Bhagavad Gīta - Chapter Summary Ch Arjuna Vishāda Yoga - Arjuna's Distress Three sets of six chapters: Chapter General Topic Main Practice Ch -6 Jīva (tvam) arma Ch -2 Ishvara (tat) Bhakti Ch - Identity (asi) Jnānam ey: A=Arjuna, =rishna, S=Sanjaya, D=Dhritarāshtra Important verses shown on right side D Dhritarāshtra asks about battlefield S 2-6 Duryodhana describes Pāndava army - Duryodhana describes aurava army 2-99 Conches blow on battlefield ld A 20-2 Arjuna tells rishna to drive chariot S 2-2 Arjuna sees armies A 2- Arjuna's reaction 2- Cannot kill relatives for kingdom - Sin of destroying family -6 Better to die than to sin S Arjuna drops bow & arrows 0 2 2 29 2 0 6 Ch 2 Sānkhya Yoga - nowledge Ch 2 Sānkhya Yoga (continued) - Be strong and fight A -6 I cannot kill them - Please teach me S 9-0 Aj Arjuna's reluctance -9 Distinction between body & indweller 20-2 True nature of ātmā -0 Inevitability of rebirth 9 20 2 9- Buddhi yoga (karma yoga) 2-6 Don't seek the fruits of rituals - Give up attachment to fruits of work 6 A How does enlightened person act? - Free from likes & dislikes -6 Senses must be controlled 62-69-2 Nature of enlightened person 0-22 Duty of warrior -6 Avoid infamy 6 - Win or lose, better to fight
Ch arma Yoga A -2 If knowledge is better, why fight? Paths of action & renunciation -6 Inaction is useless & impossible - You must act, but without attachment 9-6 Role of yajna - Vedic rituals -9 For the wise, action not necessary 20- Act for the sake of the world 2-0 Action due to gunas - Motivation for action A 6 What makes people sin? -0 Desire deludes by covering knowledge - Control of senses with intellect 2 2 2 6 2 Ch Jnāna arma Sannyāsa Yoga Renunciation through nowledge - Lineage of teachers A How could rishna be first teacher? - i rishna as avatāra 9- Seeking rishna - Actionless action of the wise 9-2 Freedom from attachment 22 2-2 Spiritual practices as yajna 2 - nowledge as yajna 6- Pāpa karma destroyed by knowledge 9-2 Goal attained by knowledge 9 Ch Sannyāsa Yoga - Renunciation Ch 6 Dhyāna Yoga - Meditation A Is karma yoga or sannyāsa better? 2- arma better, both lead to same goal 6- arma yoga prepares for sannyāsa - Yoga is renunciation of karma phala -6 Self-control -9 Equanimity - The wise perform no action -9 Fruits of knowledge 20-2 The wise not affected by anything 22 2- Absorption in brahman 2-2929 Introduction to next chapter 2 0- Preparation for meditation - Life of meditation -22 Results of meditation 2- Meditation instructions 2-22 Joy of meditation 29-2 Seeing Ishvara in all, all in Ishvara 9 2 29
Ch 6 Dhyāna Yoga (continued) Ch Jnāna Vijnāna Yoga - nowledge of Ishvara A - Mind is difficult to control -6 Controlled by practice and dispassion A -9 What fate for one who fails? 0- Better rebirth, resume practice of yoga 0 - Praise of yogi - nowledge of Ishwara - Nature of Ishvara -2 rishna (Ishvara) pervades everything - i rishna not recognized ddue to māyāā ā 6 Four kinds of devotees -9 Enlightened is best devotee 20-2 All worship blessed by rishna 2-22 rishna not known due to māyā 2-0 Those free from delusion know rishna 6 2 2 2 Ch Akshara Brahma Yoga (End of Life) Ch 9 Rāja Vidyā Rāja Guhya - Divine nowledge A -2 How to know rishna at time of death - Akshara & kshara brahma - Remembering rishna at time of death 6 - Preparation for death 0 6-9 Cycle of creation & dissolution 6 20-22 Consciousness is never destroyed 20 2- Two paths after death 2-22 Yogi transcends both paths 2 - I will give you (Arjuna) divine knowledge 2-6 rishna pervades all - -0 rishna is the creator & destroyer - How rishna is known rightly, wrongly -9 Worship by knowing rishna 6 20-22 Vedic worship 2 2-2 Worship of deities goes to rishna 2-2 Offer everything to rishna 29- All devotees dear to rishna 29
