srimad bhagvad gita from class. synopsis.

a summary of the Eighteen Chapters, keeping Geetartha Sangraha of Bhagavat Yaamunaachaarya as the reference. 

Prathama Adhyaaya - First Chapter

Asthaana sneha kaarunya dharma adharma dhiyaa aakulam |

Paartham prapannam uddishya shastra avataranam krutam ||

Paartha comes and stands in the middle of the two armies, and has a look at the Kaurava Sena. Seeing all the people there, he says 'I don't see any shreyas in killing all the relatives; we are going to do some great paapa' and finally says that he does not know what to do. He surrenders unto Bhagavaan and says - 'Whatever is shreyas to me, You tell me that'. He does prapatti. Shaastra avatarana was done. By whom? Kena krutam? There can be a doubt that Vyaasa did it, or who did it. Bhaashyakaarar makes it clear that Bhagavataa Parama Purushena; Bhagavaan only did shaastra avatarana. Shows Bhagavaan's ubhaya linga, and shaastra praamaanya is also established. 

In the Second Chapter, Tanmoha Shamanam is the title which Swami Deshikan gives. 

Nitya aatmaa asanga karmeha gocharaa saankhya yoga dheeh |

Dviteeye sthitadheeh lakshyaa proktaa tanmoha shaantaye ||

Krishna, as though doing parihaasa, starts to teach adhyaatma shaastra, which is needed to dispel the shoka of Arjuna. Whatever shoka Arjuna had cannot be removed without the knowledge of tattva jnyaana, deha aatma viveka. Parihaasavaakham vadan iva aatma paramaatma yaathaatmya tat praapti upaaya bhoota karma yoga jnyaana yoga bhakti yoga gocharam 'Na tu eva aham jaatu naasam' iti aarabhya 'Aham tvaa sarva paapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa shuchah' iti etat antam vachanam uvaacha iti arthah | As though doing parihaasa, He started to teach the most secret adhyaatma shaastra. The well known shloka 

Karmani eva adhikaarah te maa phaleshu kadaachana |

Yoga samatva is taught. Samatvam yoga uchyate | And lakshanaas of sthita prajnya are taught. Prajahaati yadaa kaamaan sarvaan paartha manogataan | The four states of achieving sthita prajnyataa is explained in a very unique way in our Bhaashya. Yatamaana samjnyaa, vyatireka samjnyaa, ekendriya samjnyaa, vasheekaara samjnyaa. Realizing the nature of aatma svaroopa is necessary for realizing the Bhagavaan. He is antaraatma to all. Bhagavaan only is worshipped through all yogaas, is accepted by all commentators, Swami Deshikan notes. Even samskarana, prokshana - are taken as bhagavat aaraadhana only. The nature of aatman was explained in great detail in Chapter Two. 

The third chapter is Karma Yoga Kartavyatvam. 

Asaktyaa loka rakshaayai guneshu aropya kartrutaam |

Sarveshvare vaa nyasya uktaa triteeye karma kaaryataa ||

The greatness of karma yoga was extolled. One should distinguish the aatman from the body, and realize the difference between them. For this, the mind has to be very pure. Karma yoga has to be performed without any desire in fruit. The greatness of performing everything as a bhagavat yaaga, was taught. Anything performed as yajnya would not bind one. Yajnyaarthaat karmano anyatra loko ayam karma bandhanah | Then, how everything has to be offered to Bhagavaan and then only consumed, yajnya shishta aashinah santo muchyante sarva kilbishah, was told. Akartrutva anusandhaana was taught there, one should attribute the agency to Bhagavaan. Mayi sarvaani karmaani sannyasya adhyaatma chetasaa | Niraasheeh nirmamo bhootvaa yudhyasva vigata jvarah | For loka sangraha, one has to do karma yoga. First, attributing the agency to the gunaas of prakruti, attributing it to Bhagavaan only, this is how one has to do karma yoga. Arjuna asks how is this possible when we are so much lured by the effects of prakruti. Krishna says that kaama, krodha are responsible, and one should control them. Finally the summary of teaching of Chapter Three is saatvika tyaaga. Svakeeyena aatmanaa kartraa svakeeyaih cha upakaranaih sva aaraadhana eka prayojanaaya sarveshvarah vayam eva sarva karmaani kaarayati | This is the summary of Chapter Three, saatvika tyaaga. 

