Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita Teachings

A great start to learn about applying the Bhagavad Gita Teachings in our day to day lives

In this engaging podcast, Kṛṣṇadaasa unravels the essence of Bhagavad Gita teachings, offering listeners a practical approach to understanding and applying this ancient wisdom in their daily lives. With over two decades of study, Kṛṣṇadaasa delves into key principles like karma yoga (selfless action), jnana yoga (knowledge), and dharma (righteousness), highlighting how they can help balance spiritual growth and worldly responsibilities. Through this podcast, you will explore how the Gita’s insights can lead to a life of peace, purpose, and fulfillment, whether you are new to the Gita or looking to deepen your spiritual practice.

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ॐ अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशालाकया
चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः

I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.

I am krsnadaasa, a servant of Krishna and I welcome you all to this wonderful spiritual journey through the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.

I am not a Saint or a Swami. I am just a humble practical minded devotee who has spent over 20 years studying, analyzing and applying the principles taught in the Bhagavad Gita.

In 2017 I published a book about the actionable items extracted from the Bhagavad Gita. It was well received by the general population and many of them wanted me to dive deeper into the Gita and explain the practical aspects in simpler terms. That is how I started teaching the Bhagavad Gita and I also created a website https://pragmaticgita.com

Before we start, Gita Dhyana Shloka

Gita Dhyana shlokas are meditative shlokas written in praise of the Bhagavad Gita and generally attributed to Ved Vyasa as the author and consists of nine Meditation Verses about the glorious nature of the Gita.

Whenever anybody starts learning the Bhagavad Gita, it is customary to first recite the Gita Dhayana Shloka. Here we will recite the first Shloka.

Part of Mahabharata, 5000 years ago

The word ‘bhagavad’ refers to God and ‘Gita’ refers to song. So, in essence, the Bhagavad Gita is the song of God. The Bhagavad Gita is part of the epic Mahabharata, which happened approximately 5000 years ago when God had incarnated as Lord Krishna on earth. The Lord participated in this war to set an example that we should always stand up against injustice (adharma) and not rest until we have established justice (dharma). The Mahabharata is thus called the battle between Dharma and Adharma where God took the side of Dharma and led it to victory over the very powerful enemy on the side of Adharma.

Before the start of the war, Arjuna had many doubts and questions regarding Dharma, Adharma, Karma, Soul, etc. In reality, this is another Leela of Shri Krishna where he made Arjuna ask all these practical questions so that Shri Krishna Himself can provide the best answers for the benefit of not just Arjuna, but for the whole of humanity. This conversation is documented by the great sage Ved Vyasa and came to be known as the Bhagavad Gita.

Some high level reasons on why we should study the Bhagavad Gita Teachings:

1. Study of Gita will help one to get unaffected by 2 fold experiences of life – Sukham and Dukham.
2. If a person contemplates on Gita, he will not get affected by the past, just as the lotus is not affected by the water.
   Papams trigger guilt and Gita removes the guilt and guides us not to repeat action.
3. Like we smear oil to cut Jackfruit, smear oil of Gita to face difficult situations in life.
4. During study of Gita, Devas present, hence look at Gita study with great reverence.
5. Devas will help a person who contemplates on Gita.
6. Gita Parayanam (reading, listening, practicing) gives Adrishta Phalam and Jnanam gives Drishta Phalam. Invisible power blesses us.
7. Gita teaches us how to control our senses and purify the mind. This is important because happiness through sense organs is limited, while happiness gained through God realization is unlimited and eternal.
8. Gita is Jnana Kavacham (shield of divine knowledge) which protects us at all times.
9. Gita teaches us how to maintain a Balanced mind that will lead us to Vaikunta, or the abode of God.

Bhagavad Gita is a Part of Vedanta

The Vedas are the most ancient scriptures available to humanity and the Upanishads are also ancient texts that are part of the Vedas and considered to be the scriptures that explain the purpose of the Vedas. The combined body of knowledge contained in the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita is referred to as Vedanta.

The Bhagavad Gitä contains the essence of all the upanishads as well as the truths taught by the Brahma sutras. The Bhagavad Gita provides the practical science for applying the philosophy of the Upanişads and Brahma sutras to solve human problems. For this reason, it is called yoga shastra.

Shri Krishna encourages questioning, not dictatorial

Shri Krishna encourages us to use our intellect and not blindly follow any teachings or philosophies. In fact, the Bhagavad Gita is the first and probably only religious text which says that there are many ways to reach and realize God.

The Bhagavad Gita demonstrates very beautifully and practically, the theoretical statement made in the Rig Veda, Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti, which means “that which exists is One: sages call it by various names”

Teachings are ‘Yoga’. Need to practice

Another important aspect of the Gita is that each chapter is called some yoga. Which means, we are supposed to practice the teachings of each chapter just like we will practice any yoga. It is not meant to be just theoretical knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita has to be studied and practiced in our day to day lives. This is precisely the reason why the Bhagavad Gita is disclosed in the middle of a battlefield, to signify that we are supposed to utilize the learning in the battlefield of our day to day lives.

Gita Dhyana Shlokas

Let us look at a couple of more verses from Gita Dhyana Ślokas.

They provide a beautiful description of the nature of the Gita in verse 4.

Sarvopanişado gavo dogdha gopalanandanah; Partho vatsaḥ sudhiḥ bhoktā dugdham gitāmṛtam mahat

All the Upanișads are the cow; the milkman is the cow herd boy (Sri Kṛṣṇa); Pārtha, or Arjuna, is the calf; men and women of purified intellect are the drinkers of the milk and the supreme nectar, Gītā, is the milk.

And in verse 5 it says:

Vasudeva sutam devam kamsa-cāṇūra-mardanam; Devaki-paramanandam kṛṣṇam vande jagad-gurum

‘The divine son of Vasudeva, the destroyer of (the evil doers) Kamsa and Cāṇūra, the supreme bliss of mother Devaki – I salute that Kṛṣṇa, the guru of the world.

Śri Kṛṣṇa did not come to the earth to teach just an ethnic group or nation or race. He came for all humanity, and that is why the verse refers to Krishna as Kṛṣṇam vande jagad-gurum, the guru of the world.

Importance of Satsanga

I would also like to point out the importance of Satsanga, the association of devotees. We will learn later on in the Bhagavad Gita about the importance and benefits of Satsanga, it helps us grow faster on the spiritual path and stay on the path. In the Ramcharitmanas, we can read about Lord Shri Ram’s teaching about the nine requirements for bhakti (Navadha bhakti). The first as per Rama is the need for having the association of devotees and saintly people:

प्रथम भगति संतन कर संगा |
दूसरि रति मम कथा प्रसंगा ||

pratham bhagati santan kar sanga,
doosri rati mam katha prasanga.

I am very grateful to everyone in this Satsanga group for your association and support and I encourage all of you to make the most of this Satsanga. Let us attend the live sessions together, discuss any doubts or questions, and encourage each other to grow on this path.
With this in mind, let us start our journey of the 1st chapter of the Bhagavad Gita in our next session.

You can find the next session, Chapter 1, here:

Hare Krishna!
kṛṣṇadaasa
(Servant of Krishna)
Aka +Vinayak Raghuvamshi