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Handout 1

About the course

Bhagavad Gita is not something that can be learnt just in one course or a module. In fact people
study it all their lives and each time it enriches them with newer insights that may not have been
readily apparent in earlier readings.
This course aims to provide us with a brief introduction to Bhagavad Gita. It intends to give us
only a glimpse - a small peek into the magnum opus; a small seed that can grow and walk with
us on our journey to self discovery and enrich our lives with knowledge, joy and courage.

What would the course teach?

The course intends to give a brief glance into a few verses and their meanings, along with
stories, explanations and preparatory readings. A total of 18 verses are for memorization. These
verses have been chosen from different chapters as representative of some important ideas.
But these verses are in no way the only important ones in Bhagavad Gita. This course is only
meant as a seed that kindles interest and an opportunity to immerse oneself into the magnum
opus.

Can I skip the memorization? Ultimately is the meaning not more important?
Gita is not just an intellectual discourse. Like the mantras of the Vedas, the poetry and sounds
of the verses of Gita are as important as the meanings themselves. Hence they can only be
appreciated when we are able to chant as well as understand them. Moreover, the intellectual
explanations can always evaporate but the shlokas stay and give new insights at different
stages of our life. Hence chanting the verses and memorizing them are a very important part of
learning Bhagavad Gita.

What is expected from the students?

Students need to attend all the sessions regularly and punctually. You should carry a pen and a
notepad designated for this purpose. Gita is sacred and its learning should be done with
devotion that it deserves. You should participate in the discussions positively and pro-actively as
well as memorize all the shlokas and their meanings.
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​
Handout​ 2

The things that you will learn in this section.

1) What does the name ‘Bhagavad Gita’ mean?
2) Importance of the Bhagavad Gita in Hinduism
3) Why was the Bhagavad Gita revealed on a battlefield?

What Great People said about Bhagavad Gita

Albert Einstein: "When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this
universe everything else seems so superfluous."

Mahatma Gandhi: "When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I
see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort me;
and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on
the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day."

Henry David Thoreau: "In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal
philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature
seem puny and trivial."

Ralph Waldo Emerson: "I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was the first of books;
it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the
voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed
of the same questions which exercise us."

1. What does the name ‘Bhagavad Gita’ mean?

The title of this beloved Hindu scripture literally means “The Divine Song” or the “The Song of
the Lord”. This holy book of Hindus presents an eternally relevant dialogue between a human
representative (Arjuna) and the Supreme Being (as Krishna). The Bhagavad Gita is often
referred to simply as the ‘Gita’ in short. Many other Gitas exist in the Hindu scriptural tradition,
but when the word ‘Gita’ is used, it denotes our Bhagavad Gita, because of its pre-eminence
over all the other Gita named scriptures.

The Gita is not a one sided monologue. In the Gita, Arjuna expresses many doubts, asks many
questions, and Krishna does not force him to accept the answers that he gives to Arjuna. He
merely asks Arjuna to think about the answers, and then act as he wishes, if they make sense
to him.
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Arjuna does not ask these questions just out of curiosity, or with arrogance or just to humor
Krishna. He asks them because he is faced with a very difficult situation in his life, and he wants
to know how he can take the right decision. He asks these questions with a lot of humility, love
and with a genuine desire to know the truth.

Krishna answers all the questions of Arjuna. He does not put down Arjuna anytime. He talks to
Arjuna as a loving and an understanding friend. He gives Arjuna not just ‘one right answer’.
Instead, He offers Arjuna many different possible solutions with their pros and cons, but also
says what his own preference is. Eventually, Arjuna agrees to Krishna’s preferred solution and
wins the war of Dharma against Adharma.

Because of message of the Gita is relevant for all humanity in all times, Krishna is considered
the teacher par excellence, and is termed as ‘Jagadguru’ or ‘Teacher of the World.’

Everyone can draw some good teaching from the Gita, whether we are believers or atheists,
whether we are Hindus or non-Hindus, intelligent or stupid, rich or poor, man or woman. Its
teachings can help you whether you are happy or sad, in need or not in need, in a desert or in a
rain forest, in a crowd or alone, whether you are praised by others or hated, and whether you
love others or hate them.

The Gita teaches us how to transform from an average human being to an extra-ordinary
human being, and then become Divine. The Gita tells about the true nature of this Universe. It
teaches us something even more important – and that is, who WE are. It teaches us about our
relationship to Bhagavān and to the Universe. How we should live our daily lives, the correct
attitude, and what is really important and what is not important in life.

