Bhagavad Gita | Advaita Vedanta | English | Balaji Ramaswamy | vedantabalaji@gmail.com

Sloka 53 - Indication when Jnana Yoga's benefit has been attainedWhat is Jnana yoga? What is Shravanam? What is Mananam? What is Nidhidhyasanam? What is the benefit of Jnana yoga? How will the mind be before Jnana? What does śhruti refer to here? What does vipratipannā mean? How does the mind get confused / disturbed by Karma kaanda of Vedas? What are the various saadanas that people give us? What...

Sloka 52 (Contd...) - Indication when Karma Yoga can be discontinuedWhat is the indication that Karma yoga can be discontinued? How is the mind split? What is the function of the mind? What is the function of intellect? What is the inherent problem of the intellect? What is the problem that we face because of the delusion? What is the goal of life? What does delusion give us? What does Bhagavan pr...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 51 - Summary of VedantaWhat is the ultimate goal of a human being? What are the 2 sadanaas? Are there multiple paths to moksha? Are the 2 sadanaas independent or linked as steps? What does buddhi-yuktā mean? What is born out of action / karma-jaṁ phalaṁ? What does "tyaktvā" mean? How does a karma yogi renounce papa and punya? What does manīṣhiṇaḥ mean? How...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 48 (contd...) - Equanimity in Action is Karma YogaWhat does Samatvam yōgaḥ Ucyate mean? What does yōgastha kuru karmāṇi mean? On what should we abiding when performing actions? What does Saṅgam tyaktvā mean? What should we not be attached to when performing actions? What does sidhdyasidhdyōḥ bhūtvā samaḥ mean? What should be our attitude towards success or failure? H...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 48 (contd...) - Samatvam Yoga UchyateHow can all our actions be divided? What is Kartavyam jenma karma? What is Kaamya karma? Which one of these is optional? What are the 2 types of attitudes that we must have when performing karma yoga? How should Samatvam be defined with regard to performing our duties? How should Samatvam be defined with regard to results of our d...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 47 (contd...) - Principle of Karma YogaWhy should one not have desires in mind when performing duties? What happens when we perform an action with desire in mind? Does Papa & Punya create bondage? What happens when we perform our duties with no desires in mind? What is the first advice that Bhagavan gives in the second line of the sloka? When Bhagavan advises us...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 46 (Contd...) - Jnana gives immense & infinite happinessDoes a jnani need karma kanda of Vedas? If not, why? What example does Bhagavan give to explain that? Will a small pond of water be useful for any person who has access to a large ocean like body of fresh water? What utility will karma kanda of vedas provide to a jnani? Will Karma yoga be of any utility to a...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 45 (Contd...) - Method to get clarity on the goal and the path2. (Contd...) Nirdvandvaḥ (bhava)Is there anyone in the world who will always have favourable situations? To act Equi-poised, is it enough if we understand it? Will understanding alone give the benefit? What should our attitude be when we face small difficulties? Is there anyone who will have no criticizer...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 42-44 (Contd...) - Karmi gets enamored by MaterialistsWhat are the 3 words that Bhagavan uses to describe the words they speak?1. yām imāṃ puṣpitāṃ vācam - such flowery wordsWhat does "yām imāṃ puṣpitāṃ vācam" mean? What is the analogy of the words they speak with a tree? How do they seduce us?2. jenma karma phala pradām - which lead to further birthsWhat d...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 41 - Karma yogi is single mindedHow is Karma yogi's mind and attitude? What does the word "vyavasāyātmikā" mean? What is the Karma yogi determined on? What is a Karma Yogi's singular goal? Do people know the real purpose of life? What do most people take it to be their goals? How does life's goals for most people change with their age? What is t...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 39 (Contd...) - Karma yoga liberates a person from BondageWhat is the meaning of Karma yoga? What are the different spirtiual sadanas that we are generally aware of? What is Karma yoga? How can we do spiritual sadana without performing the general known sadanas like prayer, vratha, nama japa etc? Does karma bind us or free us by nature? How does Karma bind a jiva? Wh...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 36 - Enemies will ridicule if you withdraw from the warWhat does the word ahitāḥ mean? What will the enemies speak? What does the word avācyavādān mean? Why will the enemies speak unmentionable words? What does the word nindantaḥ mean? What will the enemies ridicule Arjuna for? What does the word apamānam mean? What is more painful than death? How did Kaikeyi manage...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 32 - Righteous war is a gateway to HeavenWhat does Bhagavan say that Arjuna has got a chance? What does the word yadṛcchayā mean? What does the word apāvṛtam mean? What does the war open up for Arjuna? Why does Bhagavan say it opens up the swarga loka for Arjuna? What sort of war is this according to Bhagavan in this sloka? What sort of kshatriyas get this opportunit...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 30 - Indestructible Atma is present in all bodiesHow does Bhagavan conclude the section on Atma-Anatma vichara? Why should one not grieve from atma standpoint? Why should one not grieve from Anatma standpoint? What are the 3 things that a body is subject to? What should we able to accept regarding the body? Why did Parikshit felt happy when he knew that he had 7 days...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 29 (Contd...) - Vedantic Study and PunyaHow is Ātma jñānam as a subject āścaryam? How is Ātma jñānam as the end to our search an āścaryam? How is the way Ātma jñānam as taught an āścaryam? How is the method of understanding Ātma jñānam an āścaryam? Do everyone come for Vedantic study? What is the role of punya in Vedantic Study? Why do "Some never understand thi...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 29 (Contd...) - Atma Jnana is a wonderWhat are the 6 things that are āścaryam?jñānam āścaryam & jnātha āścaryam=================================How is Ātma jñāna Asādāranam? Is the Ātma jñāna teaching about something new? In the 10 friends crossing the river story-- Why did the person fail to count 10?- Why did he not count himself?- Was he foolish?- What was the...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 28 - What is Birth and What is Death? What is the essence of this sloka? Why do we need to understand death? What are we ignorant about? What is creation? Can there be an effect without a cause? Can things appear & disappear on its own? What does vyakta and avyakta mean? What is the unmanifest state of a tree? How is the seed different from tree? Is birth conside...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 26 (Contd) - Bhagavan's advice to Arjuna if atma is constantly born and dyingWhat is kṣaṇika vijñāna vādaḥ? What happens to atma in this case? What hypothetical argument (abhyupetya vādaḥ) does Bhagavan present to Arjuna? Does Bhagavan say atma will die? What is the intent of Bhagavan when he presents different forms of argument? What does Bhagavan say if the atm...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 23 - Pancha Bhootas cannot destroy Atma How does Bhagavan convey that the atma is avinashi in this sloka? What are the four elements that can affect objects in the creation? What cannot cut the atma? What cannot burn the atma? What cannot drown the atma? What cannot dry the atma? Sloka 24 - Atma feature SummaryHow does Bhagavan conclude the section of atma? From whic...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 22 - Atma remains whilst the bodies changeWhat example does Bhagavan use to denote death and re-birth? What is compared to the physical body? What is compared to the dress? Which body is the abode of papa and punya? Which body is called the Bhoga Sādānam? Which body is called the Bhoga āyatanam? What determines the kind of body we take? What determines how long the b...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 20 (Contd...) - Atma is free from the 6 modificationsIs this sloka also taken from Katoponishad? Why has the meter been changed for this sloka? What are the shad vikaaraha (6-fold changes)?What does asti mean? What does Jayate mean? What does Vardhate mean? What does viparinamate mean? What does apakshiyate mean? What does vinashyati mean? What does Bhagavan say abou...

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 19 - Atma is neither the doer nor the enjoyerIf atma is akarta and abhokta, who is the karta and bhokta? Who is in Samsara? How does other philosophies differ from Advaita in terms of who is karta and bhokta? If the body and mind are inert, how does it become conscious and sentient? Where does the mind borrow the consciousness principle? Which Shareera becomes the ka...

Sloka 17 - Atma is Changeless Eternal (Kootastha Nityam) and Un-objectifiable (Aprameyah)What are the 2 features of atma provided in this sloka? What are the 2 types of Nityam? How is Kootastha Nityam different from Pravaaha Nityam? Is the Universe (Jagat) Kootastha Nityam or Pravaaha Nityam and why? Is the atma Kootastha Nityam or Pravaaha Nityam? What is the meaning of the word Antah? Where is i...

** Important Sloka **Sloka 16 (Contd...) - Adi Sankara' explanationWhat is Sankarar's pratigna? What does Seethoshnādi Sakaranam Asat mean? What is the reason Adi Sankara gives for Anatma to be Asat / Mitya? What does Vikaratvāt mean? What is the objection that Sankarar raise against this premise? What example does Sankarar use to negate Shoonyavaadam in a series of steps? What are the two...

** Important Sloka **Sloka 16 (Contd...) - Atma Satyaha Anatma MityaHow are Kaarana and Karya related? What are the differences between Atma and Anatma? How do we establish Atma is satya and Anatma is mitya using Avastha Thraya Viveka? How do we establish anatma is mitya using nirvikaraha principle? How do we establish the world is mitya using nirvikaraha principle? How do we see the body and the...