Curated · The heart of the Gītā
Essential Verses
A hand-picked set of verses that carry the Gita’s core ideas — karma, devotion, knowledge, the mind, equanimity and surrender. A larger curated set is on the way.
47 Sankhya Yoga Essential कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ||२-४७|| 2.47 To work alone you have the right, and not to the fruits. Do not be impelled by the fruits of work. Nor have attachment to inaction. ›20 Sankhya Yoga Essential न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः |
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ||२-२०|| 2.20 It (the self) is never born; It never dies; having come into being once, It never ceases to be. Unborn, eternal, abiding and primeval, It is not slain when the body is slain. ›13 Sankhya Yoga Essential देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा |
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ||२-१३|| 2.13 Just as the self associated with a body passes through childhood, youth and old age (pertaining to that body), so too (at death) It passes into another body. A wise man is not deluded by that. ›14 Sankhya Yoga Essential मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः |
आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ||२-१४|| 2.14 The contact of senses with their objects, O Arjuna, gives rise to feelings of cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go, never lasing long. Endure them, O Arjuna. ›62 Sankhya Yoga Essential ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |
सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ||२-६२|| 2.62 To a man thinking about sense-objects, there arises attachment to them; form attachment arises desire, from desire arises anger; ›70 Sankhya Yoga Essential आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं
समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् |
तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे
स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ||२-७०|| 2.70 He into whom all desires enter as the waters enter the full and undisturbed sea, attains to peace, and not he who longs after objects of desire. ›8 Karma Yoga Essential नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः |
शरीरयात्रापि च ते न प्रसिद्ध्येदकर्मणः ||३-८|| 3.8 You must perform your obligatory action; for action is superior to non-action (Jnana Yoga). For a person following non-action not even the sustentation of the body is possible. ›20 Karma Yoga Essential कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः |
लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ||३-२०|| 3.20 Indeed by Karma Yoga alone did Janaka and others reach perfection. Even recognising its necessity for the guidance of the world, you must perform action. ›35 Karma Yoga Essential श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ||३-३५|| 3.35 Better is one's own duty, though ill-done, than the duty of another well-performed. Better is death in one's own duty; the duty of another is fraught with fear. ›7 Jnana Yoga Essential यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत |
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ||४-७|| 4.7 Whenever there is a decline of Dharma, O Arjuna, and uprising of Adharma, then I incarnate Myself. ›8 Jnana Yoga Essential परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् |
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ||४-८|| 4.8 For the protection of the good and also for the destruction of the wicked, for the establishment of Dharma, am I born from age to age. ›18 Karma Sannyasa Yoga Essential विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि |
शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः ||५-१८|| 5.18 The sages look with an eal eye on one endowed with learning and humility, a Brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater. ›5 Dhyana Yoga Essential उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ||६-५|| 6.5 One should raise the self by his own mind and not allow the self to sink; for the mind alone is the friend of the self, and the mind alone is the foe of the slef. ›22 Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga Essential अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते |
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ||९-२२|| 9.22 There are those who, excluding all else, think of Me and worship Me, aspiring after eternal union with Me. Their prosperity and welfare (Yoga and Ksema) are looked after by Me. ›26 Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga Essential पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः ||९-२६|| 9.26 Whoever offers Me with true devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or some water, I accept this offering made with devotion by him who is pure of heart. ›10 Vibhuti Yoga Essential तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकम् |
ददामि बुद्धियोगं तं येन मामुपयान्ति ते ||१०-१०|| 10.10 To those, who are ceaselessly united with Me and who worship Me with immense love, I lovingly grant that mental disposition (Buddhi-yoga) by which they come to Me. ›32 Vishwarupa Darsana Yoga Essential श्रीभगवानुवाच |
कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो
लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः |
ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे
येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः ||११-३२|| 11.32 The Lord said I am the world-destroying Time. Manifesting Myself fully, I have begun to destroy the worlds here. Even without You, none of the warriors arrayed in the hostile ranks shall survive. ›13 Bhakti Yoga Essential अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च |
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ||१२-१३|| 12.13 He who never hates any being, who is friendly and compassionate, who is free from the feelings of I and mine, who looks upon all pain and pleasure the same as and who is enduring; ›20 Bhakti Yoga Essential ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते |
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ||१२-२०|| 12.20 But those devotees who follow this nectar of virtuous-duty as taught above, who are full of faith and who regard Me as the Supreme - they are exceedingly dear to Me. ›29 Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga Essential समं पश्यन्हि सर्वत्र समवस्थितमीश्वरम् |
न हिनस्त्यात्मनात्मानं ततो याति परां गतिम् ||१३-२९|| 13.29 For, seeing the ruler (i.e., self) abiding alike in every place, he does not injure the self by the self (mind) and therefore reaches the highest goal. ›7 Purushottama Yoga Essential ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः |
मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ||१५-७|| 15.7 An everlasting part of Myself, having become the bound self in the world of life, attracts the senses, of which the mind is the sixth, and which abide in Prakrti. ›61 Moksha Sannyasa Yoga Essential ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति |
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ||१८-६१|| 18.61 The Lord, O Arjuna, abides in the heart of every being, spinning them round and round, mounted on a wheel as it were, by His power. ›62 Moksha Sannyasa Yoga Essential तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत |
तत्प्रसादात्परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम् ||१८-६२|| 18.62 Seek refuge in Him alone, O Arjuna, with the whole of your being. By His grace, you shall find supreme peace and eternal abode. ›63 Moksha Sannyasa Yoga Essential इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया |
विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ||१८-६३|| 18.63 Thus the knowledge, the mystery of mysteries, has been declared to you be Me. Reflecting on it fully, do what you will. ›66 Moksha Sannyasa Yoga Essential सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज |
अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ||१८-६६|| 18.66 Completely relinishing all Dharmas, seek Me alone for refuge. I will release you from all sins. Grieve not: ›