2. Importance of the Bhagavad Gita in Hinduism:

The Bhagavad Gita has been considered one of the most important scriptures of Hindus for
over 2000 years. The scripture is almost universally regarded by Hindus as the epitome of all
the spiritual teachings of the Vedas and the Upanishads and is read by millions of Hindus for
inspiration and solace to this day. Many Hindus memorize all of its 700 verses, or at least
selected chapters and verses to draw upon their teachings and to teach others. ​Many Hindus
believe that if you study and understand the Gita, then there is not much need to read the
hundreds of other scriptures that we have.

The importance of the Bhagavad Gita is indicated in the Hindu tradition by several popular
verses, one of which says that whosoever seeks recourse to Gita, Ganga, Gāyatrī and Govinda
– the 4 Gs, is freed of the cycle of birth and death. Another verse states that all the Upanishads
are cows, and Lord Krishna is the milkman who has extracted their teaching in the form of the
milk of Bhagavad Gita.
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3. Gita as a part of the Mahābhārata

The Mahabharata is the longest poem in the world and has approximately 100,000 verses. The
Bhagavad Gita is a part of this much larger scripture – the Mahabharata. It forms chapters
23-40 in the Bhishma Parvan, which is the 6th of the 18 books of the Mahabharata. The Gita
has 700 verses in the standard version. In fact, the Gita is located right at the center of the
100,000 verses of the Mahabharata, and is literally the heart of the Mahabharata.

The Mahabharata is a giant epic that describes the events leading to the great civil war in the
Indian subcontinent. There were two sets of royal cousins – the righteous five Pāṇdavas and the
unrighteous hundred Kauravas. Yudhishthira, the eldest Pāṇdava prince, should have inherited
the kingdom of Hastinapura, which is around 50 miles east of Delhi. But his blind Uncle
Dhritarashtra (the father of Kauravas), with his eldest evil and arrogant son Duryodhana wanted
to rule instead. To prevent a conflict, the kingdom was divided into two parts. The original capital
and eastern half was given to Duryodhana to rule. The western barren half around Delhi was
named Indraprastha and was given to the Pāṇdavas to rule.

By dint of their hard work and under the guidance of Krishna, the Pāṇdavas became very
prosperous and powerful. The jealous Duryodhana could not tolerate the happiness of
Pāṇdavas. Through trickery, Duryodhana banished the Pāṇdavas into 13 years of exile and
usurped their half of the kingdom as well. But when the Pāṇdavas came back to reclaim their
kingdom after 13 years as per the original agreement, Duryodhana told Krishna that “I will not
give even as much land to the Pāṇdavas as can stay on the tip of a needle.” Earlier,
Duryodhana had even tried to kill the Pāṇdavas through several foul means.

The Pāṇdavas, encouraged by their mother Kunti and by Krishna, decided to fight the
unrighteous Kauravas, who were led by Duryodhana. As preparations for the war began, all the
kings and princes of the Indian subcontinent started joining one or the other of the two parties –
that of the Pāṇdavas and the Kauravas. Bhagavān Krishna sided with the Pāṇdavas at the
request of Arjuna, but the entire army of Krishna was handed over to Duryodhana upon latter’s
request.

Almost 4 million soldiers gathered at the battlefield of Kurukshetra which is north of Delhi. When
the two armies faced each other and before the fighting began, Arjuna asked Krishna to take
him to a spot between the two armies. He wanted to see whom he will be fighting. When he saw
that his cousins, dear Uncles, teachers and even some friends were in the opposite camp, he
was suddenly filled with a mixture of guilt, fear, compassion and doubt. He asked Krishna as to
how he can fight his own loved ones even though they were unrighteous, and had tried to kill
him and his brothers in the past. Arjuna said that it would be perhaps better to just give
everything to Duryodhana and retire to a forest as an ascetic. Torn between the desire to fight
for justice, and just become an ascetic, he asked Krishna as to what would be the correct thing
to do. This is when Bhagavān Krishna revealed to him the beautiful scripture of Bhagavad Gita.
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4. Why was the Bhagavad Gita revealed on a battlefield?

Why Krishna advises Arjuna to fight?
There is a very practical reason why the Gita was revealed in a battlefield. It is very easy to
preach and sermonize while we are sitting on a couch in a million dollar mansion. But real life is
much more difficult. In fact, the most difficult and stressful situation that we can come across is
in a war, where we are not sure whether we will survive or not, and when we have to fight
against someone whom we have loved. The fact that Krishna’s teaching worked and
enlightened Arjuna to take the right decision means that the Gita should work for us in our less
stressful, and easier real life situations as well. What is the use of revealing a scripture in a
comfortable situation, which has no relationship to the challenges that we can face in our day to
day lives?

