The Bhagavad Gita Book Summary, by Eknath Easwaran

The Bhagavad Gita Book Summary, by Eknath Easwaran
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Full Summary of The Bhagavad Gita

Overall Summary
The Bhagavad Gita is part of the sixth book in the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic. In this section, Arjuna is
talking to Krishna, who turns out to be God incarnate. However, Sanjaya (the advisor) tells Dhritarashtra
about it after the war has already taken place and the Pandavas have won.
In the first section of the Bhagavad Gita, Sanjaya describes how Arjuna's chariot enters a battlefield
between two armies. While one army has more men than the other, it seems that they have divine favor
because their conch horns are responded to by divine horns from Arjuna and Krishna's side. After
thinking about what he would be doing if he killed his cousins (which he believed would destroy his
family's standing in society), Arjuna drops his weapon and starts crying.
Krishna tells Arjuna that he is a coward and blind to the truth. He also says that people's souls don't die
with their bodies, but are reincarnated in new ones. If Arjuna fights in battle, he will ascend to heaven; if
not, he will be disgraced. Krishna also tells him that people can learn to relinquish attachments by
practicing yoga or meditation and experiencing the absolute being called Brahman.
In the third book, Krishna tells Arjuna that he must still act because everyone is part of life and it's
impossible to entirely remove yourself from action. However, actions are dictated by our gunas (our
nature) rather than our own will. Only sacrifices to the gods can please them enough so they'll allow us to
live on earth.
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Lord Krisha, who was first introduced in chapter 2, reveals more about himself to Arjuna. He has many
lives and nature: he is eternal or everlasting and also manifests whenever the Dharma or righteousness
needs it most. In addition, he enjoys pleasing devotees by receiving sacrifices from them which can be
interpreted as offering knowledge in the form of teachings devotedly to him.
In the fifth discourse, Arjuna said that renouncing action and practicing yoga seem to be opposites.
Krishna says that both are means to enlightenment because they help people overcome their ignorant
motivations for action. In the sixth discourse, Krishna explains how meditative yogic discipline helps
people understand their unity in Brahman with all other beings, which can lead them to transcend the
cycle of rebirth or reincarnate into a purer body.
In the seventh discourse, Krishna explains that he encompasses everything from the earth to his higher
form. He is beyond all dualities and loves those who understand this. In the eighth discourse, Krishna
suggests that people can transcend rebirth if they fix their minds on him constantly at death. The ninth
discourse expands on his nature—he is all-pervasive, has absolute power over the world, and providence
over those who worship him.
In the tenth and eleventh discourses, Krishna explains his power in greater detail. He shows Arjuna a
more concrete demonstration of it by listing off all the things he is: wisdom among wise men, authority
among rulers, silence among secret keepers, and ancient seed for every living being. However, this barely
scratches the surface of his infinite power; he has many forms that contain everything including infinite
light. In fact no one—not even the gods—has seen these forms before.
After securing Arjuna's loyalty, Krishna talks about how it is easier to worship his incarnations than to
understand him in his true form. He also gives practical advice for people with different dispositions and
offers a way for them to achieve enlightenment. The gunas that make up the body are sattva (purity), rajas
(passion) and tamas (ignorance). By letting go of rajas and tamas, one can rise above the cycle of
reincarnation by becoming disembodied. In the following discourse, he discusses an ashvattha tree whose
roots can be severed by "the strong axe" of non-clinging – or letting go of attachments. This will help one
overcome even the most firmly rooted connections to worldly things and integrate oneself into
indestructible eternal spirit that lies behind apparent reality.
In the 16th discourse, Krishna distinguishes characteristics of divine people who are close to
enlightenment from those of demonic people. He says that divine people are truthful and self-controlled
while demons are greedy and angry. Divine people show discipline, compassion, and courage while
demons elevate desire above God. In the 17th discourse, Arjuna asks Krishna about Vedic rituals like
sacrifices because he wants to know how sattvic (good) people perform such rituals without any material
goals in mind but simply as an act of service to honor the gods. Krishna explains that sattvic (good)
people sacrifice according to Vedic law only for spiritual benefit with no material rewards or expectations
in return. He also describes three forms of food: pure foods eaten by sattvic (good) people; impure foods
eaten by rajasic (passionate/imbalanced) people; and downright poisonous foods eaten by tamasic
(ignorant/unconsciously evil) people.
In the last discourse, Krishna talks about how people should act. He says that people who are attached to
results or outcomes do not really have a clear understanding of what is truly important in life. These
people think they're acting for an outcome when really their actions stem from desire and attachment.
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People who can relinquish this interest in the fruits of action are called tyagis, and in their actions, they
perceive all beings as eternal dimensions of the same unified whole, following their dharma fearlessly and
steadfastly. They fulfill their role perfectly without any expectations or attachments because they
understand that it’s more important to be true to oneself than try to live up to someone else's
expectations.
