The Bhagavad-Gita, one of the most influential Scriptures of Vedic philosophy is a remarkable exploration of the human psyche.  Vedic Philosophy provides answers to all your unanswered questions i.e.,

• Why there is pain, mental distress and pleasure, peace, happiness and joy?
• Why there is rich and poor?
• Why there is healthy and sick?
• Why there is mental distress and suffering?
• What is the Divine and Demonic Natures?
• God – His qualities, nature and works?
• Soul – Its nature and qualities?
• Souls of humans and animals?
• Reincarnation – how does it happens, why one is born as he or she is?
• What is the purpose of Human life?
• What we ought to do?

If you are a thinker, curious, confused about the universe as a whole, if you have a strong desire to your questions answered, then you must seriously consider reading this philosophy. It will open your eyes, you will be able to differentiate from true to untrue, right from wrong, just from unjust, in other words “distinguish truth from illusion”, and you will be able to put together the puzzle of the whole universe.

This book is my humble and sincere effort to follow one instruction/order given by my Spiritual Master. Back in the early first years after 1966, he explained to one of his first disciples, that the Bhagavad-gita is actually pure Human Psychology, and that he should write such a book.  I heard this description from that disciple  in Vrindavan India in 1995, where he explained that he had no clue or idea on how he could write such a book, but after reading the books that my Godbrother Kundali Dasa had written and published in 1995, this disciple said, he should write it, because he was the most qualified to do so.  At that time, I was Kundali’s colleague (member of the JIVA’S project, to translate to English the works of the Six Goswamis’ of Vrindavana, and especially Srila Jiva’s Goswamis Sat-sandarbha), and assistant, and student as well.  I accepted Kundali as a Siksa-guru (instructing-guru).  It’s a long story, to be told elsewhere, but Kundali has disappeared.  So, this project has been on my mind for a long time, and it has kind of fell on my lap, so to speak.  I have been preparing for several decades to fulfill this instruction by Srila Prabhupada.

After finishing the First Chapter, I came to understand that it came out to be a book or 300 pages with 109,000 words (MS-Word Document).  Hence, I realized that this project will end up being a book for each chapter.  It took me two month to do the first chapter, so I estimate that I will be working on this project way past the year 2024.

While the book is for everyone; there are two persons who I want to sincerely and humbly dedicate this work to. 

Frist is my only son Jagajivan Bernal, who has the distinction of being named by Srila Prabhupada on June 9, 1976.  My son was born on June 5th, and I asked Prabhupada if he would name my son on June 6th, and he said “Yes”, and he did so 3 days later, 

,Second, for the past 13 years I still carry in my mind, constantly,  my oldest grandson inquiry that he posited to me in the month of December 2010, when I lived in the Himalayan Mountain Village of Naggar. I spent the next two years, writing a 1,000 plus page response, that had mixed results. Maybe, it was not what he was looking for.  However, in that regard, I am dedicating, this book, to him as well, and because he is my son’s son.  Only time will tell, if it finally gives him the answers to his inquiry.

Similar to my 1st grandson, I am also thinking that it could also be a similar inquiry, that many other young men and women may have in their minds.  His grandson’s name is David-jivan.  The following is what he wrote when he was about to graduate from high-school:

“Dear Grandpa! I’m at a spiritual crossroads of sorts at the moment, as I am becoming a man; I find it challenging to formulate into words the wonders of our universe.  I would love to hear any advice you have on finding one’s true self and discovering true meaning.”

 As it stands, this statement lacks specifics.  I used a Vedic scriptural reference regarding the meaning of words to interpret his statement.

“The meaning of a word is of three types–direct, implied and suggested.”

