How Bhagavad Gita preaches a beautiful way of living?

Preacher of the way of living!

Bhagavad Gita is a Hindu religious text which tells a beautiful story. It is a story of Lord Krishna preaching Arjuna and showing him the right path. When Arjuna goes for a battle, seeing his kinsmen on the other side, he decides to step down. Krishna, his charioteer and counsel then talks to him.

Krishna preaches the way of living to Arjuna. And, ask him to perform actions he is born to do. Duty, Actions, renunciation, love, worship, wisdom, and knowledge is the core of Bhagwada Geeta lessons.

And, it is why everyone must read it. There is no other text that can talk about the way of living like this. Just take the religious context away from it and then, read it. It is a meditation that enlightens your soul and shows you the right path.

The religious text consists of 18 chapters. And, each chapter enlightens our inner being with its context and meaning. Let’s start!

Chapter 1

Vishada Yoga

In the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Pandavas and Kauravas face each other for a catastrophic war. Arjuna asks Krishna, his charioteer to take the chariot between the two armies. He wants to see his enemies on the other side. Seeing his family and friends in the enemy camp, Arjuna is saddened.

Is it moral to kill our kinsmen?

Distressed by the situation, Arjuna feels reluctant to kill his kinsmen. He feels that by doing this adharma, he will be bowing the seed of evil in his family too. He asks Krishna- should he leave before the violence starts or fight like a warrior?

Chapter 2

Sankhya Yoga

In the dilemma of picking up weapons or not, Arjuna is looking for answers from Krishna. He asks Krishna about nature of life and the afterlife. Krishna counsels Arjuna by preaching him the ideas of birth, eternal soul, divinity, self-knowledge, jnana yoga, and karma yoga. The second chapter of Bhagavad Gita is a summarises text of the entire scripture.

In the text, Krishna sheds light on knowing the self form, knowing the purpose of our existence, and how our self-nature is connected to the universe. Further, he asks him to perform the action without attachment to the outcome. And, this karma yoga can take you closer to the samadhi.

Chapter 3

Karma Yoga

After hearing Krishna’s words, Arjuna asks Krishna why he chose the path of knowledge and pushing Arjuna for war. To this, Krishna says there is no way to avoid karma or action. He says not doing work is also an action.

In the third chapter, Krishna explains action, no-action, and wrong action in the form of three gunas or quality. The saatvik guna is for pure and constructive nature, rajas guna means passion, and tamas guna is dark and destructive in nature.

Krishna says every man and woman his/her own duty. So, he wants Arjuna to do his duty. Running away from duty or dharma can have bad consequences for the world and in personal life. Arjuna is still confused about what his true duty is. To which, Krisha explains Arjuna that his true duty is to fight the battle as a fierce warrior.

You must act according to dharma without getting attached to results.

Chapter 4

Jñāna–Karma-Sanyasa Yoga

Krishna tells Arjuna that he has preached this yoga to many Vedic sages and gods. Arjuna is confused by Krishna's words and asks those gods and sages lived hundreds of years ago and you were born recently. So, how have you taught them?

Krishna tells Arjuna that we are reborn time and again. The difference is that he has knowledge of previous births but you don’t.

When people forget the way of living and the purpose of life, he is born again to establish the dharma.

Krishna tells Arjuna that he has born this time to make him understand the natural complexities. He explains who God is — action and the actor. He says wisdom can come from many forms meditation, self-denial, and study of scriptures. But, true wisdom comes from the outcomes of the right actions.

Chapter 5

Karma–Sanyasa Yoga

Arjuna asks Krishna which path is better for him- renunciation(sannyasa) or action. Krishna replies that both paths are beautiful in their own self. Both the paths end at the same destination but karma yoga is better and more direct.

If a wise sage or a practitioner of karma yoga perform their tasks without attachment to the results, the path of renunciation and the path of action lead to the Self-knowledge. Krishna says wise men are all same at the core but living in the different bodies.

