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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: yajnyaha

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 17

27 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 17, 7, aahaaraha, bhavati, bhedam, chapter 17 verse 7, daanam, imam, priyaha, sarvasya, shrunu, tapaha, tathaa, teshaam, trividhaha, yajnyaha

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aahaararastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaha |
yajnyastapastathaa daanam teshaam bhedamimam shrunu || 7 ||

 
Food, also, which is dear to all, is of three types, and similarly, sacrifice, penance and charity. Hear this, their distinction.
 
aahaaraha : food
tu : and
api : also
sarvasya : all
trividhaha : three types
bhavati : is
priyaha : dear
yajnyaha : sacrifice
tapaha : penance
tathaa : similarly
daanam : charity
teshaam : these
bhedam : distinction
imam : this
shrunu : hear
 
Shri Krishna now begins to explain the method by which we can analyze the texture or the nature of our faith. The principle here is to assess the attitude with which we perform actions. The type of attitude maintained while performing an action will reveal whether our faith is saatvic, raajasic or taamasic. Shri Krishna covers the entire spectrum of actions performed by us with just four categories: our intake of food, sacrifice, penance and charity. To better understand these categories, we need to understand the underlying symbolic meaning.
 
We have come across broader meaning of the term yajnya or sacrifice in karma yoga. It refers to any action or transaction with another person or object while adhering to our duty. If we are an accountant by profession, then earning a livelihood as an accountant becomes a yajyna or sacrifice. Next, tapas or penance is the means by which we conserve energy needed to perform our duties. A scientist will give up innumerable opportunities to party because he is performing an experiment in his lab in the night. This is penance. Daanam or charity refers to the donation of excess wealth accumulated while performing our duties. The act of charity helps reduce our level of lobha or greed.
 
The intake of food or aahaara is given its own category. It different than sacrifice, penance or austerity for a couple of reasons. Any action performed towards feeding the body gives its phala, its result, immediately. But any other type of action gives its result much later. Furthermore, the result of feeding our body is restricted to the body, not to anything or anyone else. That is why people who are very diligent in their duties can become lax in their dietary habits. Food is analyzed in great detail in the next three shlokas.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 16

27 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 16.1, aarjavam, abhayam, chapter 16 verse 1, daanam, damaha, jnyaanayoga, sattvasamshuddihi, svaadhyaayaha, tapaha, vysavasthitihi, yajnyaha

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Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
abhayam sattvasamshuddirjnyaanayogavysavasthitihi |
daanam damashcha yajnyashcha svaadhyaayastapa aarjavam || 1 ||

 
Shree Bhagavaan said:
Fearlessness, purity of mind, steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge, charity, self control, worship, self study, penance and straightforwardness.

 
abhayam : fearlessness
sattvasamshuddihi : purity of mind
jnyaanayoga : yoga of knowledge
vysavasthitihi : steadfastness
daanam : charity
damaha : self control
cha : and
yajnyaha : worship
cha : and
svaadhyaayaha : self study
tapaha : penance
aarjavam : straightforwardness
 
Some commentators believe that the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth chapters of the Gita are used to clarify points that were hinted at in the prior chapters, almost like an appendix. This chapter is one of the more practical chapters in the Gita, and picks up on a statement made in the ninth chapter where three types of people – divine, devilish and evil. It describes two sets of qualities, divine and devilish, so that we can do an assessment of where we stand, to understand which qualities to tone down and which qualities to emphasize.
 
Shri Krishna says that the first divine quality is abhayam or fearlessness. Once we realize that the universe is a play of Ishvara’s Prakriti, and our role in it is to exhaust or desires, we automatically develop fearlessness. We are even able to be fearless of death, the greatest fear, because we have understood that death applies to the body, not to the self. Another source of fear is loss or harm caused to our property and our relationships. If we remove the label of mine from everything, and recognize that everything is Ishvara’s, fear automatically goes away.
 
The next quality is sattva samshuddhi, purity of mind. Sattva here refers to the antahakarana, the mind and the senses, because they are created from the sattva aspect of Prakriti. The foremost indication of a pure mind is the absence of any thought of cheating someone else, or cheating oneself. Even if we know that someone has done something wrong, we should tactfully deal with the situation, without putting them on the spot, or by making fun of them.
 
Let’s now look at what is meant by jnyaanam or knowledge. True knowledge is knowledge of our own self, the answer to the question who am I. This knowledge is passed on from teacher to student through detailed study and analysis of the scriptures. Also, yoga refers to any process that connect us to something higher. So then, the third quality of jnyaana yoga avasthithi refers to the process of internalizing this knowledge by withdrawing the sense organs and mind from the play of the world, and constantly abiding in this knowledge.
 
