SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA -- overview of chapters

Universal form(Vishvarupa)

 Overview of chapters The Bhagavad Gita is divided into eighteen chapters.The Sanskrit editions of the Gita name each chapter as a particular form of yoga. However, these chapter titles do not appear in the Sanskrit text of the Mahabharata.Swami Chidbhavananda explains that each of the eighteen chapters is designated as a separate yoga because each chapter, like yoga, "trains the body and the mind". He labels the first chapter "Arjuna Vishada Yogam" or the "Yoga of Arjuna's Dejection". Sir Edwin Arnold translates this chapter as "The Distress of Arjuna"  Krishna displays his Vishvarupa (Universal Form) to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra (Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 11). Gita Dhyanam: (contains 9 verses) The Gita Dhyanam is not a part of the main Bhagavad Gita, but it is commonly published with the Gītā as a prefix. The verses of the Gita Dhyanam (also called Gītā Dhyāna or Dhyāna Ślokas) offer salutations to a variety of sacred scriptures, figures, and entities, characterise the relationship of the Gītā to the Upanishads, and affirm the power of divine assistance. It is a common practice to recite these before reading the Gita.Arjuna–Visada yoga (The Distress of Arjuna  contains 46 verses): Arjuna has requested Krishna to move his chariot between the two armies. His growing dejection is described as he fears losing friends and relatives as a consequence of war. Sankhya yoga (The Book of Doctrines contains 72 verses): After asking Krishna for help, Arjuna is instructed into various subjects such as, Karma yoga, Jnana yoga, Sankhya yoga, Buddhi yoga and the immortal nature of the soul. This chapter is often considered the summary of the entire Bhagavad Gita. Karma yoga (Virtue in Work contains 43 verses): Krishna explains how performance of prescribed duties, but without attachment to results, is the appropriate course of action for Arjuna. Jnana–Karma-Sanyasa yoga (The Religion of Knowledge contains 42 verses): Krishna reveals that he has lived through many births, always teaching yoga for the protection of the pious and the destruction of the impious and stresses the importance of accepting a guru. Karma–Sanyasa yoga (Religion by Renouncing Fruits of Works contains 29 verses): Arjuna asks Krishna if it is better to forgo action or to act ("renunciation or discipline of action").  Krishna answers that both are ways to the same goal, but that acting in Karma yoga is superior. Dhyan yoga or Atmasanyam yoga (Religion by Self-Restraint contains 47 verses): Krishna describes the Ashtanga yoga. He further elucidates the difficulties of the mind and the techniques by which mastery of the mind might be gained.Jnana–Vijnana yoga (Religion by Discernment  contains 30 verses): Krishna describes the absolute reality and its illusory energy Maya. Aksara–Brahma yoga (Religion by Devotion to the One Supreme God contains 28 verses): This chapter contains eschatology of the Bhagavad Gita. Importance of the last thought before death, differences between material and spiritual worlds, and light and dark paths that a soul takes after death are described. Raja–Vidya–Raja–Guhya yoga (Religion by the Kingly Knowledge and the Kingly Mystery contains 34 verses): Krishna explains how His eternal energy pervades, creates, preserves, and destroys the entire universe.  According to theologian Christopher Southgate, verses of this chapter of the Gita are panentheistic. Vibhuti–Vistara–yoga (Religion by the Heavenly Perfections contains 42 verses): Krishna is described as the ultimate cause of all material and spiritual existence. Arjuna accepts Krishna as the Supreme Being, quoting great sages who have also done so. Krishna displays his Vishvarupa (Universal Form) to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, described in Visvarupa–Darsana yoga, chapter 11 Visvarupa–Darsana yoga (The Manifesting of the One and Manifold  contains 55 verses): On Arjuna's request, Krishna displays his "universal form" (Viśvarūpa),  a theophany of a being facing every way and emitting the radiance of a thousand suns, containing all other beings and material in existence. Bhakti yoga (The Religion of Faith contains 20 verses): In this chapter Krishna glorifies the path of devotion to God. Krishna describes the process of devotional service (Bhakti yoga). He also explains different forms of spiritual disciplines.  Ksetra–Ksetrajna Vibhaga yoga (Religion by Separation of Matter and Spirit contains 35 verses): The difference between transient perishable physical body and the immutable eternal soul is described. The difference between individual consciousness and universal consciousness is also made clear. Gunatraya–Vibhaga yoga (Religion by Separation from the Qualities  contains 27 verses): Krishna explains the three modes (gunas) of material nature pertaining to goodness, passion, and nescience. Their causes, characteristics, and influence on a living entity are also described. Purusottama yoga (Religion by Attaining the Supreme  contains 20 verses): Krishna identifies the transcendental characteristics of God such as, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence.[38] Krishna also describes a symbolic tree (representing material existence), which has its roots in the heavens and its foliage on earth. Krishna explains that this tree should be felled with the "axe of detachment", after which one can go beyond to his supreme abode. Daivasura–Sampad–Vibhaga yoga (The Separateness of the Divine and Undivine  contains 24 verses): Krishna identifies the human traits of the divine and the demonic natures. He counsels that to attain the supreme destination one must give up lust, anger, greed, and discern between right and wrong action by discernment through Buddhi and evidence from the scriptures. Sraddhatraya-Vibhaga yoga (Religion by the Threefold Kinds of Faith contains 28 verses): Krishna qualifies the three divisions of faith, thoughts, deeds, and even eating habits corresponding to the three modes (gunas).Moksha–Sanyasa yoga (Religion by Deliverance and Renunciation  contains 78 verses): In this chapter, the conclusions of previous seventeen chapters are summed up. Krishna asks Arjuna to abandon all forms of dharma and simply surrender unto him and describes this as the ultimate perfection of life.

