Gita 01.39 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 1.39 kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti kula-dharmāḥ [...]
Gita 01.30 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan So now Arjuna is describing [...]
Gita 04.18 explained
Bg 4.18 karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt Synonyms: karmaṇi — in action; akarma — inaction; yaḥ — one who; paśyet — observes; akarmaṇi — in [...]
Gita 03.05 explained
Bg 3.5 na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma sarvaḥ prakṛti-jair guṇaiḥ Word for word: na — nor; hi [...]
Why does Krishna analyze yajna dana and tapa in the three modes?
When analyzing faith in the three modes in the Bhagavad-gita’s seventeenth chapter, Krishna focuses on three particular activities: yajna (sacrifice), dana (charity) and tapa (austerity). [...]
How does knowing Krishna enable Arjuna to know everything
In the Bhagavad-gita’s fifteenth chapter, Krishna declares (15.19) that those who know him truly know everything. What does this statement mean for Arjuna? First, to [...]
How do the Gita’s eyes of knowledge help Arjuna
In the Bhagavad-gita’s fifteenth chapter (15.07), Krishna cautions that our senses can mislead us, subjecting us to stress and distress. This caution echoes events in [...]
How can Arjuna practice undeviating bhakti when the modes are causing his deviation?
On the Kurukshetra battlefield, Arjuna was deviated by the lower modes — under their influence, he was fixating on the agony of fighting against his [...]
How Krishna helps Arjuna make philosophical sense of his inner conflict
Krishna demonstrates how to make philosophy relevant when presenting the concept of the modes in the Bhagavad-gita’s fourteenth chapter. Krishna first outlines the main characteristics [...]
Why is Krishna’s description of devotion so unemotional?
In the Bhagavad-gita’s twelfth chapter, Krishna’s list of qualities of devotees (12.13-20) don’t include any descriptions of devotional ecstasy. Far from it, the list stresses [...]
What Krishna’s promise of deliverance means for Arjuna
In the Bhagavad-gita’s twelfth chapter (12.07), Krishna declares that he personally delivers from the ocean of material existence those who devotedly fix their minds on [...]
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, [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]