Gita Acharan

In the verse 2.48, Krishna asks Arjun, "To be steadfast in yoga ( yoga being equanimity) while performing karma (actions) by renouncing the sangam (union/identify) with polarities like success and failure." In other words, whatever we do would be harmonious when we stop identifying with polarities.  Our daily life involves making a series of decisions and choices. The ever judging mind keeps...

Karna and Arjun were born to Kunti but ended up fighting for the opposite sides. Karna was cursed because of which his knowledge and experience of warfare didn't come to his rescue during the crucial fight with Arjun. He lost the war and was killed.  This situation applies to all of us as we're like Karna, we learn a lot during our lives, gain knowledge and experience. But at crucial moments...

Krishna says that we have the right to do karma (action) but have no right over karma-phal (fruits of action). This does not mean that we gravitate towards akarma , which is inaction or mere reaction to circumstances.  Though Krishna uses the word akarma (whose literal meaning is inaction), the context suggests that it connotes 'reaction'. Verse (2.47) talks of awareness and compassion; aware...

Vahi Arjun Vahi Baan (Same Arjun Same Arrow), is often used to describe a situation when a successful/competent person fails to perform.  Arjun, as a warrior, never lost a war. During the latter part of his life, he lost a minor battle in which he was supposed to save some family members from a group of bandits. He explains this situation to his brother and says: "I don't know what happened....

We are usually not prescient enough to understand whether the karma-phal (fruits of action) we currently desire will be good for us down the line. As in a failed relationship, at one moment, the only karma-phal a couple wanted was to be together but after some time they only want to separate. In fact, many regrets that people have today is on account of getting the karma phal which they desired de...

Krishna says (2.47) that we have the right to perform our karma (action), but have no right over karma-phal (fruits of action). If one of our loved ones required surgery, we would look for a competent surgeon with character. His competence would ensure success of the surgery and his character would ensure that he wouldn't undertake any unnecessary surgery. In short, we are scouting for a surgeon w...

In the iconic verse 2.47 of the Gita, Krishna says that we have the right to do karma (action) but have no right over the karma-phal (fruits of action). He further says that karma-phal shouldn't be the motivating factor for any of our actions and also that, in consequence, we should not lean towards akarma (inaction). This is the most quoted verse from the Gita, possibly because of various dimensi...

Once, a group of friends were travelling and they had to cross a wide river. They made a boat and crossed the river. They then decided to carry the heavy boat with them for the rest of their journey, thinking that it would be useful. As a result, their journey got derailed. Here the river is a pain polarity and the boat is an instrument to overcome the polarity. Likewise, there are many instrument...

Krishna says (2.41) in karma yoga , the buddhi (intellect) is coherent and the intellect of those who are irresolute is bahu-shakha (many-branched). Krishna says (2.48 & 2.38) that samatva (equanimity) is yoga , which is the union of two polarities we face, like pleasure and pain; winning and losing; and profit and loss. Karma yoga is the path to transcend these polarities, which ultimately re...

Krishna assures (2.40) that even baby steps in the practice of karma yoga give results and this dharmam (discipline) protects us from great fears. The point to be noted is that while sankhya is pure awareness, karma yoga involves efforts. This is a definitive assurance from Lord Krishna for the seekers who have just started out on their spiritual journey and who find the effort daunting. Krishna u...

Krishna says (2.39) that after elucidating about Sankhya (awareness) (2.11-2.38) he would now explain yoga (or Karma Yoga ), the practice of which will free one from karma bandhan (bondage of action). While explaining Sankhya yoga , Krishna makes Arjun aware that he is that indestructible Chaitanya (consciousness) which doesn't have death. From this verse onwards Krishna starts explaining the same...

Verse 2.38 captures the entire essence of the Gita. Krishna tells Arjuna that he would incur no sin when he fights or performs any karma , if he were to treat sukh (pleasure) and dukh (pain); labh (gain) and nasht (losses); and jaya (victory) and apajaya (defeat) with equipoise.  This verse simply says that all our karmas are motivated and this motivation makes the karma impure or sinful. But...

Krishna explains about swa-dharmam (2.31-2.37), Para-dharmam (other's nature) (3.35) and finally advises shunning all Dharmas (18.66) to unite with Paramatma. Arjun’s despondency arose out of his egocentric fear of damaging his reputation if he fought the war and killed his brethren. Krishna tells him (2.34-2.36) that he would damage his reputation even if he avoided battle, as fighting is his swa...

