Bhagavad Gita often referred to as the Gita is part of Mahabharata, the Hindu epic. Gita has 700 verses in 18 chapters in Sanskrit. All the essential spiritual truths expounded by the Vedas are in the Gita. This great poem is the crown jewel of all Indian literature. If one wants to get the essence of the Bhagavad Gita or Hinduism here it is:
DUTY FIRST
You have only the right to do and not to think of its fruits. Let not the longing for fruits be the motive force of your action. But don’t entertain inaction (chapter 2- verse 47).
NATURE OF SOUL
He has neither birth nor death. Nor does he cease to be, having been in existence before; unborn, eternal, permanent and primeval; he is never killed when the body is killed (2-20)
REBIRTH
Just as a man gives up old garments and puts on new ones , so the embodied self abandons decrepit bodies and assumes new ones (2-22).
PEACE
Whoever has abandoned desires, and moves about without attachments and the sense of “ I ” and “Mine”- he attains to peace (3-71)
ATTAIN GLORY
Arise; Attain Glory (11-33)
UNMANLINESS
Yield not to unmanliness, Arjuna, for it does not become thee. Cast off this petty faintheartedness and stand up, O Scorcher of enemies (2-3)
IN THE FOOT PRINTS
Whatever action a great man performs common man follows (3-21)
AUM
I am the AUM in all the Vedas (7-8)
SELFISHNESS IS SIN
Those who cook for their own sake ,they truly eat sin (3-13)
PATH WAY TO HELL
Three path ways to hell: Lust, Anger and Greed (16-21)
SCHOLARS
Enlightened men are those who see the same (atman) in a Brahmana, in a cow, in an elephant and even in a dog or in an eater of dog meat (out caste) 5-18
FRIEND AND FOE
One should uplift one’s lower self. One should not lower one self. For the self is verily both the friend and foe of the self
FOUR KINDS
Four kinds of pious people worship me: The distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth and the wise. Of them the wise is dear to me (7-16 & 17)
REINCARNATION
Whenever there is decline of righteousness and rise of unrighteousness, then I send forth (reincarnate) Myself (4-7)
PROTECTION OF THE GOOD
For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born from age to age (4-8)
DOUBTING THOMAS
An ignorant man without any positive faith, who knows only to doubt, goes to ruin. To such a doubting soul there is neither this world nor the world beyond.
NO SUFFERING FOR THE GOOD
No devotee of mine will ever perish (9-31)
He does not meet with downfall either here in this world nor in the hereafter. Know for certain, that one who treads the path of virtue, never treads the path of woe (6-40)
HOW TO DO PUJA
Whoever makes an offering to me with devotion, be it of leaf, flower, fruit or water- that devout offering by a pure hearted man, I accept with joy. (9-26)
ONE’S OWN DUTY
Better is one’s own duty (swa dharma) though though devoid of merit, than the duty of another
Well performed (18-47).
DELIVERY FROM ALL SINS
Abandoning all duties, come to me as the only refuge. Grieve not; I will deliver you from all sins (18-66)
YOGI
He who has no ill will to any being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from egoism and
Self sense, even minded in pain and pleasure and patient (12-13).
YOGI=TORTOISE
He who draws away the senses from the objects of sense on every side as a tortoise draws in his limbs in to the shell, his intelligence is firmly set in wisdom (2-58)
MAN BECOMES GOD
Freed from passion, fear and anger, ever absorbed in my thought, and ever dependent on me- many have attained to my state, being purified in the fire of knowledge and austerity (4-10).
WELFARE OF ALL
By restraining all the senses, being even-minded in all conditions, rejoicing in the welfare of all creatures(Sarva Bhuta Hiterata:), they come to me indeed (12-4)
1000 SUNS=VISVA RUPA DARSANAM=THE COSMIC FORM
If the light of a thousand suns were to blaze forth all at one in the sky, that might resemble the exalted Being (11-12)
BHAGAVAD GITA ON CASTE
The four fold order was created by me according to the divisions of quality and work. Though I am its creator know me to be incapable of action or change (4-13)
BHAGAVAD GITA ON FOOD
The foods which promote life, vitality, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness, which are sweet, soft, nourishing and agreeable are dear to the good (17-8)
BHAGAVAD GITA ON WOMEN
Among women I am Kirti (glory), Sri (prosperity), Vak (speech) Smriti (memory) , Medha (intelligence), Dhriti (firmness) and Ksama (patience)-(10-34)
Women, Vaisyas (trading and agricultural classes) as well as Sudras (labouring classes) and those of vile birth ,whoever they may be, taking refuge in me, they also attain the supreme goal (9-32)
ALL FAITHS LEAD TO ME
Whatever form any devotee with faith wishes to worship, I stabilize the faith of that devotee in that very form (7-21)