योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् Yogaḥ Karmasu Kauśalam [The above phrase is part of verse 2.50 of Bhagavad Gita] Expertise in action is Yoga. Yoga here implies union with Self or undivided mind ..read more

4 Category of people that fall under worshippers/seekers/devotees etc ..read more

The two reasons for creation are “upadana karan” and “nimitta karan”. “Upadana karan” refers to the material cause or the substance that is used to create something. In other words, it refers to the raw material or the building blocks used in creation. “Nimitta karan” refers to the instrumental cause or the factor that triggers the creation process. It refers to the agency or the force that initiates the creation. In the case of the spider and the web, both these causes become one. The spider uses its own substance or material to create the web, and it also acts as the instrumental cause or th ..read more

Maya, is often described as having two aspects: Avarana and Vikshepa. Avarana refers to the concealing or hiding aspect of Maya. It represents the veil of illusion that shrouds the true nature of reality, preventing individuals from perceiving the eternal spiritual truth. It creates a sense of ignorance or forgetfulness about the ultimate reality, leading individuals to identify with the temporary material world and its fleeting pleasures. Avarana deludes the soul into believing that the material world is the ultimate truth, thus perpetuating the cycle of birth and death. Vikshepa, on the oth ..read more

Question: According to the Bhagavad Gita, what are the four types of devotees? A) The distressed, the inquisitive, the materialistic, and the wise B) The ignorant, the envious, the lazy, and the sincere C) The passionate, the deluded, the angry, and the greedy D) The humble, the grateful, the loving, and the surrendered Answer: A) The distressed, the inquisitive, the materialistic, and the wise. Explanation: In Chapter 7, Verse 16 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna describes the four types of devotees. He says, “O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional serv ..read more

Verse 13.29 from the Bhagavad Gita: प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः। यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति।। 29।। The translation is: “One sees the fact who sees that all actions are performed by nature alone, and that the Self is actionless.” In this verse, the concept of action and inaction is explained in a deeper sense. It is stated that all actions are performed by nature (Prakriti) and that the true Self (Atman) is actionless. The individual self, or the ego who is identified with the body-mind mistakenly thinks that it is the doer of all actions. However, in reality, it is only t ..read more

Verse 14.5 of the Bhagavad Gita states: सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसंभवाः। निबध्नन्ति महाबाहो देहे देहिनंव्ययम्॥ “Sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ Nibadhnanti mahā-bāho dehe dehinam avyayam” This verse addressed to Arjuna, describes the three modes of material nature (guna) – sattva (truthfulness), rajas (dominance), and tamas (ignorance). These three modes arise from the material nature and bind the embodied soul to the body. The above teaching comes from Krishna who can be considered as Guru/guide. In ancient tradition of India, Guru is often given the status of God and K ..read more

Verse 2.31 of the Bhagavad Gita states: “स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि। धर्म्याद्धि युद्धाछ्रेयोऽन्यत्क्षत्रियस्य न विद्यते॥” This verse can be translated as: “Considering your duty as a Kshatriya, you should not waver. Indeed, for a Kshatriya, there is no better engagement than fighting for truth.” In this verse, Lord Krishna is addressing Arjuna, who is having doubts about fighting against his own relatives in the battle of Kurukshetra. Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to fulfill his duty as a Kshatriya, which is to fight for righteousness and justice. He encourages Arjuna to fight with ..read more

Verse 3.35 from the Bhagavad Gita: “śreyānsva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmātsv-anuṣṭhitāt | sva-dharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ ||” The phrase “śreyānsva-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmātsv-anuṣṭhitāt” means that one’s own duty, even if performed imperfectly, is better than another’s duty, even if it is performed perfectly. The phrase “sva-dharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ” means that even death while discharging one’s own duty is better than engaging in the duty of another as performing duty against one’s inherent nature causes fear. This verse teaches the importance of foll ..read more

Verse 4.7 from the Bhagavad Gita states: “Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharata Abhyutthanamadharmasya tadatmanam srjamyaham” This verse means “Whenever there is a decline in righteousness/truth, O Arjuna, and rise of unrighteousness/lies, then I manifest Myself.” Lord Krishna is saying that he incarnates on Earth whenever there is a decline in morality and truth/righteousness and a rise in immorality and lies/unrighteousness. The verse is often interpreted as a message of hope and reassurance to those who are struggling to maintain their faith and truth/righteousness in a world that c ..read more