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Bhagavad Gita [Verses]

Bhagavad Gita
Song of the Lord [In English Verses]
Translated by P. R. Ramachander

Chapter-1: Arjuna's State of Grief
Chapter-2: Way of Discriminative Logic
Chapter-3: Way of Action
Chapter-4: State of Action, Wisdom and Renunciation
Chapter-5: Renunciation of Action
Chapter-6: Art of Meditation
Chapter-7: Knowledge and Realization
Chapter-8: Non Decaying Ultimate Spirit
Chapter-9: Active Knowledge which is the Secret
Chapter-10: Manifestations of God
Chapter-11: Seeing of the Universal Form
Chapter-12: Path of Devotion
Chapter-13: Discrimination between Arena and Performer
Chapter-14: Three Quality States
Chapter-15: Knowledge of Supreme Being
Chapter-16: Division of Divine and Demonic Attributes
Chapter-17: Three Kinds of Faith
Chapter-18: Way to Renunciation and Relinquishment

An Introduction to Bhagawad Gita [A translation in to free verse]:

The followers of Sanathana Dharma (otherwise called as Hindus) did not fall back on any single prophet or a single book as the basis of the irreligion. Right from the beginning, this religion (thought process) had a pluralistic view. On one hand the religion appeared to depend on rituals, prayers and rites and on the other hand it appeared to depend on a very democratic exchange of philosophic ideas between the teacher and the student as in the Upanishads, which were at the end of the Vedas. Not all Upanishads were discussion of philosophy and many of them did indeed discuss rituals and prayers to individual God. The sum total of the Hindu philosophic thought was individual research aided under the direction of the Guru. The thought process slipped down to worship of individual gods and epic stories (Puranas) about the Gods were written down.

The person who compiled and systematized all the religious knowledge contained in the initial Vedas as well as the stories of Individual Gods was a sage called Veda Vyasa. (Veda means knowledge and Vyasa means essay writer.) He compiled the information available on different Gods in to 18 epics besides compiling the four Vedas. The most encyclopedic epic of them all was called the Mahabharata. The main theme of this epic was the struggle for supremacy in India by the hundred sons of King Drutharashtra (called Kauravas) and the 5 sons of his younger brother Pandu called the Pandavas. At the end of struggle is a war between them. On the first day of the war, Arjuna the most valorous among the Pandava brothers appeared in the battle field driven by Lord Krishna who is his cousin, mentor and guide. But once Arjuna faced the prospect of killing his own cousins aided by his teachers, uncle and grandfather, he suddenly felt aghast and decided that, even starving to death would be a better option than killing them all. Lord Krishna then advises him (possibly the first recorded psychological counseling). Arjuna is not easily convinced. The next 700 stanzas of conversation between them in the battle field is Bhagawad Gita (The song of the Lord). Apart from simple advice to him, that Arjuna should fight, Lord Krishna summarizes the entire Hindu thought process on Sanathana Dharma in these 700 verses. By the blessing of Veda Vyasa all these was seen and heard by Sanjaya (collector and reporter) to Drutharashtra and were called the Bhagawad Gita. This was considered as a summary of Hindu religious thought and was revered by all Hindus. For a long time, this state of thought existed.

Things changed with the writing of a commentary to this great work by Adi Sankara, who proved that this great book provided support to his interpretation of Hindu philosophy of Advaita (non dualism). The great Ramanuja who came out with a different philosophy called Visisthadvaitha (specialized non dualism) again wrote a commentary and claimed that Gita supported his system of philosophy. It was again followed by another interpretation to gather support to the philosophy of Dwaitha (dualism) propounded by sage Madhwa. After this period Bhagawad Gita became the most important religious book of Hindus. Several more commentaries and translations to Indian languages followed. The great commentators were Abhinava Guptha, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Gnaneswar in Marathi etc. The book became so popular in the Hindu psyche that, Hindus took oath on Bhagawad Gita like Christians took oath on Bible. In 1785 Charles Wilkins published an English translation of the Bhagavad Gita, which was the first time that a Sanskrit book had been translated directly into a European language. In 1808 passages from the Gita were part of the first direct translation of Sanskrit into German, appearing in a book through which Friedrich Schlegel, who became known as the founder of Indian philology in Germany. Edwin Arnold was the first one to publish a translation into English verse in 1885. Many commentaries and translations followed with great regularity. Mahatma Gandhi who also wrote a commentary was so impressed by this great work that he wrote: "I find solace in the Bhagavad Gita that I miss even in the Sermon on the Mount. When disappointment stares me in the face and all alone I see not one ray of light, I go back to the Bhagavad Gita. I find a verse here and a verse there and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming tragedies - and my life has been full of external tragedies - and if they have left no visible, no indelible scar on me, I owe it all to the teaching of Bhagawad Gita".