After this, Krishna implores Arjuna to fight the war but reminds him that he has the final say. Finally,
Krishna requests Arjuna's absolute devotion and charges him with spreading the Gita's message to those
sufficiently disciplined and devoted to properly receive "this highest, hidden truth". Arjuna resolutely
agrees; in the Gita's closing lines, Sanjaya expresses his gratitude and enthusiasm at hearing Krishna's
words. He states that it is a blessing for anyone who hears them. This suggests that Pandavas will win
back Hastinapura.
Discourse 1
Dhritarashtra, the blind king of Hastinapura, asks his minister Sanjaya about the battle between his sons
and their cousins. He wants to know which side won. Sanjaya tells him that Duryodhana met with his
martial arts teacher Drona and asked him how many warriors were on each side. The Kaurava army had
skilled fighters like Bhishma and was ready to die for Duryodhana's sake. However, he also mentioned a
powerful warrior named Bhima who led the Pandava forces in battle.
Sanjaya continues: to Duryodhana's pleasure, Bhishma blows his conch horn and the army follows with
their instruments. Krishna and Arjuna blow their own horns as well. The sounds of all these instruments
are divine and they tear at the hearts of the Kauravas, causing the earth to shake.
Arjuna asks Krishna to drive the chariot between his family and friends. He looks at both sides of the
battlefield, wondering which one he should kill first. Arjuna sees that everyone is devoted to their cause,
so he breaks down in tears as he tells Krishna that everything seems meaningless now because there's no
reason for him to fight against his own family.
Arjuna doesn't want to fight because he will be killing his relatives. He thinks that the war is evil and not
worth fighting in, since it would destroy the family's dharma (religion), corrupt the caste system, and send
their ancestors to hell. Arjuna also believes that there could be peace if they didn't fight; however, this
isn't what he wants either.
Discourse 2
Arjuna is on the battlefield and he's crying. Krishna tells Arjuna that he's behaving disgracefully, like a
coward, and asks him why he feels this way. He says that if they win, it would be just as good for them as
if they lost because he wouldn't want to live after killing his family members. However, there are some
issues with Arjuna's thinking here—he doesn't know what dharma (moral duty) is in this situation or how
to apply it correctly. So Krishna asks him to sit down so they can talk about these things more thoroughly.
Sanjaya explains that, although Arjuna's words seem wise, his mourning is unwise. Dead people will be
reincarnated into new bodies in the future and should not be mourned for long. Pain and pleasure are
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ephemeral; they should be endured. Only those who see pain as equal to pleasure can truly attain
immortality—because such people understand the truth of being and non-being (i.e., death). The world
cannot be destroyed, including bodies that will eventually return as part of an eternal soul or "embodied
self."
As such, Krishna instructs Arjuna to fight because the self cannot be killed. The self is eternal and can
shed bodies like humans shed clothes. Weapons do not have an effect on it because it's formless and
unchanging. If Arjuna accepts this fact, he should not mourn the death of his relatives or others who are
born because everything that has a beginning also has an end. Beings move from a formless state to one
with forms, then back into another formless state after they die. It's amazing anyone discovers this at all
but most don't come to know it because they're too focused on their own lives and interests instead of
thinking about what happens when we die or how living beings originate in the first place. Therefore,
even though people may get hurt during war, Arjuna shouldn't think about them either way since the true
self cannot be harmed anyway.
A warrior's duty is to fight, so Arjuna will harm his duty if he refuses to fight. People will think less of
him and say that he was too afraid to do anything about it. His fellow warriors will think the same way,
which would be worse than death for a warrior. Krishna explains that Arjuna can go either way: heaven or
earth (or both). So, there's really no reason not to fight because one path leads to heaven and the other
leads back home where he'll rule as king. Thus, there's really no harm in doing what needs to be done here
on Earth rather than going straight up into heaven.
Krishna explains his insights in two ways: first, through the concept of samkhya and second, through
yoga. These ways of understanding are different but related concepts that both come from Hinduism.
He'll explain how they relate to each other in order to show Arjuna what must be done to end suffering.
The yoga practiced by those who know about it is a deliberate way to engage with God so as not to waste
time or effort on useless actions that don't fulfill their purpose. One path leads people away from the true
knowledge of life, while the other helps one see reality without distraction or delusion.
Krishna explains that in order to achieve liberation, Arjuna has to set himself free from discursive
thoughts and ideas. He also needs to let go of opposites like success and failure. A person who can
observe the Vedas without an agenda can be called a brahmin (priest or teacher). The only authority one
has is the action they take; therefore you should not act for any personal gain. You should also never
abstain from acting because inaction is just another form of activity. Yoga refers to equanimity, which
means being unaffected by your circumstances.
Krishna says that action is inferior to the yoga of insight. People who are motivated by the fruits of their
actions should be pitied, because they're not able to achieve yoga's ease in action and cease feeling pain.
Once Arjuna understands his confusion and ignores what he has heard before, he can achieve yoga.
