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 [...]
How sorrow points us toward spirituality (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 5)
Loss and the resulting sorrow are unpalatable yet unavoidable experiences during our life-journey. When we lose something desirable, that’s distressing; when something we had desired [...]
Gita 01.45 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now he will express the [...]
No time to think? (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 4)
The Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter describes its setting: a battlefield where two huge armies were assembled, ready to fight. Wars are graphic examples of emergency situations [...]
From the specific to the universal (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 3)
We learn best by an expert combination of the specific and the universal. Specifics catch our attention as when novels paint a vivid picture of [...]
The QUEST acronym (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 1)
The Bhagavad-gita is widely known as a book of profound philosophy. Why does such a book start with an entire chapter whose content is largely [...]
Gita 01.02 explained
Bg 1.2sañjaya uvācadṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṁvyūḍhaṁ duryodhanas tadāācāryam upasaṅgamyarājā vacanam abravītWord for word: sañjayaḥ uvāca — Sañjaya said; dṛṣṭvā — after seeing; tu — but; pāṇḍava-anīkam [...]
How the Bhagavad-gita’s battlefield setting demonstrates its core teaching (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 6)
The Gita’s first chapter describes how both the ungodly Duryodhana and the godly Arjuna were disturbed by observing the battlefield. And their varying responses to [...]
The Gita’s starting and ending usage of Partha (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 5)
In Krishna’s first and last words in the Bhagavad-gita, he addresses Arjuna as Partha. Let’s explore the significance of these usages by analyzing Arjuna’s epithet. [...]
Gita 01.21-22 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan 1 - 26 observing the [...]
The Gita’s triple use of ‘Achyuta’ (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 4)
The Bhagavad-gita uses various names for Krishna and Arjuna not just for literary variety or poetic symmetry, but also and primarily to subtly convey pertinent [...]
From the specific to the universal and back to the specific (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 2)
Well-written books exhibit an expert balance between specifics and universals, whereby the specifics engage and the universals illuminate. Let’s see how this is done in [...]
Gita 01.04 explained
Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 1.4 atra śūrā maheṣv-āsābhīmārjuna-samā yudhiyuyudhāno virāṭaś cadrupadaś ca mahā-rathaḥWord for word: atra — here; [...]
How dejection can inspire a spiritual connection
The Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter is often titled as arjuna-vishada-yoga, which means the spiritual connection (yoga) that was stimulated by Arjuna’s dejection (arjuna-vishada). How can dejection [...]
What defines who we really are?
At the start of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna feels hesitant to engage in the Kurukshetra war because he feels that a kingdom is not worth killing [...]
Three levels of tension in the Bhagavad-gita
The Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter depicts Arjuna subjected to three increasingly intense tensions: emotional, ethical and existential. Emotional tension: Arjuna was torn between jubilation and apprehension. [...]
Three kinds of blindness in the Gita’s first chapter
Dhritarashtra’s blindness — physical: His blindness, being physical, was the most self-evident. It prevented him from ascending the throne and left him with an unfulfillable [...]
Why the I can’t count solely on the eye
Suppose a person steering a ship sees something small and shiny ahead. They overlook it as unimportant, not knowing that it is the tip of [...]
How perception is an ethical act
We usually think of perception as a merely mechanical act; when some object comes within our visual range, we see it. However, at every moment, [...]
Gita 01.23 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan So Arjuna continued his request [...]
How to act wisely?
When we face perplexing situations, how can we act wisely? By the proper interaction between our intentions and our perceptions. Let’s understand. When intentions should [...]