Notes

Summary
Blind King Dhritarashtra asks the poet Sanjaya to tell him the story of his family, the Kurus, clashing with the Pandavas in battle. Sanjaya retells how King Dhritarashtra's son, Prince Duryodhana, asks his teacher, Drona, to look out at the assembled forces. Duryodhana points to the strong and formidable members of the Pandava army that includes both Krishna and Arjuna. He then turns to the powerful people in his own army, mentioning great warriors among them. Duryodhana proudly proclaims the Kuru army is limitless, whereas the Pandavas are much smaller. Both armies blow conch shells that echo "throughout heaven and earth," calling the warriors to battle.

Arjuna tells Krishna to drive the chariot carrying them so they can stand between the two armies. He wants "to look at the men gathered ... to do battle service for Dhritarashtra's evil-minded son." Krishna directs Arjuna's attention to all the Kurus ready to battle one another. Arjuna is overwhelmed with dread as he looks out at the opposing armies made up of his kinsmen. Not wanting to fight his family even if they are foes, he tells Krishna that he sees "evil omens ... from killing my kinsmen in battle." Arjuna tells Krishna it would be better to let himself be killed in the battle without resistance than to fight this terrible battle.

Analysis
The opening chapter of the Gita introduces the two opposing armies and their principal members. Looking out at his army, Prince Duryodhana feels invincible despite the strength of the Pandava fighters. Duryodhana's description of the scene introduces the reader to the principal figures in each army. Prince Duryodhana's family members are referred to as the Kurus because they are descendants of King Kuru. However, through much of the Mahabharata these descendants are called the Kauravas. The Pandavas are also descendants of the Kuru clan, but as the "sons of Pandu" they are known as the Pandavas. As Arjuna points out to Krishna, the Pandavas and the Kauravas are actually cousins because all are descended from the same king: Kuru.

Arjuna's conversation with Krishna opens the dialogue that forms the Bhagavad Gita section of the Mahabharata epic. Arjuna's reluctance and despair at the thought of killing his kinsmen forms the basis of the subsequent conversation with his charioteer, the god Krishna. It is important to note Arjuna's reference to the caste system and his belief in its purpose. Arjuna fears that by killing his kinsmen he will be doing evil that will seep into the family structure and cause the mixing of castes. Arjuna understands the intermingling of castes to be a disaster that could bring down their great family. However, what he proposes—to go into battle unarmed and let himself be killed—is a form of inaction. By refusing to act he hopes to avoid creating bad karma, or fate, for himself and thus not be responsible in this life or in the next for the perpetuation of evil.Summary
Krishna responds to Arjuna by arguing that such timidity at this moment is "unworthy of a noble mind." Still, Arjuna insists that he cannot bear the thought of killing his kinsmen. In verses 11–17 Krishna explains that Arjuna's "sorrow is sheer delusion" because physical sensations are transitory—just as life and death are transitory. Everything that exists has always existed. Arjuna and his family will simply pass from one body to the next in each life. Krishna urges Arjuna to do his duty in this life because his "Self" is eternal and part of the eternal fabric of the universe. Thus, Arjuna cannot really kill or be killed because it is only the body that can die.

In verse 31 Krishna insists that Arjuna's duty in this life is a warrior's duty. Therefore, Arjuna must live to his highest potential by fulfilling that duty. Krishna warns about the danger of becoming too focused on scripture instead of on meditation to clear the mind of confusion and desire. Action must be done for the sake of action and not for the sake of attachment to the results of that action. This is the way of karma yoga, Krishna explains. When Arjuna asks Krishna to describe the way a wise man moves in the world, Krishna answers that the wise man submerges his mind in meditation and learns to withdraw from the sensory confusion of the world. According to Krishna, sensation is the root cause of desire, which causes suffering and disguises the truth. Individuals must have self-control and self-discipline to achieve a state in which desires can flow through them without affecting them.

Analysis
There is much conversation, starting in this chapter and continuing throughout the Gita, about the concept of the Self. Krishna's discussion often distinguishes the Self from the "I-sense," or ego. The self is the pure and elevated essence of a being, referred to in Sanskrit as the atman. It is unaffected by the physical world or by birth and death. Krishna provides the image of the Self shucking and changing bodies like clothing. Much of Krishna's advice to Arjuna involves letting go of ego and becoming wise through the understanding of the true Self.

Krishna lectures Arjuna on two types of yogic philosophy over the course of these verses. The first type is knowledge based, and the second is action based. What the translator refers to as "philosophy" in verse 39 is called Sankhya or jnana, Sanskrit words meaning "knowledge." This yoga deals with understanding the Self and existence. It investigates the nature of the Self in relation to the universe. Krishna interweaves Sankhya yogic philosophy in his lecture as he shifts the conversation to include karma yoga, or the yoga of action.

The point of karma yoga, as Krishna explains, is to perform action without attachment to the outcome of that action. In other words, karma yoga is the philosophy of doing right action and duty as opposed to selfish action. In doing right action, individuals do not accrue more karma but instead free themselves from the karmic consequences of their action. Through the practice of karma yoga, or selfless action, a person may move closer to samadhi, or a liberated mind.Summary
Confused, Arjuna asks why Krishna seems to advocate the path of knowledge and understanding while pushing Arjuna to do action. Krishna then explains two paths: knowledge (Sankhya or jnana) and action (karma). Some people are suited to the first path, and others to the second. Krishna proposes that right action is another form of worship and that only by doing necessary and right action can the Self find freedom. Right action from "great men" also sets a standard for ordinary people to follow. Krishna notes that he himself engages in action despite needing or desiring nothing. If he were to stop, humankind would follow his example and fall into the trap of inaction. Krishna also encourages Arjuna to take the egocentric I out of his actions and avoid the trap of thinking "I am the doer" of any action. Instead, Arjuna should understand that action is simply the gunas acting upon the gunas. Krishna insists that "it is better to do your own duty / badly, than to perfectly do / another's."

Arjuna then asks Krishna what drives men to evil action. Krishna explains they are driven by the guna called rajas, or the quality that includes passion and violence. The presence of too much of this guna causes people to act out of desire and anger, thus causing evil action. To avoid this, Krishna insists, the mind must be stronger than the senses and understanding of the Self stronger than the mind.

Analysis
To understand why some people are born to take the path of action while others the path of understanding, it is important to return to the caste system. Arjuna, being of the warrior caste, is suited to the path of action through his birth. Someone of the Brahmin, or priest, caste would likely be suited to the yoga of knowledge and understanding, practiced in meditation and the study of scripture.

Central to Krishna's explanation of action versus inaction or wrong action is the concept of the three gunas. Guna can be translated as "quality" or "trait," and the three gunas are the three primary qualities of all existence. They are sattva: purity and constructiveness; rajas: passion; and tamas: darkness and destruction. An imbalance of these qualities results in an imbalanced world. In the example Krishna uses, a person with too much rajas will be ruled by passion and ego and thus engage in evil or wrong action.

The concept of duty is central to Krishna's discussion and the worldview of the individuals involved. "Duty" is the rough translation of the Sanskrit word dharma, which can be explained as an all-encompassing ideology that includes ritual and moral behavior. As Krishna explains in these verses, neglect of dharma "would have bad social and personal consequences." Arjuna attempts to honor his dharma to the best of his ability. He struggles to understand where his true duty lies and how he can best perform "worship" in this situation. Krishna explains that Arjuna's duty and worship lie in following through on his dharma, which, as a warrior, is to fight the battle in front of him.Summary
Krishna reveals that he is transmitting an ancient teaching to Arjuna. Though Krishna has taught this wisdom to gods and others before Arjuna, it has become diluted and lost with time. Arjuna inquires that this loss is possible because Krishna was "born countless eons / later than the god of the sun." Krishna clarifies that he has been born countless times, is eternal, and comes to earth in human form when "righteousness falters / and chaos threatens to prevail." In his present incarnation, Krishna is here to help Arjuna understand the complex nature of action. Krishna explains that God is in action through worship and that in this context God is both the actor and the action. Worship, or sacrifice, has many paths, including the paths of meditation, self-denial, and study of scriptures. However, these paths are subsets of the main path of right action. Wisdom is the outcome of right action. Thus, it is important to have a wise teacher as a guide.

Analysis
This chapter introduces the important term sacrifice. The concept of sacrifice in the Hindu— specifically the Vedic—tradition has a nuanced meaning. Originally, the sacrifice consisted of rituals and offerings, such as water or food, around a sacred fire. Increasingly, the idea referred more generally to holy ritual. The statement "men sacrifice to the gods" really refers to the practice of ritual. The Sanskrit word for sacrifice is "yajna," which this text sometimes translates as "sacrifice" and other times as "worship." Both refer to the same idea of "right action" as a ritual through which the doer experiences wisdom and truth.

Although there are many paths to God and many paths of worship or sacrifice, it is critical to remember that Krishna is specifically urging Arjuna on the path of karma yoga, or right action. In fact, Krishna argues, all other paths are born of this primary path of action. This path is right for Arjuna the warrior but might not be right for a Brahmin scholar. However, because Krishna believes each path includes action, the path of right action is the underlying path regardless.

When Krishna insists that wisdom is achieved through right action—or action—or worship, his meaning becomes somewhat convoluted. At times, he argues that the pursuit of knowledge can simply perpetuate the delusion of the ego and a preoccupation with the senses. The knowledge that relates to the wisdom achieved through right action is a separate concept. The first type of knowledge comes from focusing solely on gaining knowledge with a purpose such as self-advancement. The type of wisdom Krishna insists comes from practicing karma yoga can be framed as an understanding of the nature of existence and the ability to see the truth beyond the illusory world of the senses.Summary
Arjuna asks Krishna whether the path of renunciation or the path of action is better for him. Krishna replies that both paths are good but that the path of karma yoga is more direct. The path of renunciation and the path of action both lead to the Self if practiced deeply. Both the wise sage and the doer of karma yoga practice action, whether it be action in battle or action of the mind in studying scriptures, without attachment to the results. Ignorance of the Self is what causes men to "act badly." Krishna insists that "wise men regard all beings / as equal," understanding that the Self at the core of all beings is the same, only clothed in different bodies.