For Chapter Four, named Tatavaantarabhedah. 

Prasangaat sva svabhaavoktih karmano akarmataa asya cha |

Bhedaah jnyaanasya maahaatmyam chaturtha adhyaaya uchyate ||

Bhagavaan teaches the avataara rahasya. He teaches the validity of karma yoga, that it is praamaanika. Jnyaana mishratva, that karma yoga includes the knowledge of the self in itself, is also taught. That is why it is extolled compared to jnyaana yoga also. The nature of karma yoga, the vaividhya, varieties of karma yoga were taught. Jnyaana amsha praadhannya, the importance given to aatma anusandhaana in karma yoga also. Bhagavat avataara yaathaatmya, the knowledge of the nature of incarnations. Karma is jnyaana aakaara is the main teaching here. On cannot be without doing karma for a second also. While doing karma, one should think of aatma svaroopa. Akarma means not not doing karma, but it means jeevaatma jnyaana. Anusandhaana that everything is brahma aatmaka was taught. Jeevaatman who is brahmaatmaka is attained through karma yoga. Karma yogi does without desire in fruits, and also contemplates on the aatma svaroopa all the time. That aatman is pure, all these karmaas are not related to the aatman, it is only because of association with the body that all these are to be done; because of this shareera sambandha, one has to do nitya naimittika karmaas. When karma is done like this, it leads to aatma saakshaatkaara. Various karma yogaas like dravya yajnya, tapo yajnya, svaadhyaaya, jnyaana yajnya were all taught. One should approach an aachaarya in a proper way and learn all this, was also taught. 

In Chapter Five, Tat antargata Jnyaana Vipaakah.

Karma yogasya soukaryam shaighryam kaaschana tat vidhaah |

Brahma jnyaana prakaararascha pandmama adhyaaya uchyate ||

The aspect that karma yoga is much easier to adopt because it is poorva abhyasta, whereas jnyana yoga is not poorvaabhyasta, is taught. While doing karma yoga itself, aatma jnyaana is also to be contemplated upon, so it is easier to do that. The varieties and accessories of karma yoga, are taught. Brahma here means brahma samaanaakaara shuddha aatma vishayaah. Jnyaana here stands for samadarshana roopa jnyaana vipaaka. The ways in which a karma yogi practices, which leads to jnyaana vipaaka, is taught. The greatness of samadarshitva, Vidyaa vinaya sampanne braahmane gavi hastini, shuni cha eva shvapaake cha panditaah samadarshinah, is taught. The qualities which lead to such sama darshana, Na prahrushyet priyam praapya na udivijet praapya cha apriyam, were taught. 

The Sixth Chapter is Yoga Abhyaasa Vidhi. 

Yoga abhyaasa vidhih yogi chaturdhaa yoga saadhanam |

Yoga siddhi sva yogasya paaramyam shashta uchyate ||

Bhaashyakaarar mentions yoga abhyaasa vidhi as the main teaching of the Sixth Chapter. The first six chapters teach karma yoga and jnyaana yoga and attaining aatma saakshaatkaara. Yoga abhyaasa vidhi, four types of yogis, yoga saadhana, abhyaasa, vairaagya, etc. are taught. Yoga siddhi is such that even for one who is yoga bhrasta, there is no pratyavaaya. The greatness of svaayoga, worship of Paramaatman Himself, Lord Vaasudeva, were taught. The four stages of samadarshana vipaaka krama, was taught, which is a very unique interpretation in our Bhaashya. The first stage of jnyaana yoga is aatma aatma saamya, all are of the nature of jnyaana is realized. The second stage is aatma paramaatma saamya, aatman who is pure in shuddha avasthaa is of similar nature as Paramaatman is contemplated upon. In the third stage, since all aatmans are visheshanaas to Bhagavaan, they are all inseparably associated with Paramaatman, just as oneself, all are equal, being attributes of Paramaatman, and antaryaami Paramaatman is the same in all, antaryaami aikya is taught. The last stage, is asambandha saamya, the analogy of non-relationship; no one is related to the aatman, just as someone else's children are not related to us; our own son is not related to us, is asambandha saamya; this is all oupaadhika due to karma; this is the highest level of samadarshana taught. 

