, benefi&ial, and is used for the regular study of s&riptures is &alled the austerity of word" !."!6$
Serenity of mind, gentleness, &almness, self+&ontrol, and purity of thought +++ these are &alled austerity of
thought" !."!,$
'hree ty!es of austerity
(he above mentioned threefold austerity of thought, word, and deed$, pra&ti&ed by yogis with supreme
faith, without a desire for the fruit, is said to be in the mode of goodness" !."!.$ -usterity that is
performed for gaining respe&t, honor, reveren&e, and for the sake of show, yielding an un&ertain and
temporary result, is said to be in the mode of passion" !."!;$ -usterity performed with foolish
stubbornness or with self+torture or for harming others, is said to be in the mode of ignoran&e" !."!/$
'hree ty!es of charity
Fharity that is given at the right pla&e and time as a matter of duty to a deserving &andidate who does
nothing in return, is &onsidered to be in the mode of goodness" !."'#$ Fharity that is given unwillingly, or
to get something in return, or to gain for some fruit, is said to be in the mode of passion" !."'!$ Fharity
that is given at a wrong pla&e and time to unworthy persons, or without paying respe&t to the re&eiver or
with ridi&ule, is said to be in the mode of ignoran&e" !."''$
'hreefo$d name of -od
AO8 (-( S-(A is said to be the threefold name of the <ternal 1eing 1rahm$" Persons with good
1raahmani&$ 0ualities, the =edas, and the selfless servi&e Seva, Eajn$ were &reated by and from 1rahm in
the an&ient time" !."'*$ (herefore, a&ts of sa&rifi&e, &harity, and austerity pres&ribed in the s&riptures are
always &ommen&ed by uttering AO8A by the knowers of the Supreme 1eing Par1rahm$" !."'3$ =arious
types of sa&rifi&e, &harity, and austerity are performed by the seekers of salvation 8oksh$ by uttering
A(-(A or 4e is all$ without seeking a reward" !."'6$ (he word AS-(A is used in the sense of Ceality and
goodness" (he word AS-(A is also used for an auspi&ious a&t, O -rjun" !."',$ Daith in sa&rifi&e, &harity,
and austerity is also &alled AS-(A" Selfless servi&e for the sake of the Supreme is, in truth, termed as
AS-(A" !."'.$ 9hatever is done without faith +++ whether it is sa&rifi&e, &harity, austerity, or any other a&t
+++ is &alled A-S-(A" )t has no value here or hereafter, O -rjun" !."';$
17. LI8ERA'I*N '(R*U-( RENUN+IA'I*N
-rjun said: ) wish to know the nature of Samnyaas and (yaag and the differen&e between the two, O 2ord
Krishn" !;"#!$
Definition of renunciation and sacrifice
(he Supreme 2ord said: (he sages &all Samnyaas Cenun&iation$ the &omplete renun&iation of work for
personal profit" (he wise define (yaag Sa&rifi&e$ as the sa&rifi&e of, and the freedom from, a selfish
atta&hment to the fruits of all work" See also 6"#!, 6"#6, and ,"#!$ !;"#'$ Some philosophers say that all
work is full of faults and should be given up, while others say that a&ts of sa&rifi&e, &harity, and austerity
should not be abandoned" !;"#*$
O -rjun, listen to 8y &on&lusion about sa&rifi&e" Sa&rifi&e is said to be of three types" !;"#3$ -&ts of
servi&e, &harity, and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed be&ause servi&e, &harity,
and austerity are the purifiers of the wise" !;"#6$ <ven these obligatory works should be performed
without atta&hment to the fruits" (his is 8y definite supreme advi&e, O -rjun" !;"#,$
'hree ty!es of sacrifice
>iving up oneGs duty is not proper" (he abandonment of obligatory work is due to delusion and is de&lared
to be in the mode of ignoran&e" !;"#.$ One who abandons duty merely be&ause it is diffi&ult or be&ause of
fear of bodily affli&tion, does not get the benefits of sa&rifi&e by performing su&h a sa&rifi&e in the mode of
passion" !;"#;$ Obligatory work performed as duty, renoun&ing selfish atta&hment to the fruit, is alone to
be regarded as sa&rifi&e in the mode of goodness, O -rjun" !;"#/$ One who neither hates a disagreeable
work, nor is atta&hed to an agreeable work, is &onsidered a renun&iant (yaagi$, imbued with the mode of
goodness, intelligent, and free from all doubts about the Supreme 1eing" !;"!#$ 4uman beings &annot
&ompletely abstain from work" (herefore, one who &ompletely renoun&es selfish atta&hment to the fruits of
