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Important Verses from The Bhagavad Gita
Kamlesh Tripathi
The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure house of moral wisdom. Spoken by Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, it offers timeless lessons on duty, honesty, self-control, humility, courage, compassion, equanimity and the art of living. Below are fifteen important verses from the Bhagavad Gita in Roman English that convey valuable moral lessons in everyday life.
Do your duty without attachment to results: “Karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana, Mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi.” You have the right to perform your duty, but not to the fruits of your actions. Do not make results your sole motive. Focus on effort rather than obsessing over success or failure. Do your best and accept that not everything is under your control.
Maintain balance in success and failure: “Yogasthaḥ kuru karmā saṅgaṃ tyaktvā dhanañjaya, Siddhyasiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate.” Perform your duty with steadiness, abandon attachment, and maintain balance in success and failure. Do not let success make you arrogant or failure destroy your confidence, as both are temporary.
The soul lives beyond death: “Na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ, ajo nityaḥ, śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre.” The soul is never born, nor does it die. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed. The Gita encourages us to look beyond physical existence. It provides spiritual comfort in bereavement.
Control your mind: “Uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet, Ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ.” Let a person elevate oneself through one’s own mind. The mind can be one’s friend, or one’s enemy. Our thoughts and habits can either help us grow or hold us back.
Beware of desire and anger: “Dhyāyato viṣhayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣhūpajāyate, saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ‘bhijāyate.” Dwelling repeatedly on sense objects leads to attachment; attachment gives rise to desire, and desire leads to anger. Uncontrolled desire and attachment can disturb judgement and lead to anger and destructive behaviour.
Do not surrender to cowardice. “Klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ Pārtha naitat tvayyupapadyate, Kṣudraṁ hṛdayadaurbalyaṁ tyaktvottiṣṭha parantapa.” Face difficult situations with courage and responsibility. Speak up against injustice, acknowledge mistakes and confront necessary challenges rather than avoiding them out of fear.
Uphold righteousness: “Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham.” Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness rises, I manifest Myself. Do not remain indifferent when dishonesty, exploitation or injustice becomes normal. Act responsibly to uphold what is right.
Practise humility and freedom from ego: Amānitvamadambhitvamahiṁsā,kṣāntirārjavam, ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucaṁ sthairyamātmavinigrahaḥ.” Humility, absence of pretence, non-violence, patience, and straightforwardness are among the qualities of wisdom. True greatness does not require arrogance or showmanship. Give credit where it is due, admit when you are wrong, and treat others respectfully.
Cultivate compassion and goodwill: “Adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca, nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī.” One who bears no hatred towards any being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, balanced in pleasure and pain, and forgiving, is dear to Krishna. Compassion and forgiveness are signs of spiritual maturity.
Speak truthfully and without causing needless hurt: “Anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ ca yat, svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa uchyate.” Words should be truthful, considerate and useful. Before speaking, ask whether your words are true, necessary, and won’t hurt anyone.
Conquer anger and greed: “Tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśhanam ātmanaḥ,
Kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobhastasmādetat trayaṁ tyajet.” Desire, anger and greed are three gates leading to ruin. Unchecked impulses can destroy relationships, judgement and peace of mind. Practise moderation, pause before reacting in anger and resist the temptation to gain at another person’s expense.
Act according to your duty: “Tasmādasaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samācara, asakto hyācarankarma paramāpnoti pūruṣaḥ.” Always perform the work that ought to be done without attachment. By acting without attachment, a person attains the highest goal.
See the same divine presence in all beings: “Sarva-bhūta-stham ātmānaṁ sarva-bhūtāni chātmani īkṣhate yoga-yuktātmā sarvatra sama-darśhanaḥ.” A disciplined person visualises the Self present in all beings and all beings in the Self, viewing everything with equal vision. Look beyond caste, class, wealth, status and outward appearance when judging a person’s worth.
Knowledge is the biggest purifier: “Na hi jñānena sadṛiśaṁ pavitramiha vidyate.
Tat svayaṁ yogasṁsiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati.” Nothing can be more purifying than knowledge. Always be ready to learn. Question your assumptions and develop the skill to distinguish what is right from what is merely convenient.
Surrender fear and seek refuge in the Divine: “Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śharaṇaṁ vraja, Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣhayiṣhyāmi mā śhuchaḥ.” Abandon all forms of reliance and take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not grieve. Trust in the Divine. Do what is right, accept your limitations and seek spiritual strength, says Lord Krishna.
Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi
Author, Poet, & Columnist
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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com
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