Krishna and Pāṇdavas did try to stop the war and asked for just 5 villages. But Duryodhana
went back on his word. In fact, he tried to imprison Krishna! Duryodhana also tried to kill the
Pāṇdavas many times through foul means. The message of the war of Mahabharata is that
sometimes war is in fact a necessary evil. Just for the sake of peace, we should not stop fighting
for our rights because the evil and unrighteous people will not let us live and prosper even if we
try to ignore them. As an example, the world tried to ignore Hitler till he started threatening all
the countries around Germany. And then, the world had no choice but to fight and defeat him.

The Gita is not a war-mongering book. In fact, Krishna tells Arjuna that he should not fight a war
for selfish reasons. Instead, he should fight a war only so for a higher purpose, and for justice.
When we fight wars and compete against others for selfish reasons, we also have to reap the
fruit of the paapam involved in wars and competition. But when we fight and compete for a
higher purpose in life in a detached manner, then it results in the purification of mind and
Bhagavān grants us Moksha.
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Handout 3
Shloka (Chapter 2, verse 7)
काप यदोषोपहत वभाव:
प ृ छा म वां धमस मढ ू चेता: |
य े य: याि नि चतं ू ह त मे
श य तेऽहं शा ध मां वां प नम ् || 7||

Transliteration
kārpaṇya-doṣhopahata-svabhāvaḥ
pṛichchhāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-chetāḥ
yach-chhreyaḥ syānniśhchitaṁ brūhi tanme
śhiṣhyaste ’haṁ śhādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam

Word to word meaning

kārpaṇya — (I am feeling) helpless; d ​ oṣha — afflicted; upahata — (and) besieged;
svabhāvaḥ— nature ​(within myself) ​; p ​ ṛichchhāmi — I am asking; t​ vāṁ — unto you;
dharma sammūḍha— confused about my dharma; ​cetah — ​in my heart; ​yat — ​that;
sreyah — ​good; ​syat — ​may be; ​niscitam — ​confidently; ​bruhi — ​tell; ​tat — ​that; ​me —
unto me; ​sisyah — ​disciple; ​te—​your; ​aham—​I am; ​sadhi—​tell; ​mam—​me; ​tvam—​unto
you; ​prapannam— (I seek) ​refuge.

Summary
Afflicted by faint-heartedness (a sinking feeling), feeling besieged and helpless,
confused about my duty (Dharma), I ask unto you. Please tell me that which is truly
better for me. I am your student. Please teach me, who has taken refuge in you.

Discussion
Standing in the battlefield, Arjuna was overwhelmed by what he could see as the consequences
of the war. Although he was a skilled and a courageous warrior, he faced a moral dilemma . It
took away his morale, leaving him thoroughly confused and dejected. Hence he sought refuge
in Lord Krishna, who was his dear friend and who he knew had the wisdom to help overcome
this great challenge. Just before the war was to start, Arjuna asked several questions to Lord
Krishna and sought his help in dispelling his doubts.

In the ensuing conversation, Lord Krishna told Arjuna not just about duty but also about the
secrets of yoga by which one can build strong character, discover happiness, lead a good life
and realize the ultimate reality. Lord Krishna elucidated on the techniques for meditation as well
as the path of devotion, action and knowledge. He taught Arjuna the techniques to be calm even
in the midst of upheavals and how to make decisions when faced with insurmountable
difficulties.
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The dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna not just helped Arjuna but has since then helped
innumerable people to follow the path of Yoga and to manifest the divinity within themselves.
Why did Bhagavan choose Arjuna to reveal the Bhagavad Gita?
In many ways, Arjuna was an Average-Joe, like all of us. He had some bad habits, and some
good habits. But he had a very good heart. Most people would not have the moral hesitation to
fight a war or compete for their rights even if that means causing pain to others. But Arjuna was
a very sensitive person. Krishna realized that Arjuna would be an ideal person to reveal the
Gita. Thanks to Arjuna, and thanks to Veda Vyasa, who recorded it, we received the teachings
of Bhagavad Gita from God.

