Bhagavad-gita means “the song [gita] of God [Bhagavan]”.

Readers
around the world revere the Bhagavad-gita as the most important
book in Vedic literature, the vast body of Sanskrit texts that includes
and builds upon the Vedas. The Bhagavad-gita is itself just a small
chapter of the Mahabharata, a book so extensive that the Guinness
Book of Records calls it the longest in the world. However, in its short
seven hundred verses, the Bhagavad-gita distills the wisdom of all the
Vedas.

To understand the context of Bhagavad-gita, consider these earlier

incidents from the Mahabharata. Dhritarashtra and Pandu were
brothers, heir princes to the throne. Dhritarashtra was born blind, and
therefore the kingdom went to young Pandu. Pandu begat five sons
(known as Pandavas), including the incomparable warrior Arjuna.
Dhritarashtra had a hundred sons, led by the ambitious and wicked
Duryodhana. Pandu died, and Dhritarashtra accepted the throne as
protector of the young Pandavas. But Dhritarastra's affection for his
sons clouded his judgment, leading him to agree with Duryodhana's
sinister attempts to kill or defeat the Pandavas. These attempts failed,
but ultimately led to a great war involving virtually every major
kingdom on Earth. The battle between cousins ​took place on the plain
of Kurukshetra,

Chapter 1: Arjuna Gives Up

Bhagavad-gita opens the story with Dhritarastra asking his secretary,
Sanjaya, about the battle. Through a special boon of the sage
Vyasadeva, Sanjaya could see every detail of the battle. His vision
included Arjuna's hour-long conversation with Lord Krishna, his
charioteer, just before the outbreak of war.

How did Lord Krishna, Himself a mighty king, assume the menial duties
of a charioteer? Before the battle, when both sides sought alliances,
Krishna offered to send His vast armies to fight for one side while
serving personally, not as a warrior, on the other side.
Duryodhana was delighted to have Krishna's armies, and Arjuna was
equally delighted to have his dear friend Krishna with him in his
chariot.

Sanjaya begins his narration from the battlefield scene, revealing

Duryodhana's characteristic diplomacy and pride. After nominally
praising his opponents, Duryodhana loudly proclaims the superiority
of his forces, the Kurus. The highly respected Bhishma, the great-uncle
of both the Kurus and the Pandavas, leads Duryodhana's army. But
when the two sides began to bang the drums loudly and the conch
shells sounded loudly, it is Duryodhana's side that feels intimidated.

Arjuna is full of confidence, with the emblem of the heroic monkey

warrior Hanuman on the banner of his chariot. Arjuna asks Lord
Krishna to lead him between the two armies so that he can study his
opponents. When Arjuna fully realizes that the battle will result in the
deaths of many dear relatives, he suddenly loses the will to fight. In
shock, he presents Lord Krishna with many good reasons why he
decided to withdraw from the battle.
Chapter 2: Reincarnation, Duty and Yoga

“There never was a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all
these kings; and in the future none of us will cease to exist.”
(Bhagavad-gita 2.12)

“What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the
self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is
night for the introspective sage.” (Bhagavad-gita 2.69)

Krishna is quick to reject Arjuna's decision to refrain from fighting.

Arjuna admits that he is confused and asks for directions. In the
remaining verses of this chapter, some of the best known in
Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna gives three reasons for Arjuna to change
his mind:

The eternal soul, distinct from the temporary body, reincarnates for
several lifetimes. (verses 11 to 30).

As a warrior, Arjuna has a duty to fight. (verses 31 to 38).

Arjuna's reasons for not fighting, while having some basis in the Vedic
scriptures, miss the highest purpose of the Vedas, specifically, to
transcend material circumstances through yoga. (verses 39 to 53).
After Arjuna asks for clarification in verse 2.54, Lord Krishna
concludes the chapter with a more illuminating explanation of yoga
and transcendence.

The concept of yoga, introduced in this chapter, reappears

throughout the rest of Bhagavad-gita. Yoga is much more than the
hatha-yoga exercises familiar in the West. Yoga, whose root word is
yuj, means "connecting" with God.
We are also introduced in this chapter (verse 2.45) to the three modes
of nature. These divisions or qualities of matter – goodness, passion
and ignorance – constitute one of Lord Krishna's most intense
teachings. As a painter mixes blue, red and yellow to create an
infinite spectrum of colors, nature combines goodness, passion and
ignorance to influence and create distinctive qualities in everyone
and everything. Later chapters will describe the effects of modes on
aspects of life, including food, work, education, and worship. Through
yoga, the influences of the modes are eliminated.