Arjuna asks Krishna what a wise person would do if they had unwavering thoughts. Krishna explains that
the sage has renounced desire and is content with the self, free from anxiety and greed, “rage, passion,
and fear” as well as good or evil. They are like a tortoise who withdraws its limbs into its shell. The sage
stops attending to their senses by fasting, which helps them control their taste for things that distract them
from their wisdom.
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Krishna teaches that by dwelling on the senses, one becomes attached to worldly things and desires. As a
result, anger takes over and causes confusion, memory loss, insight loss, self-loss. One who does not give
into the senses learns to control the self and attains peace. The person gains no pleasure without peace
because wisdom is lost when following the senses just like a ship can be stolen away by wind on water
but stands firm when it controls itself from being stolen away by wind.
The sage watches all beings during the night and gains peace, unlike those who desire. The sage loses his
or her self-awareness as a person with desires, reaching peace like an ocean that fills up with water.
Discourse 3
Arjuna is confused about the idea of insight versus action. He wonders how he can pursue both
simultaneously, and which one is better to strive for.
Krishna taught that there are two paths to self-realization: knowledge and action. One cannot surpass one
without the other, and fulfillment is only found by following both paths together. Everyone acts because
their nature compels them to do so. Some people choose to sit in meditation while relinquishing all
sensory experience. This path is misleading because it does not lead to true self-awareness; it causes a
person to think about things he or she isn't experiencing in the present moment. The best way to achieve
enlightenment is through restrained action, which means acting even though you're aware of your senses'
impulses toward non-action (which would be physical inaction). Restrained action leads us closer toward
our highest potential than non-action ever could; otherwise we wouldn't survive at all if we didn't act on
our basic instincts for survival!
Sacrifice is the most pure form of action because it allows people to sustain a relationship with God. In
order for humans to be sustained by God, they must also give back to Him through sacrifice. Sacrifice
brings one closer to "the higher good." The gods bring pleasure, but if you do not return that favor with
sacrifice, you are stealing from them. Those who do so will only eat what's left after offering their
sacrifices and offerings in gratitude. This food comes from rain which is caused by sacrifice, and
therefore sacrificial actions come from Brahman Himself.
One who does not make sacrifices to help others and is attached to sense objects will live a useless life,
harming others. However, if one lives for himself/herself and performs the proper sacrificial actions
without being attached to the fruits of those actions, then he can gain fulfillment and set an example for
other people. If Krishna decided not to act or perform any sacrificial actions on behalf of humankind, then
humans would follow him because they would be afraid that everyone else would stop performing their
duties as well. The world would become chaotic and humanity may even cease to exist.
Krishna says that the wise act because they want to keep everything together, not for their own benefit.
They achieve this by recognizing that the gunas of nature are acting upon themselves and not the Self,
which appears to be "the doer". The wise person stops clinging to action's fruits by realizing that desires
come from one's own nature and should be controlled. Even when following one's dharma (one's duty), it
is better to fail than succeed at someone else’s.
Arjuna asks why people do evil things. Krishna says that passion is to blame for this, since it clouds a
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person's judgment. Like smoke obscures fire or dust hides a mirror, desire clouds our ability to see the
truth about ourselves and our own nature. We must control our passions so we can defeat the enemy of
desire within us. To do this, we must first learn about who we are as individuals by looking at the self;
then we will be able to conquer all other desires in life.
Discourse 4
Krishna tells Arjuna that he taught yoga to the sun-god, who then passed it down to his son Manu. Manu's
son and royal sages were supposed to have learned about it from there. However, Arjuna gets a chance to
learn about yoga because Krishna is his friend and devotee. He explains how he told the sun-god, but says
that he has had many births in the past. He strives for dharma (duty) by helping good people when they
need him most or punishing evil ones as needed. When souls graduate from human life after being
purified through wisdom and discipline, they go back to Krishna because of their devotion toward him
during their lifetime on earth. The castes were created by Krishna himself so that everyone could find
happiness in this world; however, no one can be happy unless they know Krishna first before doing
anything else with their lives.
Yet, people can achieve freedom by acting wisely. The ancients had this in mind when they acted with
insight. Krishna is telling Arjuna that he should act with wisdom, and not be afraid of doing what's right.
By thinking about the consequences of his actions, he will see that inaction is action as well as action is
inaction. He will do no evil and will go beyond duality (good vs bad). When you think about it like this,
then your actions dissolve altogether because you're not attached to their results.
Krishna says that Brahman (the highest being) offers himself to Brahman. The sacrifice is done by the
person who gives up his worldly pleasures and focuses on spiritual matters, like meditation. This kind of
sacrifice can unite a person with Brahman, but it's an action rather than a state of mind.
Since knowledge is the only thing that can bring about action, giving up your material possessions is
better than giving up your knowledge. Questioning and seeking wisdom leads to peace of mind, which
can be used to cure evil people. Without wisdom, you'll never find happiness in any world or situation.
