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:

Lord Krishna

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)