The 13th, 14th and 15th verses discuss the five factors involved in any kind of activity. 14th verse: “In any activity, there are five factors involved. (1) adhiṣhṭhānam – The body-mind-complex, which is the basis of all actions. (2) kartā – the agent of action, which is the jivatma. (3) karaṇam – Different instruments of action, such as the senses of perception and action. (4) pṛithak cheṣhṭāḥ - Different gestures and body movement. (5) daivam – the unknown factor in all activity, which is...

5th verse: “The three virtues of Yajna, dana and tapah should not be given up. These three virtues become natural to the enlightened and become the means to those aspiring to be enlightened.” 6th verse: “Yajna, dana and tapah should be performed giving up our attachment to the results and our selfish desire to enjoy the results of the work.” Yajna refers to any noble, unselfish deed that is done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness, for the good of others, and as an offering to God. Dana...

Title: Yajna, Dana and Tapah Should Not be Given Up 18th Chapter: verse 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 3rd verse: “According to Samkhya philosophy, all actions should be given up. According to Mimamsa philosophy, performance of Yajna, dana and tapah should not be given up.” According to Kapila and Samkhya philosophy, every action is mixed with some imperfection and, therefore, it should be given up. Mimamsa philosophy upholds the views of the vedas and says that Yajna, dana and tapah – activities which...

The 18th chapter is the longest and is about moksha-sannyasa-yoga. It is also considered as a condensation of the previous 17 chapters. Moksha represents the highest value in human existence and means liberation from the bondage of samsara. Sannyasa means giving up the feeling up doer-ship and the renouncement of ego. According to Hindu tradition, four values guide human life – dharma, artha, kama, and moksha. Kama represents our desires, what we want to achieve. Artha represents the means...

The 18th chapter is the longest and is about moksha-sannyasa-yoga. It is also considered as a summary of the previous 17 chapters. Moksha means liberation from the bondage of samsara. In modern times, it can be interpreted as liberation from utilitarian values, ultimately reaching a state where we stop searching for continuous happiness, and where we don’t suffer from the ups and downs of life. Sannyasa means giving up the feeling up doer-ship and the renouncement of ego. The chapter starts...

Title: Performing Actions with Sattvic Shraddha 17th Chapter: verses 26, 27, 28; recapitulation of 17th chapter It is difficult for normal human beings to perform their spiritual practices with perfection. With the utterance of “Om Tat Sat”, when we perform any act - Yajna, dana and tapah – they become purified. When we offer our activity to the all-pervading reality that is present in everyone and everything, the activity is purified. They become auspicious and spiritually...

Title: Purifying Spiritual Practices with Om Tat Sat 17th Chapter: verses 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 23rd verse: “In the Vedic literature, specifically the Upanishads, it is stated that “Om Tat Sat” constitutes the essence of all vedic literature. It represents the triple designation of Brahman. These three words are behind the origin and creation of the Brahmanas, Vedas and Yajnas.” Om represents the vedas. The entire vedic literature can be condensed into Om. All the vedas are an attempt to...

Title: Meaning of Om Tat Sat 17th Chapter: verses 20, 21, 22, 23 Yajna, Dana, and Tapah – these spiritual principles have the triple dimensions of Sattvika, Rajasika and Tamasika. Yajna refers to any noble, unselfish deed that is done with a sense of sanctity and sacredness and as an offering to God. Our everyday activities can be spiritualized when we perform them as yajna. Then there is no difference between the shrine and the workplace. Any activity not done as yajna becomes a bondage –...

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion. The three gunas reflect in different areas of human conduct such as the way we practice rituals, austerities and charity. The 14th, 15th and 16th verses discuss tapah (austerity) - physical...

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion. These three temperaments are based on our samskaras. Every action leaves a residual effect (vritti) in our mental system. Many identical vrittis – from similar, repeated actions – solidify a...

Our temperaments are determined by a combination of the three gunas – sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. Sattva guna is the highest and most sublime. It manifests itself as wisdom and serenity. Rajo guna manifests itself as dynamism and ambition. Tamo guna manifests itself as laziness and delusion. 7th verse: “The food that we eat is linked to the three gunas. The way we practice rituals, austerity and charity is also linked to the three gunas.” The Chandogya Upanishad contains the first...

Shraddha cannot be properly translated in English. Shraddha refers to a sense of sanctity and sacredness that helps us preserve higher values. It can also mean faith in scriptures, God, teacher, and a sense of integrity. One of the verses says: “A man is only as much as the shraddha he has.” 2nd verse: “The shraddha of human beings is three-fold – Sattvika, Rajasika and Tamasika. It is born out of their own swabhava – their own natural tendencies. “ Our temperaments are determined by a...