The wise person has no doubt because he has sought out all his answers through the power of wisdom.
Krishna tells Arjuna to stand up and embrace yoga!
Discourse 5
Arjuna notices that Krishna praises both renouncing action and yoga. He wonders which is better, and
asks about the difference between them. Krishna replies that they lead to the highest bliss, but he thinks
that yoga is better because it creates an eternal renouncer. The wise also see that samkhya and yoga are
not separate; rather, they're connected in a way where yoga includes samkhya, or knowledge of self-
realization (that you are part of Brahman), and renunciation can be difficult without yoga (the path).
When you practice yoga, you can conquer your senses and achieve the self of all beings. You know that
"I am not doing anything at all" and "the senses dwell in their objects." This leads to peace as you give up
the fruit of action and the illusion of control over your actions. You don't imagine yourself as an agent or
see a causal link between yourself and action's outcomes. Instead, you continue to evolve without interest
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in good or harm done by others.
Wisdom enables us to overcome ignorance of the self and causes people to not want to be reborn. By
recognizing that an educated Brahmin (priest) and a dog cook are equal, wisdom helps us avoid
reincarnation. Wisdom also allows people to give up worldly pleasures because they can no longer
appreciate them; those who endure worldly pleasures in order to achieve release from them through yoga
achieve cessation/unity with Brahman by overcoming sensory pleasures that have beginnings and
endings.
When you stop all your desires, it leads to peace and happiness. It helps you reach a state of pure bliss
where nothing matters anymore. You become one with the universe and are able to see the bigger picture.
Discourse 6
Krishna tells Arjuna that a person who doesn't care about the results of their work, but does it for the sake
of doing it (i.e., yoga), is practicing yoga. This kind of person will later be able to achieve quietude by
first elevating themselves through self-reflection and then adopting quietude by meditating on opposites
like heat and cold or gold and clay. This is necessary before one can become a friend to oneself, which
leads to being friends with Krishna as well because he loves these kinds of people.
Yoga involves not indulgence or asceticism, but living in the self alone. It destroys pain by allowing
people to abide without desire and see the self within as well as around them. The yogi can redirect their
mind whenever it wanders and achieve a state of peace that leads them to endless joy through Brahman
(the supreme being). This is done by showing that all beings are equal and united in Krishna (God).
Arjuna is confused about finding a stable foundation for yoga. He asks how anyone can do that when the
mind wanders all of the time. Krishna explains that with practice, restraint, and dedication, it's possible to
get control over your thoughts.
Arjuna asks what happens to those who fail to practice yoga, for they must be lost. He implores Krishna
to eradicate all his doubt about yoga because no one else can. Krishna explains that someone who tries
but fails at practicing yoga is simply reincarnated and allowed to continue trying in a situation more
conducive to their success, as in a family of yogis. Yoga practitioners are purified through many lives and
also superior to the disciplined, wise, and devoted among them. Among yogis, Krishna explains that those
who love him are the most closely joined with him.
Discourse 7
Krishna again implores Arjuna to follow the path of yoga and take refuge in him. Doing so will lead
Arjuna to know Krishna completely. Krishna then declares that he will explain this complete knowledge
and the means of accessing it to eradicate any doubts Arjuna may harbor; with this knowledge, there is
nothing left on earth for Arjuna to know. Few mortals seek fulfillment, and among those who succeed,
few come to know Krishna. He has a higher nature as well which holds up the world from which all
beings spring. He also dissolves the world and there is nothing higher than him.
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Krishna explains that he is the taste of water, the sound of "Om", and all other elements. He is also what
people in this world desire to do (dharma). Krishna is not a quality, but those qualities are in him. People
who don't know Krishna's presence get confused by these qualities.
Evil people can't escape their evil ways, because they don't have wisdom. They are stuck on a demonic
path and lack the ability to see things clearly. However, those who seek knowledge or have a goal in life
will eventually come to Krishna for help. Those with a pure heart that loves God will always be loved by
him and receive protection from him as well. Evil people follow other gods, but anyone who wants to
honor Krishna should do so without fail because he gives them his trust if they give it back to him first.
Many people do not realize that Krishna is formless, and since the world can't see him, he is unborn and
imperishable. He knows all beings, including those who exist now, as well as those yet to be. However,
no one knows him because of hatred or desire for dualities in this world. People end up in delusion
without being pure and devoted to Krishna. If they are pure and devote themselves to Krishna instead of
material things like wealth or power, then they will reach freedom from time itself by merging with
Krishna's timeless existence.
Discourse 8
Arjuna asks Krishna a series of questions. He first asks what Brahman, the highest self, and action are.