My grandson’s (David’s) statement was heave on implied and suggested meanings.  Therefore, I thought that it would be appropriate to rewrite his statement with direct meaning, which I posited to him and back then in 2012 he agreed with:

“I am going through the period of time in my life in which I am maturing into an adult; I am not a naive young boy anymore.  I have come to a point in my life were, to some degree, I have concerns regarding religion, the soul, God, and church.  Due to my limited abilities and resources; I find it difficult to express in systematic terms and concepts, the awe and astonishment that I have for the marvelous and sometime puzzling contents of intergalactic space, the earth, it’s inhabitants, all created things, and especially the human race.  I am enthusiastically open to receiving any opinions, information, and knowledge you have so that upon examination I  can reach conclusions regarding the factual, real, and eternal, nature of: The individuality of my soul, the Supreme Lord, the purpose and inter-relationships of everything that exists; In other words; Absolute and Eternal truths.”

Maybe this book, will this time, answer many of his concerns.

Vedic knowledge’s roots extend thousands of years into the past.  Vedas were originally a vocal tradition, but then were written in Sanskrit over 5000 years ago. Veda is a Sanskrit word from the root, vid, meaning “to know”.  Thus, Veda means “knowledge” or “wisdom”.  They contain the fundamental knowledge relating to the underlying cause of, function of, and personal response to “existence”.

The compiler of the Vedic literature, Srila Vyasadeva, divided the Vedic knowledge into various departments of material and spiritual knowledge, entrusting his disciples with particular sections. In this way, the scriptures developed into the Four Vedas, the Vedanta Sutras, 108 main Upanishads, the great Mahabharat which includes the Bhagavad-gita, and the 18 major Puranas, among other texts. Of the Puranas, the Bhagavat Purana or Srimad-Bhagavatam is described as the most ripened fruit of all Vedic literature.

Vyasadeva (Vyasa)-the literary incarnation of God, and the greatest philosopher of ancient times. The son of Parasara, and the compiler of the original Vedic scriptures, including the eighteen Puranas, Vedanta-sutra, the Mahabharata, and the Upanisads. He played a very important part in guiding the Pandavas during crucial times. He gave the vision of the battle of Kuruksetra to Sanjaya so that he could relate it to Dhrtarastra. He is still living in this world (somewhere in the Himalayan mountains); Vyasa is the empowered (saktyavesa-)avatara of God who rendered the Vedic sabda into written texts some 5000 years ago. He is also known as Vedavyasa, Badarayana and Dvaipayana.

The process of spiritual development described in the Vedic literature is one of a gradual process of God-realization and love of God. This wisdom has been carefully preserved and passed down through the centuries through the vehicle of the disciplic succession of self-realized teachers.

This ancient spiritual wisdom is now again being presented in the West through the books by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, known as Srila Prabhupada.  Unfortunately, the institution (ISKCON), he founded in 1966, was literally hi-jacked by 11 un-scrupulous disciples within weeks of his departure from this mortal world.  Moreover, in the following decades, they ignored his “Direction of Management” Letter, abandoned his Incorporations of ISKCON Temples in all nations of this Planet Earth, and they created a new corporation in India, “The GBC of West Bengal). 

And to add insult to injury, Srila Prabhupada’s Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) that was created in the USA, was abandoned, and they created a new Trust in Sweden, the “Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International” (BBTI) in order to take over the management of the proceed of sales of Srila Prabhupada books. 

Moreover, the most serious corrupt actions, was that they instituted a guru-system that is not authorized, and not according to the “Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya”—the Bengal Vaisanava sect founded by Caitanya Maha-prabhu in the late fifteenth century. Lord Caitanya’s immediate disciples, the six Gosvamis, initiated the resurrection of Vrndavana; and  Siddhanta—Essential conclusion.  Srila Prabhupada himself called it “Rubber-Stamping”, and he wrote and spoke of his opposition to such a system.

The internet has an enormous amount of documentation, regarding this corruption, and transgressions; which can easily be labeled with adverbs, like “wicket”, and “evil”..

The Website Saragrahi.Org has more information in regards to ISKCON no longer following Srila Prabhupada instructions on how his institution should be managed, and what is the qualification for a guru (spiritual master).  Moreover, there is a featured presentation, (A Treatise, “Moving Forward”, that makes a case for the Reconstitution of Srila Prabhupada’s Missions).  And in addition, you will also find all of Srila Prabhupada’s books in various audio formats, which you can listen to on-line, or download, for free, so you can listen to them at your convenience.