In the first six chapters, jeevaatma saakshaatkaara. But what is the nature of such jeevaatman, told by Bhaashyakaarar? Prathamena adhyaaya shatkena parama praapya bhootasya parasya brahmano niravadyasya nikhila jagateka kaaranasya sarvajnyasya sarva bhootasya satya sankalpasya mahaa vibhooteh shrimato naaraayanasya  praapti upaaya bhootam tat upaasanam vaktum, the ultimate goal is not just the realization of the nature of individual self, as independent of Paramaatman, in order to realize the bhagavat upaasanaa, the relation between jeevaatman and Paramaatman is very important. This has to be realized. Jeevaatma saakshaatkaara is not kevala jeevaatma saakshaatkaara, but as a shesha bhoota to Paramaatman. 

In the madhyama shatka, bhakti yoga was taught. The summary if first six chapters is: Tat anga bhootam aatma jnyaana poorvaka karma anusthaana saadhyam praaptuh pratyagaatmo yaathaatmya darshanam uktam. This is anga to bhakti yoga. What is to be attained is not mere parishuddha jeevaatman, but jeevaatman who is inseparably associated with Paramaatman, Paramaatman who is his aatman. Because the parama praapya is told in Chapter Eight as Maam upetya tu kounteya.

The Seventh Chapter is Pratibuddha Praadhaanyam. Pratibuddha is one who is a mumukshu, desirous of attaining moksha. His superiority is told. 

Sva yaathaatmyam prakrutyaasya tirodhih sharanaagatih |

Bhakta bhedah prabuddhasya shraishtyam saptame uchyate ||

Bhagavat svaroopa yaathaatmya was taught in great detail. Paramaatman is there everywhere, and is all pervading, He is antaryaami to everything. Why is this not realized? Because He is covered by prakruti. Tat nivrutteh bhagavat prapattih sharanaagatih. And bhakta bhedah, upaasaka vidhaa bhedah - aartah, jijnyaasu, arthaarthi, jnyaani. The superiority of a jnyaani was told. Bhagavaan's kaaranatvam, aadhaaratvam, sarva shareeratayaa sarva prakaarena sarva shabda vaachyatvam, sarva niyantrutva, sarvaih cha kalyaana gunaih tasya eva parataratvam - all these were taught. Everything is having Him as the cause. Kaaranatva is told. Aadhaaratva is told. Everything is supported by Him. The four shlokaas starting with Raso aham apsu kounteya establish through saamaanaadhikaranya that Bhagavaan only is known from all the shabdaas, sarva shabda vaachyatva. His sarva niyantrutva is shown. His paratva is shown. The shloka Tribhih gunamayaih bhaavaih shows that body, senses, are all composed of three qualities sattva, rajas, tamas. Prapatti is told again to get rid of this maaya. Maam eva ye prapadyante maayaam etaam taranti te. The four types of bhaktaas, the greatness of jnyaani, are told. Jnyaani is most dear to Me. 

The Eighth Chapter is Trividha Adhikaara Vedyopaadeya Vibhaagah. 