21st verse: “There are three gates to a hellish life – hellish conditions created from our own actions. These three gates are lust, anger and greed (kamah, krodhah, lobhah). These three should be abandoned.” Every wrong action has desire or lust as its source. Once we have a desire, we direct our senses and energy to fulfill that desire. Not all desires are fulfilled. When the desire remains unfulfilled, we become angry. And then there is endless greed. 22nd verse: “The genuine spiritual...

17th verse: “Extremely conceited, haughty, filled with pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform all sacrifices with great ostentation disregarding all ordinances.” This is the literal translation. The meaning of the verse is that such people do things in an improper manner without any consideration for propriety. Kama refers to desire – the mind wants to go after worldly desire all the time. Dambha refers to religious or spiritual pride and superiority. Māna means they think they...

The 16th chapter is an analytic study on the basic elements of human personality. Its purpose is to help people understand fundamental values that have enriched human civilization. It reminds us that we should not forget those values in our pursuit of wealth, power and comfort. 11th verse: “There is continuous thought in the mind – no control, no restraint – with a desire to acquire something. Gratification of objects of enjoyment is the dominant theme of such people’s existence.” Mind...

The 16th chapter does not just give a list of dos and don’ts. It makes us understand the subtle differences between the characteristics. For example, one of the Asuri traits that is described is Dambhah, big show of one’s status. In relation to it, it describes Darpah as another Asuri trait. Someone who may be humble and calm, may assure himself of his superiority and feel that he does not need to display that. That is a kind of arrogance, which is included in the meaning of Darpah. When we...

16th Chapter: Verses 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Gita’s conclusion is that the essence of spirituality is about becoming a good human being. This is emphasized in the 9th chapter, in the 12th chapter and in the 16th chapter. The qualities described in these chapters should be imbibed and should express themselves in our everyday interaction with fellow beings. In the 13th verse of the 9th chapter, Lord Krishna says that the one who is dedicated to God should have these divine qualities and should be...

The 16th chapter discusses human characteristics by dividing them into two groups. The first group is called Daivi Sampat – those who have divine spiritual characteristics and are naturally inclined to do good. The second group is called Asuri Sampat – those who have a natural instinct for the opposite qualities. For example, there are some who live in the world, do their normal jobs, but follow the principle of modesty, honesty and self-restraint. They acquire these good qualities through...

15th Chapter: Verses 8, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 The 15th chapter discusses the idea of immanence, transcendence and omnipresence of the Absolute Reality. The Absolute Reality is beyond verbalization and description – it can only be experienced. 15th verse: “This divine principle is present as the indweller in every living being in this world. It manifests as memory, knowledge, ignorance, and forgetfulness. It is the one that is described and explored in all scriptures. It is the one to be...

Title: Expressions of the Divine 15th Chapter: Verses 12, 13, 14, 1512th 12th verse: “There is one all-pervading, immanent, omnipresent, and supreme divine reality which is the Atman. This Atman is the divine light that is present in every being. The light that is in the sun, in the moon and in the fire – that light is nothing but the light of the Atman.” Our creativity and our ability to think and work are all expressions of this divine principle. Just as electricity manifests in...

Title: Atman – The Light of all Lights 15th Chapter: Verses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 10th verse: “In this body, there are physical senses. There is a perceiver who uses these senses to perceive sense objects. Those who are deluded equate that perceiver to the body-mind complex. Those who are enlightened see him as separate and as the real perceiver.” Those who identify with the physical body continue with the transmigratory cycle of birth, old age, death and rebirth. The 10th verse should be...

15th Chapter: Verses 8, 9, 10 In the 15th chapter, the whole world is compared to the Ashvattha tree – the tree of life. Its roots are above and the branches are below. Roots represent the origin or the source which is the Atman. From this Atman, the empirical world, which is represented by the branches and leaves, evolves and moves downward. Only the Atman is eternal – the empirical world is non-eternal. The branches and leaves represent the continuous flow of samsara (empirical world)...

Title: The Weapon of Non-Attachment15th Chapter: Verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 In the first verse, the whole world is compared to the Ashvattha tree – the tree of life. Its roots are above and the branches are below. Roots represent the origin or the source which is the Atman. From this Atman, the empirical world, which is represented by the branches and leaves, evolves and moves downward. Only the Atman is eternal – the empirical world is non-eternal. The branches and leaves represent the...

Title: The Nature of the Empirical World 15th Chapter: Verses 1, 2 In previous chapters of Gita, various methods of spiritual practices are discussed, such as the path of bhakti, the path of karma yoga, the path of dhyana yoga, the path of jnanam, and the path of transcending the three gunas. One essential characteristic in all these paths is that the seeker should develop detachment towards worldly enjoyments. For that, it is important to understand what constitutes the world. Matter,...