I advocate, am a supporter, and a promoter, that all the written and spoken works of Srila Prabhupada, are the property of his disciples, and it behooves them, to distribute these works, FOR FREE, by any means, for the benefit for humanity at large; and if the disciple has a need for Maintenance Funds, the disciple can accept anything in return.

At the Website Krishnapath.Org.  You can read and listen to on-line, or download, FOR-FREE, in various formats (text and audio), all of Srila Prabhupada’s books. (If you take advantage of this, it is understood, that if you feel you get some personal value to your life from this free service, it would be noble, to give a donation that is based on your ability to give, and the extent of your appreciation for this service, and the value you received. See the Website for details.)

Upendranath Dasa 8/10/2023

Bhagavad-gita is a treatise meant for devotees of the Lord, where Krishna is the speaker and Arjuna is the listener. The system of yoga (to link with God), described in the Gita, was first spoken to the predominating deity of the Sun, and has been passed down through disciplic succession. However, over time, this system became lost, and the Lord had to speak it again to Arjuna. The purport of the Gita is to establish a new parampara[1] in the same line of thought. Krishna wanted Arjuna to become the authority in understanding the Gita, as he was a devotee of the Lord, a direct student of Krishna, and his intimate friend. Therefore, Bhagavad-gita is best understood by someone who has similar qualities to Arjuna’s, that is, a devotee in a direct relationship with the Lord. A devotee can have a relationship with the Lord in one of five different ways: passive, active, friend, parent, or conjugal lover.

The Bhagavad-gita, also known as Gita, is a significant Upanishad in Vedic literature, and a fundamental source of Vedic wisdom. Though several English commentaries exist, none are entirely authoritative, as most lack the essence of the original text. The Gita instructs us to follow its teachings precisely, just as one would follow the instructions on a medicine label or of a physician. Lord Krishna is the speaker of the Gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. Arjuna, a warrior, was in a friend-devotee relationship with Lord Krishna, and had his doubts clarified on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the discourse of the Gita.

The Gita’s primary purpose is to free mankind from illusion and material existence.

To comprehend and practice the Gita’s teachings, one should develop a submissive attitude toward Lord Krishna, understand his or her relationship with the Supreme Being, and seek answers to existential questions. Bhagavad-gita is best understood by direct followers of the Lord, just like Arjuna, who was a friend and devotee of Lord Krishna.

The essence of the Bhagavad-Gita, also known as Gita, is the knowledge passed down through the Vedas, making it one of the most important Upanishads in Vedic literature. While there are several commentaries on the Gita, author A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada believes that none strictly interpret the text. He explains that to truly understand the Gita, it should be read and followed according to the directions of the speaker, Lord Sri Krishna. Arjuna, Krishna’s friend, accepted the Gita in a spirit of devotion and with a submissive consciousness. It is a treatise meant for devotees of the Lord, and it aims to deliver mankind from the nescience of material existence, a state in which every individual (at least at one point) is placed. T

he five basic truths explained in Gita are:

1. The science of God
2. The science of the living entities (jivas) or the soul,
3. Prakriti (The Thre Modes of Material Nature)
4. Time
5. Karma (activity).

.1+Humans who are materially contaminated and conditioned, are affected by false consciousness, which is the belief that one is a product of material nature. This false ego prevents individuals from understanding their situation, and becoming free from the bodily conception of life. 

The Bhagavad-gita was created to help individuals become free from material consciousness, and as a preliminary activity for transcendentalists, to realize that they are not their material bodies, but parts of the Lord. Purified consciousness is acting in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. This consciousness is already part of individuals, because they are part and parcel of the Lord, but the affinity to become affected by inferior modes of material nature, is innate, unlike the Supreme Lord who is never affected. 