The first chapter of Gita details the back ground circumstances, which lead to this teaching. In the second chapter Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that he should fight because It is his duty and that by killing a body he does not kill a soul and the highest form of action is when action is done without bothering about the fruits of such action. In this connection he also tells him that inaction is a great sin. Later at the request of Arjuna he explains about the difference between, deeds which take you to heaven but you are reborn later and that deed which once for all merges you with the lord. Some of the prominent approaches explained by him are:

1. Doing action without bothering about fruits of such action.
2. Simple and steadfast devotion, surrendering all results to him.
3. Physical meditation of the highest order by which one becomes him.
4. The path through intelligent search of the God.
5. Simple and pure renunciation.

During this discussion, he also shows him his supreme form, tells him, in which beings his presence will be felt more, the differences between the three states of Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas, the differences between the four varnas and so on. In short it is concise encyclopedia of all that for which Hinduism stands for.

Thousands of translations, interpretations and commentaries of the Bhagawad Gita in English as well as various other languages are already available. As mentioned before Edwin Arnold attempted to do a translation in English verse. Recently a similar effort was made by Sanderson Beck. The present translation is done in free English verse in as simple language as possible. I have tried to understand what has been written in Gita and wrote what I have understood, after reading various translations and commentaries, in a simple verse form. Not being a great scholar, I have not attempted for a commentary on what is the implication of each verse.

I dedicate my translation to the lay English reader interested in Hindu philosophy with a request to him to treat this translation as an appetizer. I am hoping that my effort would make him read several, more scholarly commentaries on Gita by very great souls and try to clear his various doubts. I am making this request because I have still not understood the treasure house of Gita and am doing exactly that.

Given below are what great people all over the world told about Bhagawad Gita from a collection published by Sri M. P. Bhattathiri (www.tamilnation.org)

When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous. [Albert Einstein]

When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day. [Mahatma Gandhi]

In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial. [Henry David Thoreau]

The Bhagavad-Gita has a profound influence on the spirit of mankind byits devotion to God which is manifested by actions. [Dr. AlbertSchweitzer]

The Bhagavad-Gita is a true scripture of the human race a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization. [Sri Aurobindo]

The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have been current in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus in which it states behold we are not an earthly but a heavenly plant. This correlation can be discerned by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad-Gita. [Carl Jung]

The Bhagavad-Gita deals essentially with the spiritual foundation of human existence. It is a call of action to meet the obligations and duties of life; yet keeping in view the spiritual nature and grander purpose of the universe. [Nehru]

The marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful revelation of life's wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into religion. [Herman Hesse]

I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us. [Ralph Waldo Emerson]

In order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad-Gita with full understanding it is necessary to attune our soul to it. [Rudolph Steiner]

From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita all the goals of human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad-Gita is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures. [Adi Sankara]

The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity. [Aldous Huxley]

The Bhagavad-Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal the science of devotion to God Which is the Essence of all spiritual knowledge. The Supreme Lord Krishna's primary purpose for descending and incarnating was to relieve the world of any demoniac and negative, undesirable influences that are opposed to spiritual development, yet simultaneously it is His incomparable intention to be perpetually within reach of all humanity. [Ramanuja]

The Bhagavad-Gita is not separate from the Vaishnava philosophy and the Srimad Bhagavatam fully reveals the true import of this doctrine which is transmigration of the soul. On perusal of the first chapter of Bhagavad-Gita one may think that they are advised to engage in warfare. When the second chapter has been read it can be clearly understood that knowledge and the soul is the ultimate goal to be attained. On studying the third chapter it is apparent that acts of righteousness are also of high priority. If we continue and patiently take the time to complete the Bhagavad-Gita and try to ascertain the truth of its closing chapter we can see that the ultimate conclusion is to relinquish all the conceptualized ideas of religion which we possess and fully surrender directly unto the Supreme Lord. [Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati]

The Mahabharata has all the essential ingredients necessary to evolve and protect humanity and that within it the Bhagavad-Gita is the epitome of the Mahabharata just as ghee is the essence of milk and pollen is the essence of flowers. [Madhvacarya]

Yoga has two different meanings - a general meaning and a technical meaning. The general meaning is the joining together or union of any two or more things. The technical meaning is a state of stability and peace and the means or practices which lead to that state. The Bhagavad Gita uses the word with both meanings. Lord Krishna is a real Yogi who can maintain a peaceful mind in the midst of any crisis. [Mata Amritanandamayi Devi]

