BHAGAVAD GITA

Song of the Lord

 HINDUISM

• It is a major world religion that originated in the Indian

subcontinent, comprising several and varied systems of
philosophy, belief, and ritual. Although the name Hinduism
is relatively new, having been coined by British writers in
the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a rich
cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which
date to the 2nd millennium BCE or possibly earlier.
 KARMA

• “act,” “deed,” or “task” in Sanskrit.

• It is the impact of an individual’s past actions on future
lives, or reincarnations.
 CASTE SYSTEM

• Brahmans (priests)
• Kshatriyas (warriors)
• Vaishyas (merchants)
• Shudras (artisans and labourers)
 • Rig-Veda “Knowledge of the
Hymns of Praise”, for recitation.
• Sama-Veda “Knowledge of the
CORE TEXTS OF HINDUISM Melodies”, for chanting.
• Yajur-Veda “Knowledge of the
Sacrificial formulas”, for liturgy.
The core texts of Hinduism
are the four Vedas, which • Atharva-Veda “Knowledge of
were composed in Sanskrit the Magic formulas”, named after a
in northern India between kind of group of priests.
1200 and 900 BCE.
 RELATED NARRATIVES

Mahabharata, the story of a war

Ramayana, the story of King Rama
between two patrilineages in which
and his devoted wife, Sita
Krishna plays an important role
 THE MAHABHARATA

It is the larger epic poem in which

the Bhagavad Gita is contained. It
is considered as the longest epic in
the world.
 THE MAHABHARATA

• The Mahabharata grew by accretion from about the 4th century B.C.E.
to about the 4th century C.E.
• According to tradition, it was written by a poet and wise man called
Vyasa. He was said to be an avatar (incarnation) of the Hindu god Vishnu.
 THE MAHABHARATA

• Its roots are with the Indo-Aryans, who came into the
Indus River Valley around 1500 B.C.E. These peoples were
part of the Indo-European language group, which implies
that the Mahabharata’s amazing similarities to Homer’s
epics may be a result of common origins rather than direct
influence.
 SIMILARITIES TO GREEK AND SANSKRIT

Father English

Pater Greek

Pitar Sanskrit

Mother English

Mater Greek

Matar Sanskrit
 THE MAHABHARATA

• The core story of the work is that of a dynastic struggle for the
throne of Hastinapura, the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan. The
two collateral branches of the family that participate in the
struggle are the Kaurava and the Pandava.
• It recounts the story of these two warring families, their history,
and that of India and the Hindu religion that is integral to it.
 BHAGAVAD GITA

• The setting for the Bhagavad Gita is the moment

before the great cosmic battle is about to begin.
• Arjuna, one of the warriors, notices that the enemy’s
ranks are made up of relatives, teachers, and friends.
• What follows is a dialogue between Krishna and
Arjuna.

Arjuna and Krishna

 FRAME DEVICE

• Dhritarashtra
• is the king of the Kurus. Blind since birth, he
serves as the king of Hastinapura, but is not
the rightful ruler.

• Sanjaya
• is the wise sage who recounts the Gita epic
to the blind king Dritarashtra, who cannot
witness what is happening on the battlefield.
 MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IN THE
BHAGAVAD GITA

• How can Arjuna fight in a battle against his

kinsmen without accumulating negative karma?
PLOT OF BHAGAVAD GITA
 CHAPTER 1

• The Bhagavad Gita opens by describing the Kurukshetra battlefield. Two armies are
about to start a catastrophic war. With Arjuna is Krishna, not as a participant in the war,
but only as his charioteer and counsel. Arjuna sees family and friends on the enemy side.
Arjuna is distressed and in sorrow.
• The central question is asked in this chapter "is it morally proper to kill?”
 CHAPTER 2

• The second chapter begins the philosophical discussions and teachings found in the Gita.
Krishna provides Arjuna with different paths he can take.
• Krishna summarizes the Hindu concept of rebirth.
 CHAPTER 3