all work is &onsidered a renun&iant" !;"!!$ (he threefold fruit of works +++ desirable, undesirable, and
mi@ed +++ a&&rues after death to the one who is not a (yaagi Cenun&iant$, but never to a (yaagi" !;"!'$
6i%e causes of an action
2earn from 8e, O -rjun, the five &auses, as des&ribed in the Saamkhya do&trine, for the a&&omplishment of
all a&tions" (hey are: (he physi&al body, the seat of Karm5 the modes >unas$ of material ?ature, the doer5
the eleven organs of per&eption and a&tion, the instruments5 various Praanas bioimpulses, life for&es$5 and
the fifth is presiding deities of the eleven organs$" !;"!*+!3$ (hese are the five &auses of whatever a&tion,
whether right or wrong, one performs by thought, word and deed" !;"!6$ (herefore, the ignorant, who
&onsider one%s body or the soul as the sole agent, do not understand due to imperfe&t knowledge" !;"!,$
One who is free from the notion of doership and whose intelle&t is not polluted by the desire to reap the
fruit +++ even after slaying all these people +++ neither slays nor is bound by the a&t of killing" !;"!.$ (he
subje&t, the obje&t, and the knowledge of the obje&t are the threefold driving for&e or impetus$ to an a&tion"
(he eleven organs of per&eption and a&tion$, the a&t, and the agent or the modes >unas$ of material
?ature are the three &omponents of a&tion" !;"!;$
'hree ty!es of ,no$ed"e
Bnaan Self+knowledge$, Karm -&tion$, and Kartaa -gent$ are said to be of three types, a&&ording to the
>una theory of Saamkhya do&trine" 4ear duly about these also" !;"!/$ (he knowledge by whi&h one sees
a single immutable Ceality in all beings as undivided in the divided, su&h knowledge is in the mode of
goodness" See also !!"!*, and !*"!,$ !;"'#$ (he knowledge by whi&h one sees different realities of
various types among all beings as separate from one another5 su&h knowledge is in the mode of passion"
!;"'!$ (he irrational, baseless, and worthless knowledge by whi&h one &lings to one single effe&t su&h as
the body$ as if it is everything, su&h knowledge is de&lared to be in the mode of darkness of ignoran&e
!;"''$
'hree ty!es of action
Obligatory duty performed without likes and dislikes and without selfish motives and atta&hment to enjoy
the fruit, is said to be in the mode of goodness" !;"'*$ -&tion performed with ego, with selfish motives,
and with too mu&h effort, is in the mode of passion" !;"'3$ -&tion that is undertaken be&ause of delusion,
disregarding &onse0uen&es, loss, injury to others, as well as one%s own ability, is said to be in the mode of
ignoran&e" !;"'6$
'hree ty!es of a"ent
(he agent who is free from atta&hment, is non+egotisti&, endowed with resolve and enthusiasm, and
unperturbed in su&&ess or failure is &alled good" !;"',$ (he agent who is impassioned, who desires the
fruits of work, who is greedy, violent, impure, and gets affe&ted by joy and sorrow5 is &alled passionate"
!;"'.$ (he agent who is undis&iplined, vulgar, stubborn, wi&ked, mali&ious, laHy, depressed, and
pro&rastinating is &alled ignorant" !;"';$
'hree ty!es of inte$$ect
?ow hear 8e e@plain fully and separately, O -rjun, the threefold division of intelle&t and resolve, based on
modes of material ?ature" !;"'/$ O -rjun, that intelle&t is in the mode of goodness whi&h understands the
path of work and the path of renun&iation, right and wrong a&tion, fear and fearlessness, bondage and
liberation" !;"*#$ (hat intelle&t is in the mode of passion whi&h &annot distinguish between righteousness
Dharm$ and unrighteousness -dharm$, and right and wrong a&tion, O -rjun" !;"*!$ (hat intelle&t is in
the mode of ignoran&e whi&h, when &overed by ignoran&e, a&&epts unrighteousness -dharm$ as
righteousness Dharm$ and thinks everything to be that whi&h it is not, O -rjun" !;"*'$
'hree ty!es of reso$%e/ and the four "oa$s of human $ife
(hat resolve is in the mode of goodness by whi&h one manipulates the fun&tions of the mind, Praan
bioimpulses, life for&es$ and senses for >od+realiHation only, O -rjun" !;"**$ (hat resolve is in the mode
of passion by whi&h one, &raving for the fruits of work, &lings to Dharm Duty$, -rth 9ealth$, and Kaam