Arjuna was an ideal student for many reasons:

1) Arjuna chose God above worldly power and riches: Before the war, Arjuna as well as
Duryodhana went to Krishna to get Him on their side. Krishna announced that He will not
lift any weapon and will not fight. But still, the two could choose between Him and his
mighty army. Duryodhana immediately asked for the army of Krishna. But Arjuna said –
“My Lord, it has been my desire that I should make you my charioteer. I do not need any
army.” So, Arjuna chose Bhagavān to guide him as his charioteer and did not care for
the mighty army. Most of us foolishly choose worldly attractions over Bhagavān. Life is
all about choices. More often than not, we behave like Duryodhana and think that our
success lies in choosing wealth, power and popularity even at the expense of
compromising with honesty and justice. But those of us who are like Arjuna will always
chose Dharma over all these worldly temptations. The war that Arjuna fought resulted in
a victory for his side even though his army was much smaller than Duryodhana’s. In the
battle of life too, the genuinely truthful, honest, loving, and compassionate achieve great
success (in the next life if not now) than those who just care for power, money and fame.

2) Arjuna was as persistent and hard working. Once, all the Pāṇdava and Kauravas complained
that their Guru favored Arjuna too much. Drona decided to test all of them. He sent Arjuna for an
errand. As soon as he left, Drona started teaching the other princes how to take aim at the exact
leaf and shoot it successfully with an arrow and bow. Then, all of them left that site even before
Arjuna returned. When Arjuna returned to that spot, he found a lot of split leaves and
immediately realized that he must have missed that important lesson. So in his free time, he
started target practicing using the leaves as his target. In this way, Arjuna soon made up for the
missed lesson. When the princes learned how Arjuna worked hard to make up for the missed
lesson, they realized why their teacher used to treat Arjuna as his favorite student.

3) Arjuna was very attentive and focused: Once, Guru Drona asked all the Kauravas and
Pāṇdavas to shoot the eye of a mock bird on a tree with a bow and arrow. He asked them as to
what they could see while taking aim. Everyone said – “I can see the trees, you, the leaves and
the bird.” But Arjuna said – “Guru-ji. I can see only the eye of the bird.” Not surprisingly, Arjuna
turned out to be the best archer.
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4) Arjuna was not addicted to Eating or to Sleeping: Once while Bheema, the glutton brother,
was eating, the lamp blew out and it became dark. Bheema was of course still able to eat. So
Arjuna thought – “If Bheema can eat in the dark, should I not be able to aim and hit my target in
the dark, if the target makes a sound?” He immediately stopped eating and started practicing
archery skills in the dark. But this was a difficult skill to master. So Arjuna even cut on his sleep
time to practice even more. In the course of time, Arjuna learned to shoot in the dark by
following the sound of his target! In fact, one of Arjuna’s names was ‘Gudākesha’, which has
several meanings, one of which is “He who has mastered sleep.”

5) Arjuna was willing to leave the comfort of his family for learning: When the Pāṇdavas had to
live several years in the forest due to Duryodhana’s trickery, Arjuna decided to use his time
constructively and learn some new skills, and the science and art of using more advanced
weapons. So he left his family for a year to go to learn weaponry from Bhagavān Shiva after an
arduous journey away from his family.

6) Arjuna was very humble, sincere and was willing to acknowledge his faults and learn from
them.

7) Arjuna was very respectful to his teacher and followed his instructions. Drona had been
humiliated by King Drupada. When the princes ended their education, Drona asked for a tuition
fee – capturing Drupada alive and bringing him to Drona. Arjuna followed his Guru’s request
and did what his Guru wanted, risking his own life.
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Handout 4

Shloka​ (From Gita Dhyana)

सव प नषदो गावो दो धा गोपाल न दनः ।
पाथ व सः सध ु ीभ ता द ु धं गीतामत
ृ ं महत ् ||

Transliteration
sarvopanishado gAvo dogdhA gopAlanandanaha |
pArthovatsas sudheerbhokthA dugdham gitAmrutam mahata ||

Word to word meaning

sarva - all; upanishadho – Upanishads are; gavo - cows; dogdha- milker;
gopalanandana:- (is)the son of the cowherd (Krishna); partho- son of prutha (Arjuna);
vatsa - (is the) calf; sudhee - people with purified mind; Bhoktha - (are the) ones who
can consume; dugdham - (and the) milk; mahat- (is the)supreme; amrutam- nectar; gita-
(of) Gita.