• Krishna says to Arjuna that there is no way to avoid action (karma), since abstention from work is also an
action. Krishna states that Arjuna has an obligation to understand and perform his duty (dharma).
• Those who act selfishly create the karmic cause and are thereby bound to the effect which may be good or
bad. Those who act selflessly for the right cause and strive to do their dharmic duty do God's work. Those
who act without craving for fruits are free from the karmic effects, because the results never motivated
them. Whatever the result, it does not affect them.
 CHAPTER 4

• Krishna says to Arjuna that whenever dharma declines and

the purpose of life is forgotten by men, Krishna returns to
re-establish dharma. Every time he returns, he teaches
about inner Self in all beings. The 4th chapter is the first
time where Krishna begins to reveal his divine nature to
Arjuna.
 CHAPTER 5

• The chapter starts by presenting the tension in the Indian tradition between the
life of sannyasa (monks who have renounced their household and worldly
attachments) and the life of grihastha (householder). Arjuna asks Krishna which
path is better. Krishna answers that both are paths to the same goal, but the path
of "selfless action and service" with inner renunciation is better.
 CHAPTER 6

• These verses summarize the principles of Yoga and

provides a simpler form of meditation.
 CHAPTER 7

• Krishna enumerates his many forms to Arjuna.

 CHAPTER 8

• Krishna states that every being has an impermanent body

and an eternal soul, and that "Krishna" lives within every
creature.
 CHAPTER 9

• Krishna declares himself as being the father and

the mother of the universe, to being the Om, to
the three Vedas, to the seed, the goal of life, the
refuge and abode of all.
 CHAPTER 10

• Krishna reveals his divine being in greater detail, as the

ultimate cause of all material and spiritual existence, one
who transcends all opposites and who is beyond any
duality.
 CHAPTER 11

• On Arjuna's request, Krishna displays his “universal form”.

 CHAPTER 12

• Krishna describes the path to following him.

 CHAPTER 16

• The two types of human nature are expounded, one leading to happiness and the other
to suffering. Krishna identifies these human traits to be divine and demonic respectively.
He states that truthfulness, self-restraint, sincerity, love for others, desire to serve
others, being detached, avoiding anger, avoiding harm to all living creatures, fairness,
compassion and patience are marks of the divine nature. The opposite of these are
demonic, such as cruelty, conceit, hypocrisy and being inhumane.
 CHAPTER 17

• Krishna qualifies the three divisions of faith, thoughts, and

deeds.
 CHAPTER 18

• It serves as a summary of all of the teachings mentioned in

the previous chapters.
 THEMES OF THE MAHABHARATA

• The Purusartha (The Four Aims of Life)

• dharma (moral duty)
• artha (economic prosperity)
• kama (love or pleasure)
• moksha (spiritual liberation)
 THEMES OF THE MAHABHARATA

• The other principal theme of the Mahabharata is the idea

of a just or fair war. In the Mahabharata, one of the
characters presents this idea by asking if the suffering
caused by war is ever justifiable.
 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONVERSATION
BETWEEN ARJUNA AND KRISHNA

• Krishna’s teaching is a redefinition of the relationship between God and humans in Hindu thought.
• Krishna assures Arjuna that a soul is immortal, so death is an illusion; no one can ever really be killed.
• He argues that to live is to act, and that action is necessary to keeping the self, society, and the cosmos
healthy.Vishnu incarnates himself and acts in history just for this reason.
• Krishna says that one can act in the world without accumulating karma if one acts from duty rather than from
the hope of personal gain—what Krishna calls “the fruits of action.”
• This can be done by undertaking every action as a personal sacrifice made directly to God.
 SI G NI FIC ANCE OF T H E
B H AG AVAD G I TA AS A SACR E D
TEXT

a sacred book is an authoritative source of

guidance and inspiration both in leading
day-to-day life consistent with ethical
values and in pursuing peace of mind and
spiritual realization.
 BHAGAVAD GITA

• It resonates across space and time, not being specific or

limited to a particular given context alone, but having a
universal significance or relevance.