Aishvarya akshara yaathaatmya bhagavaccharanaarthinaam |

Vedyopaadeya bhaavaanaam ashtame bheda uchyate ||

Having told the four types of bhaktaas, aarta, jijnyaasu, arthaarthi and jnyaani, where aarta and arthaarthi are combined together, and jijnyaasu and jnyaani, what is to be known by the bhaktaas is told here. Aksharam brahma paramam svabhaavo aadhyaatma uchyate. Akshara is jeevaatman here, who is pure in nature. What is upaadeya is thinking of Paramaatman in those respective forms, based on what they desire - wealth, or kaivalya, or Bhagavaan Himself. They have to do upaasane accordingly, because they attain whatever they contemplate upon. Also, the antima pratyaya that is required was told for various bhaktaas. Those who attain Bhagavaan will not return to samsaara at all. Bhagavaan will give aishwarya if one prays for aishwarya. But, because of taking refuge in Bhagavaan only, even for those results, He will make sure that they ultimately attain Him. Those who surrender unto Him, and want to attain Bhagavaan only, will not return to samsaara. 

In the Ninth Chapter, Bhakti yoga was taught - Sa prakaarako bhakti yogah. 

Sva maahaatmyam manushyatve paratvam cha mahaatmanaam |

Vishesho navame yogo bhakti roopah prakeertitah ||

The greatness of Paramaatman, Mayaa tatam idam sarvam jagat avyakta moortinaa, I am pervading everything and unseen by anyone. Being supreme even while incarnating as a human, no one recognizes Me; Avajaananti maam moodhaah maanusheem tanum aashritam, param bhaavam ajaantah mama avyayam anuttamam. The greatness of jnyaani, is told. Mahaatmanaah tu maam paartha daiveem prakrutim aashritaah, bhajanti ananya manasah jnyaatvaa bhootadim avyayam, worship Me single mindedly. Aham hi sarva yajnyaanaam bhoktaa cha prabhuh eva cha, I am the one to be worshipped by all the yajnyaas. I am only the bestower of fruits. I am the aaraadhya and phala prada. It is very easy to worship Me. Those who cannot live even for a second without worshipping Me, if they offer patram, pushpam, phalam, toyam, whatever they offer, I receive with great love. As though I have attained something which I cannot think of attaining, with that feeling I will accept the offering of such a bhakta. Yat karoshi yat ashnaasi yat juhoshi dadaasi yat, yat tapasyasi kounteya tat kurushva mat arpanam | Offer everything to Me. Such greatness of bhakti yoga was taught there. Manmanaa bhava mat bhaktah mat yaajee maam namaskuru, maam eva aishyasi yuktvaa evam aatmanam mat paraayanah | Bhakti is given great importance. Everything that you do, do with devotion. 

Bhagavaan continues to tell Guna Vibhooti Aanantyam in Chapter Ten.

Sva kalyaana guna aanantya krutsna svaadheenataa matih |

Bhakti utpatti vivruddhi arthaa visteernaa dashama uditaa ||

Having taught bhakti yoga, how does devotion arise, and how does it increase over time, for that, one has to Bhagavaan's guna, vibhooti, etc. Krishna says Aham sarvasya prabhavah mattah sarvam pravartate. That is how My devotees worship Me. Arjuna tells Krishna that he wants to know Bhagavaan's guna, vibhooti in detail. Tell me again and again in great detail Your yoga, vibhooti, everything. I can never get satisfied listening to that amruta. Krishna says that 'I cannot also explain in great detail. I will tell you what are the most important ones, because there is no end to My guna and vibhooti'. Na tat asti vinaa yat syaat mayaa bhootam chara acharam | There is nothing, moving or non moving which is without Me, which does not have Me as the antaryaami. Everything is His shareera, controlled by Him. Everything is supported by Him, and meant for His purpose. Yat yat vibhooti mat sattvam shreemat oorjitam eva vaa, tat tat eva avagaccha tvam mama tejo amsha sambhavam |

In the Eleventh Chapter, named Vaishvaroopyadarshanopaayah, Arjuna says 'Drashtum icchami te roopam aishwaram purushottama', if You think that I can see, I would like to see this roopa of Yours. Krishna says that 'You cannot see with the praakruta chakshus, divyam dadaami te chakshuh' because you are My bhakta, I will reveal My vishvaroopa to you. Bhaktyaa tu ananyayaa shakyah, the importance of bhakti is told here. One cannot even know Me or see Me, or attain Me without bhakti. Only bhakti can lead to all these. The greatness of Vishvaroopa comes. Sanjaya says that he keeps thinking of it again and again, cannot forget that Vishvaroopa.

