Gita 02.11 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
2.11-2.30: counters first argument – compassion – by Gyana And now Krishna begins that is the next verse. BG 2.11 sri-bhagavan uvaca asocyan anvasocas [...]
Why Arjuna’s refusal to fight was like a mental knock-out blow for his army
War is not just a physical conflict between two armies; it is also a mental conflict between the fighting spirit of the two armies. And [...]
Did Arjuna exhibit fight-or-flight response at the start of the Bhagavad-gita?
When we encounter something unfamiliar, we often try to make sense of it by placing it in some familiar conceptual framework. Using such an approach, [...]
Gita chapter 2 summary – part 1
Though Arjuna has resolved to not fight, his situation still leaves him anguished (02.01). Wanting to relieve his agony, Krishna urges Arjuna to give up [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
How Arjuna is much more than a student in the Gita
Suppose a celebrated professor discussed a controversial subject during a class — and that discussion is available for posterity through a transcript. If different people [...]
How Krishna emphasizes the essence of renunciation for Arjuna
At the start of the Bhagavad-gita’s sixth chapter, Krishna continues revealing how opposites can be harmonized. Just as sankhya and yoga both are [...]
How Krishna helps Arjuna arrive at a desired conclusion
Krishna’s purpose in speaking the Bhagavad-gita is, at one level, to ensure that Arjuna plays his part in the divine mission to establish dharma in [...]
What Arjuna’s fears of social breakdown reveal about him
In the Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter, Arjuna fears that the impending fratricidal war will precipitate dystopia in society (01.39-40). If the assembled leaders of various dynasties [...]
What Arjuna knew about the soul — and what he didn’t
In the Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter, Arjuna expresses apprehension about going to hell (01.43). His mention of an afterlife indicates that he knows about the soul. [...]
What Arjuna saw changed how he saw
In the Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter, when Arjuna wanted to see those on the opposite side, he referred to them as “allies of the evil-minded [...]
Why did Arjuna feel overwhelmed at Kurukshetra but not at Virata?
The Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter depicts how Arjuna was overwhelmed on seeing his relatives assembled on the battlefield of Kurukshetra (01.27). Why was Arjuna so [...]
Why is the book called Bhagavad-gita when it contains words other than those of Bhagavan?
Among the Gita’s 700 verses, Krishna speaks 574 verses, Arjuna speaks 84, Sanjaya speaks 41 and Dhritarashtra 1. When the Gita contains words in addition [...]
Gita 06.37 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya 33-37: Dealing with the mind, the [...]
Arjuna’s eighth question: What if one can’t practice yoga till one attains perfection?
In the Bhagavad-gita’s sixth chapter, Krishna addresses Arjuna’s concerns about the mind’s restlessness (06.33-34) by assuring him that practice will bring perfection (06.35-36). Krishna’s answer [...]