Then, he asks how Krishna speaks of the highest being and the highest god, what the highest sacrifice is,
and whether the restrained sages know Krishna when they depart to join him. Krishna responds that
Brahman is the imperishable, and one's nature (the atma) is one's true self (higher self). Action (karma)
refers to "sending forth" or creation; finite existence results from action in this world as a body with
senses; God/Brahman has infinite forms which people worship under various names such as Vishnu or
Shiva etc.; The greatest sacrifice is offering oneself to God in service; those who remember Him after
death will merge with his state of being.
When someone dies, he or she goes to the afterlife. The afterlife is determined by what one remembers in
that moment. If one always remembers Krishna and practices yoga, then after death, he will go to "the
divine spirit" (God). When a person follows the path of asceticism, which involves practicing yoga and
meditation on God's formless body while avoiding sexual desire and material possessions, then after
death one can become part of God.
Those who do not stray from their path in life, and find Krishna, will not have to be reborn again. They
can avoid the cycle of death and rebirth. The souls that don't find Krishna are reincarnated into other
bodies after they die. Everything is ultimately formless because it comes from the formless and dissolves
back into it once its purpose has been fulfilled—the coming night and day as described in the Bhagavad
Gita.
The path to enlightenment is not straightforward, but it can be reached. One must walk the path of light
and dark at certain times of day or night. Those who follow the way of light do not return to this world,
while those who choose the way of darkness are reborn in another life. However, a person who has
mastered yoga will achieve nirvana and never have to come back again.
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Discourse 9
Krishna promises to tell Arjuna a secret because he doesn't judge him. This is knowledge and wisdom
together, which can purify the soul. It's necessary for people to follow their dharma in order to advance
spiritually.
Krishna is formless, but he is everywhere. He causes all beings to exist and yet doesn't dwell in them.
This can be compared to the wind that exists in the sky, but doesn't dwell inside it. When a new age
begins, Krishna sends his creations back into the world. Because they are powerless and do not cling on
to him, they evolve according to their own nature. Even though Krishna takes human forms (like Jesus),
many people think of him as demonic because they don't understand his true nature or how he works with
other people's natures (like Jesus).
Great people honor Krishna as the source of everything, who is indestructible and eternal. They praise
him with devotion and yoga. Others sacrifice to him by gaining wisdom about his oneness in all things.
He declares himself the intention, offering, and fire one uses for a sacrifice; he is also the father, mother,
grandfather of everyone; he's an embodiment of truth (Om), Vedas (sacred texts), way home,
birth/death/sustenance/seed that must be passed on from generation to generation.
Krishna tells Arjuna that those who follow the Vedas and do good deeds will be rewarded in heaven.
However, they will eventually return to earth after losing their merit. They must then follow the dharma
(the rules of life). Krishna explains yoga's peace to those who choose him as their god and sacrifice to
other gods is not effective because he is the ultimate goal of all sacrifices. One can choose other gods,
ancestors or ghosts but only choosing Krishna and sacrificing to him in a pure state can lead one closer to
him. All Arjuna should do, take, offer or give should be for Krishna's sake.
Krishna is not partial to anyone or anything. As long as you respect him, he will be with you and help you
reach your goals. Even the worst person can become good if they respect Krishna. Everyone should try to
find Krishna because when they do, no one can stop them from reaching their full potential and achieving
peace. Brahmins (priests) are more devoted than other people but Arjuna's devotion is still better because
it will lead him directly to his goal of finding God (Krishna).
Discourse 10
Krishna tells Arjuna that he loves him and wants the best for him. Krishna is timeless, so no one knows
his origin. However, if people can recognize Krishna's power as being without beginning, they will gain
freedom from harm. Everything in existence came from Krishna—even wisdom and dualities like pleasure
and pain. Understanding this allows humans to join with him through yoga of insight which destroys
ignorance.
Arjuna acknowledges that Krishna is the highest being and an eternal, divine spirit. He also notes that the
sages who wrote the Vedas (including Vyasa) acknowledged him, too. Arjuna affirms that he believes all
Krishna says but no one knows Krishna's forms except for himself. However, Arjuna asks to know these
forms in order to reflect on them because only then can he learn about Krishna as a whole.
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Krishna promises to tell Arjuna about his forms, but not all of them. He is the self and everything else in
creation. The Sama Veda (the most important one) is him, as well as Indra; he's also the mind and thought
among beings. He's greater than any other god or being—he's fire, the purifier; he's a mountain at the
center of the universe; he’s Skanda, god of war for warriors; and he’s ocean water for everyone else.
He’s greatest among sages (and priests), trees (like ashvattha ), sounds (Om), utterances, animals, forces
of nature like wind or lightning...
Krishna continues to elaborate on his forms by describing himself as the first, last and middle of
creations. He is also the highest form of insight and discourse itself among those who speak. Krishna is
also death that takes everyone and the beginning of everything to come. He is risk among cheaters,
brilliance among brilliant people and truth itself among its possessors. Krishna is authority for rulers,
wise conduct for those desiring victory, silence for secrets and wisdom for the wise ones. Krishna is “the
ancient seed of all beings” because nothing would exist without him.