Krishna explains Swa-dharmam (own nature) (2.31-2.37) and he tells Arjun that such an unsought battle at Kurukshetra opens the door to heaven (2.32) and escaping from it would result in loss of Swa-dharmam , fame and would incur sin (2.33). This advice to Arjun on the battlefield needs to be viewed in the right context. Krishna is actually talking about harmony and synergy with one's swa-dharmam a...

Krishna explains about Swa-dharmam (2.31-2.37) and advises Arjun that as a Kshatriya he should not hesitate to fight(2.31) as it is his Swa-dharmam . Krishna commences the Gita with 'that' which is eternal, un-manifested and pervades all. It is termed as atma for easy understanding. Then he talks about Swa-dharmam , which is one step before 'that' and subsequently comes to Karma . The journey to r...

Krishna says (2.29) some see 'this atma ’ as a marvel, some speak of 'this atma ’ as a marvel, others hear of 'this atma ' as a marvel, and even then none know 'this atma ’ at all.   'None' refers to an observer who is using his Indriyas (senses) to understand the observed ( atma ).  Lord Krishna says that as long as there is a separation between these two, the observer cannot comprehend...

Krishna says (2:19, 2:20) that Atma neither kills nor is killed and only the ignorant think otherwise. It is unborn, eternal, changeless and ancient. He further says that Atma changes physical bodies like we discard old cloths to wear new ones.  In a scientific context this is well explained by the law of conservation of energy and the principle of inter-convertibility of mass and energy. If...

Krishna tells Arjun (2:25) that this( atma /soul) is said to be unmanifested, inconceivable and unchangeable, once you are aware of this, there is no need to grieve for the physical body. Krishna further says that (2:28) all the beings are unmanifest before their birth, they manifest between their birth and death and once again unmanifest after their death. Many cultures use the ocean and wave ana...

At the very beginning of the Gita (2:14), Krishna says that the meeting of the indriyas (senses) with the external objects causes polarities of pleasure and pain. He tells Arjun to learn to tolerate them, as they are transient. In the contemporary world this is expressed as, 'This too shall pass'. If this is inculcated at experiential level, we can transcend these polarities to find them equally a...

Two types of wise men have guided humanity in its quest to understand the inner self. One approaches from the positive side and another from the negative, though the destination remains the same in both cases. The difference lies in the starting point of the journey and our choice of path depends on our nature. The positively-oriented describes 'that' which is indestructible, eternal, stable and p...

Krishna tells Arjun, "There is no time, past, present or future, when you, I and these rulers on the battlefield are not present." He further adds that the 'material side' of the indestructible eternal 'living entity' is certain to perish and therefore the battle ahead must be fought. This eternal 'living entity' is known by many names such as atma , chaitanya , soul and consciousness. Krishna ref...

Dwelling further on Sat (real/permanence) and Asat (unreal/impermanence), Krishna tells us to contemplate on 'that' which is indestructible and which pervades all. The popular and easy understanding about creation is that it is the work of a creator. But Krishna points towards 'creativity', which is a constant evolutionary force. For example it causes sprouting from seeds. The sprout and the seed...

Krishna says Sat (reality/permanence) never ceases to be and Asat (unreal/impermanence) has no existence. A Gyani is one who can distinguish between the two. The rope and snake analogy is often quoted in many cultures to understand the intricacies of Sat and Asat . A man reached back home at dusk and found a snake coiled at the entrance to his home. But in reality it was a rope left by children, t...

Krishna says that there are four types of devotees. The first one wants to come out of difficulties and misery he is facing in life. Second one desires to have physical possessions and worldly pleasures. Most devotees fall in these two categories irrespective of culture, gender, belief systems and so on. Krishna says that these two kinds of devotees pray and perform rituals to various Devatas . It...

Krishna says that there is no kartha for any karma . Karma is in fact the result of the interaction among the three Gunas namely Satva , Rajo and Tamas which are a part of Prakriti - the nature. Krishna advises Arjun to transcend these Gunas to be free from sorrows. Arjun wanted to know how to be Guna-ateeth (transcending Gunas ) and what a person would be like when he attains this state. Dwandwa-...