Understanding Gita concepts

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 [...]

In the last verse of the Bhagavad-gita’s fourth chapter (04.42), Krishna urges Arjuna to fight. That is expected considering that they are on a battlefield [...]

In the Bhagavad-gita (04.35), Krishna describes the fruit of acquiring spiritual knowledge. First, he assures that spiritual knowledge will act as insurance from the kind [...]

In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna is apprehensive that he will be bound by bad karma if he fights in the war. Krishna explains that what causes [...]

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 [...]

In the Bhagavad-gita’s fourth chapter, Krishna responds to Arjuna’s question (04.04) by revealing his divinity directly for the first time (04.05-15). While answering Arjuna’s question, [...]

In the Bhagavad-gita’s fourth chapter, when Krishna states that he gave spiritual knowledge long ago to the solar deity, that statement raises a natural question [...]

The Bhagavad-gita’s third chapter ends by describing how to conquer the inner enemy of lust (03.43). And the fourth chapter begins by describing how spiritual [...]

Toward the end of the Bhagavad-gita’s third chapter, Krishna declares that repression is futile (03.33). Yet in the very next section (03.36-43), he declares that [...]

When Arjuna asks, “What makes us act self-destructively?” (Bhagavad-gita 03.36), Krishna doesn’t just identify the inner self-destructive force: lust (03.37). Sensing Arjuna’s unspoken concern in [...]

“What makes us do things that we know aren’t good for us?” Most of us have probably asked ourselves this question after a binge of [...]

Through the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna exhorts Arjuna to do his difficult duty of fighting aggressors, even if they happen to be his relatives.  To that end, [...]

In the Gita’s third chapter, Arjuna wonders whether renunciation can free him from accountability for not doing his duty. His question points to a concept [...]

Choices that seem small and inconsequential to an uninformed person are seen as sizable and consequential by a well-informed person. For example, if a plane [...]

At the start of the Gita’s second chapter, Arjuna asks a question, which essentially means: “Should he fight or not?” Why does he get this [...]

In the Bhagavad-gita second chapter, we encounter one of its starkest self-contradictions in two successive verses. First, it urges Arjuna to fight by considering the [...]

In the Bhagavad-gita’s second chapter, Krishna outlines the process of working with detachment (karma-yoga). He concludes by describing the state of spiritual perfection, where one [...]

The Bhagavad-gita develops its message gradually and systematically. It starts by stressing our spiritual identity (02.13) and concludes by proclaiming Krishna’s all-pervading, all-embracing divinity, thereby [...]

Krishna’s first instructive words to Arjuna are: don’t lament for that which is not worthy of lamentation (02.10). And his last instructive words are: surrender [...]

At the Bhagavad-gita’s start, Arjuna faces a paralyzing dilemma (02.06). To better sense his agony, consider some parallels.  Suppose something terrible happens to us: say, [...]

The Gita’s second chapter begins with Arjuna in tears (02.01). Till this point, Arjuna has treated Krishna as a friend, not as a guide — [...]