In chapters one and two we find references to “heaven,” which refers

not to the spiritual realm of God but to superior material planets
occupied by powerful devas, or demigods. As the devas enjoy long
life and vast pleasures, the Vedas offer interested people various
ways to reach their heavenly worlds. Here in chapter two, for the first
time in many times in Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna repudiates
polytheistic cults and calls them inferior and worldly.

Chapter 3: Karma-Yoga: The Yoga of Action

“One should perform work as a sacrifice to Vishnu; otherwise

work produces bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son
of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and
in this way you will always remain free from bondage.”
(Bhagavad-gita 3.9)

“Confused, the spiritual soul which is under the influence of the

false ego, thinks itself to be the author of the activities which
are actually performed by the three modes of material nature.”
(Bhagavad-gita 3.27)
Karma refers to moral action and reaction. According to the law of
karma, whatever actions you perform bring reactions. Good karma
manifests itself as, for example, wealth, power, and prestige, while
bad karma can manifest as debt, illness, and vulnerability. Since the
soul is eternal, as explained in chapter two, it carries karmic
reactions from one lifetime to the next. Karma involves the soul in
material activities and ignorance of its true identity.

Arjuna starts this chapter by asking how he could fight for his selfish
purposes but bind himself to God and free himself from karma. Lord
Krishna instructs Arjuna to fight but without attachment. If Arjuna
simply sits down and renounces the fight, he will still be subject to his
karma. But if he does his duty, not for his own sake, but for pleasing
God, he is doing karma-yoga.

The work in karma-yoga is free from any sinful reaction, even if that
work means fighting the next war. To further explain karma-yoga,
Lord Krishna points out that God created man and devas. Man relates
to the devas through duty and sacrifice. Though free from any duty, to
set a good example, Lord Krishna Himself performs prescribed duties.
To encourage Arjuna to fulfill his duty, Krishna cites the example of
ancient King Janaka, a symbol of duty and sacrifice.

Neglect of duty, warns Lord Krishna, leads to chaos. Those who

understand the soul and karma often work to educate others. Krishna
guides the enlightened ones to teach whenever possible, but without
bothering with those who have no interest. At the same time, Krishna
emphasizes that everyone's duty is one. Regardless of what the duty
is, one must do it without attachment.

At the end of the chapter, Arjuna asks what drives one to sinful and
karma-generating actions, even against one's own will. In response,
Lord Krishna elaborates the principles of yoga involving control of the
senses, introduced in chapter two.
In this chapter, as elsewhere in Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna refers to
God in the third person. This in no way compromises Lord Krishna's
many conclusive statements about His own divinity. For example, if
the Prime Minister discusses the Prime Minister's powers, he is talking
about himself, but indirectly. Similarly, Lord Krishna talks about
general theology to Arjuna. When Arjuna is ready for full
enlightenment, he will know that the Supreme is Lord Krishna, as we
will see in the next chapters.

Chapter 4: Finding a Guru

“Try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Ask

him questions submissively and do him service. Self-realized
souls can impart knowledge to you because they are seers of
truth.” (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)

Having influenced Arjuna to master lust – the enemy of learning, Lord

Krishna now reveals how to acquire spiritual knowledge: one has to
receive it through the disciplic succession, a chain of gurus and
disciples. Lord Krishna inaugurated the disciplic succession at the
beginning of the universe. Though time has broken the chain, Lord
Krishna promises to refresh the instructions without changing them.

Here, for the first time in Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna clearly

distinguishes Himself from ordinary souls by saying that He remembers
His past births, while Arjuna has forgotten them. And unlike ordinary
souls, karma does not impose birth and death on Lord Krishna; He
appears by His own motive.

Lord Krishna then says that materialists despise him and worship
demigods.
He says that he repays everyone according to their surrenders, and
that to accommodate all kinds of people, he creates four social
divisions. Our qualities and actions reveal which division each of us
belongs to. Lord Krishna says that knowing these truths about Him will
lead Arjuna to knowledge, as did the saints of old.