Pleasure$ with great atta&hment" !;"*3$ (hat resolve is in the mode of ignoran&e by whi&h a dull person
does not give up sleep, fear, grief, despair, and &arelessness, O -rjun" !;"*6$
'hree ty!es of !$easure
-nd now hear from 8e, O -rjun, about the threefold pleasure" (he pleasure that one enjoys from spiritual
pra&ti&e results in &essation of all sorrows" !;"*,$ (he pleasure that appears as poison in the beginning, but
is like ne&tar in the end, &omes by the gra&e of Self+knowledge and is in the mode of goodness" !;"*.$
Sensual pleasures that appear as ne&tars in the beginning, but be&ome poison in the end, are in the mode of
passion" See also 6"''$ !;"*;$ Pleasure that &onfuses a person in the beginning and in the end as a result
of sleep, laHiness, and &arelessness, is in the mode of ignoran&e" !;"*/$ (here is no being, either on the
earth or among the &elestial &ontrollers Devas$ in the heaven, who &an remain free from these three modes
>unas$ of material ?ature Prakriti$" !;"3#$
Di%ision of $a#or is #ased on one9s a#i$ity
(he division of labor into the four &ategories +++ 1raahman, Kshatriya, =aishya, and Shudr +++ is also based
on the 0ualities inherent in people%s nature or the natural propensities, and not ne&essarily as one%s birth
right$, O -rjun" See also 3"!*$ !;"3!$ )ntelle&tuals who have serenity, self+&ontrol, austerity, purity,
patien&e, honesty, trans&endental knowledge, trans&endental e@perien&e, and belief in >od are labeled as
1raahmans" !;"3'$ (hose having the 0ualities of heroism, vigor, firmness, de@terity, steadfastness in
battle, &harity, and administrative skills are &alled Kshatriyas or prote&tors" !;"3*$ (hose who are good at
&ultivation, &attle rearing, business, trade, and industry are known as =aishyas" (hose who are very good in
servi&e and labor type work are &lassed as Shudras" !;"33$
Attainment of sa$%ation throu"h duty/ disci!$ine/ and de%otion
One &an attain the highest perfe&tion by devotion to one%s natural work" 2isten to 8e how one attains
perfe&tion while engaged in one%s natural work" !;"36$ One attains perfe&tion by worshipping the Supreme
1eing +++ from whom all beings originate, and by whom all this universe is pervaded +++ through
performan&e of one%s natural duty for 4im" See also /"'., !'"!#$ !;"3,$ One%s inferior natural work is
better than superior unnatural work even though well performed" One who does the work ordained by one%s
inherent nature without selfish motives$ in&urs no sin or Karmi& rea&tion$" See also *"*6$ !;"3.$ One%s
natural work, even though defe&tive, should not be abandoned, be&ause all undertakings are enveloped by
defe&ts as fire is &overed by smoke, O -rjun" !;"3;$ (he person whose mind is always free from selfish
atta&hment, who has subdued the mind and senses, and who is free from desires, attains the supreme
perfe&tion of freedom from the bondage of Karm by renoun&ing selfish atta&hment to the fruits of work"
!;"3/$
2earn from 8e briefly, O -rjun, how one who has attained su&h perfe&tion or the freedom from the
bondage of Karm$ attains the Supreme Person, the goal of trans&endental knowledge" !;"6#$ <ndowed
with purified intelle&t, subduing the mind with firm resolve, turning away from sound and other obje&ts of
the senses, giving up likes and dislikes5 living in solitude5 eating lightly5 &ontrolling the mind, spee&h, and
organs of a&tion5 ever absorbed in yog of meditation5 taking refuge in deta&hment5 and relin0uishing
egotism, violen&e, pride, lust, anger, and proprietorship +++ one be&omes pea&eful, free from the notion of
A)I and JmyA, and fit for attaining oneness with the Supreme 1eing Par1rahm$" !;"6!+6*$ -bsorbed in
the Supreme 1eing Par1rahm$, the serene one neither grieves nor desires" 1e&oming impartial to all
beings, one obtains 8y Paraa+1hakti, the highest devotional love" !;"63$ 1y devotion one truly
understands what and who ) am in essen&e" 4aving known 8e in essen&e, one immediately merges with
8e" See also 6"!/$ !;"66$
- KarmaEogi devotee attains 8oksh, the eternal immutable abode, by 8y gra&e +++ even while doing all
duties +++ just by taking refuge in 8e by surrendering all a&tion to 8e with loving devotion$" !;"6,$
