Bhagavad Gita
700 verses of divine wisdom — Lord Krishna's teachings to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The essence of all Upanishadic knowledge in 18 chapters.
Dharma
Righteous duty appropriate to one's nature and situation
Karma
Action without attachment to results (Nishkama Karma)
Bhakti
Loving devotion to God as the most accessible path
Jnana
Knowledge of the Self and the distinction between body and soul
Yoga
Union with the divine through discipline and meditation
Moksha
Liberation from the cycle of birth and death
Arjuna Vishada Yoga
अर्जुन विषाद योग — Arjuna's Dilemma
The anguish and moral crisis of Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Key Shloka (1.32)
न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च
Na kankshe vijayam Krishna na cha rajyam sukhani cha
I desire neither victory, nor kingdom, nor pleasures, O Krishna.
Sankhya Yoga
सांख्य योग — The Yoga of Knowledge
The immortality of the soul, the nature of the Self, and the path of selfless action.
Key Shloka (2.22)
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि
Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grihnati naro'parani
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old.
Karma Yoga
कर्म योग — The Yoga of Action
The importance of selfless action without attachment to results.
Key Shloka (2.47)
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन
Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana
You have the right to perform your duty, but never to its fruits.
Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga
ज्ञान कर्म संन्यास योग — Knowledge & Renunciation of Action
Divine knowledge, the eternal nature of the teaching, and the various forms of sacrifice.
Key Shloka (4.7)
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत
Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati Bharata
Whenever there is a decline in righteousness, O Arjuna, I manifest Myself.
Karma Sanyasa Yoga
कर्म संन्यास योग — Renunciation of Action
Comparing renunciation of action with selfless action — both lead to liberation.
Key Shloka (5.10)
ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः
Brahmany adhaya karmani sangam tyaktva karoti yah
One who acts offering all actions to Brahman, abandoning attachment, is untouched by sin.
Dhyana Yoga
ध्यान योग — The Yoga of Meditation
The practice of meditation, self-control, and the nature of the perfect yogi.
Key Shloka (2.48)
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय
Yogasthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva Dhananjaya
Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure.
Jnana Vijnana Yoga
ज्ञान विज्ञान योग — Knowledge of the Absolute
The nature of the Supreme, the material and spiritual energies.
Key Shloka (7.19)
बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते
Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate
After many births, the wise one surrenders unto Me, knowing "Vasudeva is all."
Akshara Brahma Yoga
अक्षर ब्रह्म योग — The Imperishable Absolute
The eternal Brahman, the process of leaving the body, and the cosmic cycles.
Key Shloka (8.5)
अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्
Antakale cha mam eva smaran muktva kalevaram
Whoever remembers Me at the time of death attains My nature.
Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga
राज विद्या राज गुह्य योग — The Royal Knowledge
The sovereign knowledge and sovereign secret — devotion as the supreme path.
Key Shloka (9.26)
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति
Patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati
Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water — I accept it.
Vibhuti Yoga
विभूति योग — Divine Manifestations
The divine manifestations of God in every aspect of creation.
Key Shloka (10.41)
यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा
Yad yad vibhutimat sattvam srimad urjitam eva va
Whatever is glorious, prosperous, or powerful — know that to be a spark of My splendor.
Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga
विश्वरूप दर्शन योग — The Cosmic Form
Arjuna witnesses Krishna's terrifying universal form — the Vishvarupa.
Key Shloka (11.32)
कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो
Kalo'smi lokakshayakrit pravriddho
I am Time, the great destroyer of worlds.
Bhakti Yoga
भक्ति योग — The Yoga of Devotion
The path of devotion as the most accessible and direct path to God.
Key Shloka (12.8)
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय
Mayy eva mana adhatsva mayi buddhim niveshaya
Fix your mind on Me alone, let your intellect dwell in Me.
Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga
क्षेत्र क्षेत्रज्ञ विभाग योग — The Field & the Knower
The distinction between the body (field) and the soul (knower of the field).
Key Shloka (13.3)
क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि सर्वक्षेत्रेषु भारत
Kshetrajnam chapi mam viddhi sarva-kshetreshu Bharata
Know Me as the Knower of all fields, O Arjuna.
Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga
गुणत्रय विभाग योग — The Three Gunas
The three qualities of nature — Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas — and transcending them.
Key Shloka (14.5)
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः
Sattvam rajas tama iti gunah prakriti-sambhavah
Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas — these qualities born of Prakriti bind the soul.
Purushottama Yoga
पुरुषोत्तम योग — The Supreme Person
The cosmic tree (Ashvattha), the perishable and imperishable, and the Supreme Person.
Key Shloka (15.1)
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्
Urdhva-mulam adhah-shakham ashvattham prahur avyayam
The imperishable Ashvattha tree has its roots above and branches below.
Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga
दैवासुर सम्पद् विभाग योग — Divine & Demoniac Natures
Distinguishing between divine (daivi) and demoniac (asuri) qualities in humans.
Key Shloka (16.1)
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः
Abhayam sattva-samsuddhir jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih
Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and yoga...
Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
श्रद्धात्रय विभाग योग — Three Divisions of Faith
Three types of faith (sattvic, rajasic, tamasic) and the meaning of "Om Tat Sat."
Key Shloka (17.23)
ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः
Om tat sad iti nirdesho brahmanas tri-vidhah smritah
Om, Tat, Sat — this triple designation of Brahman is remembered.
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
मोक्ष संन्यास योग — Liberation through Renunciation
The grand conclusion — surrender, the final teaching, and Krishna's supreme instruction.
Key Shloka (18.66)
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज
Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja
Abandon all varieties of dharma and surrender unto Me alone. I shall deliver you from all sins.
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥
Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja
Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami ma shuchah
"Abandon all varieties of dharma and surrender unto Me alone. I shall deliver you from all sins. Do not fear." — Bhagavad Gita 18.66
The Bhagavad Gita is not just philosophy — it is a practical manual for everyday challenges. Here are five situations where Krishna's words can guide you.
When you are...
Stressed About Exams or Results?
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥
Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana
Ma karma-phala-hetur bhur ma te sango'stv akarmani
“You have the right to perform your duty, but never to its fruits. Let not the fruit of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.47
When to use: Before any exam, interview, or competition. Focus entirely on your preparation and effort. The result is not in your hands — your action is. This shloka frees you from anxiety about outcomes and channels energy into the work itself.
When you are...
Feeling Angry or Resentful?
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते ।
सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥
क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोहः सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥
Dhyayato vishayan pumsah sangas teshupajayate
Sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho'bhijayate
Krodhad bhavati sammohah sammohat smriti-vibhramah
Smriti-bhranshad buddhi-nasho buddhi-nashat pranashyati
“Dwelling on sense objects breeds attachment; attachment breeds desire; desire breeds anger. Anger leads to delusion; delusion leads to loss of memory; loss of memory leads to destruction of intellect; and from destruction of intellect, one perishes.”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.62-63
When to use: When anger is about to take over. Krishna explains the complete chain: attachment leads to desire, desire to anger, anger to delusion, and delusion to destruction. Recognizing the chain helps you break it at the first link.
When you are...
Confused About Right and Wrong?
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥
Shreyaan sva-dharmo vigunah para-dharmaat svanushthitaat
Sva-dharme nidhanam shreyah para-dharmo bhayaavahah
“It is far better to perform one's own duty imperfectly than to perform another's duty perfectly. It is better to die in one's own dharma; another's dharma is fraught with danger.”
— Bhagavad Gita 3.35
When to use:When facing a moral dilemma or peer pressure to be someone you are not. Krishna teaches that your own path, even imperfect, is better than imitating someone else's perfectly. Stay true to your nature and values.
When you are...
Afraid of Failure or Hardship?
मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः ।
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥
Matra-sparshash tu kaunteya shitoshna-sukha-duhkha-dah
Agamapayino'nityas tams titikshasva Bharata
“The contact of the senses with their objects, O son of Kunti, gives rise to cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They are transient — they come and go. Bear them patiently, O Bharata.”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.14
When to use: When facing setbacks, loss, or pain. Krishna reminds Arjuna that both pleasure and pain are temporary. They arrive and depart like seasons. Endurance and equanimity are the marks of wisdom.
When you...
Want to Focus Better and Build Discipline?
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥
Uddhared atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet
Atmaiva hy atmano bandhur atmaiva ripur atmanah
“Let a man lift himself by himself; let him not degrade himself. For the self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is the enemy of the self.”
— Bhagavad Gita 6.5
When to use: When you need motivation to build good habits or break bad ones. Krishna teaches that you are your own best ally — and your own worst enemy. Self-discipline is the ultimate superpower.
The Bhagavad Gita has inspired some of history's greatest minds — from nuclear physicists to transcendentalist writers.
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Quoting Gita 11.32 after the Trinity nuclear test (July 16, 1945). Oppenheimer studied Sanskrit at Berkeley specifically to read the Gita in the original.
J. Robert Oppenheimer
Theoretical Physicist, Manhattan Project Lead
“When I read the Bhagavad-Gita and reflect about how God created this universe, everything else seems so superfluous.”
Einstein kept a copy of the Gita on his desk and frequently referenced its philosophical framework when discussing the nature of reality.
Albert Einstein
Theoretical Physicist, Nobel Laureate
“In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagvat Geeta...”
Thoreau referenced the Gita throughout Walden (1854) and credited it as a profound influence on his transcendentalist philosophy.
Henry David Thoreau
Author, Philosopher, Transcendentalist
“The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind.”
Huxley wrote extensively about the Gita in The Perennial Philosophy(1945), placing it at the center of the world's spiritual wisdom traditions.
Aldous Huxley
Author, Brave New World & The Perennial Philosophy
Dive Deeper into the Gita
Memorize shlokas, test your knowledge, explore the stories, and discover the mathematics of the Gita era.