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श्रीमद्भगवद्गीताBhagavad Gita

18 chapters · 700 verses · Eternal wisdom spoken by Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra

18 Chapters

Chapter 147 verses

अर्जुन विषाद योग

Arjuna's Dilemma

Arjuna surveys the battlefield of Kurukshetra, sees his kinsmen on both sides, and is overcome with grief and despair, l…

Chapter 272 verses

सांख्य योग

The Yoga of Knowledge

Krishna begins his counsel, explaining the immortality of the soul, the nature of duty, and introducing the foundational…

Chapter 343 verses

कर्म योग

The Yoga of Action

Krishna elaborates on the path of selfless action, explaining that all beings must act and that action done as a duty wi…

Chapter 442 verses

ज्ञान कर्म संन्यास योग

The Yoga of Knowledge and Renunciation

Krishna reveals the eternal nature of his divine manifestations, the importance of spiritual knowledge, and the secret o…

Chapter 529 verses

कर्म संन्यास योग

The Yoga of Renunciation

Krishna reconciles renunciation of action with the path of action, teaching that the wise see no difference between the …

Chapter 647 verses

आत्मसंयम योग

The Yoga of Self-Mastery

Krishna describes the practices of meditation and self-discipline, the characteristics of a true yogi, and the state of …

Chapter 730 verses

ज्ञान विज्ञान योग

The Yoga of Wisdom and Realisation

Krishna reveals his divine nature as the source of all creation, the two natures (lower and higher) and why, despite his…

Chapter 828 verses

अक्षर ब्रह्म योग

The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman

Krishna explains the nature of Brahman, the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction, and the path of the soul after dea…

Chapter 934 verses

राजविद्या राजगुह्य योग

The Yoga of Royal Knowledge

Krishna discloses the most secret and royal knowledge — the nature of his all-pervasive presence, his relationship to al…

Chapter 1042 verses

विभूति योग

The Yoga of Divine Manifestations

Krishna enumerates his divine glories — how he is the essence of all that is great, luminous, or powerful in creation — …

Chapter 1155 verses

विश्वरूप दर्शन योग

The Vision of the Universal Form

At Arjuna's request, Krishna grants him divine vision to behold the Vishvarupa — the cosmic, all-devouring universal for…

Chapter 1220 verses

भक्ति योग

The Yoga of Devotion

Krishna declares devotion (bhakti) as the highest and most direct path, and describes the qualities of a true devotee — …

Chapter 1334 verses

क्षेत्र क्षेत्रज्ञ विभाग योग

The Field and the Knower of the Field

Krishna distinguishes between the body (the field) and the soul (the knower of the field), and between the lower materia…

Chapter 1427 verses

गुणत्रय विभाग योग

The Three Modes of Nature

Krishna explains the three gunas — sattva (purity), rajas (passion), and tamas (inertia) — how they bind the soul and ho…

Chapter 1520 verses

पुरुषोत्तम योग

The Supreme Person

Using the metaphor of the Ashvattha tree, Krishna describes the illusory nature of the material world and reveals himsel…

Chapter 1624 verses

दैवासुर सम्पद् विभाग योग

The Divine and Demoniac Natures

Krishna contrasts divine qualities (fearlessness, purity, compassion) with demoniac traits (arrogance, cruelty, desire),…

Chapter 1728 verses

श्रद्धात्रय विभाग योग

The Three Divisions of Faith

Krishna classifies worship, food, sacrifice, and austerity according to the three gunas, emphasising that every action m…

Chapter 1878 verses

मोक्ष संन्यास योग

The Yoga of Liberation and Renunciation

The culminating chapter: Krishna summarises all paths — knowledge, devotion, action — and delivers the final and supreme…

Common Questions

Frequently Asked

How many verses are in the Bhagavad Gita?

The Bhagavad Gita contains 700 verses (shlokas) across 18 chapters (adhyayas). It is embedded within the Mahabharata epic (Bhishma Parva, chapters 23–40) and is the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

Who wrote the Bhagavad Gita?

The Bhagavad Gita is traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa (Ved Vyasa), who composed the Mahabharata. Within the epic, the Gita is the discourse spoken by Lord Krishna to Prince Arjuna just before the Kurukshetra War, approximately 400 BCE–200 CE.

What is the most famous verse of the Bhagavad Gita?

Bhagavad Gita 2.47 — "Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana" — is the most widely quoted verse globally. It translates as: "You have the right to perform your duty, but never to the fruits of action." It is the foundational teaching of Karma Yoga and has been cited by Gandhi, referenced in 3 Idiots, Rang De Basanti, and countless other works.

What does the Bhagavad Gita say about death?

The Gita teaches that the soul (Atman) is eternal and indestructible. BG 2.20 states: "The soul is never born nor dies at any time. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain." BG 2.22 uses the metaphor of discarding worn-out clothes: the soul simply takes a new body.

Which chapter should a beginner start with?

Most scholars recommend beginning with Chapter 2 (Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge). It contains the Gita's essential teachings in condensed form: the immortality of the soul, the nature of Karma Yoga, and the description of a wise person (sthitaprajna). It is effectively a summary of the entire Gita.

What does the Bhagavad Gita say about anxiety and stress?

The Gita addresses anxiety directly at its root: attachment to outcomes. BG 2.47 teaches to act without fixation on results — the primary source of stress. BG 6.5 says: "Let a man lift himself by his own mind; let him not depress himself. For the self is the friend of the self, and the self is also the enemy." BG 2.14 adds: sensory discomforts are transient — endure them.

What Bhagavad Gita verse did Oppenheimer quote?

J. Robert Oppenheimer quoted Bhagavad Gita 11.32 after witnessing the Trinity atomic test on July 16, 1945. He recalled the verse as: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" — his translation of the Sanskrit "Kālo'smi loka-kṣhaya-kṛt pravṛddho" (I am mighty Time, the world-destroying). This moment is recreated in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023).

What are the three main paths (Yogas) taught in the Bhagavad Gita?

The Gita teaches three primary paths to liberation: (1) Karma Yoga — the path of selfless action without attachment to results (chapters 3–5); (2) Jnana Yoga — the path of knowledge and understanding the difference between the body and the eternal soul (chapters 13–18); and (3) Bhakti Yoga — the path of devotion and surrender to God (chapters 7–12). All three paths are presented as valid routes to the same destination.