Lord Krishna then differentiates between actions for sense

gratification, which produce karma, and transcendental actions,
which do not produce karma. Transcendentalists act to please God,
not for sense gratification, and the Lord accepts such offers of work.
The transcendentalist thus enjoys a fully spiritualized life on earth and
then returns to the realm of God.

In verses 25 to 33, Lord Krishna describes the ways in which various

yogis approach the Absolute Truth. In verse 34 he advises Arjuna to
find a guru whom he knows a lot and who understands the ways and
who himself has fully understood them. Concluding the chapter, Lord
Krishna describes the beauty and power of transcendental
knowledge and urges Arjuna to fight and destroy his ignorance.
Chapter 5: Acting in Consciousness of Lord Krishna

“Whoever is fully aware of Me, knowing Me as the ultimate

beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme
Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and
well-wisher of all living entities, relieves himself of pains
and miseries materials.”
(Bhagavad-gita 5.29)

Krishna's statements again confused Arjuna. At the end of chapter 4,

Lord Krishna advocates knowledge and renunciation, then again asks
Arjuna to fight. Arjuna asks for clear direction: should he renounce
everything or should he fight in the name of God?

Krishna replies that both methods are acceptable, but acting for Him
is better. He explains karma-yoga in more detail. By contrasting the
selfish work of a materialist and the work of a devotee, Lord Krishna
demonstrates that if one sacrifices work for God, it leads to control of
the senses and liberation from karma.

Action in Lord Krishna consciousness leads to enlightenment and

happiness within the "city of nine gates" of the physical body, with its
nine openings. Set in this realization, the master of the city sees the
ways of nature at work within himself and others around him.
An enlightened soul sees everyone else equally, regardless of their
position. Such a person avoids all kinds of problems by subduing the
senses and therefore enjoys greater happiness from within. This
realization, the perfection of mysticism, leads to compassion for
others still controlled by their senses.

In summary, Lord Krishna declares Himself to be the supreme owner,

the supreme beneficiary of all work and the supreme friend of every
living being. He promises peace to those who know Him in this way.
Chapter 6: Meditation and Mystic Yoga

“And of all yogīs, the one who has great faith and always
takes refuge in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders
Me transcendental loving service – he is the most
intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.
This is my opinion." (Bhagavad-gita 6.47)

Throughout Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna presents various options to

help Arjuna deal with his confusion. In this chapter, Lord Krishna
elaborates on the processes of meditation and mystical yoga that He
briefly introduced at the end of Chapter 5. The successful yogi enjoys
a deeply balanced mind, completely detached from any external
situation. To achieve this goal, the mystic yogi must live in the forest,
be celibate, keep sleep and food consumption to a minimum, and
meditate constantly. In such meditation, the yogi brings the distracted
mind back to the task at hand.

After hearing this description, Arjuna claims that the mind is very
difficult to control. Even after Lord Krishna reassures him, Arjuna still
doubts his ability to succeed. Krishna then explains that a yogi
already benefits simply by trying. Lord Krishna concludes His
consideration of this difficult system of yoga by declaring that one
who faithfully worships Him is indeed the best of all yogis.
Chapter 7: Absolute Knowledge

"O conqueror of riches, there is no truth superior to Me.

Everything rests on Me, like pearls on a string.”
(Bhagavad-gita 7.7)

Having identified the best yogi as one who serves and thinks of Him,
Lord Krishna now explains how to achieve this constant
remembrance. During this explanation, Lord Krishna contrasts matter
and spirit, wickedness and piety, folly and wisdom. Matter, the lower
energy of Lord Krishna, consists of eight basic elements: earth, water,
air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. Ether refers to space.
The false ego describes more than pride; it is the erroneous
identification of the spiritual soul with the material body. Matter
influences the conditioned soul like the three modes of nature
(goodness, passion and ignorance). The spirit, the superior energy of
Lord Krishna, consists of the living entities, who struggle hard with the
elements and modes of material nature.

Having presented Himself as the origin of matter and spirit, Lord

Krishna metaphorically describes how one can see Him in matter. He
then explains how one can directly perceive Him through willing and
loving submission.