Ch 0 Vibhuti Yoga - Glories of Ishvara Ch Vishvarūpa Darshana Yoga - Cosmic Form - rishna not recognized as source of all -6 All glories from rishna - nowledge of rishna A 2- Only rishna knows his glories 6- Howtomeditateonrishna on 9- Narration of rishna's glories 22 9-2 rishna is source of all glories A - Show me your real form - See my real form with divine sight S 9- Sanjaya describes cosmic form 0 A -2 The whole world is within rishna 2- rishna is time, devourer of all 2 2- Arjuna, you are merely an instrument 2 S Arjuna bows A 6-0 Arjuna praises rishna - Apology for treating rishna casually -6 Request rishna's return to prior form 6 Ch Vishvarūpa Darshana Yoga (continued) Ch 2 Bhakti Yoga - Devotion -9 rishna agrees to return 9 S 0 rishna returns to prior form 0 A Arjuna now free from fear 2- This can be seen only with devotion A Better to meditate on you or formless? 2- Meditation on formless God difficult 6- Meditation on rishna is easy 9-2 How to reach perfection 9-20 Qualities of an ideal devotee
Ch shetra shetrajna - nower & nown Ch Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga - Three Qualities -6 nower and nown 2 - Brahman=womb, rishna=seed - Values necessary for knowledge - Three gunas - sattva, rajas, tamas 2- Ishvara is to be known 9-2 Consciousness and nature 2 9- Effects of each guna 9-20 Transcending the gunas 9 9 2-29 Discovery of ātmā 2 A 2 Who transcends the gunas? 2 0- Discovery of paramātmā 22-2 Description of one who transcends 2-2 Gunas transcended through devotion Ch Purushottama Yoga - Supreme Lord Ch 6 Daivāsura Sampat - Divine & Demonic -2 Tree of worldly life - Divine traits -6 Transcending worldly life 6- Demonic traits -9 rishna dwells in all beings 0- rishna perceived with knowledge 2- rishna is support of all beings 2 9-22 Lower rebirth due to demonic traits 2 2-2 Scriptures cannot be ignored 2 6- Supreme beyond kshara & akshara 6 9-20 nowledge of the supreme 9
Ch Shraddhā Traya - Three inds of Faith, etc. Ch Moksha Sannyāsa Yoga - Liberation A - Arjuna asks about faith 2-6 Three kinds of faith (shraddhā) -0 Three kinds of food (āhāra) - Three kinds of sacrifice (yajna) -9 Three kinds of austerity (tapas) 20-22 Three kinds of charity (dāna) 2-2 Meaning of "om tat sat" 2 (three kinds = sāttvika, rājasa, tāmasa) A Arjuna asks about renunciation 2-2 Three kinds of renunciation - Five factors of action (karma) 9-22 Three kinds of knowledge (jnāna) ā 2-2 Three kinds of action (karma) -2 Three kinds of agent (kartā) 29-2 Three kinds of intellect (buddhi) - Three kinds of resolve (dhriti) 6-99 Three kinds of happiness (sukha) 0- Qualities of the four castes (three kinds = sāttvika, rājasa, tāmasa) 2 Ch Moksha Sannyāsa Yoga (continued) -9 Perfection of action 0- Qualities necessary for perfection - nowledge of rishna by devotion -60 Don't be overpowered by own nature 6-6 Seek refuge in divinity within 2 9 62 6-66 Final instructions to Arjuna 66 6- Teaching the Gīta to others 6 2 Arjuna, is your delusion gone? 2 A Yes, I will follow your guidance S - Praise of dialogue