Chapter 6

Dhyana Yoga

Krishna tells Arjuna that karma yoga is also a kind of renunciation as it takes humans away from selfish decisions. The inner self can help our soul to master our senses and limbs.

Krishna talks about meditation to bring calm and peace to the mind. Dhyana yoga frees the Self from any sufferings and sorrows. To which Arjuna asks how can he calm his mind as it is difficult to master.

Self-restraint and discipline can help one to achieve a calm mind. Arjuna asks him about people with faith and no self-discipline. Krishna assures him that the person is not lost as any goodness in one brings more goodness. And, a person with no self-discipline may find peace in the future.

Chapter 7

Jnana–Vijnana Yoga

Krishna tells Arjuna that how one can know him by practicing non-attachment. He is the essence of the universe. He says that people do not believe that he is in all the things of the universe. His essence is everywhere!

Ignorant people do not see his presence but an intelligent person can feel his eternal essence everywhere. Krishna says there are four worshippers- distressed one, a person looking for power, a person looking for wisdom, and a sage. The sage has already achieved a peaceful mind and understands the essence of God. And, the people who understand the essence of god also knows the Self.

Chapter 8

Aksara–Brahma Yoga

Arjuna asks Krishna about what god is and what is the nature of the action. Krishna talks about every creature being adhyatam and the god lives in every single one of them. The chapter talks about the nature of death and birth.

A person who meditates can achieve freedom and is unattached to results and sufferings. In the process of meditating, a person will be released from rebirth when he dies. He will have a union with God. If the person dies in daylight, he will be freed from the rebirth cycle. If he dies in darkness or at the night, he will enter the cycle of birth once more.

Chapter 9

Raja–Vidya–Raja–Guhya Yoga

Arjuna asks Krishna how to attain wisdom and get rid of suffering. Krishna says he is unattached to all the outcomes of the cosmic cycle. Even when people are worshipping other gods, they are actually worshipping him. But, people are unaware of it and don’t appreciate him when he takes birth in human form.

He asks Arjuna to do his all duties, even if it is breathing or eating as offering to God. Krishna explains why every task must be performed with love and an offering to Krishna.

Chapter 10

Vibhuti–Vistara–Yoga

Krishna continues to talk about his supreme power. He says that all other gods are the manifestations of him. Krishna describes himself as the positive and negative of the world. A person who can conceive him as the source of every other being can be freed from the rebirth cycle. He explains that believing in him is the highest form of divinity. Arjuna’s desire to know more of Krishna’s manifestations wake up. He asks Krishna how he can always know him. Krishna then talks about all his manifestations including Himalayas, Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and om.

Chapter 11

Vishvarupa–Darshana Yoga

Arjuna asks Krishna to show him the ultimate form, also known as Vishwaroopa. Krishna shows him his ultimate form to his friend and Arjuna is feared and awed by what he sees. A body of the Gods of gods, many heads, fangs, limbs, and weapons! Arjuna sees Krishna devouring Kauravas.

Who are you in this form?

Krishna says that he is in the form of death and Kauravs will die regardless if he picks the weapons or not. And, he wants Arjuna to become the cause of their death. Arjuna bows down to Krishna asks for apologies if he has hurt him in any way.

He begs Krishna to come back to his human form. Krishna tells him that he has never shown this form to anyone. Even Gods of gods have never seen this form. He asks him to stay calm and focus on what lies ahead.

Chapter 12

Bhakti Yoga

Arjuna asks Krishna whether he must love him or unmanifest God. Krishna replies that both paths will lead to one destination i.e Krishna. Worshipping him will give people focus and says meditating will make the union with him possible. If it is not possible, devoting life to him can also lead to the same destination- Krishna!

Krishna tells Arjuna how he can get perfect in yoga. By single-minded concentration on him, one can live within him and will be loved by him. Detachment, devotion, and meditation all lead to Krishna. The one who shows kindness, love, and is calm is loved the most by him.