Twelfth Chapter is Bhakti Aaroha Kramah. 

Bhakteh shraisthyam upaayoktih ashaktasya aatma nisthataa |

Tat prakaaraah tu ati preetih bhakteh dvaadasha uchyate ||

Arjuna asks - those who do upaasane of akshara, and those who worship Bhagavaan, among them who attains siddhi fastest? Yoga vittama - Arjuna does not say which yoga or yogi is superior. Because there is no doubt that bhagavat upaasaka only is superior. The question there is who attains siddhi fastest. Bhagavaan says that those who worship Me only will attain. A very important teaching is told in this chapter, regarding those who are incapable of performing karma yoga, jnyaana yoga, but have great devotion. Krishna says - Mayi eva mana aadhatsva mayi buddhim niveshaya. If one fixes his mind on Me, it becomes bhakti yoga ankura. They have so much devotion that they are able to contemplate on Bhagavaan single mindedly, like Aazhvaars. They did not do karma yoga or jnyaana yoga, but had great devotion. This is a very significant explanation in our Bhaashya. If I cannot concentrate on Your divya mangala vigraha like that, continuous repeated practice will lead to that. Even if you are incapable of doing that abhyaasa, perform any kainkaryaas like pushpaaharana, teertha kainkarya, this will also help in cleansing the mind, will lead to abhyaasa and chitta samaadhaana, and then one will be able to get devotion. All these are bhakti yoga ankuraas. If you are not able to do that also, then do karma yoga. The qualities of a karma yogi were taught wonderfully - Advehstaa sarva bhootaanam ... All other commentators take it as qualities of bhakti yogi, in our Bhaashya, it is explained as that of a karma yogi. 

The Thirteenth Chapter is Vishuddha Kshetrajnya Vijnyaanam. 

Deha svaroopam aatma aapti hetuh aatma vishodhanam |

Bandha hetuh vivekah cha trayodasha udeeryate ||

Svaroopa of deha, svaroopa of kshetrajnya, one who knows this shareera, is the knower, the jeevaatman. We see a detailed Bhaashya for this shloka. Jeevaatman is told as kshetrajnya, body is told as kshetra, and Paramaatman as different and distinct from that. The cause of the bandha is told. 

The Fourteenth Chapter is Traigunya vishodhanam.

Guna bandha vidhaa teshaam kartrutvam tat nivartanam |

Gati trayasva moolatvam chaturdasha udeeryate ||

The nature and effects of the three gunaas, sattva, rajas, tamas are told. One should attribute all acts to gunaas was told - Naanyam gunebhyah kartaaram yadaa drashtaa anupashyati. One should become gunaateeta was told - Maam cha yo avyabhichaaarena bhakti yogena sevate, sa gunaan samateetya etaan brahma bhooyaaya kalpate | Here, brahma bhootaaya is explained as aatma saakshaatkaara. 

In the Fifteenth Chapter, the great teaching of Purushottama Yoga, Purushottama Vailakshanyam is told. 

Achit mishraat vishuddhaat cha chetanaat purushottamah |

Vyaapanaat bharanaat svaamyaat anyah pancha dasha uditah ||

Bhagavaan starts teaching the svaroopa of samsaara, comparing it to a tree, Oordhva moolam adhah shaakham ahsvattam praahuh avyayam. Why should one know the nature of samsaara, because that is something which has to be got rid of. and the nature of this is also necessary to be known. One should cut it off completely with its roots with the sword of asanga, detachment. Jeevaatman is told as amsha of Paramaatman. Mama eva amsho jeeva loke jeeva bhootah sanaatanah. How a jeevaatman moves from birth to birth, and how Paramaatman is antaryaami of everything, Sarvasya cha aham hrudi sannivishtah mattah smrutih jnyaanam apohanam cha. The teaching that Bhagavaan is Puroshottama, and is different and distinct from everything, Dvou imou purushou loke ksharah cha aksharam eva cha, was told. Uttamah purushah tu anyah paramaatmaa iti udaahrutah | All the baddha jeevaas are told as kshara. Akshara is mukta aatma. Uttama is different and distinct from everyone. He pervades all the worlds, He supports everything and rules over everything. He is immutable. In the Shruti, Smruti, I am well known as Purushottama. 