Bhagavad Gita

Srimad Bhagwad Gita charcters

Main characters of Srimad Bhagwad Gita

=== Characters ===

•  Arjuna, one of the Pandavas

• Krishna, Arjuna's charioteer and guru

•   Sanjaya, counsellor of the Kuru king Dhritarashtra
•   Dhritarashtra, Kuru king.

Srimad bhagwad gita

In the epic Mahabharata, Sanjaya, counsellor of the Kuru king Dhritarashtra, after returning from the battlefield to announce the death of Bhisma begins recounting the details of the Mahabharata war. Bhagavad Gita forms the content of this recollection.

The Gita begins before the start of the climactic Kurukshetra war, where the Pandava prince Arjuna is filled with doubt on the battlefield. Realizing that his enemies are his own relatives, beloved friends, and revered teachers, he turns to his charioteer and guide, Krishna, for advice. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince, elaborating on a variety of philosophical concepts.
Source : wikipedia and ancient indian texts

SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA

The epic Mahabharata is traditionally ascribed to the Sage Ved Vyasa; the Bhagavad Gita, being a part of the Mahabharata, is also ascribed to him.Theories on the date of composition of the Gita vary considerably. Scholars accept dates from fifth century to second century BCE as the probable range. Professor Jeaneane Fowler, in her commentary on the Gita, considers second century BCE to be the likely date of composition.Kashi Nath Upadhyaya, a Gita scholar, on the basis of the estimated dates of Mahabharata, Brahma sutras, and other independent sources, concludes that the Bhagavad Gita was composed between fifth and fourth centuries BCE. It is generally agreed that "Unlike the Vedas, which have to be preserved letter-perfect, the Gita was a popular work whose reciters would inevitably conform to changes in language and style," so the earliest 'surviving' components of this dynamic text are believed to be no older than the earliest 'external' references we have to the Mahabharata epic, which may include an allusion in Panini's fourth century BCE grammar. It is estimated that the Sanskrit text probably reached something of a "final form" by the early Gupta period (about the 4th century CE). The actual dates of composition of the Gita remain unresolved. Bhagavad Gita comprises 18 chapters (section 25 to 42) in the Bhishma Parva of the epic Mahabharata and consists of 700 verses.Because of differences in recensions, the verses of the Gita may be numbered in the full text of the Mahabharata as chapters 6.25–42 or as chapters 6.23–40. According to the recension of the Gita commented on by Adi Shankara, a prominent philosopher of the Vedanta school, the number of verses is 700, but there is evidence to show that old manuscripts had 745 verses.The verses themselves, using the range and style of Sanskrit Anustup meter (chhandas) with similes and metaphors, are written in a poetic form that is traditionally chanted.Due to its presence in the Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita is classified as a Smṛiti text or "that which is remembered". Śruti texts, such as the Upanishads, are believed to be revelations of divine origin, whereas Smṛitis are authored recollections of tradition and are therefore fallible. As a Smṛiti, the scriptural authority of the Gita is dependent on the Upanishads (Śruti).However, those branches of Hinduism that give it the status of an Upanishad also consider it to be a Śruti or "revealed text". Even though the Bhagavad Gita is in many respects different from the Upanishads in format and content,it is still taken to represent a summary of the Upanishadic teachings and is thus called "the Upanishad of the Upanishads".Advaita Vedanta (monistic conclusion of the Vedas) school of philosophy uses the Bhagavad Gita in conjunction with the Upanishads and Brahma sutras to arrive at its message of non-duality.