Chapter 13

Ksetra–Ksetrajna Vibhaga Yoga

Krishna tells Arjuna that he is the ultimate self of everybody in the universe. He is the knower of everybody. He is the atom that makes up a body and also the Self of the body. A wise person knows his true Self and is aware of the goals. A devotee who understands these concepts is ready for God’s state of being.

According to him, the Self is responsible for bodily activities. Whether positive or negative, a person’s qualities interact with nature. Nature creates chaos and existence in all the activities of the body. Krishna wants Arjuna to know the Self is part of god. A wise person knows that the Self is not in nature or body. It is a separate entity.

Chapter 14

Gunatraya–Vibhaga Yoga

Krishna talks about the knowledge masters have achieved. He explains the purusha and prakriti. He says he is the seed giving father and nature is the womb. Everyone in this world comes from these two. The three gunas, saatvik, rajas, and tamas are based on the qualities of a person.

Saatvik guna is attached to knowledge and joy, rajas guna is attached to passion, and tamas guna is symbolizing laziness. Saatvik guna of all three uplifts a person and enlightens a person. The other two drag people down. Depending on the gunas a person had in his life, his next life cycle will proceed.

Chapter 15

Purushottama Yoga

Krishna describes sorrow as a tree. Its branches are the gunas and roots are the actions. The leaves represent bhajans or hymns. Krishna asks Arjuna to cut the tree down and search for god, which is the essence of the whole universe. People who are self-disciplined see the god within themselves.

Every creature has two existence levels- all beings are transient as bodies and eternal in the Self. While Krishna is the ultimate one which is also written in the scriptures.

Chapter 16

Daivasura–Sampad–Vibhaga Yoga

Krishna describes the characteristics of a wise man, Divine, and the Demonic man. The divine traits enlighten a person and make him a sage. A pure heart, compassion, integrity, and courage are the traits of a divine person. While traits of ignorance, anger, and hypocrisy are in a demonic being.

Krishna tells Arjuna that he has divine traits and the man born with demonic traits can be like a wolf in the pack of sheep. These people lie in hell after their death. And, they are reborn again and again with demonic traits and in the end, stay in hell forever.

Chapter 17

Shraddhatraya-Vibhaga Yoga

Arjuna asks Krishna which guna is in the person who keeps faith in worship but rejects books and scriptures. Krishna describes three types of faiths. People with saatvik guna worship god, rajas man worship demigods, and tamas worship spirits and ghosts. Krishna also describes three types of food. Saatvik food is fresh, rajas food is bitter, and tamas food is overcooked.

Further, he describes worship and their nature. Worship done according to scripture is a saatvik way, worship done out of passion is a rajas way, and worship done without faith is tamasik. Saatvik charity os for own purpose, rajas charity is done half-heartedly, and tamas charity is disrespect.

He, then explains Om Tat Sat chanting, He describes Om as an act of charity or worship, Tat as absolute, and Sat indicates a good deed. If all of it is done without faith, it is called as untrue or asat.

Chapter 18

Moksha–Sanyasa Yoga

The last chapter of Bhagwad Gita talks about renunciation. Krishna tells Arjuna the difference between renunciation and relinquishing. On one side, renunciation means letting go of actions powered by human desire. On the other, relinquishing means performing the action without thinking of outcomes and results.

He talks about five elements when action occurs- the physical body, the agent, the senses, behaviors, and divinity. People always think that it is the sole agent working and acting. But, the five elements work in harmony to complete a task and people must not overlook it.

Krishna also talks about knowledge, agent, and action and how it differs in three gunas. Krishna says it is important to do one’s duty according to the caste. And, the success must be achieved by the right actions.

In the end, Krishna assures Arjuna that he should focus and love Krishna and he will be saved. Anyone who does that will be freed from the world. Hearing the updesh or teachings, Arjuna decides to fight.

Peace!