Bhagavad Gita

written by the rishi Vyasa, he knew everything that was said

18 chapter divided in 3 parts of 6 chapters: karma (tvam), bakhti (tat), jnagna (knowledge) (asi)

tat (that) tvam (you) asi (are)

dharma yudda (righteous fight) prevents greater harm.

Ch1

Sanjaya narrates what is happening in the battlefield to Dhrtarastra.

King Dhrtarastra	also called the blind king, blind from birth, represents ignorance, Vyasa offered him the power to see and hear everything was happening in the battlefield. Dhrtarastra did not want that power and ask him to give it to Sanjaya.
Sanjaya	King Dhrtarastra secretary, charioteer, student of Vyasa, able to envision the battlefield while he is in the room of Dhrtarastra.
Dronacarya	Commander-in-chief of Duryodhana, has a political quarrel with King Drupada.
Dhrstadyumna	son of King Drupada is disciple of Dronacarya, on the pandevas army.
Drupada	father of Drupadi. He made a sacrifice to have a son that will kill Dronacarya.
Drupadi	Arjuna's wife
Arjuna	son of Pandu, pandevas side, most brillant student of Dronacarya, and Prtha (mother and sister of his krsna'father Vasudeva), krsna cousin, loves his grand-uncle Bhsima
Duryodhana	son of Dhrtastra, agent of adharma, son of the blind king, adharma is born of ignorance
Vikarna	brother of Duryodhana
Pandevas army	Bhima, arjuna,yuyudhana, virata, drupada, great fighters, Dhrstaketu, Cekitana, Kasiraja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, Saibya, Yudhamanyu, Uttamauja, son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi.
Captain of Kurus army	Bhisma (old man that must be protected), Dronacarya, Karna, Krpa, Asvatthama, Vikarna, Saumadatti/Bhurisrava (Son of Somadatta)
Asvathama	son of Dronacarya
Somadatta	King of Bahlikas
Karna	half-brother of Arjuna, son of Kunti and King Pandu
Krpa	married twin sister of Dronacarya
Krsna	madhavah (husband of the goddess of fortune), son of Vasudeva (father) Krsna has multiples names depending on his activities: Madhusudana, Govinda, Vasudeva, Devaki-nandana, Yasoda-nandana, Partha-sarathi, Hrisikesa
Hrsikesa	Lord who directs the senses of the devotees, owner of all senses.
Laksmana	son of Duryodhana
Asvatthama	friend of Arjuna
Krtavarma	well-wishers
Govinda	if satisfy the senses of Govinda, we automatically our own senses are satisfied.
Ugrasena	Krnsa's grandfather
Sandipanu Muni	Krns's teacher

samadhi, state of constantly thinking of krsna

Pandus,

Fight between King Dhrtarastra, father of the Kurus and sons of Pandus, his younger brother, in the battlefield of Kuruksetra.

The king seperated himself from his brother family and did not consider them as Kurus.

Duryodhana is afraid when he saw the pandevas army. He thinks he has full supprt from Bhismadeva and Dronacarya because they did not say a word when Draupadi had appealed to them for justice while being forced to strip naked.

When Bhisma blew the conchshell, he informed in grandson Duryiodhana, he has no chance because Krsna in on the other side.

The chariot was given by Agni (fire-god) to Arjuna.

=

Krsna conchshell Pancajanya

Arjuna ;; Devadatta, bow is Gandiva

Bhima, Paundram

King Yudhisthira, son of Kunti, conchshell anantavijaya

Nakula and saheval blew Suhosa and Manipuspaka

Arjuna has the flag of Hanuman on his chariot. Hanuman cooperated with Rama in the battle between Rama and Ravena where Rama emerged Victorious. Now, Rama, Hanuman are present on the chariot. Krsna is Rama. Wherever, Rama is, his eternal servitor Hanuman and the his eternal consort Sita (godddess of fortune) are present. Those are the sign of assured victory. Krsna is in service of his friend Arjuna as a charioteer. In the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna can see all of his families and friends. He is not intersted to fight anymore because he thinks it will not bring him happiness to kill his friends and relatives. Only ksatirya (those who dies in the battlefield under Krnsa's orders) and those who renounced order of live being absolute devotee can enter the sun-globe. He decided to go to the forest and live a secluded life of frustration. p. 60

"Everyone is interested in himself and his own welfare. No one is interested in The Supreme Self. Arjuna is supposed to show disregard for self-interest by submission to the will of Krsna"

"The Lord will satisfy the senses of the living entities as much as they deserve, but not to the extent that they may covet. But when one takes the opposite way - namely, when one tries to satisfy the senses of Govinda without desiring to satisfy one's own senses - then by the grace of Govinda all desires of the living entity are satisfied." But he may risk eternal salvation by killing his own kingmen?

offer remnant of prasadam food to liberate forefather from ghostly life or be devoted to god.

You have to undergo ablution (prayascitta) for sinful activities. Otherwise, you will go to hellish planets.

Revana kidnaps Rama's wife.

"According to Vedic injuctions, there are six kind of aggressors: 1) a poison giver, 2) one who sets fire to the house, 3) one who attacks with deadly weapons, 4) one who plunders richies, 5) one who occupies another's land, and 6) one who kidnaps a wife. .. no sin is incurred by killing such aggressors."

Arjuna decided not to fight. He sat next to his chariot lamenting.

struggle between following emotions or intellect. emotions make us human. emotions are mean to feel feelings. emotions are not meant to make decision. intellect are meant to make decision. when we make decision purely based on emotions, then we will get in trouble. this is arjuna's struggle, inner battle, dilemna between emotions and intellect.

Arjuna's intelect says the war must be fought because the consequence of not fighting is far worse

Arjun'a emotion says: don't fight

arjun'as emotion reaction is so intense that it begins to distord his intellect

rationalization: use your intellect to do argue for the wrong thing

when intellect is hijacked by emotions, we can rationalize anything (make an excuse) to make adharma

Arjuna's intellect is so distorted that he thinks, their mind is overcome with greed therefore they are fighting, our minds are not overcome by greed, therefore how could we not understand the terrible consequence of the sin (dosan=defect) of fighting against, killing his own family members. BUT, greed is not the point here. The point here is dharma. Arjuna is not able to consider how bad the consequence will be if he fails to fight.

"dharmic principles enable us to navigate through this apparent duality in a way that is conducive to ultimately overcoming our ignorance and recognizing our true nature as non-dual atma"

ch 2

sudra, those who lament for the outward dress/gross body.

arjuna as a ksatriya should not behave as a sudra.

Ultimate thruth is realized in 3 steps:

- brahman or the impersonal all-pervasive spirit

-paramatma, the localized aspect of the supreme within the hear of all living entities

- bhagavam the supreme personality of Godhead, Krnsa

The human form is a valuable asset to the livinb entity to solve problems of life. krpanas = miserly person who is being overly affectionate for family societ, counttry in the material conception of life.

"The wise lament neither for the living nor the dead" 2. 11.