Next, Lord Krishna describes four types of pious people who surrender
to Him and four types of wicked people who do not. Among those
who surrender, He expresses special appreciation for those who do
so by discernment. Intelligent people, strengthened by pious actions
in the past, take shelter of Lord Krishna and transcend birth and
death. On the other hand, says Krishna, fools worship devas for
material gain – a popular custom among those who claim to be
followers of the Vedas. Fools also think that Lord Krishna came from
Brahman, an impersonal and formless energy. Such people never
know Lord Krsna, because for them He remains hidden.
Chapter 8: Reaching the Ultimate

“Whatever state of existence one remembers when

leaving the body, O son of Kunti, that same state he will
attain without fail.”
(Bhagavad-gita 8.6)

This chapter begins with several questions and answers covering most
of the basics of Bhagavad-gita.

1. WHAT IS BRAHMAN?

Lord Krishna defines Brahman as the immortal soul. In the philosophy

of Vaishnavism, or devotion to Lord Krishna, the individual soul is pure
spirit, of the same quality as Krishna. In quantity, however, the
individual is far inferior to Krishna. A drop of ocean water can possess
the qualities of water present in the entire ocean, but a drop cannot
support a boat. Likewise, individual souls are equal and different from
Lord Krishna, the Parabrahman, or Supreme Brahman.

2. WHAT IS THE MATERIAL WORLD?

Lord Krishna defines the material creation as the ever-changing

physical nature. On the other hand, the spiritual nature, or Brahman,
never changes.

3. WHAT IS THE SELF?

Lord Krishna refers to the self, or the "self", as the eternal nature of
the soul. By nature, the soul serves: either it serves the physical
creation and remains confused, or it serves the spiritual creation and
goes there. The individuality that acts with this free will is the self.
4. WHAT IS KARMA?

Karma is the interaction of the unchanging soul with the ever-

changing physical creation. The soul creates this interaction by
choosing to serve matter, and this results in multiple physical bodies
that encapsulate the spirit soul.

5) WHO ARE THE DEVAS?

Devas, highly elevated living beings, help in managing the physical

creation. Under the direction of Lord Krishna, they manipulate the
weather, the planets and everything else, including the mechanics of
karma. They are components of the immense universal form of Lord
Krishna, as He reveals to Ajuna in chapter eleven.

Lord Krishna describes the life of Brahma, a chief deva and the first
created being in the universe. At the dawn of Brahma's great day,
various individual souls enter material bodies according to their
karma. During the night, souls return to an unmanifest condition.
Eventually even Brahma dies. Lord Krishna then declares that His
abode is above the painful cycles of birth and death, creation and
devastation.

6. WHO IS THE LORD OF SACRIFICE?

The Lord or beneficiary of the sacrifice is Lord Krishna, who dwells in

the heart of every incarnated being as the Supersoul.

7. HOW CAN A DEVOTEE KNOW LORD KRISHNA AT THE TIME OF

DEATH?

Among all Arjuna's questions, Krishna speaks the most about this, the
destiny of the soul. The state of mind one has at death, says Krishna,
determines what kind of body one attains in the next life.
Krishna then tells Arjuna how to think of Him and thus go to Him after
death. Krishna goes on to discuss the mechanical methods of yoga,
which help to improve the destiny of the soul. Krishna assures Arjuna,
however, that a devotee who thinks of Him need not concern himself
with mechanical considerations. In conclusion, Lord Krishna declares
that simply by being a bhakta, or devotee, one gets the results of all
good deeds.

Chapter 9: Personality of God

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I'm equal to

everyone. However, everyone who serves Me with devotion
is a friend, and he is in Me, and I am also his friend.”
(Bhagavad-gita 9.29)

As Bhagavad-gita progresses, Lord Krishna reveals His mind more

intimately to Arjuna. In this chapter, after a formal description of His
relationship with the material creation, Lord Krishna reveals His loving
relationship with His devotees. Further, explaining His divinity, Krishna
states that He creates and pervades all but remains a distinct and
detached individual. As limited souls remain occupied by material
energy, they cannot understand Krsna even if they see Him. As a
result, their plans fail. On the other hand, by knowing Krishna,
liberated souls become enlightened.

