Relevance of a Careful Study of the Bhagavad Gītā

The Bhagavad Gītā was originally written in Sanskrit and forms part of the Bhīṣma Parva of the Mahābhārata epic. Veda Vyāsa is the author of the Mahābhārata, and therefore of the Bhagavad Gītā, too.

In ancient times, any student who took up the study of Vedānta (the study of the inner aspects of the Vedās, which consists of the Upaniṣads mostly and the Brahma Sūtras) followed a curriculum called the Prasthānatrayī. The Prasthānatrayī includes three important texts to be studied to understand Vedānta. They include the Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Brahma Sūtras.

The Brahma Sūtras are very difficult to understand (Adi Śaṅkarācārya wrote a commentary, Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya). What do we make of a text that starts like this: “Here begins the study of the Brahman” (athāto brahma jijñāsā)? The Upaniṣads are also not so easily understood. Now, in the middle, comes the Bhagavad Gītā. The Bhagavad Gītā generally covers similar subjects that are discussed in the Upaniṣads as well as the Brahma Sūtras, but Veda Vyāsa has made it simpler and more easily understandable for the earnest student.

The Bhagavad Gītā emphasizes that there are various paths to reach the Truth. It consists of 18 chapters, the last of which is called Mokṣa Sanyāsa Yoga, or Yoga of Renunciation.

The lessons of the Bhagavad Gītā were not preached or taught in a cave, an ashram, or a small congregation, but rather in the middle of a battlefield. This makes it even more relevant because we are all in the middle of the battlefield of life.

The Bhagavad Gītā teaches the art of living in this battlefield called life. In our daily lives, where we clash with each other in our families, at work, and in our communities, how can we live and progress spiritually?

What is the essence of the teaching of the Gītā? 

It discusses the practical aspects of how to live in this world while doing one’s work and still understanding the essence of one’s being. It shows us how to practically move towards the spiritual goal. It is important to note that one does not renounce the world; rather, one looks around first and tries to understand what is going on.

The last śloka (verse) of every chapter helps us understand this:

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु
ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे …

om tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu
brahmavidyāyāṃ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṃvāde…

Om Tat Sat. 

It is the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, the essence of the Upaniṣads, which teaches knowledge of the Supreme Brahman (the Ultimate Reality and Truth). This is the teaching of Yoga, by which we learn different practical methods to clean the mind and make it prepared to understand the Truth. This is the dialogue between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna.

One of the introductory ślokas for the Bhagavad Gītā is:

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः ।
पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥

sarvopaniṣado gāvo dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ |
pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīrbhoktā dugdhaṃ gītāmṛtaṃ mahat ||

If all the Upaniṣads were cows, and if Kṛṣṇa is the one who milks the cows and Arjuna is the calf who strikes his head against the udder of the cow, the milk flows faster and the wise enjoy the immortal nectar, the amṛta of the Gītā.

Amṛta means “no death”. The seeker realizes that, deep down, our true essence is neither born nor does it die. So, where is the fear of death?

Overview of chapters

The first chapter is Arjuna Viṣāda Yoga, The Yoga of Arjuna’s Sorrow. Generally, it is only when some kind of insurmountable sorrow, confusion, or uncertainty happens that human beings turn towards spiritual inquiry. This may not be for everyone, but generally this is the case. This is a turning point for Arjuna. He says that he cannot live like this, he is almost in a depression. Kṛṣṇa then guides Arjuna in a way that we can all understand and relate to. Arjuna never became a monk or sanyāsin (renunciate). He imbibed the Gītā and continued with his life.

The second chapter is Sāṁkhya Yoga, The Yoga of Knowledge - knowledge of the world and the human mind. Sāṁkhya is one of the oldest Darśanas among the Ṣaddarśanas and was founded by Sage Kapila.

The third chapter is Karma Yoga. This is a very important chapter that many people are confused about. What is my karma? What should I do? How should I act? Karma Yoga beautifully explains this.

The 6th chapter is Dhyāna Yoga/Abhyāsa Yoga, in which Kriya Yoga is mentioned.

The 12th chapter is Bhakti Yoga.

The 15th chapter is Puruṣottama-Yoga, the Yoga of the Supreme Person, in which Kṛṣṇa talks of being everything and everywhere, but also nowhere. The upside-down peepal tree, whose roots are above and branches below, is mentioned.

By the end of the 18th chapter, the reader is hopefully well-equipped with wisdom and strength to face the battle of life. Of course, this depends on various factors, such as how carefully one reads and whether one is ready to implement the teachings into one’s life.

Veda Vyāsa (vyāsa meaning compiler) was a literary genius. He compiled and codified the various experiences of the ṛṣis (ancient sages). He was born to a fisherwoman, Matsyagandhī, also known as Satyavatī. His father was Parāśara, the great ṛṣi. Even though Veda Vyāsa was born from a human womb, he was not an ordinary human. He was also known as Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana. (Kṛṣṇa, here, does not refer to Lord Kṛṣṇa. In Sanskrit, the word for dark is kṛṣṇa, the word for fair is śukla.)

The Bhagavad Gita by Sri M

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