All living beings have a consciousness of:

“I am.”

Whereas contaminated consciousness leads one to believe that”

“I am the lord of all I survey. I am the enjoyer.” This tendency is due to our subconscious mind.

The central figure of creation and enjoyment is the Supreme Lord, and living entities are meant to cooperate to satisfy Him. All of these and more, explain the nature of sanatana-dharma, which is eternal life that cannot be changed by faith or anything else.

The Bhagavad-gita as It Is, written by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, describes that when we are contaminated by material desires, we become conditioned and develop false consciousness. False consciousness emerges from identifying ourselves as merely a product of nature.

One who is wholly absorbed in bodily concepts cannot understand this situation. The Bhagavad-gita was written to free us from this bodily conception, and bring us to pure consciousness. One must first realize that they are not the material body in order to become liberated. Liberation means freedom from material consciousness and identifying with pure consciousness. All of the teachings in the Bhagavad-gita intend to awaken pure consciousness. Purified consciousness involves acting in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. Our consciousness already exists since we are part of the Lord. The difference between the Lord and us is that the Lord remains unaffected by material desires, whereas we are often swayed by them.

Human history notes the beginning of non-Sanatana religious faiths. However, Sanatana-dharma endures eternally with living beings, for the authoritative sastras (scriptures), state that the living entity has no birth or death. In fact, the living entity is eternal and indestructible. They continue to live, even after the destruction of their temporary material body. As stated in the Gita, the living entity is never born nor does it ever die; it is their eternal quality that remains their constant companion—their eternal religion.

Every living being is constantly engaged in rendering service to others. It is this activity of service, that constitutes the eternal religion of the living being. Although individuals claim to profess a particular type of faith, this designation does not affect their eternal occupation of rendering service to others. Material conditions of birth, death, disease, and old age do not exist in the spiritual world, where there are innumerable spiritual planets.

When one desires and hankers after the spiritual world, they can enter it by thinking of Lord Krishna when they leave their present body. The Bhagavad-gita explains that one can enter the spiritual kingdom simply by thinking of the Supreme at the time of death.

Whatever state of being one remembers when they quit their present body, in their next life they will attain to that state. To transfer thoughts from material energy to spiritual energy, one must engage their mind in reading Vedic literatures. The forgetful living entities have forgotten their relationship with the Supreme Lord’ and are engrossed in thinking of material activities. Just to transfer their thinking power to the spiritual sky, Krishna-dvaipayana Vyasa^[2] has given a great number of Vedic literatures. If we have a strong sense of love for the Supreme Lord, then we can discharge our duty, and at the same time remember Him.

The mind is always flying, but we must practice concentrating the mind, on the form of the Supreme Lord or on the sound of His name. The Bhagavad-gita teaches one how to absorb the mind and intelligence in the thought of the Lord. If one adopts the principles of Bhakti yoga^[3] and accepts the Supreme Lord as the highest target, the ultimate goal, then they can approach the Lord in the spiritual sky and make their life perfect, free from all miseries and anxieties.

The Bhagavad-gita is considered highly valuable because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. In the present age, people are so caught up in mundane activities that they may not have the time or inclination to read other Vedic literatures. However, the Bhagavad-gita holds within it ,the essence of all Vedic texts, and is sufficient for spiritual progress.

You can think of the Bhagavad-gita as analogous to the Red-pill in the Movie “The Matrix”:

“As narrated, the blue pill will allow the subject to remain in the fabricated reality of the Matrix (analogous to the material world’s Three Modes); the red serves as a ‘location device’ to locate the subject’s body in the real world (analogous to the spiritual world), and to prepare him or her to be ‘unplugged’ from the Matrix”

(I the writer of this presentation added this tid-bit, because in 2000 in Australia, I won a DVD player special only one of kind edition, with the Matrix movie logo, and character sketches of the actorsn the sliver case.  In 150 word or less, all I had to do was write down what I thought the movie meant, and in a little more detail I wrote what I have just written above.)

It is spoken by Lord Krishna himself, making it even more valuable than other texts and akin to the sacred water of the Ganges. This scripture should be read with attentiveness and regularity, as it contains the nectar of divine wisdom.

The Bhagavad-gita emphasizes the importance of surrendering oneself to the divine and serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It further advocates one religion, and one scripture for all the people in the world. The Bhagavad-gita is transmitted through a disciplic succession, and Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is one of the prominent stalwarts and enlightened teachers in this lineage.

Foot Notes:

[1] Parampara—the disciplic succession through which spiritual knowledge is transmitted by bona-fide spiritual masters; Literally, one after the other. It refers to the disciplic succession of spiritual masters and their disciples who became spiritual masters, beginning with Kåñëa and Brah-mä, His disciple at the dawn of creation.

[2] Krishna-dvaipayana Vyasa: the literary incarnation of God, and the greatest philosopher of ancient times. The son of Parasara, and the compiler of the original Vedic scriptures, including the eighteen Puranas, Vedanta-sutra, the Mahabharata, and the Upanisads. He played a very important part in guiding the Pandavas during crucial times. He gave the vision of the battle of Kuruksetra to Sanjaya so that he could relate it to Dhrtarasöra. He is still living in this world; The son of Parasara Muni and Satyavati-devi, Vyasa is the empowered (saktyavesa-)avatara of God who rendered the Vedic sabda (transcendental sound; especially the Vedic sound, which is the self-evident proof of knowledge. As an authoritative testimony, the third of the three Vaisnava pramanas/proofs) into written texts some 5000 years ago. He is also known as Vedavyasa, Badarayana and Dvaipayana. A Saktyavesa-avatara is an empowered living entity who serves as an incarnation of the Lord and is empowered by the Supreme Lord with one or more of the Lord’s opulences. FYI He is still living in this world, somewhere in the Himalayan Mountains of India. Only one person in the 13^th century of this planet earth has had contact with Him. Madhvacarya—a great thirteenth-century Vaisnava spiritual master, who preached the theistic philosophy of pure dualism. The founder of the dvaita school of Vedanta philosophy. He wrote a number of works which refuted the impersonal philosophy of Sankaracarya. He appeared in the 13th century in Udupi, in South India. He took sannyasa at the age of twelve, traveled all over India and had the personal darsana (audience) of Srila Vyasadeva in the Himalayan abode of Badarikasrama and presented his commentary on Bhagavad-gita before that venerable sage. He also received a salagrama-silas called Asöamurti from Vyasa. He was very powerful both physically and intellectually,

[3] Bhakti-yoga—the system of cultivation of bhakti, or pure devotional service, which is untinged by sense gratification or phil

“No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none is better loved, in the West, than the Bhagavad-gita. Translation of such a work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit, but an inward sympathy with the theme and a verbal artistry. For the poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things…. The Swami does a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian epic with fresh meaning. Whatever our outlook may be, we should all be grateful for the labor that has lead, to this illuminating work.”  Dr. Geddes MacGregor, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of Southern California

“The Gita can be seen as the main literary support for the great religious civilization of India, the oldest surviving culture in the world. The present translation and commentary is another manifestation of the permanent living importance of the Gita.”  Thomas Merton, Theologian

 “I am most impressed with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s scholarly and authoritative edition of Bhagavad-gita. It is a most valuable work for the scholar as well as the layman and is of great utility as a reference book as well as a textbook. I promptly recommend this edition to my students. It is a beautifully done book.”  Dr. Samuel D. Atkins, Professor of Sanskrit, Princeton University

 “…As a successor in direct line from Caitanya, the author of Bhagavad-gita As It Is is entitled, according to Indian custom, to the majestic title of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The great interest that his reading of the Bhagavad-gita holds for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretation according to the principles of the Caitanya tradition.” Olivier Lacombe, Professor of Sanskrit and Indology, Sorbonne University, Paris