References Used:
1. Srimad Bhagawad Gita - Swami Swaroopananda - Advaita Ashram, Calcutta.
2. Srimad Bhagawad Gita - Swami Vireshwarananda - Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras.
3. Srimad Bhagwad Gita - Tamil - Anna - Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras.
4. Bhagwad Gita As It Is - Bhakthivedanta Prabhu Pada - Bhakthi Vedantha Book Trust.
5. Jnaneswari - Malyalam - Sri Chandra Shekhara Pillai - Jnanesawari Geetha Pracharana Prathishtan, Kahnakad, Kerala.
6. Song Celestial - Edwin Arnold - Roberts brothers, Boston.
7. Bhagwad Gita with Sankara's Commentary - Alladi Mahadeva Sastry - Samata Books, Chennai.
8. Bhagwad Gita - Ramanand Prasad - International Gita Society - gita-society.com.
9. Bhagwad Gita - Sri Purohit Swami.
10. Essays on Gita - William Quan Judge - theosociety.org.
11. Bhagawad Gita - A Commentary in Tamil - Subrahmanya Bharathiar - Kavitha Publication, Madras.
12. Bhagawad Gita - Srinivas Fine Arts, Sivakasi.
13. Bhagwad Gita - Swami Shivanada Saraswathi - saranaagathi.wordpress.com/online-devotional-works/bhagavad-gita/.
14. Bhagwad Gita - Swami Chinamayanada - Chinmaya Mission, Bombay.
15. Bhagwad Gita - Jayaram V.
16. Bhagwad Gita and Management - Bhattathiri M. P.

Chapter-1
Arjuna's State of Grief

[Drutharashtra, the blind and Pandu were brothers. Drutharashtra being elder was the king. He had 100 sons (kauravas). Pandu had five sons (Pandavas). The great epic Mahabharatha is the story of the rivalry between the Kauravas and Pandavas. After all possible methods have been tried to reconcile their conflict, a decision of war is arrived at. This war takes place in Kuru Kshethra (The land of the Kurus). Since Drutharashtra is blind, he cannot see. His mentor and progenitor Veda Vyasa, gives the power to see everything that happens in the battlefield to one Sanjaya (literally correspondent) and report it to Drutharashtra. Bhagwad Gita starts at this point. Arjuna whose chariot is being driven by Lord Krishna is aghast, when he realizes that to win the war he has to kill all the members of his family as well as his teachers. He feels that this is not the right thing to do. Chapter I of Bhagwad Gita ends with Arjuna expressing his inability to continue with the war. Seventeen chapters follow in which Lord Krishna convinces him that he must fight. During these teaching and discussion, all aspects of Indian philosophy are concisely presented.]

Drutharashtra asked:

Oh Sanjaya, what are my sons and Pandavas, who are eager to fight,
Doing in the holy battle field of Kursukshethra? 1

Sanjaya said:

After seeing the pandavas aligned in the battle field,
The King Duryodhana approached his teacher and asked? 2

I am seeing the great army of the sons of Pandu, my teacher,
Well arranged by the son of Drupada, who is your great disciple. 3

I am seeing among them great warriors like Bheema and Arjuna,
And also great warriors like Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupadha. 4
Yuyudhana - Sathyaki, the cousin of Krishna
Virata - The king of Virata country
Drupada - The father of Draupadi

Among them also are great heroes like Drushta Kethu, Chekithana
The King of Kasi and Purujit, Kunthi Bhoja and the great King Shaibhya. 5
Drushta Kethu - Son of Shishupala
Chekithana - A warrior from Vrushni clan
Purujit Kuntibhoja - Brother of Kunti
Shaibhya - Father in law of Yudhishtra

The very powerful Yudhamanyu and the great warrior Uthamoujas.
And sons of Darupadi and Subadhra, all of whom are great warriors. 6
Yudhamanyu and Uthamoujas - Two panchala warriors

Our army also has great warriors and I am listing them,
Oh great twice born, for your understanding. 7

You, Bheeshma.Karna, Krupa who is a war winner,
Aswathama, Vikarna and Soumadathi are among them. 8
Krupa - Another teacher, who is brother in law of Drona
Vikarna - Brother of Duryodhana
Soumadathi - Son of Somadatha.

