Gita Acharan

Water is essential for life on earth and Krishna uses rain as an example (3.14) to explain selfless actions. Basically, rain is a part of a cycle where water evaporates because of heat, forming clouds thereafter. Given the right conditions, it comes down as rain.  This process involves selfless actions and Krishna names them ' yagna '. Oceans let the water evaporate to form clouds and clouds...

Krishna says (3.8), "Perform your obligatory actions, as action is superior to inaction; and even the maintenance of your body would not be possible by inaction. " Actions like gathering and consumption of food are essential for the survival of the human body. Further, the human body consists of so many organs, systems and chemicals which perform thousands of internal actions on a regular basis. E...

If we are not karta (doer) for karma (action), then who is karta ? Krishna replies (3.5) "No one can stay for even a moment without performing karmas as all are compelled by gunas (characters) born of prakriti (nature) to perform actions."  Three atomic particles, namely electron, proton and neutron form the entire physical world. Similarly, three gunas namely Satva, Tamo and Rajo are respons...

Krishna replies (3.3), "As I said earlier, in this world, there are two paths to salvation -for the wise through wisdom and for yogis through the path of action." This verse indicates that the path of awareness is for the intellect oriented and the path of action for the mind oriented.  Krishna further clarifies (3.4), "Just by avoiding karma (action), one cannot attain nish-karma (actionless...

The third chapter of the Gita is known as ' Karma Yoga ', which is an elaboration of verse 2.71 where Krishna said that nir-mama (sans-I) and nir-ahankaar (sans- I am doer) is the path to attain the eternal state.  Arjun raises a doubt (3.1) "If you consider Buddhi (intellect/awareness) to be superior, why then do you engage me in terrible action of war instead of telling me (3.2) with nischa...

Krishna says (2.70) that one attains peace when they remain unmoved by desires, like an ocean that is unmoved by the waters entering it. He further says that (2.71) Nir-mama (sans -I) and nir- ahankaar (sans -I am doer) is the path for peace to reach the destination of the eternal state (2.72). None are deluded after attaining it.  This eternal state is called moksha which is ultimate freedom...

Krishna says (2.69), “That which is night to all beings is wakefulness for the self mastered; that in which beings are awake is night to the divinely perceptive sage." This verse brings out metaphorically, the idea of being physically awake but spiritually asleep and vice-versa. It also offers literal interpretations.  There are two possibilities of living. One, where we are dependent on indr...

Krishna says (2.67) that the mind, which follows roving senses, carries away one's intellect as the wind carries away the boat on the water. The wind is a metaphor for our desires which drives our mind and senses making intellect (boat) unstable.  In the context of desires, life is divided into four stages namely Brahmacharya (bachelor), Grihast (householder), Vanaprastha (facing forest) and...

Krishna says (2.66) that the ' ayukta ’ (imbalanced) lacks both buddhi (intellect) and bhaav (emotions) and as a result, he will not get shanti and there is no joy for the peaceless. Krishna laid emphasis on equanimity (2.38 and 2.48) and this verse highlights the same from a different angle.  Till one learns to centre oneself in the 'middle', one is likely to anchor oneself at one of the 'ot...

Krishna says (2.65) that the intellect of the content is steady and all their dukh (sorrows) are destroyed. This runs contrary to our understanding that we become content once our desires are fulfilled and we attain sukh (pleasures) and destroy dukh . But Krishna tells us to first be content and that the rest automatically follows.  For example, we conclude that we are not healthy if we have...

Vicious and virtuous cycles are a sequence of events where one event leads to another and results in either disaster or joy respectively. If expenses are more than income, leading to borrowing and debt trap, it's a vicious cycle. If expenses are less than income, resulting in savings and wealth creation, it's a virtuous cycle. Krishna refers to these cycles in verses 2.62 to 2.64. Krishna says (2....

Krishna cautions Arjun (2.60) that turbulent indriyas (senses) are capable of forcibly carrying away the mind of even an aspiring wise person. This verse is about the automaticity of indriyas to stimulus.  The best example is of a smoker who's quite aware of the pitfalls of smoking, but finds it extremely difficult to quit it and laments that by the time he or she realises, the cigarette is a...

Krishna says (2.59) "sense objects fall away from the abstinent person, but not ras (longing) and longing ceases only when one realizes the supreme." Indriyas have a physical instrument and a controller. The mind is a combination of controllers of all sense organs. Krishna advises us to focus on the controller which sustains the longing.  Krishna uses the word ' ras ' whose literal meaning is...

