Chapter 5 summary — part 2
(This article resumes the Gita summary series that had been started a few months ago. You can read the previous article here) To stay untouched [...]
Gita 02.69 explained
BG 2.69 ya nisa sarva-bhutanam tasyam jagarti samyami yasyam jagrati bhutani sa nisa pasyato muneh SYNONYMS ya -- what; nisa -- is night; sarva [...]
Transcendentalists among theists (02.69 analyzed 5 — Devotional level)
While this verse (02.69) primarily points to the difference between spiritualists and materialists, it can also apply to a specific category of spiritualists — devotees [...]
Channeling the need to be different (02.69 Gita analyzed 7 — Human level)
This Bhagavad-gita verse conveys that spiritual seekers need the courage to be different from the world. While being different requires fearlessness, it can also induce [...]
Balancing candor with consideration (02.69 Gita analyzed 6 — Spiritual level)
The Bhagavad-gita is a holistic guidebook for spiritualists, as is seen in how it balances candor with consideration. It (02.69) candidly states that spiritualists and [...]
Dutifulness but with a different consciousness (02.69 analysis 4 — Krishna-Arjuna relationship level)
This verse (02.69) addresses Arjuna’s concern articulated earlier: he couldn’t see the point of fighting (01.30) when it was going to be at the cost [...]
Stand apart — together (Gita 02.69 analyzed 3 — Book level)
The readiness to stand apart from the world, as conveyed in this Bhagavad-gita verse (02.69), is central to the Gita’s practical application. The Gita’s message [...]
Be ready to stand apart from the world (Gita 02.69 analyzed 2 – Chapter level)
The Bhagavad-gita’s second chapter is essentially Krishna’s summary answer to Arjuna’s central question in the Gita (02.07): what is dharma, the right thing to do? [...]
The intriguing day-night metaphor (Gita 02.69 analyzed 1 — Text level)
Literally, the verse states: what is night for all living beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for [...]
Gita 5.21 explained
Bg 5.21 bāhya-sparśeṣv asaktātmā vindaty ātmani yat sukham sa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham akṣayam aśnute Word for word: bāhya-sparśeṣu — in external sense pleasure; asakta-ātmā — one [...]
Seven levels at which Gita verses can be understood
The Bhagavad-gita is a book of profound wisdom. One way to unpack its wisdom is by looking at its verses at multiple levels. Let’s consider [...]
Beyond reductionist notions of spirituality
Given that contemporary life subjects us to spiraling levels of stress, and spiritual practices such as meditation are known to provide non-intrusive stress relief, spirituality [...]
Why the mind is a terrible leader
Suppose we had a colleague with a take-charge attitude who pushed us into going along with their ideas. If they didn’t really know what they [...]
Gita 18.62 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.62 In 18.58 Krishna [...]
Gita 09.26 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 9.26 patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ [...]
What made us the way we are?
We tend to ascribe to God our life’s starting conditions — our complexion, our birth family and our default disposition. Justifying such an ascription, we [...]
Are we asking God the wrong question?
Suppose we find ourselves impeded, even imprisoned, by some conditioning — say, our mind keeps becoming jealous or angry, despite our best efforts to fight [...]
Can any question be a bad question?
The questioning spirit is good; it shows our eagerness to learn. Still, that doesn’t mean all questions are automatically good. Why not? Some questions are [...]
Gita 5.20 explained
But how will one practically do this? So now Sri Krishna will describe a process, so set of verses from here are both descriptive and [...]
Gita 09.30 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now after describing this Sri [...]
How can we situate ourselves in our spiritual identity?
Suppose we are in an ocean characterized by huge waves. How can we protect ourselves from being swept away by those waves? By having an [...]