Summary
(If)All upanishads are (likened to) cows. The milker is the son of the cowherd, Krishna;
Arjuna, is the calf who gets the first share of the milk; people with purified mind are the
ones who consume and the milk is the supreme nectar of Gita.
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Handout 5
Shloka (​Chapter 2: shloka 23)
नैनं छ दि त श ा ण नैनं दह त पावक: |
न चैनं लेदय यापो न शोषय त मा त: || 23||

Transliteration
nainaṁ chhindanti śhastrāṇi nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ |
na chainaṁ kledayantyāpo na śhoṣhayati mārutaḥ ||

Word to word meaning

na—​never (can); ​enam— ​this (soul); ​chindanti—​ (be) cut into pieces; ​śhastrāṇi — (by)
weapons; ​na—​never (can); ​enam—​ this (soul); ​dahati— (be) ​burnt; ​pāvakaḥ — (by) ​fire;
na—​never; ​ca—​also; ​enam— ​this (soul); ​kledayanti—be ​moistened; ​ā​pah ​— (by) water;
na — ​never (can); ś​ hoṣhayati — (be) ​dried; m
​ ārutaḥ — by ​wind.

Summary
The self (soul) within our body can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can it
be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
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Handout 6

य मा नो वजते लोको लोका नो वजते च य: |

हषामषभयो वेगैमु तो य: स च मे य: || 15||

Transliteration
yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate cha yaḥ
harṣhāmarṣha-bhayodvegair mukto yaḥ sa cha me priyaḥ

Word to word meaning

yasmat—​from whom; ​na—​never; ​udvijate—​agitates; ​lokah—​persons; ​lokat—​persons;
na—​never; ​advijate​—disturbed; ​ca​—also; ​yah​—anyone; ​harsa​—happiness;
amarsa​—distress; ​bhaya—​fearfulness; ​udvegaih—​with anxiety; ​muktah​—freed;
yah​—who; ​sah​—anyone; ​ca—​also; ​me​—My; ​priyah—​very dear.

Summary
One who is fearless, who never gets agitated or agitates others and is not disturbed by
anxiety, and is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me

Discussion
When Swami Vivekananda was chased by monkeys
Once, probably in 18881 Swami Vivekananda was staying in Varanasi. One day, he
was returning after visiting a temple and a troop of monkeys started chasing him. To
save himself Swamiji started running. The monkeys also chased him aggressively.
Suddenly a monk who witnessed this shouted "Stop. Don't run. Face the brutes."
Swami ji heard it, turned back and boldly chased them away. He spoke of it in his
speech in Newyork "Once when I was in Varanasi, I was passing through a place where
there was a large tank of water on one side and a high wall on the other. It was in the
grounds where there were many monkeys. The monkeys of Varanasi are huge brutes
and are sometimes surly. They now took it into their heads not to allow me to pass
through their street, so they howled and shrieked and clutched at my feet as I passed.
As they pressed closer, I began to run, but the faster I ran, the faster came the monkeys
and they began to bite at me. It seemed impossible to escape, but just then I met a
stranger who called out to me, "Face the brutes." I turned and faced the monkeys, and
they fell back and finally fled. That is a lesson for all life — face the terrible, face it
boldly. Like the monkeys, the hardships of life fall back when we cease to flee before
them. If we are ever to gain freedom, it must be by conquering nature, never by running
away. Cowards never win victories. We have to fight fear and troubles and ignorance if
we expect them to flee before us."
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When we are surrounded by troubles, if our mind gets unnecessarily anxious, it will not
be able to properly asses the situation and we may not be able to find proper solutions
as they may not occur to us as our mind is preoccupied in anxiety. Similarly when we
are too happy, we may miss out on observing things that we should. We may forget
things that may put us in trouble or make us behave in a way we should not. In both
cases if we do not allow our mind to be intoxicated by fear, distress or happiness, we
can be alert and aware.
Lord Krishna tells us that people who are calm and aware of themselves in every
situation are dear to him. Through the practice of Yoga, which involves meditation,
devotion, knowledge and selfless action, we can build a steady mind.
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Handout 7

Shloka (Chapter 6, Verse 32)

आ मौप येन सव समं प य त योऽजन ु |
सख
ु ं वा य द वा द:ु खं स योगी परमो मत: || 32||

Transliteration
ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśhyati yo ’rjuna
sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ

Word to word translation

Atma ​- self; a​upamyena ​- by comparison; ​sarvatra ​- everywhere; ​samam ​- equally;
pasyati​ - sees; ​yah ​- he who; ​arjuna ​- O Arjuna; ​sukham ​- happiness; ​va ​- or; ​yadi ​- if; ​va
- or; ​duhkham ​- distress; ​sah yogi​ ​paramah ​- such a yogi is great; ​matah ​- considered.