Lord Krishna then lists various ways of seeing Him, as he did in

chapter seven. He brings up the theme of misdirected worship again.
Pursuing extreme material happiness, some Vedic followers worship
devas. Although, after much effort, these worshipers can achieve
heavenly happiness, they soon return to ordinary birth and death.

Lord Krishna closes the chapter with details of how a tiny individual
soul enters into a love exchange with Him. Being a person, Lord
Krishna enjoys a simple and affectionate offering of water, fruits or
flowers. He declares Himself impartial towards everyone, but admits
to having a reciprocal friendship with His devotee, relieving all the
devotee's karma in death.

Chapter 10: How to See and Serve God

“I am the source of all material and spiritual worlds.

Everything emanates from Me. Sages who know this
perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me
wholeheartedly.”
(Bhagavad-gita 10.8)

Lord Krishna advised Arjuna to become His devotee. Now Krishna tells
him how to do this. Great commentators consider verses 8 to 11 of this
chapter to be the essence of Bhagavad-gita. In these four very
helpful verses, Lord Krishna describes how His devotees think of Him
and enjoy a relationship with Him.

Arjuna then asks how he should think of Lord Krishna, and Krishna
devotes the remainder of the chapter to answering this question. He
says it can be seen at the best and most powerful in all creation.
Among the stars, He is the Moon; among fish, the shark. After listing
many such comparisons, Lord Krishna reminds Arjuna that whatever
one can perceive with material senses only reflects the lower material
part of his creation.
Chapter 11: The Terrible Form of God

“My dear Arjuna, only through undivided devotional

service is it possible to understand Me as I am, here before
you, directly visible. Only in this way can you enter into the
mysteries of understanding Me.”
(Bhagavad-gita 11.54)

Happy to hear of the presence of Lord Krishna in various forms, Arjuna

now asks Krishna to show His aspect known as the universal form,
which comprises the entire material creation. Since the material
universe comes from Lord Krishna, it is one of his forms.

Krishna endows Arjuna with divine eyes to see this previously unseen
display. A dazzling sight suddenly overwhelms Arjuna. The bright and
powerful radiance frightens him as it threatens to burn all creation.
Arjuna is terrified when the mouth of the universal form, the
omnipotent passion of death, consumes the warriors gathered there
and everyone else.

Arjuna shouts, "Who are You?" Lord Krishna's response (verse 11.32) is
the famous verse from the Bhagavad-gita, quoted by scientist Robert
Oppenheimer as he watched the explosion of the first atomic bomb in
the deserts of New Mexico: "I am time, the great destroyer of worlds"

Having seen the deadly and limitless power of Lord Krishna, Arjuna
understands intimate friend in a new light. He begs to see again the
friendly and familiar form of Lord Krishna.

When Krishna reappears in His original form, He assures Arjuna that

He can always be known in this most pleasant way.
Chapter 12: Perfection Through the Love of God

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix

their minds on My personal form and always engage in
worshiping Me with strong and transcendental faith are
considered by Me to be the most perfect.”
(Bhagavad-gita 12.2)

The universal form of Lord Krishna filled Arjuna with awe and
reverence, but Krishna prefers the love of His devotees. Therefore, in
this chapter, the smallest of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna details the
theme begun at the end of chapter eleven: bhakti-yoga, or personal
devotional service to Him. Lord Krishna makes this argument right
after showing His universal form, so that neither Arjuna nor anyone
else will confuse who He really is with His fearsome universal form.

The chapter begins with Arjuna inquiring about the comparative value
of bhakti-yoga and the realization of Brahman, the impersonal
characteristic of Lord Krishna. Krishna calls the path of Brahman valid
but difficult, while personally promising to deliver the faithful bhakta.

Lord Krishna then evaluates various practices of spiritual life. He

declares that thinking of Him spontaneously, out of love, is best. For
those who don't have that love, then comes the practice of bhakti-
yoga under rules.