Source: wikipedia and ancient indian texts

SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA

The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit: श्रीमद् भगवद् गीता, Śrīmad bhagavad gītā) (Sanskrit: [ˈbʱəɡəʋəd̪ ɡiːˈt̪aː] , The Song of the Bhagavan, often referred to as simply the Gita, is a 700-verse scripture that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. This scripture contains a conversation between Pandava prince Arjuna and his guide Lord Krishna on a variety of theological and philosophical issues.

Faced with a fratricidal war, a despondent Arjuna turns to his charioteer Krishna for counsel on the battlefield. Krishna, through the course of the Gita, imparts to Arjuna wisdom, the path to devotion, and the doctrine of selfless action. The Gita upholds the essence and the theological tradition of the Upanishads. However, unlike the rigorous monism of the mukhya, the earlier Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita also integrates dualism and theism.

Numerous commentaries have been written on the Bhagavad Gita with widely differing views on the essentials, beginning with Adi Sankara's commentary on the Gita in the eighth century CE and including Dnyaneshwari. Commentators see the setting of the Gita in a battlefield as an allegory for the ethical and moral struggles of the human life. The Bhagavad Gita's call for selfless action inspired many leaders of the Indian independence movement including Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who referred to the Gita as his "spiritual dictionary".

Music, yoga

Science may have not always agreed, but Indians have long believed in the power of various therapies other than medicines as a mode of treatment for ailments. Yoga or ayurveda are cases in point. The power of prayer is universally believed to make miracles happen. With 'treatment' getting a more holistic approach, more and more doctors these days are recommending alternative therapies, like spirituality or music therapy, to their patients along with allopathic medications.

Eminent cardiologist Ashok Sethh of the Fortis Escorts hospital, for instance, says that holistic treatments like music therapy have been found to be effective in cases of cardiovascular problems. "Music helps relieve stress, and therefore works wonders for the cardiovascular system. I tell my patients that while it may not always be possible to ward off stress, taking regular breaks and pursuing a hobby, like music, helps manage it." Dr. Seth himself takes time out of his hectic schedule to pursue his hobby of singing.

Spirituality is another therapy that has been recognised and recommended by doctors in a big way. When hope seems bleak, when fear strikes, when everything seems suddenly unpredictable, it's God we usually turn to; doctors feel that this act of praying in distress renews belief, and in turn makes a patient's will to get better stronger. This is one of the reasons why a lot of big hospitals these days have prayer rooms for people of all faith.

"When my mother was detected with cancer, the family was shattered. We took her to the best medical facility, and as she was undergoing treatment, the doctor told us to pray. He said that faith in a higher power makes us believe that all will be well, and in turn makes our will to get better stronger," said Suryavijay Singh, a marketing executive. "Today my mother's cancer is under control and I really believe that spirituality, apart from medicines, had a big role to play."

Home maker Salma Parveen said that the head of ENT department of a prominent hospital she visited recently seconded her decision to go for homeopathy to treat her nasal problem.

Although more supportive now than before, doctors, however, opine that alternative therapies can only be add-ons to allopathic treatment. Sameer Malhotra, mental health expert at Max hospital, said: "Music can definitely heal and we use music therapy in the treatment process in our department. Having said that, I have to say that holistic therapy cannot be a replacement for allopathic treatment as allopathy is based on scientific documentation. They can only be add-ons."

Cardiac surgeon and chairman of Medanta, Naresh Trehan, highlighted the benefits of integrative medical system. Medanta has a department of Integrative Medicine and Holistic Therapies that uses ayurveda, yoga, panchakarma to manage diseases like Parkinsons disorder.

"Integrative Medicine is the more evidence-based approach of complementary medicine and denotes ongoing progression in the co-existential relationship. Medical facilities in India should adopt this strategy and implement it so as to provide the Indian population with the benefit of ancient medical systems," Dr. Trehan said.

happy janamastmi

jai shree krishna