Summary
In My view, that Yogi is the best who puts himself in the place of others at all times, and
seeing his own identity with them, he is able to experience their pain and pleasure​.

Discussion
Empathy is one of the most important qualities of a leader. One who is not able to
empathize with others can never become a great leader. Great leaders have the ability
to connect with people of all age groups, all races, all nationalities and are able to
understand their joys and pains.
In fact Hindu spirituality offers a systematic way of developing empathy within
ourselves. Hindu spiritual ideas tell us that there is divinity within each of us. When we
acknowledge this precept and ingrain it into us we are able to connect more deeply with
others.
The word 'Namaste' means 'The divinity within me bows to the divinity within you'. Every
time we repeat it we may be reminded of the profound principle behind this simple
gesture which we follow many times a day. By saying 'Namaste' to somebody we are
not just acknowledging the divinity within them but reminding ourselves to see the best
within them, to connect with them more deeply, to understand their joys and sorrows.
So saying 'Namaste' is the simplest form of yoga practice.
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Handout 8

Shloka (Chapter 6, verse 29)

सवभतू थमा मानं सवभत ू ा न चा म न |
ई ते योगयु ता मा सव समदशन: || 29||

Transliteration
sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni chātmani
īkṣhate yoga-yuktātmā sarvatra sama-darśhanaḥ

Word to word meaning

sarva-bhūta-stham - ​situated in all beings; ā ​ tmānaṁ - the self; ​sarva ​- all; ​bhūtāni ​-
entities; ​ca​ - also; ​atmani ​- in the self; ​iksate ​- does see; ​yoga-yukta-atma ​- one who is
established in yoga; ​sarvatra​--everywhere; ​sama-darsanah ​- seeing equally.
Summary
One who is established in yoga, one with equanimous vision, sees his self in all beings,
and all beings in his own self.

Discussion
We Hindus believe that God exists in all beings.
When we are able to realize the God dwelling in the hearts of people we have empathy
for everybody and are respectful to all. Hindu philosophy is unique in that it sees God in
all human beings irrespective of race, nationality, caste and creed. Many Hindu sages
through centuries have taught us to realize the God dwelling in the hearts of the poor,
the under-privileged, and the homeless and hence serve them. Swami Vivekananda
believed that service to the poor and the helpless as the highest form of worship. We do
Sewa not because we want something in return but because it is a form of worship.
Karma Yoga is based on this principle.
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Handout 9

Shloka ​(​Chapter 6: Verse 5-6)

उ धरे दा मना मानं ना मानमवसादयेत ् |
आ मैव या मनो ब धरु ा मैव रपरु ा मन: || 5||
ब धरु ा मा मन त य येना मैवा मना िजत: |
अना मन तु श ु वे वत ता मैव श व ु त ् || 6||

Transliteration
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

bandhur ātmātmanas tasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ

anātmanas tu śhatrutve vartetātmaiva śhatru-vat
Word to word meaning
uddharet—​ (one should) elevate; ​AtmAna— ​by one’s own self; ​AtmAnam— ​oneself;
na—​never; ​AtmAnam—​ (should) oneself (be); ​avasAdayet—​put into degradation;
Atma— ​Self; ​eva hi—​indeed is; ​atmanah— ​of oneself; ​bandhuh—​friend; ​Atma—​self;
eva— ​indeed; ​ripuh—​enemy; ​Atmanah—​of oneself.
bandhuh—​friend; ​Atma—​mind; ​AtmAnah—​of the living entity; ​tasya—​of him; ​yena—​by
whom; ​Atma—​mind; ​eva—​certainly; ​Atmana—​by the living entity; ​jitah—​conquered;
anatmanah—​of one who has failed to control the mind; ​tu—​but; ​satrutve—​because of
enmity; ​varteta—​remains; ​Atma eva—​the very mind; ​satruvat—​as an enemy.

Summary
One should elevate oneself through one’s own self (one’s inner strength, volition and
effort), and never degrade oneself. We (our mind) can be our best friend and worst
enemy.
For who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has
failed to do so, the very mind will be the greatest enemy.