In the Sixteenth Chapter, Shaastra Vashyatva was taught. 

Deva asura vibhaaga uktih poorvikaashaastra vashyataa |

Tattva anusthaana vijnyaana sthemne shodasha uchyate ||

Whatever was taught so far should stay firmly in one's mind, and one should put it into practice, was taught here. Anantaram uktasya krutsnasya arthasya sthemne shaastra vashyataam vaktum shaastra vashya tat vipareetayoh deva asura sargayoh vibhaagam shri bhagavaan uvaacha. Only with anusthaana, jnyaana will become purposeful. Shaastra vashyataam is very important. Daivi sampath vimokshaaya nibandhaaya aasuri mataa. One should attain daivi sampath. It makes it clear that the knowledge of the nature of goal, praapya tattva jnyaana, and the nature of the means, praapti upaaya jnyaana, are both veda eka moola, are to be known only through the shaastraas, which is Veda. Bhagavaan says Tasmaat shaastram pramaanam te kaarya akaarya vyavasthitou, jnyaatvaa shaastra vishaana uktam karma kartum iha arhasi. For everything, shaastra is the pramaana. 

The Seventeenth Chapter is Shaastreeya Vivechana.

Ashaastram aasuram krutsnam shaastreeyam gunatah pruthak |

Lakshanam shaastra siddhasya tridhaa saptadasha uditam ||

Idaaneem ashaastra vihitasya aasuratvena aphalatvam shaastra vihitasya cha gunatah triavidhyam shaastra siddhasya lakshanam cha uchyate. Arjuna asks Krishna those who have great shraddhaa, but do not follow the shaastraas what would they attain - whether it is saatvika, raajasa or taamasa. This applies only to anything which is shaastreeya. Whatever is not shaastreeya, whether it is done with shraddhaa also, it is aasura. Om tat sat iti nirdeshah brahmanah trividhah smrutah. All the karmaas such as yajnya, told as Brahma here, is associated with three words Om Tat and Sat. How they get associated was taught. Om is used for all the Vaidika mantraas. Tat is associated when one performs karmaas only for the purpose of moksha, without desiring any fruits. Sat is for abhyudaya. Anything performed without shraddha also becomes ashaastra. Shaastreeya should be done with shraddhaa. Ashaastreeya should not be done at all. 

The Eighteenth Chapter is Saroddhaarah.

Eeshvare kartrutaa buddhih sattvopaadeyataa antime |

Sva karma parinaamah cha shaastra saaraartha uchyate ||

The teaching is shaastra saaraartha. Charama shloka is very important. Swami Deshikan makes an important observation at the end of charama shloka. Analysing all these, and other commentators, 

Pishaacha rantideva gupta shankara yaadavaprakaasha bhaaskara naaraayanaarya yajnyasvaami prabhrutibhih svam svam matam aasthitaih parasshataih bhaashyakrudbhih asmat siddhaanta teerthakaraih cha bhagavat yaamunaachaarya bhaashyakaaraadibhih avigeeta parigruheeto ayam artha saaraarthah bhagavaan eva param tattvam ananya sharanaih yathaa adhikaaram tat eka aashrayanam parama dharmah iti |

After examining hundreds of Bhaashyaas, Pishaacha, Rantideva, Gupta, Shankara, Yaadavaprakaasha, Bhaaskara, Naaraayanaarya, Yajnyasvaami, who are all establishing their own mataas in their Bhaashyaas, even those who are establishing our siddhaanta, Bhagavat Yaamunaachaarya, Bhaashyakaarar, the essential teaching of this shaastra is pure and accepted by everybody is Bhagavaan is para tattva. Those who do not have any other means, according to their adhikaara, they should take refuge only in Bhagavaan, this is only parama dharma. This is accepted by all.