Why does Krishna take sides when he is equal to everyone?
Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita’s ninth chapter he is equal to everyone (09.29). Then why is he taking one side on the Kurukshetra battlefield: Arjuna’s, [...]
Gita 07.14 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya So now naturally the question will [...]
If everything happens by Krishna’s will was Duryodhana too doing Krishna’s will?
In the Bhagavad-gita’s tenth chapter, Krishna declares that material nature works under his supervision (09.10). Some may find this declaration similar to a common saying, [...]
Gita 07.23 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Bg 7.23 antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ [...]
What Krishna’s warning about the power of the illusory energy means for Arjuna
In the Bhagavad-gita’s seventh chapter, Krishna warns that the illusory energy is formidable (07.14). Later, he specifies her three principal agents: lust, anger and greed [...]
Gita 08.28 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Bg 8.28 vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva [...]
Was Arjuna less intelligent in worshiping the devatas?
In the Bhagavad-gita’s seventh chapter, Krishna’s statement (07.23) is sometimes read to imply that the worshipers of the devatas (cosmic administrators) are less intelligent (alpa-medhasam). [...]
How Arjuna understands what Krishna means when using the word ‘yoga’
Words are often multivalent — they have many meanings, sometimes widely differing meanings. When confronted with such multivalent words during a conversation, how do we [...]
How Krishna’s spontaneous progression from chapter eight to nine reflects the glory of bhakti-yoga
Krishna ends the Bhagavad-gita’s eighth chapter with a bold declaration about the potency of bhakti-yoga: it provides everything that all other paths provide — and [...]
How Arjuna’s words reveal the Gita’s sadhana and sadhya
One traditional way to know the import of a complex text is the path-purpose hermeneutic or the sadhana-sadhya approach. Sadhana refers broadly to the means [...]
Why does Krishna follow his call for ‘surrender’ with ‘go’ not ‘come’?
Some Gita interpreters highlight the word ‘vraja’ in the Bhagavad-gita’s concluding verse (18.66), emphasizing that its literal meaning is ‘go’, not ‘come.’ That Krishna wants [...]
Gita 10.15 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 10.15 svayam evātmanātmānaṁ vettha [...]
Do Krishna’s third-person references in the Gita point to some higher Divinity other than Krishna?
Some Gita interpreters claim that Krishna is just a medium for transmitting the wisdom coming from some higher, impersonal divinity. To support this, they point [...]
How can we know Arjuna’s understanding of Krishna’s position?
To know Arjuna’s understanding, we need to look at his words in the Gita. Arjuna’s words fall in four categories: Questions, which he asks throughout [...]
Gita 02.11 explained
2.11-2.30: counters first argument – compassion – by Gyana And now Krishna begins that is the next verse. BG 2.11 sri-bhagavan uvaca asocyan anvasocas [...]
How Arjuna is much more than a student in the Gita
Suppose a celebrated professor discussed a controversial subject during a class — and that discussion is available for posterity through a transcript. If different people [...]
Gita 07.01 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya So let us look at BG [...]
What Krishna’s first and last instructive words reveal
In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna’s first instructive verse is 02.11. Though he speaks some verses earlier, those verses are either simply indicative (01.25) or friendly exhortative [...]
Gita 06.02 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya 1-9: From Arurukshato (beginning stage) [...]
Krishna’s change of emphasis from detachment to attachment
The Bhagavad-gita’s seventh chapter begins with a strikingly different emphasis from its previous six chapters. While those chapters focused on detachment as the foundation for [...]
How Krishna emphasizes the essence of renunciation for Arjuna
At the start of the Bhagavad-gita’s sixth chapter, Krishna continues revealing how opposites can be harmonized. Just as sankhya and yoga both are meant for [...]