For those who refuse bhakti, working for Lord Krishna is the next
suggestion, followed by working for some charitable cause. Krishna
concludes the chapter by describing the many desirable qualities of
His loving devotee.
Chapter 13: Body, Soul and Oversoul

“O son of Bharata, just as the Sun alone illuminates this

entire Universe, in the same way, the living entity, alone
within the body, illuminates the entire body through
consciousness.”
(Bhagavad-gita 13.34)

This chapter, which begins the final third of Bhagavad-gita, is

devoted to jnana-yoga, or knowledge of God leading to devotional
service to Him. Arjuna inquires about the body, soul, Supersoul and the
meaning and object of knowledge. Lord Krishna quotes to Arjuna the
Vedanta-sutra, an essential Vedic text, for a complete explanation of
soul and matter. He then provides His own summary.

He explains that both the soul and the Supersoul occupy the body, a
vehicle made of brutish matter. The soul knows only its body, whereas
the Supersoul is in all hearts and knows everyone's pains and
pleasures. While pursuing its illusory hope of enjoyment in matter, the
soul encounters infinite varieties of bodies and suffers and enjoys
through them all. The Supersoul accompanies the soul on this painful
journey.
Chapter 14: Beyond the Three Modes

“O son of Kunti, it should be understood that it is with birth

in this material nature that all living entities, in all species
of life, become possible, and that I am the parent who
gives the seed.”
(Bhagavad-gita 14.4)

Lord Krishna just explained that matter entangles the soul and causes
it to suffer. Now He details. Matter exercises control over souls
through three qualities, or modes: goodness, passion, and ignorance.
In previous chapters, Lord Krishna often referred to these three
modes. In this chapter he explains them in detail. More discussion of
modes follows in chapters seventeen and eighteen.

Lord Krishna begins by identifying Himself as the father of all living

beings. He then defines the three modes, their relationship to the soul,
and general characteristics. He then describes the results of actions
in each of the modes, both immediate and in terms of future lives. He
then advises Arjuna to learn to transcend the modes of nature.

Arjuna asks how one can transcend modes and how to know a person
who has. Lord Krishna answers both these questions and concludes
the chapter by declaring himself to be the basis of all spiritual
existence beyond the modes.

Chapter 15: The Ultimate Personal Yoga

“This supreme abode of Mine is not illuminated by the sun

or the moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who attain it
never return to this material world.”
(Bhagavad-gita 15.6)
Lord Krishna begins this chapter with an allegory, comparing the
material world to a banyan tree. In India and other tropical climates,
banyan trees sometimes become huge. They drop roots from their
branches, and the roots form new trunks with new branches and roots.
Banyan trees can take up a lot of space, and finding the beginning
can be very difficult.

The allegorical tree has roots going up and branches going down.
This tree only exists in a reflection, like in a lake, and that's the point
of the allegory.

One can take a reflected apple from a reflected tree and end up
with nothing but a wet arm. Likewise, the material world reflects the
spiritual world, the abode of Lord Krishna, capturing it in form and
color but not in substance.

The soul's natural love for God becomes misdirected and is caught up
in the temporary leaves and branches of this reflected material tree.
Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to sever his relationship with that tree.
After making such a cut, says Lord Krishna, one attains his abode.
Unlike the dark material universe, light prevails there, without the
help of the Sun or electricity.

As stated earlier, detachment from matter and attachment to Lord

Krishna are the very same thing. So, for Arjuna's benefit, Krishna again
describes Himself. In verse 15 Lord Krishna specifically describes His
intimate relationship with each soul as well as His presence in the
scriptures.

Concluding the chapter, Lord Krishna explains that Knowing is the

yoga of the Supreme Person.
Chapter 16: The Divine and the Demonic

“He who sets aside the precepts of the scriptures and acts
according to his own whims does not reach perfection,
happiness, nor the supreme destiny.”
(Bhagavad-gita 16.23)

At the beginning of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna separated the soul

from the body. He then introduced the modes of nature and their
various effects on embodied souls. At Arjuna's request, he explained
how to transcend the modes of nature.

Now He describes the actions of a person under the lower modes, in

the lower branches of the fig tree of chapter fifteen, in
contradistinction to the actions of one who has transcended the three
modes.

After summarizing the divine qualities, belonging to those who have

surpassed even the mode of goodness, Lord Krishna details the
qualities of demons, who act only out of passion and ignorance. Dirt,
pride, atheism, dishonest action and preoccupation with sexual
pleasure characterize these people. Their misguided perspective
leads them to build horrible and destructive weapons.