There are many more warriors, who are prepared to sacrifice,
Their lives for my sake and they are well armed and experts in war. 9

The strength of our army lead by Bheeshma is beyond measure,
As against their limited strength, which is protected by Bhima. 10

(Can also mean
The strength of our army lead by Bheeshma is not sufficient,
As against their needed strength, which is protected by Bhima. 10)

And so please prepare your army and hold it in readiness,
And all of you at any cost protect the great Bheeshma. 11

Then the old man of the Kuru clan, the great Bheeshma,
Blew his conch like a roar of lion to reassure Him. 12

All of a sudden several conches, drums, cymbals and gongs,
Blew in unison, and that sound echoed and re-echoed and became great. 13.

Then Arjuna and Krishna sitting on a great chariot,
Drawn by white horses, blew their divine conches also. 14

Lord Krishna blew his conch called Pancha Janya, Arjuna blew his Devadatha
And the Bhima with fire in his stomach blew his conch poundram. 15

The king Yudhishtra, who is the son of Kunthi, blew his conch Anantha Vijaya,
Nakula his conch Sugosha and Sahadeva his conch Mani pushpaka. 16

The great archer Kashyapa, the great charioteer Shikandi,
Drushtadhyumna, Virata, Sathyaki who has never faced defeat, 17
The King Drupada, sons of Draupadi, the great son of Subadhra,
Blew their conches separately again and again. 18

That sound shattered the hearts of the sons of Drutharashtra,
And also echoed and re-echoed in the earth and the sky. 19

Seeing these state of affairs of the sons of Drutharashtra,
The hero with a monkey in his flag realizing that the time was ready for war,
Held his bow aloft and Oh king, told like this to Krishna. 20

Arjuna said:

Please position this chariot in the middle of armies, oh Krishna,
So that I can see all those who have come ready for this battle,
Summoned by the evil minded sons of Drutharashtra,
And who have wished for this war and decide on all those
Whom I should fight, when the war commences. 21-23

Sanjaya said:

The Lord Krishna, when told like this by Arjuna,
Took and placed the chariot in the middle of the armies,
And told him, Please see the great warriors,
Of the Kuru clan lead by Bheeshma and Drona. 24-25

After seeing his in-laws, friends in the two armies,
And also his grand father, his teacher, uncles, brothers,
Sons and grand sons, Arjuna was overcome with compassion,
And getting in to the clutches of sorrow, told the following words. 26

Arjuna said:

I am seeing my people here, Krishna, who are ready for the war,
My body becomes weak, my face becomes dry,
My body is entirely covered with sweat, my hairs stand erect,
My bow Gandiva is getting out of my grip,
My whole body burns and I am not able to even to stand erect.
My life seems to be leaving me and my mind gets upset. 27-30

I am seeing bad omens, Krishna which are counter productive,
I do not see anything which will lead me to fame,
By killing all these people who are my own people. 31

I do not desire victory Krishna, or country or pleasure,
What is the use in having this country Govinda,
And what is the use in having a pleasure filled life?
For what is the point in having a country or even life, after
Killing teachers fathers, sons, grand father,
Uncles, in laws, grand sons, brother in laws and all relatives.
Even if they want to kill me. Oh killer of Madhu,
And even if I am going to be the king of the three worlds,
I am not interested in killing them for this trifle of land. 32-35

What happiness will I ever get by killing these sons of Drutharashtra,
For even though they deserve to be killed, only sin will get attached to me. 36

Oh Krishna, though the sons of Drutharashtra deserve to be killed,
Since they are our relations, how can we get pleasure out of such an action?
Though I am seeing that they do not realize in their mind,
The sin of destroying a family and treachery to their friends,
How can we who realize the sin which results in destruction of family,
Not know that we have to withdraw from committing such a sin? 37-38

When families are killed, the just life* of the society perishes,
And by the loss of just life, injustice tends to grow aloft. 39
* The actual word is Dharma

When injustice occupies the land, good women loose their virtue,
And when they loose their virtue, there is mixture of the castes. 40

The mixture of castes leads the families and
Those who destroy them to hell, for their ancestors
Will not be worshipped with rice balls and water. 41

Because of the sins of those who destroy families,
And those who lead to such a mixture of castes,
The just duties of the castes as also the families cease to exist. 42-43

Oh Krishna, I have heard that those who destroy,
The just duties of families live forever in the portals of hell. 44

Alas! We are just getting prepared to do a very great sin,
By killing our own people for the sake of ruling over a country. 45

If the armed sons of Drutharashtra kill me, who am not armed,
That would lead me to lot of useful pleasure. 46

Sanjaya said:

After telling thus Arjuna became extremely sad,
Divested himself of his arms and sat in his chariot.

Thus ends the First Chapter of Bhagawad Gita,
Which is the Essence of all Upanishads,
Which is the Science of the Eternal and Yoga,
And the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna,
Which is called Arjuna's State of Grief.

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