Discussion
Swami Vivekananda once said “All power is within you; you can do anything and
everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak; .... Stand up and express
the divinity within you.”
Hindu sages and gurus have taught us that the real peace and happiness can be found
within ourselves and not outside of us. People who have a strong character or inner
core are not just very happy people but also are responsible and are able to help others.
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They are not dependent on external circumstances or others for motivating them, they
are able to motivate themselves in the most difficult of circumstances. They are also
able to motivate others. They do not keep complaining or blaming others for every small
thing but take responsibility and try to solve problems that they encounter. That is
because they have self control. They take up challenges as opportunities to learn and
become strong. As Swami Vivekananda use to say "The world is the great gymnasium
where we come to make ourselves strong."
As Krishna tells us in this verse, if we can control our mind, our mind can become our
best friend. If not it can become our greatest enemy.
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Handout 10

Shloka (Chapter 2 Verse 62-63)

यायतो वषया पंसु : स ग तेषप
ू जायते |
स गा स जायते काम: कामा ोधोऽ भजायते || 62||
ोधा भव त स मोह: स मोहा म ृ त व म: |
म ृ त ंशा बु धनाशो बु धनाशा ण य त || 63||

Transliteration
dhyāyato viṣhayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣhūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate ||62||
krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛiti-vibhramaḥ
smṛiti-bhranśhād buddhi-nāśho buddhi-nāśhāt praṇaśhyati ||63||

Word to word translation

dhyāyataḥ— focusing (too much) on; viṣhayān— sense objects (objects of material
world) ; puṁsaḥ— in a person; saṅgaḥ—attachment; teṣhu—to them (sense objects);
upajāyate—arises; saṅgāt—from attachment; sañjāyate—develops; kāmaḥ—desire;
kāmāt—from desire; krodhaḥ—anger; abhijāyate—arises
krodhāt—from anger; bhavati—comes; sammohaḥ—clouding of judgement;
sammohāt—from clouding of judgement; smṛiti—memory; vibhramaḥ—disoriented;
smṛiti-bhranśhāt—from disorientation of memory; buddhi-nāśhaḥ—destruction of
intellect; buddhi-nāśhāt—from destruction of intellect; praṇaśhyati—one is completely
ruined.
Summary
When we focus too much on sense objects (material objects) , we develop attachment
to them. Attachment leads to desire, and from desire arises anger. Anger leads to
clouding of judgment, which results in disorientation of memory. When the memory is
disoriented, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is
completely ruined.
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Handout 11

Shloka (Chapter 6, Verse 34,35)

च चलं ह मन: कृ ण मा थ बलव ढम ् |
त याहं न हं म ये वायो रव सद ु ु करम ् || 34||
ीभगवानवु ाच |
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो द ु न हं चलम ् |
अ यासेन तु कौ तेय वैरा येण च ग ृ यते || 35||

Transliteration
chañchalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛiṣhṇa pramāthi balavad dṛiḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva su-duṣhkaram
śhrī bhagavān uvācha
asanśhayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ chalam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa cha gṛihyate

Word to word translation

chañchalam—restless; hi—certainly; manaḥ—mind; kṛiṣhṇa—Shree Krishna;
pramāthi—turbulent; bala-vat—strong; dṛiḍham—obstinate; tasya—its; aham—I;
nigraham—control; manye—think; vāyoḥ—of the wind; iva—like;
su-duṣhkaram—difficult to perform
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—Lord Krishna said; asanśhayam—undoubtedly;
mahā-bāho—mighty-armed one; manaḥ—the mind; durnigraham—difficult to restrain;
chalam—restless; abhyāsena—by practice; tu—but; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti;
vairāgyeṇa—by detachment; cha—and; gṛihyate—can be controlled

Summary
Arjuna said: The mind is by nature very restless, turbulent, rigid and obstinate, O
Krishna. It appears to me that it is more difficult to control it than controlling the wind.
Lord Krishna said: O mighty-armed son of Kunti (Arjuna), what you say is correct; the
mind is indeed very difficult to restrain. But by practice and detachment, it can be
controlled.
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Handout 12

Shloka (​Chapter 2, Verse: 47​)

कम येवा धकार ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कमफलहे तभु मा
ू ते स गोऽ वकम ण॥

Transliteration
Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani

Word to word meaning

karmani​--prescribed duties; ​eva​-- certainly; ​adhikarah​--right; ​te​--of you; ​ma​--never;
phalesu​--in the fruits; ​kadacana​--at any time; ​ma​--never; ​karma-phala​--in the result of
the work; ​hetuh​--cause; ​bhuh​--become; ​ma​--never; ​te​--of you; ​sangah​--attachment;
astu​--be there; ​akarmani​--in not doing.

Summary
You are entitled to do your Karma (action) and not to the fruits of your action. Hence do
not be attached to the fruits of action or to inaction.