 “I have had the opportunity of examining several volumes published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and have found them to be of excellent quality and of great value for use in college classes on Indian religions. This is particularly true of Lord BrahmaT edition and translation of the Bhagavad-gita.”  Dr. Frederick B. Underwood, Professor of Religion, Columbia University

 “…If truth is what works, as Pierce and the pragmatists insist, there must be a kind of truth in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, since those who follow its teachings display a joyous serenity usually missing in the bleak and strident lives of contemporary people.”  Dr. Elwin H. Powell, Professor of Sociology, State University of New York, Buffalo

 “There is little question that this edition is one of the best books available on the Gita and devotion. Prabhupada’s translation is an ideal blend of literal accuracy and religious insight.”  Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, Professor of Religion, Franklin and Marshall College

 “The Bhagavad-gita, one of the great spiritual texts, is not as yet a common part of our cultural milieu. This is probably less because it is alien per se than because we have lacked just the kind of close interpretative commentary upon it that Swami Bhaktivedanta has here provided, a commentary written from not only a scholar’s but a practitioner’s, a dedicated lifelong devotee’s point of view.”  Denise Levertov, Poet

 “The increasing numbers of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold.”  Dr. Edward C Dimock, Jr., Department of South Asian Languages and Civilization, University of Chicago

 “The scholarly world is again indebted to A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Although Bhagavad-gita has been translated many times, Prabhupada adds a translation of singular importance with his commentary….”  Dr. J. Stillson Judah, Professor of the History of Religions and Director of Libraries, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California

 “ Srila Prabhupada edition thus fills a sensitive gap in France, where many hope to become familiar with traditional Indian thought, beyond the commercial East-West hodgepodge that has arisen since the time Europeans first penetrated India. Whether the reader be an adept of Indian spiritualism or not, a reading of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is will be extremely profitable. For many this will be the first contact with the true India, the ancient India, the eternal India.”  Francois Chenique, Professor of Religious Sciences, Institute of Political Studies, Paris, France

“As a native of India now living in the West, it has given me much grief to see so many of my fellow countrymen coming to the West in the role of gurus and spiritual leaders. For this reason, I am very excited to see the publication of Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It will help to stop the terrible cheating of false and unauthorized ‘gurus’ and ‘yogis’ and will give an opportunity to all people to understand the actual meaning of Oriental culture.”  Dr. Kailash Vajpeye, Director of Indian Studies, Center for Oriental Studies, The University of Mexico

 “…It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully explained work. I don’t know whether to praise more this translation of the Bhagavad-gita, its daring method of explanation, or the endless fertility of its ideas. I have never seen any other work on the Gita with such an important voice and style….It will occupy a significant place in the intellectual and ethical life of modern man for a long time to come.” Dr. Shaligram Shukla, Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University

 “I can say that in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is I have found explanations and answers to questions I had always posed regarding the interpretations of this sacred work, whose spiritual discipline I greatly admire. If the asceticism and ideal of the apostles which form the message of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is were more widespread and more respected, the world in which we live would be transformed into a better, more fraternal place.” Dr. Paul Lesourd, Author, Professeur Honoraire, Catholic University of Paris

Although widely published and read by itself, Bhagavad-gita^[1] originally appears as an episode in the Mahabharata^[2], the epic Sanskrit^[3] history of the ancient world. The Mahabharata tells of events leading up to the present Age of Kali^[4]. It was at the beginning of this age, some fifty centuries ago, that Lord Krishna^[5] spoke Bhagavad-gita to His friend and devotee Arjuna^[6].

For those not familiar with this philosophical classic, please read on, so that you can get a good understand of “Setting the Scene” of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

Krishna’s and Arjuna’s discourse is one of the greatest philosophical, and religious dialogues known to man; it took place just before the onset of war, a great fratricidal conflict between the hundred sons of Dhåtarastra, and on the opposing side their cousins the Pandavas, or sons of Pandu.