Sin&erely offer all a&tions to 8e, set 8e as your supreme goal, and &ompletely depend on 8e" -lways fi@
your mind on 8e and resort to KarmaEog" !;"6.$ 9hen your mind be&omes fi@ed on 8e, you shall
over&ome all diffi&ulties by 8y gra&e" 1ut, if you do not listen to 8e due to ego, you shall perish" !;"6;$
:armic #onda"e and the free i$$
)f due to ego you think: ) shall not fight, your resolve is vain" 1e&ause, your own nature will &ompel you to
fight$" !;"6/$ O -rjun, you are &ontrolled by your own nature+born Karmi& impressions Samskaar$"
(herefore, you shall do +++ even against your will +++ what you do not wish to do out of delusion" !;",#$
(he Supreme 2ord, abiding as the &ontroller )shvar$ in the &ausal heart or the inner psy&he$ of all beings,
O -rjun, &auses them to a&t or work out their Karm$ like a puppet of Karm$ mounted on a ma&hine"
!;",!$ Seek refuge in the Supreme 2ord Krishn or )shvar$ alone with loving devotion, O -rjun" 1y 4is
gra&e you shall attain supreme pea&e and the <ternal -bode ParamDhaam$" !;",'$ (hus, ) have e@plained
the knowledge that is more se&ret than the se&ret" -fter fully refle&ting on this, do as you wish" !;",*$
)ath of surrender is the u$timate !ath to -od
4ear on&e again 8y most se&ret, supreme word" Eou are very dear to 8e5 therefore, ) shall tell this for
your benefit" !;",3$ Di@ your mind on 8e, be devoted to 8e, offer servi&e to 8e, bow down to 8e, and
you shall &ertainly rea&h 8e" ) promise you be&ause you are 8y very dear friend" !;",6$ Setting aside all
meritorious deeds Dharm$, just surrender &ompletely to 8y will with firm faith and loving
&ontemplation$" ) shall liberate you from all sins or the bonds of Karm$" Do not grieve" !;",,$ (he
meaning of abandoning all duties and taking refuge in the 2ord is that one should perform duty without
selfish atta&hment as an offering to the 2ord, and totally depend only on the 4im for help and guidan&e"
(he 2ord takes full responsibility for a person who totally depends on 4im with a spirit of genuine self+
surrender$
'he hi"hest ser%ice to -od/ and the #est charity
(his knowledge should never be spoken by you to one who is devoid of austerity, who is without devotion,
who does not desire to listen, or who speaks ill of 8e" !;",.$ (he one who shall propagate or help the
propagation of$ this supreme se&ret philosophy of the >ita$ amongst 8y devotees, shall be performing the
highest devotional servi&e to 8e and shall &ertainly attain the Supreme -bode and$ &ome to 8e" !;",;$
?o other person shall do a more pleasing servi&e to 8e, and no one on the earth shall be more dear to 8e"
!;",/$
'he "race of the -ita
(hose who shall study our sa&red dialogue shall be performing a holy a&t of sa&rifi&e BnaanEajn,
knowledge+sa&rifi&e$" (his is 8y promise" !;".#$ 9hoever hears or reads this sa&red dialogue in the form
of the >ita with faith and without &avil be&omes free from sin, and attains heaven +++ the higher worlds of
those whose a&tions are pure and virtuous" !;".!$ O -rjun, did you listen to this with single+minded
attention? 4as your delusion born of ignoran&e been &ompletely destroyed? !;".'$ -rjun said: 1y Eour
gra&e my delusion is destroyed5 ) have gained Self+knowledge5 my &onfusion with regard to body and
-tma$ is dispelled5 and ) shall obey Eour &ommand" !;".*$ Sanjay said: (hus, ) heard this wonderful
dialogue between 2ord Krishn and 8ahaatma -rjun, &ausing my hair to stand on end" !;".3$ 1y the gra&e
of guru$ sage =yaas, ) heard this most se&ret and supreme yog dire&tly from Krishn, the 2ord of yog,
4imself speaking to -rjun$ before my very eyes of &lairvoyan&e granted by sage =yaas$" !;".6$ O King,
by repeated remembran&e of this marvelous and sa&red dialogue between 2ord Krishn and -rjun, ) am
thrilled at every moment, and !;".,$ re&olle&ting again and again, O King, that marvelous form of Krishn )
am greatly amaHed, and ) rejoi&e over and over again" !;"..$
8oth transcendenta$ ,no$ed"e and action are needed for a #a$anced $i%in"
9herever there will be both Krishn, the 2ord of yog or Dharm in the form of the s&riptures Shaastr$$, and