Krishna explains that his powers are limitless. However, he has demonstrated a small fraction of them for
Arjuna's benefit. Even though Krishna is capable of sustaining the entire world with only a fragment of
himself, what does it matter to Arjuna?
Discourse 11
Arjuna has said that Krishna told him about the highest self and the end of beings. He has also explained
his own greatness to Arjuna. However, he still wants to see Krishna in his most powerful form.
Krishna tells Arjuna that he will show him a thousand forms of himself. These include various deities,
colors, and shapes that no one has ever seen before. He also says that Arjuna can see the entire world with
his divine eye.
Sanjaya informs Dhritarashtra that Krishna showed Arjuna his highest form, which contained numerous
eyes, mouths, weapons and garments. He looked everywhere with the brilliance of a thousand suns
suddenly rising together.
Arjuna saw Krishna in everything. He is the creator of all things and the protector of dharma. Arjuna sees
him as an endless being who has existed forever, even before Brahma was created. Yet Arjuna does not
understand how he can see this since Krishna is so difficult to see clearly.
Arjuna saw Krishna and was amazed at his size. He asked for Krishna's compassion, because he realized
that he didn't know the way to go about things.
Arjuna saw the Kauravas, Pandavas and others enter Krishna's mouth. They were crushed between his
teeth like moths flying into a fire. He declared that Krishna's flames devoured the world and his rays
burned the earth even as they brought light to it. Arjuna asked who Krishna was in this form of terrible
destruction and honors him for compassion and knowledge since he cannot understand God.
Krishna says that he has come to destroy the worlds because both the Pandavas and Kauravas are going to
die. He tells Arjuna that it doesn't matter if he is there or not, so Arjuna should fight for his honor and
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kingdom.
Sanjaya says that Arjuna praises Krishna again, declaring him to be the highest and most revered being.
He also declares Krishna to be all-knowing and all-seeing. Arjuna asks for forgiveness because he was
ignorant of how great a god Krishna really is. He wonders if there's anything greater than what he saw
before, asking for mercy from this "Incomparable One."
Krishna mentions that he showed his highest form to Arjuna because of his devotion. He's not even
shown it to the greatest sages, so Arjuna shouldn't be afraid. Krishna shows him again, but then returns to
his usual human appearance and tells Arjuna that he has composed himself and is thinking normally
again. Krishna reminds him that seeing this divine form was very difficult, and even the gods haven't seen
it yet; only those who have devoted themselves will see it. It can only be achieved by acting on Krishna's
behalf without clinging to worldly things or desires
Discourse 12
Arjuna asks who is wiser: those who always practice yoga and devote themselves to the personal form of
Krishna or those who honor his formless, imperishable manifestation. Krishna responds that both groups
are wise, but those in the second group face more hardship because they must surrender all their actions to
him.
Krishna explains that people who think about him all the time will be elevated to a higher state. However,
those who cannot do this should try yoga if they want to reach Krishna. Those who cannot practice yoga
should focus on Krishna's work because it can lead them to their goal of reaching God. And for those who
are unable or unwilling to do either of these things, they should surrender themselves completely and
devote themselves entirely to Krishna's power so that they may learn how to give up the fruits of action.
Once you let go of the fruit of your actions then there is peace; therefore, letting go is better than focusing
or practicing yoga because both are better than wisdom which is better than mechanical action.
A person who doesn't hate, has no sense of self and ownership, and can distinguish between pain and
pleasure is dear to Krishna. One who also practices yoga but devotes themselves to him is also dear to
him. He continues by saying that one must overcome duality (the idea that there's only two things in the
world: good or evil) and trust his absolute power.
Discourse 13
Arjuna asks Krishna about the body and spirit. Krishna says that people can grasp wisdom by knowing
both the material world, as well as their own souls. He promises to explain each of these in turn.
Krishna describes the sacred ground of yoga. It includes awareness, insight, and several other things.
However, it also has an absence of certain qualities: arrogance, deceitfulness, and harm; patience; purity;
restraint; indifference to the senses as well as worldly desires and outcomes; devotion to Krishna in yoga.
All these are true wisdom for one's self.
Those who know the ultimate reality of Brahman, which is beyond this world and has no qualities or
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attributes, are immortal. It is everywhere in everything but it's also immaterial. It bears all things without
clinging to them and partakes of the three gunas despite being devoid of any quality. It is inside us as well
as outside us; it's far away and near at hand too. Most people cannot understand this subtle reality because
they cannot comprehend that there is something beyond light and darkness, which constitutes wisdom
itself as well as its goal.
Krishna says that a devotee who understands the sacred ground, wisdom and wisdom's object can become
one with him. He tells Arjuna that matter and spirit have no beginning, but gunas and transformation
come from matter as do cause and effect. Pleasure and pain are grounded in the spirit which can reside in
matter or cling to the gunas. The highest self is that which observes.