5,000 years ago, Dhrtarastra and Pandu were brothers born in the Kuru dynasty, descending from King Bharata, a former ruler of the all of the Planet Earth which was known as Bharatavarsha (this kingdom of Bharata), from whom the name Mahabharata derives. Because Dhåtarastra, the elder brother, was born blind, the throne that otherwise would have been his, was passed down to the younger brother, Pandu. 

When Pandu died at an early age, his five children—Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—came under the care of Dhhtarastra, who in effect became, for the time being, the king. Thus, the sons of Dhåtarastra and those of Pandu grew up in the same royal household. Both were trained in the military arts by the expert Drona, and counselled by the revered “grandfather” of the clan, Bhisma. Yet the sons of Dhåtarastra, especially the eldest, Duryodhana, hated and envied the Pandavas. And the blind and weak-minded Dhåtarastra wanted his own sons, not those of Pandu, to inherit the kingdom.

Thus Duryodhana, with Dhåtarastra’s consent, plotted to kill the young sons of Pandu, and it was only by the careful protection of their uncle Vidura, and their cousin Lord Krishna, that the Pandavas escaped the many attempts against their lives.

Now, Lord Krishna was not an ordinary man, but the Supreme Godhead Himself, who had descended to this Planet Earth over 5,000 years ago, and was playing the role of a prince in a contemporary dynasty. In this role He was also the nephew of Pandu’s wife Kunti, or Påtha, the mother of the Pandavas. So, both as a relative, and as the eternal upholder of religion, Krishna favored the righteous sons of Pandu and protected them.

Ultimately, however, the clever Duryodhana challenged the Pandavas to a gambling match. In the course of that fateful tournament, Duryodhana and his brothers took possession of Draupadi, the chaste and devoted wife of the Pandavas, and insultingly tried to strip her naked before the entire assembly of princes and kings. Krishna’s divine intervention saved her, but the gambling, which was rigged, cheated the Pandavas of their kingdom and forced them into thirteen years of exile.

Upon returning from exile, the Pandavas rightfully requested their kingdom from Duryodhana, who bluntly refused to yield it. Dutybound as princes to serve in public administration, the five Pandavas reduced their request to a mere five villages. But Duryodhana arrogantly replied that he wouldn’t spare them enough land into which to drive a pin.

Throughout all this, the Pandavas had been consistently tolerant and forbearing. But now war seemed inevitable.

Nonetheless, as the princes of the world divided, some siding with the sons of Dhåtarastra, others with the Pandavas, Krishna Himself took the role of messenger for the sons of Pandu and went to the court of Dhåtarastra to plead for peace. When His pleas were refused, war was now certain.

The Pandavas, men of the highest moral stature, recognized Krishna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the impious sons of Dhåtarastra did not. Yet Krishna offered to enter the war according to the desire of the antagonists. As God, He would not personally fight; but whoever so desired might avail himself of Krishna’s army—and the other side could have Krishna Himself, as an advisor and helper. Duryodhana, the political genius, snatched at Krishna’s armed forces, while the Pandavas were equally eager to have Krishna Himself.

In this way, Krishna became the charioteer of Arjuna, taking it upon Himself to drive the fabled bowman’s chariot. This brings us to the point at which Bhagavad-gita begins, with the two armies arrayed, ready for combat, and Dhåtarastra anxiously inquiring of his secretary Saïjaya, “What did they do?”

The scene is set, with only the need for a brief note regarding this translation and commentary of the particular book.

Before Srila Prabhupada, the general pattern translators have followed in rendering Bhagavad-gita into English, has been to brush aside, the person Krishna, to make room for their own concepts and philosophies. The history of the Mahabharata is taken as quaint mythology, and Krishna becomes a poetic device, for presenting the ideas of some anonymous genius, or at best Krishna becomes a minor historical personage. But the person Krishna is both the goal and the substance of Bhagavad-gita, so far as the Gita speaks of itself.

This translation, then, and the commentary that accompanies it, propose to direct the reader to Krishna rather than away from Him. The Bhagavad-gita, thus becomes wholly consistent and comprehensible. Since Krishna is the speaker of the Gita, and its ultimate goal as well, the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, thus presents this great scripture in its true terms.  (Read the “Reviews” by modern scholars).

I, the compiler and writer of this book, “Bhagavad-gita As It Is, a Treatise on Human Psychology”, will use Srila Prabhupada’s English translation of all 800 verses of Bhagavad-gita As It Is.  Each verse will be following by my commentary on the verse drawing on Srila Prabhupada Purport and my understanding of the science of current Human Psychology that is known in this world today.  Thus, it is my attempt, in following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, that Bhagavad-gita As It Is, be presented as nothing other, than pure Human Psychology; simply because I have faith and trust in his instruction, and I want to show to the rest humanity of this world, this it is true.

I will post this work on my website Saragrahi.Org, and anyone if free to comment in any way, that could enhance, or correct anything that I have written; because it is not hard to make changes to its website content, and this manuscript.  I will seek a publisher for this manuscript, and only history will show if this desire is fulfilled.

Foot Notes

[1] Bhagavad-gita—a seven-hundred verse record of a conversation between Lord Krishna and His disciple, Arjuna, from the Bhisma Parva of the Mahabharata of Vedavyasa. The conversation took place between two armies, minutes before the start of an immense fratricidal battle. Krishna teaches the science of the Absolute Truth and the importance of devotional service to the despondent Arjuna, and it contains the essence of all Vedic wisdom. Srila Prabhupada’s annotated English translation is called Bhagavad-gita As It Is; This most essential text of spiritual knowledge, The Song of the Lord, contains Krishna’s instructions to Arjuna at Kuruksetra. It is found in the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is classified as smrti-sastra, a supplement of the sruti-sastra. Sruti, the core Vedic literature, includes the four Vedas (Åg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva) and the Upanisads. Sruti advances the understanding of the absolute. Bhagavad-gita is also known as Gitopanisad, or a sruti text spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Therefore, Srila Pra-bhupada wrote in a letter, the Gita should be taken as sruti. But they take it as smrti because it is part of the smrti (Mahabharata). In one sense it is both sruti and smrti. In only 700 verses, the Bhagavad-gita summarizes all Vedic knowledge about the soul, God, sanatana-dharma, sacrifice, yoga, karma, reincarnation, the modes of material nature, Vedanta and pure devotion.

[2] Mahabharata—An important and famous itihasa (historical) scripture belonging to the smrti section of the Vedic scriptures. The Mahabharata narrates the history of the great Kuru dynasty of ksatriyas (warriors) that was annihilated by the Kuruksetra war. Contained within the Maha-bharata is the Bhagavad-gita. See Bhagavad-gita.

[3] Sanskrit—the oldest language in the world. The Vedas, or India’s holy scriptures, are written in Sanskrit; From sams (together) and krta (made), henc

[4] Kali-yuga—the “Age of Quarrel and Hypocrisy “ The fourth and last age in the cycle of a maha-yuga. This is the present age in which we are now living. It began 5,000 years ago and lasts for a total of 432,000 years. It is characterized by irreligious practice and stringent material miseries. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam the age is personified as an evil black man who tries to kill a helpless cow and bull. The four legs of the cow represent the four principles of religiosity-namely, truth, cleanliness, mercy and austerity. The bull represents religion itself; The most recommended process of spiritual upliftment in this age is samkirtana, the congregational glorification of the Lord through chanting His holy name.

[5] Krishna—the original, two-armed form of the Supreme Lord, who is the origin of all expansions.

[6] Arjuna—the third son of Pandu and intimate friend of Lord Krishna. After Pandu was cursed by a sage, Kunti used a special mantra to beget children and called for the demigod Indra. By the union of Indra and Kunti, Arjuna was born. In his previous life he was Nara, the eternal associate of Lord Narayana. Krishna became his chariot driver and spoke the Bhagavad-gita to him on the battlefield of Kuruksetra; An eternal associate of Krishna.