Analysis
This chapter mixes the concepts of renunciation, or sannyasa, with the previously discussed idea of the knowledge-yoga path. Because both ideas are used relatively interchangeably here, it can be assumed the path of renunciation is also the path of Sankhya yoga, or the yoga of wisdom and knowledge. Krishna posits that both are legitimate paths to the truth and the true Self. In devoting oneself to one of these paths, one can ultimately achieve both. The practices of meditating, renouncing worldly pleasures, and studying the scriptures are actions that lead to the wisdom of understanding the true Self and to liberation from suffering. The path of karma yoga also leads to the same wisdom. Krishna explains that in this way, the two paths lead to the same place and involve both action and gaining understanding. The difference is that some people are led by their circumstances of birth to seek the Self primarily through renunciation or knowledge, and some, like Arjuna, are meant to seek it through the yoga of action.Summary
According to Krishna, right action, or karma yoga, is also renunciation because it requires the person to renounce their "own selfish will." The self—consisting of the mind, senses, and body—can aid the soul of a person who has already mastered those things. That same self is also what keeps a person from realizing their true inner Self. People may let themselves be governed by their mind, body, and senses instead of controlling them.

To practice yoga, one must master the practice of meditation. This practice includes sitting in a clean place covered by a cloth, concentrating on a "single object," keeping the posture straight, and being moderate in sleeping and eating. Meditation brings calm and peace to the mind, which then dissolves to reveal the Self. This practice of yoga through meditation leads to the freeing of the Self from suffering or sorrow. Arjuna inquires how the mind can be quieted, for it is "as hard to master as the wind." Krishna responds it is difficult but can be achieved with self-restraint and discipline. When Arjuna worries what becomes of people with faith but no self-discipline, Krishna reassures him that this type of person is not lost. Any goodness done will only perpetuate more goodness, and a person with no self-discipline may find peace and "attain the ultimate goal" in a future life.

Analysis
Krishna becomes very specific in this chapter, explaining exactly how to practice meditation and describing its necessary components. His outline of the correct way to practice meditation is recognizable in many contemporary meditation practices. The straight posture, focus on one object, regulated breathing, and even the prescribed sitting in a clean place on some type of cloth (or mat) are familiar elements of many meditation traditions. Krishna emphasizes moderation in eating, sleeping, and waking, noting that if one eats or sleeps too much or too little, it can hinder the body in meditation.

In this chapter, use of the lower-case self in conjunction with the upper-case Self may cause confusion about Krishna's message. When the text refers to the self, it is usually referring to the elements of the earthly self, such as the mind, the body, and the senses. Self with a capital S refers to the soul, or the part of a being that is housed in the body but is never changing and continuously reborn. As aforementioned, this is referred to as the atman.

The way the text uses the terms Self and God almost interchangeably may also be difficult to interpret. In fact, there are numerous interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita's message, depending on schools of thought. Two distinctive schools are touched upon in this text: the nondualist school and the bhakti school. The nondualist school proposes that the "Self" and "God" are ultimately the same, not two separate entities—thus "nondual." The bhakti, or devotion-based tradition, emphasizes a personal relationship with a deity. Both ideas are important to the Gita. Teaching Arjuna how to reach liberation through the path of yoga, realizing the Self and thus God, Krishna says, "He who is rooted in oneness / realizes that I am / in every being." Krishna also has a personal relationship with Arjuna and teaches him that doing right action and practicing yoga are also types of worship and devotion. He instructs Arjuna to "love [him] with perfect faith / bring your whole self to [him]." These two concepts may have distinct schools built around them in the Hindu tradition, but Krishna unites them within the Bhagavad Gita.Summary
Krishna tells Arjuna he will explain how one can know him (God) by practicing nonattachment. Krishna focuses now on imparting to Arjuna that he (God) is the fundamental essence of the universe and that his current form is just an earthly incarnation. Most people, Krishna explains, cannot understand that he is the essence in all things. Ignorant people are caught up in Krishna's power, in all he has created that they can perceive. Others, however, can see beyond the three gunas and recognize God as the eternal essence of all. Krishna divides those who worship him into four types: the person in distress, the power-seeker, the wisdom-seeker, and the sage. The sage is the type that already has achieved serenity of mind through yoga and meditation and understands the nature of God and Self. People who understand the nature of God also "know absolute freedom, / and the Self, and the nature of action."

Analysis
Krishna's dialogue takes a decidedly devotional, or bhakti, turn in this chapter. His focus is now on the understanding of God instead of the paths to achieve understanding or liberation. Krishna explains he is the essence not only of all existence but also of the perceivable world. Just as he is incarnated in a body, he is both the essence of the universe and its material. What he is trying to convey to Arjuna is that people are often misled by the parts of him or the world they experience with their senses, failing to understand his nature as the essence of being beyond what can be perceived. Krishna also states that people may still find him (God) by worshipping other deities in addition to Krishna because he is all gods. This idea can be—and has been—interpreted to mean both that Krishna is the supreme God and all others representations of him and that Krishna and all other deities are each manifestations of the God that is also the Self.