• Get The Book
  • Home
  • About
  • Daily Prayer
  • Resources For Further Study

A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

~ Gita Journey is a straightforward, modern, contemporary, basic explanation and commentary of the Bhagawat Gita, with Sanskrit to English word meanings. Each shloka (verse) is explained in detail. An introduction to the Bhagavad Gita along with study resources can also be found here. A summary of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is also included. It does not matter whether you are a student, a retiree, a professional, a mom, a dad or a housewife – no prior knowledge is needed.

A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

Category Archives: kaanshati

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 12

27 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 12.17, bhaktimaan, chapter 12 verse 17, dveshti, hrishyati, kaanshati, me, na, priyaha, saha, shochati, shubhaashubhaparityaagee, yaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 12

yo na hrishyati na dveshti na shochati na kaanshati |
shubhaashubhaparityaagee bhaktimaanhyaha sa me priyaha || 17 ||

 
He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither rejoices nor grieves, he who has given up good and bad, he who is (such a) devoted person, he is dear to me.
 
yaha : he who
na : not
hrishyati : rejoices
na : not
dveshti : hates
na : not
shochati : grieves
na : not
kaanshati : desires
shubhaashubhaparityaagee : given up good and bad
bhaktimaan : devoted person
yaha : he who
saha : he
me : me
priyaha : dear
 
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna described the attitude of a perfected devotee towards the performance of actions. He now elaborates upon the attitude of a perfected devotee towards situations, objects, thoughts and emotions that he encounters. These may come to him either as a result of his actions or as a matter of course in his daily life.
 
When we usually encounter a situation or obtain an object, we are either attracted to it, repulsed by it or are indifferent to it. Attraction generates desires that are stored in our mind, and repulsion generates negative desires, a list of things we would like to stay away from. If we eventually get the favourable object, or hold on to the favourable situation long enough, we become “harshita”, we rejoice. But if we lose that object or situation, which is bound to happen sometime, we become “shochita”, we grieve. Attraction, revulsion, desire, hatred, joy, grief – this is how most of us usually operate.
 
The perfected devotee, however, has tackled this problem at its root. He has stopped labelling any object, person, situation or thought as either good or bad, because it is exactly this labelling that starts the chain reaction of attraction, desire, joy and sorrow. He is like the model student who does not label his teacher’s feedback as good or bad, whether it be praise or criticism, because he has the utmost faith in his teacher. The perfected devotee accepts all objects and situations as Ishvara’s blessings, does what he has to do, and moves on. Shri Krishna says that one who accepts whatever comes with way due to his faith and devotion to Ishvara, is dear to him.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 5

07 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 5.3, bandhaat, chapter 5 verse 3, dveshti, hi, jneyah, kaanshati, mahaabaaho, na, nirdvandvaha, nitya, pramuchyate, saha, sannyasee, sukham, yaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 5

jneyah sa nityasannyaasee yo na dveshti na kaanshati |
nirdvandvo hi mahaabaaho sukham bandhaatpramuchyate || 3 ||

He who does not hate anything, nor expects anything, know him to be an eternal renouncer. For one who is free from duality, O mighty-armed, he happily casts off bondage.

jneyah : know
saha : that
nitya : eternal
sannyaasee : renouncer
yaha : he who
na : does not
dveshti : hate anything
na : does not
kaanshati : expect anything
nirdvandvaha : free from duality
hi : for
mahaabaaho : O mighty-armed
sukham : happily
bandhaat : bondage
pramuchyate : casts off

During the time of the Mahabhaarata war, and even now, there existed a fixed ideal of what it means to become a renouncer, which was that one runs away from the world to some remote place. Shri Krishna needed to change that ideal completely. So he defines what it means to be a renouncer or sannyaasi in this shloka. A renouncer is one who completely gives up his ego, not external objects and situations.

In that regard, Shri Krishna says that if we have three qualities: freedom from hatred, expectation and duality, that person is a true renouncer. Firstly, if something is obstacle to happiness, or someone is giving us sorrow, we generate hatred for that person or object. Secondly, if we always keep thinking that we will become happy in the future, we generate expectations, taking consciousness away from the present and into the future. Finally, if we only get attracted to certain aspects of our existence, the other aspects will torture us and bind us. This is what is meant by duality.

So therefore, one who has become free from these 3 qualities has truly renounced the material world, even if he continues to perform his duties. This is a high standard indeed. Having clarified the definition of snanyaasi, Shri Krishna compares a sannyaasi to a karmayogi in the next shloka.

New! Youtube Channel

Watch our YouTube videos!

All shokas (verses) available here:

Most Visited Verses

  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 4
  • Summary Of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1
  • Summary of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 62-63, Chapter 2
  • Summary of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 32, Chapter 9
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 38, Chapter 3
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 9
  • Bhagavad Gita Verse 27, Chapter 3
  • Summary of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11

Give Feedback

Email the author: gkmdisc at hotmail.com

Books By The Author

The entire Gita book written by the author of this blog, as well as shorter, easier to read versions of the Gita are available here.

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning
    • Join 118 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar