Bhagavad-Gita Flashcards
BG 1.1
Question from Dhrtarastra
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya
Synonyms
dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ uvāca — King Dhṛtarāṣṭra said; dharma-kṣetre — in the place of pilgrimage; kuru-kṣetre — in the place named Kurukṣetra; samavetāḥ — assembled; yuyutsavaḥ — desiring to fight; māmakāḥ — my party (sons); pāṇḍavāḥ — the sons of Pāṇḍu; ca — and; eva — certainly; kim — what; akurvata — did they do; sañjaya — O Sañjaya.
Translation
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O Sañjaya, after my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kurukṣetra, desiring to fight, what did they do?
BG 2.7
Arjuna is confused and has lost composure
I am Your disciple surrendered to You.
kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ
pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ
yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me
śiṣyas te ’haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam
Synonyms
kārpaṇya — of miserliness; doṣa — by the weakness; upahata — being afflicted; svabhāvaḥ — characteristics; pṛcchāmi — I am asking; tvām — unto You; dharma — religion; sammūḍha — bewildered; cetāḥ — in heart; yat — what; śreyaḥ — all-good; syāt — may be; niścitam — confidently; brūhi — tell; tat — that; me — unto me; śiṣyaḥ — disciple; te — Your; aham — I am; śādhi — just instruct; mām — me; tvām — unto You; prapannam — surrendered.
Translation
Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.
BG 2.13
boyhood to youth to old age
dehino ’smin yathā dehe
dehino ’smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
Synonyms
dehinaḥ — of the embodied; asmin — in this; yathā — as; dehe — in the body; kaumāram — boyhood; yauvanam — youth; jarā — old age; tathā — similarly; deha-antara — of transference of the body; prāptiḥ — achievement; dhīraḥ — the sober; tatra — thereupon; na — never; muhyati — is deluded.
Translation
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.
BG 2.14
happiness and distress are like winter and summer
mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ’nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata
Synonyms
mātrā-sparśāḥ — sensory perception; tu — only; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; śīta — winter; uṣṇa — summer; sukha — happiness; duḥkha — and pain; dāḥ — giving; āgama — appearing; apāyinaḥ — disappearing; anityāḥ — nonpermanent; tān — all of them; titikṣasva — just try to tolerate; bhārata — O descendant of the Bharata dynasty.
Translation
O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
BG 2.20
The soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
Synonyms
na — never; jāyate — takes birth; mriyate — dies; vā — either; kadācit — at any time (past, present or future); na — never; ayam — this; bhūtvā — having come into being; bhavitā — will come to be; vā — or; na — not; bhūyaḥ — or is again coming to be; ajaḥ — unborn; nityaḥ — eternal; śāśvataḥ — permanent; ayam — this; purāṇaḥ — the oldest; na — never; hanyate — is killed; hanyamāne — being killed; śarīre — the body.
Translation
For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.
BG 3.13
Food prepared for sense enjoyment = eat only sin
yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā
ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt
Synonyms
yajña-śiṣṭa — of food taken after performance of yajña; aśinaḥ — eaters; santaḥ — the devotees; mucyante — get relief; sarva — all kinds of; kilbiṣaiḥ — from sins; bhuñjate — enjoy; te — they; tu — but; agham — grievous sins; pāpāḥ — sinners; ye — who; pacanti — prepare food; ātma-kāraṇāt — for sense enjoyment.
Translation
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.
BG 3.27
Bewildered soul thinks he is the doer but in actuality it’s done by 3 modes
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
Synonyms
prakṛteḥ — of material nature; kriyamāṇāni — being done; guṇaiḥ — by the modes; karmāṇi — activities; sarvaśaḥ — all kinds of; ahaṅkāra-vimūḍha — bewildered by false ego; ātmā — the spirit soul; kartā — doer; aham — I; iti — thus; manyate — he thinks.
Translation
The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.
Pu
BG 3.43
oneself is transcendental
stead the mind and conquer lust
evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā
evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā
saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā
jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho
kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam
Synonyms
evam — thus; buddheḥ — to intelligence; param — superior; buddhvā — knowing; saṁstabhya — by steadying; ātmānam — the mind; ātmanā — by deliberate intelligence; jahi — conquer; śatrum — the enemy; mahā-bāho — O mighty-armed one; kāma-rūpam — in the form of lust; durāsadam — formidable.
Translation
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Kṛṣṇa consciousness] and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
BG 4.2
Succession was broken
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa
Synonyms
evam — thus; paramparā — by disciplic succession; prāptam — received; imam — this science; rāja-ṛṣayaḥ — the saintly kings; viduḥ — understood; saḥ — that knowledge; kālena — in the course of time; iha — in this world; mahatā — great; yogaḥ — the science of one’s relationship with the Supreme; naṣṭaḥ — scattered; param-tapa — O Arjuna, subduer of the enemies.
Translation
This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.
BG 4.6
He is unborn but still appear in every millennium in original form
ajo ’pi sann avyayātmā
ajo ’pi sann avyayātmā
bhūtānām īśvaro ’pi san
prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya
sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā
Synonyms
ajaḥ — unborn; api — although; san — being so; avyaya — without deterioration; ātmā — body; bhūtānām — of all those who are born; īśvaraḥ — the Supreme Lord; api — although; san — being so; prakṛtim — in the transcendental form; svām — of Myself; adhiṣṭhāya — being so situated; sambhavāmi — I do incarnate; ātma-māyayā — by My internal energy.
Translation
Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.
BG 4.9
Know His transcendental nature
One does not take birth in mat world
janma karma ca me divyam
janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna
Synonyms
janma — birth; karma — work; ca — also; me — of Mine; divyam — transcendental; evam — like this; yaḥ — anyone who; vetti — knows; tattvataḥ — in reality; tyaktvā — leaving aside; deham — this body; punaḥ — again; janma — birth; na — never; eti — does attain; mām — unto Me; eti — does attain; saḥ — he; arjuna — O Arjuna.
Translation
One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.
BG 4.34
Learn the truth from a spiritual master
tad viddhi praṇipātena
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
Synonyms
tat — that knowledge of different sacrifices; viddhi — try to understand; praṇipātena — by approaching a spiritual master; paripraśnena — by submissive inquiries; sevayā — by the rendering of service; upadekṣyanti — they will initiate; te — you; jñānam — into knowledge; jñāninaḥ — the self-realized; tattva — of the truth; darśinaḥ — seers.
Translation
Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.
BG 5.7 (Not for BS course)
Never entangled
yoga-yukto viśuddhātmā
yoga-yukto viśuddhātmā
vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ
sarva-bhūtātma-bhūtātmā
kurvann api na lipyate
Synonyms
yoga-yuktaḥ — engaged in devotional service; viśuddha-ātmā — a purified soul; vijita-ātmā — self-controlled; jita-indriyaḥ — having conquered the senses; sarva-bhūta — to all living entities; ātma-bhūta-ātmā — compassionate; kurvan api — although engaged in work; na — never; lipyate — is entangled.
Translation
One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.
BG 5.10 (Not for BS course)
Work without attachment
just as the lotus leaf
brahmaṇy ādhāya karmāṇi
brahmaṇy ādhāya karmāṇi
saṅgaṁ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ
lipyate na sa pāpena
padma-patram ivāmbhasā
Synonyms
brahmaṇi — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ādhāya — resigning; karmāṇi — all works; saṅgam — attachment; tyaktvā — giving up; karoti — performs; yaḥ — who; lipyate — is affected; na — never; saḥ — he; pāpena — by sin; padma-patram — a lotus leaf; iva — like; ambhasā — by the water.
Translation
One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water.
BG 5.17 (Not for BS course)
One’s intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are fixed on the Supreme
tad-buddhayas tad-ātmānas
tad-buddhayas tad-ātmānas
tan-niṣṭhās tat-parāyaṇāḥ
gacchanty apunar-āvṛttiṁ
jñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣāḥ
Synonyms
tat-buddhayaḥ — those whose intelligence is always in the Supreme; tat-ātmānaḥ — those whose minds are always in the Supreme; tat-niṣṭhāḥ — those whose faith is only meant for the Supreme; tat-parāyaṇāḥ — who have completely taken shelter of Him; gacchanti — go; apunaḥ-āvṛttim — to liberation; jñāna — by knowledge; nirdhūta — cleansed; kalmaṣāḥ — misgivings.
Translation
When one’s intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation.
