Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: All 18 Chapters with Meaning in Simple Words

The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is the conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, between the two armies, just before the Mahabharata war began. Seeing his own grandfather, teachers and cousins ranged against him, Arjuna was overcome by grief and put down his bow. What Krishna told him about life, duty, the self and God is the Gita. It forms chapters 25 to 42 of the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata, composed by Maharishi Ved Vyas, and is narrated to King Dhritarashtra by Sanjaya, whom Vyas had granted divine sight.

Tradition calls the Gita the essence of the Upanishads: the Upanishads are cows, Krishna the milker, Arjuna the calf, and the Gita the milk.

How the Gita is arranged: three groups of six

• Chapters 1 to 6 (Karma): running from duty is no answer; acting without clinging to the result is yoga. How to steady the mind and meditate.
• Chapters 7 to 12 (Bhakti): who God is, how the world rests in Him, His glories, the cosmic form, and why loving devotion is the easiest path.
• Chapters 13 to 18 (Jnana): body and self, the three gunas, the Supreme Person, divine and demonic natures, three kinds of faith, and finally complete surrender.

All 18 chapters at a glance

• 1. Arjuna Vishada Yoga (47 shlokas): the armies and Arjuna's grief.
• 2. Sankhya Yoga (72): the self is eternal; "karmanye vadhikaraste"; the person of steady wisdom.
• 3. Karma Yoga (43): no one can avoid action; work as offering; desire is the enemy.
• 4. Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga (42): why God descends; "yada yada hi dharmasya"; the fire of knowledge.
• 5. Karma Sannyasa Yoga (29): renunciation and action lead to one goal; untouched like a lotus leaf.
• 6. Atma Samyama Yoga (47): how to meditate; the mind is tamed by practice and detachment.
• 7. Jnana Vijnana Yoga (30): God's higher and lower nature; four kinds of devotees.
• 8. Akshara Brahma Yoga (28): remembrance at the time of death; the bright and dark paths.
• 9. Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga (34): "a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water"; God carries the devotee's needs.
• 10. Vibhuti Yoga (42): God's splendour in everything excellent.
• 11. Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (55): Arjuna sees the cosmic form.
• 12. Bhakti Yoga (20): the qualities of a devotee dear to God.
• 13. Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga (34): the body is the field, the self its knower.
• 14. Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga (27): sattva, rajas and tamas, and going beyond them.
• 15. Purushottama Yoga (20): the inverted ashvattha tree; the Supreme Person.
• 16. Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga (24): divine qualities; the three gates to hell.
• 17. Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (28): three kinds of faith, food, austerity and charity; Om Tat Sat.
• 18. Moksha Sannyasa Yoga (78): the true meaning of renunciation; "sarva dharman parityajya"; Arjuna's doubt is gone.

How to read the Gita

One chapter a day completes the Gita in eighteen days. Sit somewhere quiet, remember God, then read the chapter or press Listen. Understanding the meaning, not only saying the words, is the fruit of reading. Those short of time often read chapter 12 (Bhakti Yoga) or chapter 15 (Purushottama Yoga) daily; both have only twenty shlokas.

Common questions

How many chapters and verses does the Gita have?

Eighteen chapters and 700 shlokas: 574 spoken by Krishna, 84 by Arjuna, 41 by Sanjaya and 1 by Dhritarashtra (Gita Press text).

Who told the Gita to whom?

Shri Krishna told it to Arjuna at Kurukshetra. Sanjaya reported it to Dhritarashtra, and Ved Vyas recorded it in the Mahabharata.

When is Gita Jayanti?

On Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi, also called Mokshada Ekadashi, usually in late November or December.

What is the most famous verse of the Gita?

Chapter 2 verse 47, "karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana", and chapter 18 verse 66, "sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja".