Bhagavad-gītā
The Bhagavad-gītā is one of the most important spiritual texts of the Vedic tradition. Spoken by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to His devotee and friend Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it presents profound spiritual wisdom in the midst of a very human crisis.
Explore Bhagavad-gītā ArticlesWho are we? Why do we suffer? What is our duty? What is our relationship with God?
Wisdom Spoken in a Moment of Crisis
Arjuna stands between two armies, overwhelmed by doubt, attachment and sorrow. Unable to decide what is right, he turns to Kṛṣṇa for guidance.
What follows is far more than advice about a battle. It is a timeless conversation about the nature of the soul, the purpose of duty, the workings of karma, the nature of God and the path by which human life can attain its highest perfection.
Gītopaniṣad
The Bhagavad-gītā is also known as the Gītopaniṣad because it presents the essence of Vedic knowledge. Its teaching leads the seeker from material identification toward spiritual consciousness and loving service to the Supreme Lord.
Understanding Reality
The Bhagavad-gītā explains five essential subjects that help us understand the universe, the living being and our eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord.
Īśvara
The Supreme Lord — the ultimate controller and source of everything.
Jīva
The eternal conscious living being, distinct from the temporary body.
Prakṛti
Material nature, the energy within which conditioned life unfolds.
Kāla
Eternal time, through which material manifestation and change take place.
Karma
Action and reaction — the law by which living beings experience the results of their activities.
Who Are We?
One of the central teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā is that we are not merely the material body. The body changes throughout life and eventually comes to an end, but the conscious living being, the jīva, is eternal.
Spiritual inquiry begins when we ask deeper questions:
Who am I?
Why am I here?
Why do I suffer?
What happens after death?
What is my relationship with God?
Loving Devotional Service
The Bhagavad-gītā discusses knowledge, meditation and action, but repeatedly leads the seeker toward bhakti-yoga — loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord.
Hear
Hear spiritual knowledge and the teachings concerning Kṛṣṇa.
Remember
Train the mind to remember the Supreme Lord throughout daily life.
Serve
Offer our activities and their results in loving service to Kṛṣṇa.
The Eternal Nature of the Soul
Sanātana means eternal. Temporary social, cultural and religious identities may change, but the eternal nature of the living being does not.
The Vaiṣṇava understanding presented in this tradition is that the soul's natural tendency to serve reaches its perfection when that service is directed toward the Supreme Lord.
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”
Wisdom to Be Lived
The Bhagavad-gītā is not meant merely to be admired as an ancient philosophical work. It is meant to be heard, understood and lived. Its teachings help us explore the nature of the self, karma, duty, the mind, devotion, God and the ultimate destination of the soul.
The battlefield of Kurukṣetra was Arjuna's battlefield. The difficult choices, attachments, fears and responsibilities of our own lives are ours.
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