They only aspire to gratify their senses by any means, and yet they
want to appear charitable and pious. In the end they insult and mock
the true religion. Lord Krishna describes their fate as the hell of lives in
subhuman species. Thus, a sane person gives up lust, anger and
greed, which are the three gates of hell. By following the scriptures,
such a person avoids the fate of demons.
Chapter 17: Faith, Food and Sacrifice

“Austerity of speech consists in uttering truthful, pleasant,

beneficial words that do not disturb others, and also in
regularly reciting Vedic literature.”
(Bhagavad-gita 17.15)

After hearing about the followers and detractors of the scriptures,

Arjuna now wants to know about people who worship God without
reference to the scriptures. These people have faith, but without
scriptural support they may worship men or devas. Arjuna wants to
know your fate.

Lord Krishna replies that faith not guided by scriptures is another

product of the three modes of nature. Manners influence how one
eats, worships, and performs sacrifice, penance, and charity.

After detailing all these activities in different modes, Lord Krishna

explains the transcendental approach. By directing any sacrifice,
penance or charity to the Supreme Lord, one rises above the influence
of the modes of nature.

Thus, learned souls begin any sacrifice by reciting om tat sat,

referring to the Supreme Absolute Truth. Reciting any name of the
Supreme Lord has the same effect.

Lord Krishna concludes that whatever is done without an effort to

please the Supreme is just the clumsy endeavor of a conditioned soul.
It has no value.
Chapter 18: Breaking the Ties with Matter

“Abandon all varieties of religion and simply surrender to

Me. I will free you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."
(Bhagavad-gita 18.66)

This chapter, the longest in Bhagavad-gita, summarizes the teachings

of the entire text. Arjuna has just heard about the effects of the three
modes of nature and the importance of directing work towards God.
Lord Krishna rejected his superficial plan to resign by leaving the
battlefield. Now Arjuna asks how to truly renounce worldly affairs and
dedicate his work to the service of the Lord.

Lord Krishna analyzes renunciation according to goodness, passion

and ignorance, the three modes of nature. Although Krishna applauds
detachment from the fruits of work, He specifies that no one benefits
from renouncing sacrifice, charity and penance.

To show Arjuna why renunciation makes sense, Lord Krishna identifies

five factors, mostly outside Arjuna's control, that determine the
outcome of any action. He proceeds to evaluate action, actor,
knowledge, determination, understanding and happiness, all
according to the three modes of nature. Lord Krishna declares, in
short, that no one in the universe is exempt from the influence of the
modes.

To clarify the influence of the modes in human society, Lord Krishna

describes the system of varnasrama, or enlightened social
organization. Brahmanas (priests) are in the mode of goodness,
kshatriyas (warriors) in passion, vaishyas (farmers and merchants) in
mixed passion and ignorance, and sudras (workers) in ignorance.
 Varnasrama designations are determined by inclination, not birth (as
in India's caste system today). Although people have different
inclinations, seeking renunciation through the service of Lord Krishna,
anyone can become perfect. Krishna explains exactly how this can be
done and the symptoms of those who have done it.

Lord Krishna now begins to conclude Bhagavad-gita by declaring

that His servant will come to Him and be protected in all
circumstances.

He bluntly tells Arjuna that giving up the battle would be the wrong
kind of renunciation and that Arjuna's nature would force him to fight
anyway. Advising complete surrender to his will and promising all
protection, Lord Krishna finally tells Arjuna to choose his course of
action.

Krishna described numerous options to Arjuna. He described the

paths of piety, mystic yoga and jnana (knowledge). Through them all,
He always emphasized the paramount importance of Arjuna's
struggle as an expression of surrender to Him. Although Lord Krishna
also declared and displayed His omnipotent divinity, He concluded
by telling Arjuna that the choices are now his. He blesses the
Bhagavad-gita speakers and listeners and asks Arjuna if their
delusions are gone.

Arjuna emphatically replies, "Yes!" and Sanjaya, the visionary

narrator, concludes the Gita with expressions of personal gratitude
and ecstasy. In his ecstasy, he too must divulge the harsh truth of
battle to his blind master, Dhritarastra.

Created by 49.090.570 Amanda de Moraes Matias Brandão