The Song of God: An in-depth study of the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (Volume 1 - Chapters 1 to 6)
When we understand the mysteries of the Gītā, all doors open, but when we fail we risk getting stuck. This is an in-depth study of the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is to help you in this journey.
It would not be an exaggeration to say the Bhagavad-gītā is our most important book and the basis of our whole philosophy. When we can understand the mysteries of the Gītā, all the doors open, but when fail to study it, we risk getting stuck.
The Bhagavad-gītā, however, is not an easy book to understand. Just like in other Upaniṣads, the verses of Gītā are very complex in language and follow a very intricate logic. Srila Prabhupada does a masterful job in explaining the details in his purports, giving us a book that is worthy of being called "The Bhagavad-gītā As It Is". The weak link in the chain is however our own capacity to understand everything he explains.
If you already read the Gītā and felt just scratching the surface, this is a study that may be interesting for you. I'm writing it in the form of three volumes, explaining chapters 1 to 6, 7 to 12, and 13 to 18. Inside each chapter, the verses are broken into sections, helping to understand the flow of the text, the logic, and the arguments. At the end of each section, there are also the main points of the purports of Prabhupada, which can help you to go deeper into the points he makes. In this way, I try to find a balance between explaining the general flow of the text and the details of each verse, allowing you to get everything.
Here are the parts of the book that are already published. You will be seeing new updates here daily until we finish publishing the book. Feel free to follow along. You can subscribe to receive these updates by email:
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+ Why would one want to study the Bhagavad-gītā?
+ Introduction: The conclusions of the Bhagavad-gītā
Understanding the Absolute Truth
The 21 conclusions of the Bhagavad-gītā
The Gītā-māhātmya
Disciplic succession: the key to understand the scriptures
+ Chapter One: Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra (Arjuna Viṣāda Yoga)
Setting the scene of the Gītā (Bg 1.1)
Duryodhana speaks to Droṇācārya (Bg 1.2 to 1.9)
The political game before the battle (Bg 1.10 and 1.11)
Signs of victory: the sounding of the conchshells (Bg 1.12 to 1.19)
Arjuna orders Krsna (Bg 1.20 to 1.23)
Arjuna sees the armies and his heart shatters (Bg 1.24 to 1.27)
Arjuna feels compassion and fear (Bg 1.28 to 1.29)
The result of material attachment (Bg 1.30)
Arjuna's reasons for not fighting (Bg 1.31 to 1.39)
How unwanted progeny destroys society (Bg 1.40 to 1.43)
Arjuna voices his conclusion: He will not fight (Bg 1.44 and 1.45)
The perfect opportunity (Bg 1.46)
Summary of the first chapter of the Gītā
+ Chapter Two: Contents of the Gītā Summarized (Sānkhya Yoga)
Krsna speaks to Arjuna as a friend (Bg 2.1 to 2.3)
Arjuna's doubts persist (Bg 2.4 to 2.6)
The moment of surrender (Bg 2.7 to 2.9)
Descendant of Bharata (Bg 2.10)
Krsna assumes a new role and chastises Arjuna (Bg 2.11)
Knowledge about the soul (Bg 2.12 and 2.13)
Beyond temporary happiness and distress (Bg 2.14 and 2.15)
The eternal and the temporary (Bg 2.16)
The true nature of the soul (Bg 2.17 to 2.21)
More about the characteristics of the soul (Bg 2.22 to 2.25)
More arguments (Bg 2.26 to 2.28)
The amazing people who can see the amazing soul (Bg 2.29 and 2.30)
Do thou fight for the sake of fighting: Understanding prescribed duties (Bg 2.31 to 2.38)
Krsna explains the path of buddhi-yoga (Bg 2.39 to 2.41)
Rejecting aparā-vidyā (Bg 2.42 to 2.46)
You have a right to perform your duty, but not to enjoy the fruits (Bg 2.47 to 2.53)
The characteristics of a pure devotee (Bg 2.54)
What are his symptoms? (Bg 2.55)
How does he speak? (Bg 2.56 and 2.57)
How does he sit? (Bg 2.58 to 2.63)
How does he walk? (Bg 2.64 to 2.72)
Wrapping it all up
Summary of the second chapter of the Gītā
+ Chapter Three: Karma-yoga
+ Chapter Four: Transcendental Knowledge (Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa Yoga)
+ Chapter Five: Karma-yoga – Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness (Karma-Sannyāsa Yoga)
+ Chapter Six: Dhyāna-yoga
This book is being published as a free e-book so everyone can have free access to it. New topics are being added daily, and when the book is complete you will be able to download the PDF. If you would like to support my work, you can donate:
⬇️Download the PDF of the book
(The PDF of the book will be available here at the end)
Hare Krishna
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Thank you for starting this series.