Srimad Bhagavadgita
The Song Celestial — a timeless dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna on duty, action, knowledge, devotion, self-realization and the art of living.
700
Sanskrit Verses
18
Chapters (Yogas)
5127
Years of Wisdom
∞
Universal Relevance
Introduction
Bhagavadgita is the timeless dialogue between Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Jagadguru — the Universal Teacher — and Arjuna. It is a conversation that begins in a moment of confusion and becomes a profound exploration of duty, action, knowledge, devotion and the nature of the Self.
Its setting may be the battlefield of Kurukshetra, but its questions belong to every human life.
How should we act when circumstances are difficult?
How do we fulfil our responsibilities without losing ourselves?
What gives life a meaning?
How do we overcome fear, confusion and attachment?
Across its 18 chapters, Bhagavadgita offers different paths of understanding and practice — ultimately presenting wisdom not merely to be read, but to be lived.
Where it comes from
Bhagavan Sri Krishna imparted this knowledge of the Self to Arjuna 5127 years ago as of today.
Bhagavadgita, the summarized essence of the Upanishads, is a thriving philosophical treatise of 700 verses systematically divided into 18 chapters, each one expounding one specific philosophical doctrine described as a YOGA. It is an integral part of the great epic Mahabharatha and is embedded in chapters 25–42 of Bhishmaparva as a compact, independent text — and that is how it became extremely popular and venerable.
Bharat (India) is the platform for the universal message of this divine discourse, handed down for the well-being of humanity — transcending nation, time, caste, age, gender and social divisions, even before organized religions came into existence.
To tell us to do our allotted duty without fear or favor and with purity of mind, speech and body, and to dedicate the fruits thereof to God, is its message of imperishable significance. All human beings, without any distinction of age, gender and creed, can read Bhagavadgita and live it to attain fulfillment in life.
A Guide for Life — Not a Text for the Dead
For generations, a misconception gradually took root in parts of Telugu society. Bhagavadgita recitations were often played alongside funeral processions and on vehicles carrying the deceased. What may have begun as a way of offering spiritual solace slowly hardened into habit — and a text meant to guide human life came to be heard mainly around moments of death.
The association became so ingrained that in some sections of society the sound of Bhagavadgita itself signalled a death nearby. A generation grew up believing it was a book to turn to after retirement — and therefore largely irrelevant to young people and to the challenges of everyday life.
When Dr. L.V. Gangadhara Sastry undertook an intensive study of Bhagavadgita around 2005, he encountered a very different message. Nowhere was it presented as a text for the elderly or the dying. Its teachings spoke, repeatedly, about living.
Karma Yoga
How to perform one's duties with dedication and strive for excellence.
Bhakti Yoga
How to develop devotion, concentration and a deeper relationship with the Divine.
Jnana Yoga
The true nature of the Self, the purpose of life and the highest knowledge.
These were not teachings for the final moments of life. They were teachings for life itself — meant to be approached at all times and in all circumstances of life — “సర్వ కాల సర్వావస్థలలో”.
Bhagavadgita, he concluded, must be understood from childhood and practiced throughout one's life — not discovered only after retirement, or at the threshold of death.
భగవద్గీత జీవనగీత! మరణగీత కాదు, కానివ్వకండి!!
Bhagavadgita is the song of life! It is not a song for the dead — do not let it become one!
This became more than a slogan. It became one of the Foundation's central missions: to restore Bhagavadgita to its rightful place as a source of wisdom, strength, clarity and guidance for the living.
The Essence
The Foundation's understanding of Bhagavadgita can be expressed in four simple convictions:
Bhagavadgita is not a religious script — it is wisdom!
Bhagavadgita laid the path that leads us to an ideal way of life!
Bhagavadgita is the manual for attaining human excellence!
To those who practice ethical and spiritual disciplines it is the Kalpataru — the divine tree that fulfills all wishes!
These are not ideas to admire from a distance. They are principles to understand, practice and carry into life.
18 Chapters – 3 Shatkas
The 18 chapters of Bhagavadgita are traditionally grouped into 3 Shatkas (sets of six), each representing a primary path of spiritual growth.
Karma Shatkam
The path of selfless action
Performing one's duty with dedication, without attachment to results.
Arjuna Vishada Yoga
The Yoga of Arjuna's Grief
Sankhya Yoga
The Yoga of Spiritual Knowledge
Karma Yoga
The Yoga of Action
Jnana Yoga
The Yoga of Knowledge
Karma Sannyasa Yoga
The Yoga of Renunciation of Action
Atma Samyama Yoga
The Yoga of Self-Control
Bhakti Shatkam
The path of devotion
Cultivating devotion, concentration and a deeper relationship with the Divine.
Vijnana Yoga
The Yoga of Wisdom
Akshara Parabrahma Yoga
The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman
Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga
The Yoga of Royal Knowledge and Royal Secret
Vibhuti Yoga
The Yoga of Divine Glories
Vishvarupa Sandarsana Yoga
The Yoga of Beholding the Cosmic Form
Bhakti Yoga
The Yoga of Devotion
Jnana Shatkam
The path of knowledge
Exploring the true nature of the Self, the purpose of life and the highest knowledge.
Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga
The Yoga of Distinction Between the Field and its Knower
Guna Traya Vibhaga Yoga
The Yoga of the Three Qualities
Purushottama Prapti Yoga
The Yoga of Attaining the Supreme Being
Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga
The Yoga of the Divine and Demoniac Natures
Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga
The Yoga of Division of the Threefold Faith
Moksha Sannyasa Yoga
The Yoga of Liberation Through Renunciation
Together, these three paths present Bhagavadgita not as a theory of life, but as a way of living.
Why This Wisdom Must Reach Everyone
Bhagavadgita has remained relevant because the human questions it addresses have never disappeared. It has inspired scholars, saints and leaders across centuries, from Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi to Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer, and its teachings transcend time, geography and religion.
The Foundation's purpose is to make this wisdom accessible not only to those who already know it, but to children, young people, families and communities who can discover its relevance to their own lives.
Making Bhagavadgita relevant to modern life also means making it easier to encounter. That belief is what eventually led Dr. L.V. Gangadhara Sastry to create the complete Musical Bhagavadgita.