We have seen how the notion that something is mine or something is my property can become a hinderance in the spiritual journey. An easy way to counter this notion of mine-ness is to engage in daanam or charity, the fourth quality. Whenever we feel that our pride in our possessions is increasing, we should examine where it is coming from, and weed out the source of our pride though charity. However, charity cannot be performed haphazardly. We have to put a lot of thought into what we are giving, how we are giving, when we are giving and so on. This is covered in great detail in the seventeenth chapter.
 
Another obstacle in the spiritual journey is the importance we give to our sense organs. They are kept in check by the fifth quality which is damaha or sense control. The natural tendency of the sense organs is to demand objects that are pleasant to them, but probably not beneficial to our personality as a whole. The tongue wants unhealthy foods, for instance. But it is important to note that like anything else, moderation is prescribed rather than complete denial, which has its own problems.
 
The sixth divine quality is that of yajnya, a topic that was covered elaborately in the fourth chapter. Essentially, it means that our dealings with the world should be performed thoughtfully. We owe our daily existence to our teachers, our deities, our environment, our ancestors, our fellow human beings and to nature. The payoff of these debts gave rise to the five types of yajnyas that are prescribed in the scriptures. The culmination of the spirit of yajnya is the giving up of our sense of I, our identity, to Ishvara.
 
For most children, and even for adults, studying is a boring and dreadful exercise, something to be dispensed off quickly. But Shri Krishna says that studying of the Gita, the Vedas, the Puraanas, any spiritual text, is an essential quality of the seeker. The emphasis is on the word self, which has two implications. We should be forced to study by someone else. The inspiration should come from within. Also, we should perform introspection, and not use the teaching to analyze and improve other people.
 
Tapaha or penance and austerity is the eighth divine quality. Austerity is not to be taken literally where one retires into the jungle and shuns all worldly duties. It refers to the fulfilling of one’s duties while staying firm in the face of any obstacles, and by not wasting time and energy at the level of body, mind or intellect. Doing so requires patience and tact, but the payoff is the buildup of a reservoir of energy that can be channelized for spiritual pursuits. Further details on the various types of tapaha are found in the seventeenth chapter.
 
The ninth divine quality is aarjavam or straightforwardness. It refers to those who mean what they say and say what they mean. Their actions, speech and thought are aligned. There is no hint of crookedness or deceit in their dealings. It should be construed as being overly simple in a negative sense. Whenever we notice that we have strayed from this quality, it usually means that selfishness has entered into our system, and we need to correct it.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 16, Chapter 9

11 Saturday Aug 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 9.16, aajyam, agnihi, aham, aushadham, chapter 9 verse 16, hutam, kratuhu, mantraha, svadhaa, yajnyaha

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aham kraturaham yajnyaha svadhaahamahamaushadham |
mantrohamahamevaajyamamagniraham hutam || 16 ||

 
I am the vedic ritual, I am the sacrifice, I am the oblation, I am the herb, I am the chant, I am the butter, I am the fire and I am the act of offering.
 
aham : I am
kratuhu : vedic ritual
yajnyaha : sacrifice
svadhaa : oblation
aushadham : herb
mantraha : chant
aajyam : butter
agnihi : fire
hutam : act of offering
 
Shri Krishna begins to enumerate several opportunities to see Ishvara in our life. It is not enough to consider Ishvara as a finite resident in a picture or an idol. We should be able to incorporate Ishvara in all aspects of our lives. In this shloka, Shri Krishna emphasizes work as a connection to Ishvara by saying that Ishvara is present within all aspects of action.
 
During the time of the Mahabharata war, Vedic rituals were a part and parcel of life and were well understood by all. To that end, Shri Krishna asks Arjuna to view Ishvara in each and every aspect of the vedic ritual. Since such rituals comprise herbs, butter, chanting, fire, and offering of oblations, Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is present in all of them. Arjuna would have had no trouble in ensuring that Ishvara was ever present in such a ritual after he heard this shloka.
 
We, however, lack exposure to such rituals, and therefore we adapt this shloka towards any action that we perform daily. For example, if we are cooking a meal for our family, we can see Ishvara in the cooking flame, in the spices, in the vegetables, in the oil, in the knife and so on. Or if we spend a lot of time creating documents on the computer, then we can try to see Ishvara in the laptop, the mouse, the word document, the browser and so on.
 
Shri Krishna, by redefining action as worship of Ishvara, does not demarcate when and who can worship Ishvara. Sant Kabirdas was a cobbler and Arjuna was a warrior. But both of them could access Ishvara without leaving their respective professions. We have the opportunity to do the very same thing. It is our attitude while performing our work which is most important.
 
Further means to access Ishvara are provided next.

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