Worlds Greatest Verses from Bhagawad Gita (1-25)

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The Bhagavad Gita, the greatest devotional book of Hinduism, has long been recognized
as one of the world’s spiritual classics and a guide to all on the path of Truth.

Bhagavad Gita is a concise guide to Hindu theology and as a practical, self-contained guide to life. It represents a summary of the Vedantic and Upanishadic teachings, hence it is also called "Veda of the Vedas" and "the Upanishad of the Upanishads". Lord Krishna states that the knowledge of Yoga contained in the Gita was first instructed to mankind at the very beginning of their existence as he is the first Purusha the Universe has ever Known.

Krishna counsels Arjuna on the greater idea of dharma, or universal harmony and duty.

Krishna expounds the various Yoga processes and understanding of the true nature of the universe. Krishnadescribes the yogic paths of devotional service, action as a selfless service to mankind, meditation and knowledge.

That man who merely studies daily even a few Slokas is not stained by his Actions (Karma). He obtains perfect wisdom,Supreme Peace and eternal Bliss and Immortality.
He who reads even a quarter of a Sloka is freed from great sins and inner fears. The Srimad Bhagavad Gita is your benefactor and constant companion. The Gita is your Father, Mother, Great Grand Ancestor and Teacher. The Gita is your solace, support and prop. The Gita is an embodiment of nectar. Drink this nectar daily and attain Immortality. May the Gita guide you!

Hari OM Tat Sat

Verse 1

karmany evadhikaras te

ma phalesu kadacana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango 'stv akarmani

You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

Verse 2

yoga-sthah kuru karmani

sangam tyaktva dhananjaya

siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva

samatvam yoga ucyate

Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.

Krishna tells Arjuna that he should act in yoga. And what is that yoga? Yoga means to concentrate the mind upon the Supreme Lord Krishna by controlling the ever-disturbing senses.

Verse 3

duhkhesv anudvigna-manah

sukhesu vigata-sprhah

vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah

sthita-dhir munir ucyate

One who is not disturbed in spite of the threefold miseries, who is not elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.

Verse 4

tani sarvani samyamya

yukta asita mat-parah

vase hi yasyendriyani

tasya prajna pratisthita

One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon the Lord, is known as a man of steady intelligence. That the highest conception of yoga perfection which is establishing the self on God Consciousness.

Verse 5

krodhad bhavati sammohah

sammohat smrti-vibhramah
smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso
buddhi-nasat pranasyati

From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.

Verse 6

vihaya kaman yah sarvan

pumams carati nihsprhah

nirmamo nirahankarah

sa santim adhigacchati

A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego--he alone can attain real peace.

Verse 7

niyatam kuru karma tvam

karma jyayo hy akarmanah

sarira-yatrapi ca te

na prasiddhyed akarmanah

Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.

Verse 8

annad bhavanti bhutani

parjanyad anna-sambhavah

yajnad bhavati parjanyo

yajnah karma-samudbhavah

All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of action, and action is born of prescribed duties.

Verse 9

karmanaiva hi samsiddhim

asthita janakadayah

loka-sangraham evapi

sampasyan kartum arhasi

Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.

Verse 10

yad yad acarati sresthas

tat tad evetaro janah

sa yat pramanam kurute

lokas tad anuvartate

Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

Verse 11

tattva-vit tu maha-baho

guna-karma-vibhagayoh

guna gunesu vartanta

iti matva na sajjate

One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.

Verse 12

mayi sarvani karmani

sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa

nirasir nirmamo bhutva

yudhyasva vigata-jvarah

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with mind intent on Me, and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy, fight.

Verse 13

sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah

para-dharmat svanusthitat

sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah

para-dharmo bhayavahah

It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they may be faultily, than another's duties. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.

One should therefore discharge his prescribed duties in full God consciousness rather than those prescribed for others.

Verse 14

indriyani parany ahur

indriyebhyah param manah

manasas tu para buddhir

yo buddheh paratas tu sah

The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.

Verse 15

evam buddheh param buddhva

samstabhyatmanam atmana

jahi satrum maha-baho

kama-rupam durasadam

Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and thus--by spiritual strength--conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.

Verse 16

yada yada hi dharmasya

glanir bhavati bharata

abhyutthanam adharmasya

tadatmanam srjamy aham

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself.

Verse 17

paritranaya sadhunam

vinasaya ca duskrtam

dharma-samsthapanarthaya

sambhavami yuge yuge

In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.

Verse 18

sarvanindriya-karmani

prana-karmani capare

atma-samyama-yogagnau

juhvati jnana-dipite

Those who are interested in self-realization, in terms of mind and sense control, offer the functions of all the senses, as well as the vital force [breath], as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.

Verse 19

catur-varnyam maya srstam

guna-karma-vibhagasah

tasya kartaram api mam

viddhy akartaram avyayam

According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.

Verse 20

karmany akarma yah pasyed

akarmani ca karma yah

sa buddhiman manusyesu

sa yuktah krtsnakarmakrt

One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, is a wise person. Such a person is a yogi and has accomplished everything.

Verse 21

Brahmarpanam brahma havir

brahmagnau brahmana hutam

brahmaiva tena gantavyam

brahma-karma-samadhina

A person who is fully absorbed in Krishnaconsciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.

Verse 22

apane juhvati pranam

prane 'panam tathapare

pranapana-gati ruddhva

pranayama-parayanah

apare niyataharah

pranan pranesu juhvati

And there are even others who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, and they practice stopping the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing. Some of them, curtailing the eating process, offer the outgoing breath into itself, as a sacrifice.

Verse 23

sraddhaval labhate jnanam

tat-parah samyatendriyah

jnanam labdhva param santim

acirenadhigacchati

A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.

Verse 24

yoga-sannyasta-karmanam

jnana-sanchinna-samsayam

atmavantam na karmani

nibadhnanti dhananjaya

Therefore, one who has renounced the fruits of his action, whose doubts are destroyed by transcendental knowledge, and who is situated firmly in the self, is not bound by works.

Verse 25

yoga-yukto visuddhatma

vijitatma jitendriyah

sarva-bhutatma-bhutatma

kurvann api na lipyate

One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.