Gita 5.1 explained
Let's try to understand what is happening till chapter 5 and further: In Arjun’s mind there were two options: action or renunciation, So Sri Krishna [...]
Gita 09.32 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan In varansharam system higher varan [...]
Arjuna’s repeated question (Exploring the Gita chapter 5 series – 1)
In the Bhagavad-gita’s fifth chapter, Arjuna asks essentially the same question that he asked at the start of the third chapter. “Should he work or [...]
Gita 04.24 explained
Bg 4.24 brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ brahma-karma-samādhinā Synonyms: brahma — spiritual in nature; arpaṇam — contribution; brahma — the Supreme; haviḥ — butter; brahma — spiritual; agnau — in the fire [...]
Krishna blends the metaphorical and literal wars (Exploring the Gita chapter 4 series – 7)
Krishna blends the metaphorical and literal wars - In the last verse of the Bhagavad-gita’s fourth chapter (04.42), Krishna urges Arjuna to fight. That is [...]
Krishna’s first assertion of his relationship with us (Exploring the Gita chaper 4 series – 6)
Krishna’s first assertion of his relationship with us - In the Bhagavad-gita (04.35), Krishna describes the fruit of acquiring spiritual knowledge. First, he assures that [...]
Krishna’s inclusive explanation of sacrifice (Exploring the Gita chapter 4 series – 5)
Krishna’s inclusive explanation of sacrifice - In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna is apprehensive that he will be bound by bad karma if he fights in the [...]
Two purposes of Krishna’s descent (Exploring the Gita chapter 4 series – 4)
In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna mentions that he descends for two purposes (04.07-08 & 04.09-10). To better understand these purposes, let’s consider two classificatory frameworks: external-internal [...]
Gita 04.15 explained
Bg 4.15 evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ pūrvaiḥ pūrva-taraṁ kṛtam Synonyms: evam — thus; jñātvā — knowing well; kṛtam — was performed; karma — work; pūrvaiḥ — by [...]
Krishna’s first direct self-revelation (Exploring the Gita chapter 4 series – 3)
Krishna’s first direct self-revelation - In the Bhagavad-gita’s fourth chapter, Krishna responds to Arjuna’s question (04.04) by revealing his divinity directly for the first time [...]
Gita 04.04 explained
Bg 4.4 arjuna uvāca aparaṁ bhavato janma paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ katham etad vijānīyāṁ tvam ādau proktavān iti Word for word: arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; [...]
04.04 Arjuna’s fifth question (Exploring the Gita chapter 4 series – 2)
04.04 Arjuna’s fifth question - In the Bhagavad-gita’s fourth chapter, when Krishna states that he gave spiritual knowledge long ago to the solar deity, that [...]
Gita 04.03 explained
Bg 4.3 sa evāyaṁ mayā te ’dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ bhakto ’si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam Word for word: saḥ — the [...]
The link between the psychological and the cosmological (Exploring the Gita chapter 4 series – 1)
The link between the psychological and the cosmological - The Bhagavad-gita’s third chapter ends by describing how to conquer the inner enemy of lust (03.43). [...]
Gita 03.33 explained
1-9: KY is better than JY 10-16: If you are not qualified even for KY then practice KK 17-24: If you are qualified for JY, [...]
The difference between repression and regulation (Exploring the Gita chapter 3 series – 8)
The difference between repression and regulation - Toward the end of the Bhagavad-gita’s third chapter, Krishna declares that repression is futile (03.33). Yet in the [...]
Gita 03.43 explained
BG 3.43 evam buddheh param buddhva samstabhyatmanam atmana jahi satrum maha-baho kama-rupam durasadam SYNONYMS evam -- thus; buddheh -- to intelligence; param -- superior; buddhva [...]
Krishna’s two-pronged strategy to combat lust (Exploring Gita chapter 3 series – 7)
Krishna’s two-pronged strategy to combat lust - When Arjuna asks, “What makes us act self-destructively?” (Bhagavad-gita 03.36), Krishna doesn’t just identify the inner self-destructive force: [...]
Gita 03.36 explained
Bg 3.36 arjuna uvāca atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ carati pūruṣaḥ anicchann api vārṣṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ Word for word: arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; [...]
Gita 03.24 explained
Bg 3.24 utsīdeyur ime lokā na kuryāṁ karma ced aham saṅkarasya ca kartā syām upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ Word for word: utsīdeyuḥ — would be put [...]
Arjuna’s fourth question (Exploring Gita chapter 3 series – 6)
Arjuna’s fourth question - “What makes us do things that we know aren’t good for us?” Most of us have probably asked ourselves this question [...]