-rjun with the weapons Shastr$ of duty and prote&tion, there will be everlasting prosperity, vi&tory,
happiness, and morality" (his is my &onvi&tion" !;".;$
4-C)4 -:8 (-(S-(, 4-C)4 -:8 (-(S-(,
4-C)4 -:8 (-(S-(
(his book is offered to 2ord Shri Krishn" 8ay
4e bless us all with >oodness, Prosperity, and Pea&e"
E)IL*-UE
'he 6aree$$ Messa"e of Lord :rishn
2ord Krishn, on the eve of 4is departure from the arena of this world, after finishing the diffi&ult task of
establishing righteousness Dharm$, gave 4is last parting dis&ourse to 4is &ousin brother :ddhav, who was
also 4is dearest devotee and follower" -t the end of a long sermon &omprising more than one thousand
verses, :ddhav said: O 2ord, ) think the pursuit of yog as Eou narrated to -rjun and now to me, is very
diffi&ult, indeed, for most people5 be&ause, it entails &ontrol of the unruly senses" Please tell me a short,
simple, and easy way to >od+realiHation" 2ord Krishn, upon :ddhava%s re0uest, gave the essentials of Self+
realiHation for the modern age as follows:
!$ Do your duty to the best of your abilities for 8e, without any selfish motive, and remember 8e at all
times +++ before starting a work, at the &ompletion of a task, and while ina&tive" '$ Pra&ti&e looking upon
all &reatures as 8yself in thought, word, and deed5 and mentally bow down to them" *$ -waken your
dormant Kundalini power and per&eive +++ through the a&tivities of mind, senses, breathing, and emotions
+++ that the power of >od is within you at all times and is &onstantly doing all the work using you as a mere
instrument" Eogiraj 8umtaH -li says: (he one who fully knows oneself as a mere instrument and a
playground of mother ?ature Prakriti, mind$, knows the (ruth" Fessation of all desires by realiHing the
true essen&e of the world and the human mind is Self+realiHation" Paramahams 4ariharananda >iri says:
>od is in everything as well as above everything" So if you want to realiHe 4im, you must seek and see
4im in every atom, in every matter, in every bodily fun&tion, and in every human being with an attitude of
surrender"
(he essen&e of >od+realiHation is also summariHed in the four verses of the 1haagavat 8ahaa+Puraan
18P '"#/"*'+*6$ as follows:
(he Supreme 2ord Krishn said: O 1rahmaa, the one who wants to know 8e, the Supreme Personality of
>odhead, 2ord Shri Krishn, should only understand that ) e@isted before &reation, ) e@ist in &reation, as
well as after dissolution" -ny other e@isten&e is nothing but 8y illusory energy 8aya$" ) e@ist within the
&reation and at the same time outside the &reation" ) am the all+pervading Supreme 2ord who e@ists
everywhere, in everything, and at all times"
MEDI'A'I*N 1 ;6or the 8e"inners<
- simple te&hni0ue of meditation is des&ribed here: !$ 9ash your fa&e, eyes, hands, and feet, and sit in a
&lean, 0uiet, dark pla&e using, any &omfortable posture, with head, ne&k, and spine straight and verti&al" ?o
musi& or in&ense during meditation is re&ommended" (he time and pla&e of meditation should be fi@ed"
Dollow Eam and ?iyam, the good prin&iples of living, by thoughts, words, and deeds" Some yogi&
e@er&ises are ne&essary" 8idnight, morning, and evening are the best times to meditate for !6 to '6 minutes
every day" '$ Cemember any name or form of the personal god )sht Dev$ you believe in, and ask 4is or
4er blessings" *$ Flose your eyes, take 6 to !# very slow and deep breaths" 3$ Di@ your gaHe, mind, and
feelings inside the &hest &enter, the seat of the &ausal heart, and breathe slowly" 8entally &hant ACaaA as
you breathe in and A8aaA as you breathe out" (hink as if breath itself is making these sounds JCaaI and
J8aaI" 8entally visualiHe and follow the route of breath going in through the nostrils, up towards the mid+
brows, and down to the &hest &enter or the lungs" Do not try to &ontrol or lead your breathing5 just follow
your natural breathing" 6$ Dire&t the will towards the thought of merging yourself into the infinite spa&e of
the air you are breathing" )f mind wanders away from following the breaths, start from step *$" 1e regular,
persist without pro&rastination" Other advan&ed level meditation te&hni0ues may be found at:
www"gita+so&iety"&om