Bhagavad Gita - Divine Life Society

1 Bhagavad GITA By SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA Sri Swami Sivananda Founder of The Divine Life Society SERVE, LOVE, GIVE, PURIFY, MEDITATE, REALIZE So Says Sri Swami Sivananda A Divine LIFE Society PUBLICATION World Wide Web (WWW) Edition: 2000 WWW site: This WWW reprint is for free distribution The Divine Life Trust Society Published By THE Divine LIFE Society SHIVANANDANAGAR 249 192 Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh, Himalayas, India. Dedicated to Bhagavan Vyasa and Lord Krishna Avatara of Lord Hari Flute-Bearer of Brindavan Joy of Devaki Beloved of Radha Redeemer of the Fallen Friend of Arjuna The Lakkshya of Devotees PUBLISHERS NOTETheBhagavad Gitais one of the world-scriptures today.

2 It guides the lives of people all overthe world. Mahatma Gandhi regarded it as the Mother , to whom the children (humanity) turnedwhen in distress. Sri Swami Sivananda wants us to study daily at least one discourse of thescripture, so that its great lessons are ever fresh in our discourse has been preceded by a short summary giving the substance of that discoursein a are extremely grateful to Sri Swami Chidananda, the World-President of the DivineLife Society , for hisForewordand assistance in the preparation of some of the Life SocietyShivanandanagarRishikesh, Note.

3 IvForeword .. viPreface .. viiIntroduction .. xviiPrayer to Vyasa .. 1 Prayer to the Guru .. 1 Prayer to Lord Krishna.. 1 Gita Mahatmya.. 3 Gita Dhyanam .. 71. The Yoga of the Despondency of Arjuna .. 92. Sankhya Yoga .. 163. The Yoga of Action .. 304. The Yoga of Wisdom .. 385. The Yoga of Renunciation of Action .. 466. The Yoga of Meditation .. 517. The Yoga of Wisdom and Realisation .. 608. The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman .. 659. The Yoga of the Kingly Science & the Kingly Secret.. 7110. The Yoga of the Divine Glories.

4 7711. The Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form.. 8412. The Yoga of Devotion .. 9513. The Yoga of Distinction Between The Field & the Knower of the Field .. 9914. The Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas .. 10515. The Yoga of the Supreme Spirit .. 11016. The Yoga of the Division Between the Divine and the Demoniacal .. 11517. The Yoga of the Division of the Threefold Faith .. 11918. The Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation .. 124vFOREWORDThe modern man in this present decade of the second half of the 20th century is greatly inneed of an effective guide to light.

5 He is groping. He sees only problems everywhere and nosolutions are to be found anywhere. He does not know which way to turn, what course to adopt andhow to move towards a better state of things. Therefore, his life is filled with restlessness,unhappiness and complication. TheBhagavad Gitacontains words of wisdom and practicalteachings that contain the answers to the above-mentioned condition of the present-day Gitais a message addressed to each and every human individual to help himor her to solve the vexing problem of overcoming the present and progressing towards a brightfuture.

6 This holy scripture is not just an old scripture , nor is it just a book of religious teachings ,nor even a Hindu holy book. It transcends the bounds of any particular religion or race, and isactually Divine wisdom addressed to mankind for all times, in order to help human beings face andsolve the ever-present problems of birth and death, of pain, suffering, fear, bondage, love and enables man to liberate himself from all limiting factors and reach a state of perfect balance, innerstability and mental peace, complete freedom from grief, fear and anxiety.

7 Within its eighteenchapters is revealed a human drama. This is the experience of everyone in this world, the drama ofthe ascent of man from a state of utter dejection, sorrow and total breakdown and hopelessness to astate of perfect understanding, clarity, renewed strength and discourse holds for you an invaluable new lesson and imparts a new understanding ofyourself in a marvellous way. The mystery of man, this world and God, is explained as perhapsnowhere else. The workings of your mind the real problem to your welfare and happiness howto overcome it, what the path to blessedness is, as also the path to perdition, the secret ofself-mastery and the way to peace amidst your daily activities and duties all these and more youwill find in this great treasure.

8 It is yours by which to enrich your the Western reader I would suggest that he carefully reads through the entire book he should commence it a second time. Upon the second reading he should adopt the method ofselectivity, not in reading but in what he takes from it. Such things as seem to be particularly Hinduand therefore, perhaps, not acceptable to him as a person of another faith, he can just pass bywithout being perturbed. But everything else that is of a purely philosophical, psychological,ethical and psychical nature, all these he can grasp and assimilate fully.

9 He will be wonderfullyenriched and supremely blessed. His life will become new from that moment. All clouds willvanish. Light will fill the heart and mind. I assure him of this. This is commend this wonderful gift of God unto every man and woman, towards his or hersupreme blessedness and highest Chidananda10th July, 1968 (Guru Purnima)viPREFACETheSrimad Bhagavad Gitais a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, narrated in theBhishma Parva of comprises eighteen discourses of a total of 701 Sanskritverses. A considerable volume of material has been compressed within these verses.

10 On thebattlefield of Kurukshetra, Sri Krishna, during the course of His most instructive and interestingtalk with Arjuna, revealed profound, sublime and soul-stirring spiritual truths, and expounded therare secrets of Yoga, Vedanta, Bhakti and the teachings of Lord Krishna were subsequently recorded as theSong CelestialorSrimad Bhagavad Gitaby Bhagavan Vyasa for the benefit of humanity at large. The world is undera great debt of gratitude to Bhagavan Vyasa who presented thisSong Celestialto humanity for theguidance of their daily conduct of life, spiritual upliftment and Self-realisation.