Some people meditate and are able to see the self in themselves. Others use yoga, such as samkhya yoga
or karma yoga, to learn about their inner selves. Some others rely on devotion from other people's
testimonies of the self.
A union between the sacred ground and the knower creates anything that exists. If you can see the highest
lord everywhere, then you won't harm yourself or others; if you realize that your actions are not yours but
a means to an end, then you'll understand how to move beyond death; and if you can recognize
multiplicity in everything, then there's nothing left for which one must strive. The imperishable self is
pure consciousness without any qualities or attributes. It illuminates all things like sunlight on earth—it is
present everywhere yet remains unmarked by what it illumines. When one recognizes this difference
between oneself as a conscious being and whatever else they perceive with their senses, they will be able
to reach freedom from suffering (moksha).
Discourse 14
Krishna tells Arjuna that he will explain the highest wisdom to him again. Brahman is his womb, and
Krishna is the father who plants the seeds of being inside it. The three gunas—sattva, rajas, and
tamas—inhere in matter and bind people to their bodies. Sattva brings light; rajas brings passion; tamas
brings ignorance. Light binds people to joy and wisdom; passion binds them through action; ignorance
binds them by means of laziness or distraction.
Each guna can take over the others. However, when someone has light and wisdom in their body, sattva is
clearly prevailing. Greed, restlessness, and lust emerge when rajas prevails. Darkness, sloth, and
confusion come to the fore when tamas dominates a person. Sattva leads embodied beings to dissolution;
however those dominated by rajas or tamas are reborn “clinging to action” or “in the wombs / of the
deluded” respectively. Sattva leads to stainless action and wisdom while rajas lead pain and greed and
tamas lead ignorance/confusion. Those with sattva rise up from lower levels while those with rajas stay in
middle ground but descend morally worse states than they were before if they have tamas prevail on them
as well as ascend spiritually further if they do not have both sattva & raja prevail at once on them for that
momentary time period because it's more difficult to balance two opposing forces at once than one single
force alone without any other competing force present yet still within reachable limits for balancing out
all three guna qualities simultaneously which would be like having a perfectly balanced scale where every
side weighs exactly equal amounts so there is no tipping point in either direction unless you shift your
weight off-center then tip it back into perfect balance again afterwards after shifting your physical weight
12 / 15
around so you're always standing evenly centered between all three sides of an equal-sided triangle shape
(sagittarius) along with being able to center yourself equally between each edge of an equilateral square
shape (leo) as well as centering yourself equally between each edge of an octagonal shape (virgo).
Arjuna asks how one who has transcended the gunas can be identified. Krishna responds that they would
not hate or desire, exert themselves to achieve something, or become confused by the illusions of life.
They would also see beyond opposites like pleasure and pain, love and hatred, fame and shame. They
must also devote themselves to serving Krishna because He supports Brahman (the ultimate reality),
dharma (eternal righteousness) and "sat-chit-ananda" (unique joy).
Discourse 15
Krishna describes the ashvattha tree, whose roots extend into the air and branches burrow underground.
Its leaves are sacred knowledge from the Vedas. The branches grow through the gunas, creating sensory
objects. From its roots come human action which can be seen here on earth. But only when one cuts off
all desires for worldly pleasures will he/she find that there is an ancient spirit beyond life and death which
is imperishable.
The sun, the moon and fire can't shed light on Krishna's "highest dwelling place." The eternal selves in
the realm of living beings are a fragment of Krishna. These eternal selves draw worldly senses as well as
mind into themselves. When an eternal self enters or departs from a body, the sense organs go with it.
This self rules over all other senses and enjoys their objects. However, only wise people can see this
while many dedicated practitioners of yoga fail to do so despite their efforts.
Krishna notes that the sun's brilliance is in everything, even when it appears to be reflected on something
else. He sustains all beings by creating their breath and memory, wisdom, and reason. Krishna created the
Vedas as well. There are destructible creatures in the world, but there is also an indestructible one above
them; this spirit stands for Krishna himself. The clear-minded recognize him and become wise when they
awaken to his presence within themselves.
Discourse 16
Krishna explains the characteristics of a person who is born to be divine. He says that such people are
truthful, fearless and wise. They have self-control and sacrifice, discipline, study and peacefulness among
other things. On the other hand, those who are born with demonic tendencies are fraudulent, hostile or
angry as well as ignorant. The first group is free while the second one is bound by their negative traits.
However, Arjuna was born to be divine but he has given in to his negative qualities which makes him feel
bound even though he's not really tied down by anything at all because he was naturally divine from birth.
There are divine and demonic beings, but Krishna has not yet explicated the latter. Demonic men do not
comprehend effort or purity, goodness or truth. They refuse god and believe the earth was “caused by
desire” as they seek wealth and power while sacrificing out of ignorance, pride, and confusion rather than
devotion.
Krishna ensures that demons are reincarnated in the bodies of other demons. Greed, anger, and desire are
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the most evil vices. Those who follow their desires will go to hell and be separated from God forever.
