Krishna blends the metaphorical and literal wars - In the last verse of the Bhagavad-gita’s fourth chapter (04.42), Krishna urges Arjuna to fight. That is [...]
Krishna’s first assertion of his relationship with us - In the Bhagavad-gita (04.35), Krishna describes the fruit of acquiring spiritual knowledge. First, he assures that [...]
Krishna’s inclusive explanation of sacrifice - In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna is apprehensive that he will be bound by bad karma if he fights in the [...]
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 [...]
Krishna’s first direct self-revelation - In the Bhagavad-gita’s fourth chapter, Krishna responds to Arjuna’s question (04.04) by revealing his divinity directly for the first time [...]
04.04 Arjuna’s fifth question - In the Bhagavad-gita’s fourth chapter, when Krishna states that he gave spiritual knowledge long ago to the solar deity, that [...]
The link between the psychological and the cosmological - The Bhagavad-gita’s third chapter ends by describing how to conquer the inner enemy of lust (03.43). [...]
The difference between repression and regulation - Toward the end of the Bhagavad-gita’s third chapter, Krishna declares that repression is futile (03.33). Yet in the [...]
Krishna’s two-pronged strategy to combat lust - When Arjuna asks, “What makes us act self-destructively?” (Bhagavad-gita 03.36), Krishna doesn’t just identify the inner self-destructive force: [...]
Arjuna’s fourth question - “What makes us do things that we know aren’t good for us?” Most of us have probably asked ourselves this question [...]
Krishna overturns Arjuna’s argument - Through the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna exhorts Arjuna to do his difficult duty of fighting aggressors, even if they happen to be [...]
Krishna’s second indirect self-revelation - In the Gita’s third chapter, Arjuna wonders whether renunciation can free him from accountability for not doing his duty. His [...]
Krishna’s first instance of educating by contrasting - Choices that seem small and inconsequential to an uninformed person are seen as sizable and consequential by [...]
03.01 Arjuna’s third question - At the start of the Gita’s second chapter, Arjuna asks a question, which essentially means: “Should he fight or not?” [...]
Krishna’s stark self-contradiction - In the Bhagavad-gita second chapter, we encounter one of its starkest self-contradictions in two successive verses. First, it urges Arjuna to [...]
Arjuna’s second question - In the Bhagavad-gita’s second chapter, Krishna outlines the process of working with detachment (karma-yoga). He concludes by describing the state of [...]
Krishna’s first indirect self-revelation - The Bhagavad-gita develops its message gradually and systematically. It starts by stressing our spiritual identity (02.13) and concludes by proclaiming [...]
Krishna’s first words reveal the Gita’s purpose - Krishna’s first instructive words to Arjuna are: don’t lament for that which is not worthy of lamentation [...]
Arjuna’s heart-wrenching dilemma - At the Bhagavad-gita’s start, Arjuna faces a paralyzing dilemma (02.06). To better sense his agony, consider some parallels. Suppose something terrible [...]
Krishna’s verbal slaps to Arjuna - The Gita’s second chapter begins with Arjuna in tears (02.01). Till this point, Arjuna has treated Krishna as a [...]
Krishna’s puzzling smile - The Bhagavad-gita’s second chapter begins with Arjuna’s plight: he is emotionally afflicted (02.01) and ethically conflicted (02.06). Finally, he surrenders to [...]