Krishna says (2.58) that wisdom gets established when one completely withdraws their indriyas (senses) from sense objects, like the tortoise withdrawing its limbs.  Krishna lays emphasis on indriyas as they are the gateways between our inner self and outer world. He advises that we should withdraw our indriyas when we see ourselves getting attached to sense objects like the metaphorical torto...

We tend to assign one of three labels to a situation, a person or an outcome of a deed: good, bad or no label. Krishna refers to this third state and says (2.57) that a wise person is one who isn't filled with joy when coming across good nor does he hate bad and is always without attachment. This implies that the sthithpragna (one with coherent intellect) drops labelling(2.50) and takes facts as f...

Krishna says (2.56) that Sthithpragna is one who is neither excited by sukh (pleasure) nor agitated by dukh (pain), is free from raag (attachment), bhay (fear) and krodh (anger). This is an extension of verse 2.38 where Krishna says to treat sukh (pleasure) and dukh (pain); labh (gain) and nasht (loss); and jaya (victory) and apajaya (defeat) with equipoise.  All of us seek sukh but dukh inva...

Krishna says (2.54), in response to Arjun's query, sthithpragna (one with coherent intellect) is contented with self. Interestingly, Krishna didn't respond to the second part of Arjun's query as to how a sthithpragna speaks, sits and walks.  'Content with self' is purely an internal phenomenon and there is no way to measure it based on external behaviour. Maybe, in the given circumstances bot...

Lord Krishna reveals what is pure sankhya (awareness) from verse 2.11 to 2.53, which was completely new territory for Arjun. Arjun wanted to know (2.54) about sthithpragna (one with coherent wisdom/intellect) who has attained samadhi (established in self) and how a sthithpragna speaks, sits and walks. Through clarifications to Arjun, (2.54 onwards) Krishna sets the standards and benchmarks to help...

In the normal course of our lives we get perplexed when we hear conflicting opinions on the same subject -be it news, philosophy, others’ experiences and beliefs. Krishna says (2.53) that we will attain yoga when intellect remains nischal (non-oscillating) and steady in samadhi (established in self) despite hearing various opinions.   The best metaphor for this verse is the tree with its visi...

Krishna says (2.52) that when we cross moha-kalilam (darkness of delusion) using intellect, we become indifferent to what is being heard or will be heard. This implies that when we overcome moha , the inputs brought by our senses will lose the power to influence us at will. Krishna chose ‘hearing’ as the metaphor here, as we are frequently influenced by the words of others, both praise and critici...

Krishna says(2.51) that the wise use their balanced intellect and renounce the fruits of action to reach a state beyond polarities and get liberated from the bonds of birth and death. For a long time, humanity believed that the Sun rotates around a stationary earth and only later was it discovered that it is the Earth which is rotating around the Sun. Finally, our understanding aligned with the ex...

We all make several decisions for ourselves, our family and society based on a variety of factors. Krishna exhorts us to take this decision making to the next level when he says (2.50) ‘ Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam ’ (every action/deed is harmonious in yoga -of equanimity). It’s about dropping kartapan (doership) and ahankaar to experience the harmony that flows out, like the beauty and fragrance of a...

Our life revolves around labelling our deeds (actions/decisions) as well as those of others as good or bad. Krishna says (2.50) that endowed with intellect, one sheds both good and bad deeds, which implies that labelling goes once we attain Yoga (equanimity/middle).  Our mind is full of filters/lenses which are imprinted in us through conditioning by our parents, family and friends during our...

Krishna observes that Arjun is overwhelmed by the feeling of Aham-Karta (I am doer)- Ahankaar and it is responsible for his despondency. Krishna advises Arjun (2.41) to use coherent intellect ( buddhi ) to break Ahankaar and reach self (2.49).  Ego is a small part of Ahankaar . It is called arrogance when one goes through pleasure polarity of success/win/profit and depression, unhappiness, an...

Yoga means union of the outer self with the inner self. It can be attained through many paths such as Karma (action), Bhakti , Sankhya (awareness), Buddhi (intellect) and so on. Depending on one’s nature, one attains yoga through means suited to him. Krishna tells Arjun (2.49) to seek refuge in buddhi as motivated karma is far inferior to buddhi yoga and miserable are they whose motive is to obtai...