Therefore, people should reject their own desires and obey Vedic law.
Discourse 17
Arjuna asks Krishna what happens to those who abandon the Vedic law but still perform sacrifices. He
says that trust goes along with the three gunas, or qualities of nature. Humans become whatever they
believe in, and so they can be harmed by their lack of faith in gods through a sacrifice done for demons
rather than gods. Those who do not follow the Vedic laws harm themselves by being caught up in
"I"-making and fraud, as well as force, rage and desire.
There are three kinds of food: Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Sattvic foods are healthy; they're flavorful
and smooth, whereas rajasic foods lead to disease and pain. They're spicy, saltier or sour than sattvic
foods. Tamasic food is unfit for sacrifice because it's tasteless or spoiled.
Sacrifice follows the Vedic law, and those who give up material possessions do so in order to please God.
Those who sacrifice for a goal other than pleasing God are only interested in what they'll get out of it,
while those who don't follow Vedic law simply discard their food.
Physical disciplines are pure when performed with purity, virtue, chastity and the absence of harm. They
are truthful and beneficial when they involve studying the Vedas. The mental disciplines include clarity,
gentleness, silence, self-control and purity. These three disciplines are sattvic when done in trust; rajasic
if they're done for social status or respect; and tamasic if destructive or delusional.
Gifts are given for different reasons. Some gifts are given out of goodwill, some because the giver wants
something in return and some gifts are given inappropriately or disrespectfully. However, when someone
gives a gift while uttering the sacred syllable Om, they must be thinking about Brahman and acting
without expecting any reward.
Discourse 18
Arjuna asks Krishna about the difference between renunciation and letting go. He explains that
renunciation is giving up actions based on desire, while letting go is giving up all fruits of action. Some
people think that we should not do anything because it's wrong to act, but others believe there are some
good things worth doing even though they involve action.
Krishna believes that there are three types of people. The first type is the one who performs prescribed
actions, but only because they're mandated by tradition and must be completed before moving on to other
things. The second type of person acts out of a desire for results, and thus feels frustrated when the
desired result doesn't appear. And the third type acts without any concern for results, which Krishna sees
as healthy.
There are only five reasons why someone does something: the body, the agent (or person), the means of
action, the motions involved in doing it, and divine will. However, if you believe that you are solely
responsible for your actions then you lack insight and can never achieve liberation from karma.
14 / 15
There are three impulses behind action: wisdom, the knower, and the object to be known. There are also
three factors: an agent, an act, and a means. These all follow the gunas: in sattvic action one sees all
beings as eternal and multiplicities as a whole; in rajasic action one sees separate natures in different
beings; and in tamasic action one clings to action without motives or even considering its consequences.
There are three types of insight and courage. The first type understands what is right to do or not to do,
while the second does not understand these differences, and the third one inverts them. For example,
steadiness in yoga is sattvic; steadiness in wealth is rajasic; and steadiness stemming from an attachment
to pain, fear, or sleep is tamasic. There are also three kinds of joy: Sattvic joy starts like poison but turns
into nectar because it stems from clear insight about oneself. Rajasic joy starts like nectar but transforms
into poison because it stems from confusion, laziness, or sleep.
Everybody has three qualities, or gunas. These are sattva, rajas, and tamas. Sattva is purity, discipline,
wisdom, and restraint; rajas is ferocity, courage, and generosity; tamas is service. You should honor the
eternal creator in all actions to be happy.
You should always do your duty, even if it's not perfect. You may never get it right the first time, but you
will learn from your mistakes and improve upon them. Overcoming desires is very important to achieve
fulfillment and enlightenment. The path to enlightenment involves meditation on a higher state of
consciousness that allows you to transcend suffering and live in a world where there are no worries or
concerns about anything. This leads to devotion for Krishna which helps people realize their true potential
as part of his infinite existence.
Krishna explains that Arjuna's nature is to fight and he must accept his fate. Krishna says that Arjuna has
no choice but to do what his nature dictates. The lord of all beings dwells in the heart, which causes
people to follow their own natures and act accordingly.
Krishna tells Arjuna to take refuge in the wisdom he has learned and then act as he wishes. He promises
that if Arjuna can maintain a focused mind, Krishna will go to him and relieve him of evil.
Krishna tells Arjuna not to tell these truths to people who don't have discipline or devotion, or mock the
gods. If one shares this truth with devotees of Krishna, he will transcend life and death.
Arjuna has listened to Krishna's words with focused thought and overcome his doubts. He agrees to do
what Krishna asks, which is for him to fight the war. Sanjaya tells Dhritarashtra that he was amazed when
he heard this conversation because it was very secret and miraculous. Vyasa granted him the ability to
hear this conversation between Arjuna and Krishna while seeing all of Krishna's forms as well. Therefore,
wherever they go, people will be happy and prosperous because of their influence on them.
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