The Bhagavad-gita’s Chatur-Shloki (10.08-11) begins by stating that Krishna is the ultimate reality, loved by the enlightened (10.08). The next verse (10.09) states the characteristics [...]
The first verse of the Chatur-Shloki characterizes those devoted to Krishna as buddha (enlightened) and bhava-samanvitah (infused with emotion). These two describers point to a [...]
The first verse (10.08) of the Chatur-Shloki Gita (10.08-11) gives the definition and identification of God. In its first quarter, it states that God is [...]
Suppose someone is told about a powerful medicine. If they think they are not sick, they won’t care much about that medicine. They need to [...]
Most conventional religious paths present rigid boundaries to differentiate between the pure and the impure, which eventually translates into the qualified and the unqualified. Even [...]
The Bhagavad-gita starts with a vividly specific setting: an inquiry by the blind king Dhritarashtra about the events on the battlefield of Kurukshetra (01.01). He [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
A well-written book cycles back to the starting point in its ending point. Let’s see how such cyclicity is demonstrated in the Bhagavad-gita, which is [...]
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 [...]
The Bhagavad-gita (02.07) is spoken by Krishna to answer Arjuna’s question, “What is dharma, the right thing to do?” To help us understand how we [...]
Knowledge in almost every area can be pursued nearly infinitely. The more we come to know something, the more we may discover how much more [...]
Suppose someone wants to mine gold. They need to know quite a few things about gold: for example, what gold looks like, why it is [...]
We usually consider knowledge to be the cure for ignorance: where knowledge increases, ignorance decreases. In fact, a celebrated Upanishadic quote implies these opposing attributes [...]
Suppose we see a majestic palace and notice a low door to enter into it. Intrigued, we bend ourselves, enter and behold impressive artistry and [...]
Because we are tiny beings living in a huge and complex world, what we know will always be dwarfed by what we don’t know. Whenever [...]
Devotees sometimes believe that their devotion raises them above the jurisdiction of ethical accountability. Technically, the belief that one’s religion provides one moral exemption is [...]
We now live in an age where education has become very structured and systematized, wherein educational success is measured through certificates and accolades. While certification [...]
Suppose schools started teaching kids, “The world is such a terrible place that you can’t even survive unless you learn to lie.” When parents express [...]
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. [...]