Discussion
Lord Krishna tells us that we should do all our actions selflessly without expecting
anything in return. This is the principle of Karma Yoga. We should do the best of what
we can do in every circumstance but should never be dejected by the results. Lord
Krishna also tells us that this should not lead us to akarma (inaction). Inaction is
considered as bad as selfish action. Hence we should always put in our best
irrespective of the circumstances without getting frustrated. Great things are achieved
when we put in efforts without getting unnecessarily agitated or anxious about the
results all the time.

The important teaching that Bhagavan Krishna renders through Bhagavad Gita to
Arjuna and to us is that we should not succumb to despondency even when faced by
insurmountable problems. Bhagavan tells us that we should stand up and fight for the
values that we cherish, we should fight to protect dharma - that is we should fight for
what is right, we should fight for justice, for establishing peace and order. We should not
shy away from fighting the bad within us as well the bad in the society just because we
are afraid, hesitant, confused or diffident. Bhagavan Krishna teaches us through Gita
how to first overcome all these weaknesses through the practice of Yoga so that we can
act without being curtailed by our inner weaknesses. This is the essence of karma yoga.
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Krishna tells Arjuna that being weak does not make one good, rather that weakness is
an impediment in our path to progress. Strength is the eternal message of Gita.
Sustainable peace is not established by cowardice or by running away from problems
but by standing up and facing them.
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Handout 13

Shloka (Chapter 3, shloka 21)

य यदाचर त े ठ त दे वेतरो जन: |
स य माणं कु ते लोक तदनव ु तते || 21||

Transliteration
yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate

Word to word meaning

yat​--whatever;​ yat​--and whichever; ​acarati​--does he act; ​sresthah​--a respectable leader;
tat​--that; ​tat​--and that alone; ​eva​--certainly; ​itarah​--common; ​janah​--person; ​sah​--he;
yat​--whichever; ​pramanam​--evidence; ​kurute​--does perform; ​lokah​--all the world;
tat​--that; ​anuvartate​--follow in the footsteps.

Summary
Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And
whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

Discussion
Great leaders do not just preach but set an example to others. They are able to inspire
others. So by living an inspiring life we not only benefit ourselves but also benefit others
who by seeing us are inspired and start following the path we have been following.
Ability to get inspired by great people also is a great quality. It requires an ability to
observe others from the depth of our heart and appreciate the goodness within them.
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Handout 14

Shloka (​Chapter 9 Verse 26​)

प ं पु पं फलं तोयं यो मे भ या य छ त।
तदहं भ यप ु तम ना म यता मनः

Transliteration
patram puSpam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktyA prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatAtmanah

Word to word meaning

patram—​a leaf; ​puSpam—​a flower; ​phalam—​a fruit; ​toyam—​water; ​yah​—whoever;
me—​unto Me; ​bhaktya—​with devotion; ​prayacchati—​offers; ​tat—​that; ​aham—​I;
bhakti-upahrtam — ​offered in devotion; ​asnami — ​accept; ​prayata-atmanah — ​of one
with pure self (mind or heart).

Summary
I accept anything offered to me with a pure heart and devotion even a leaf, a flower, a
fruit or even water.
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Handout 15

Shloka (Chapter 4. Verse 7-8)

यदा यदा ह धम य ला नभव त भारत
अ यु थानमधम य तदाऽऽ मानं सज ृ ा यहम ् |
प र ाणाय साधन
ू ां वनाशाय च द ु कृताम ्
धमसं थापनाथाय संभवा म यग ु े यग
ु े|

Transliteration
yadA yadA hi dharmasya
glAnir bhavati bhArata
abhyutthAnam adharmasya
tadAtmAnam srjamyaham

paritrAnAya sAdhunAm
vinASAya ca duskrtAm
dharma-samsthApanArthAya
sambhavAmi yuge yuge

Word to word meaning

yadA yadA - whenever; hi - indeed; dharmasya - of dharma; glAnih - decline; bhavati -
happen; bhArata - O descendant of Bharata (Arjuna); abhyutthAnam - (and) rise;
adharmasya - of adharma; tadA - at that time; AtmAnam - self; srjami - manifest; aham -
I.

paritrAnAya - for the deliverance; sAdhunAm - of good people; vinaSaya - for the
destruction; ca - also; duSkrtAm - of people who do bad things; dharma
samsthApana-arthaya - to reestablish dharma; sambhavAmi - I manifest myself; yuge
yuge - in every age.

Summary
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in dharma and a rise of adharma at such a
time I manifest Myself.
In order to protect the good people and to destroy the bad, as well as to reestablish
dharma, I manifest myself in every age.
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