Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita

The common translation of the Gita is Holy or Divine Song. The Gita comprises a small portion of the Mahabharata, on Indian epic.

The Gita is comprised of 18 chapters.

The main characters are Arjuna the devotee and Krishna his friend, teacher and personification of Divine power and grace in human form.

The Gita explores both philosophical and practical concepts and gives instructions on how to live skillfully and how to fulfill ones personal destiny.

The oldest published commentary was written by Shankara in the ninth century of this current era.

The first 10 chapters focus on:

The way of knowledge (jnana yoga),

The way of selfless work (karma yoga), and the way of surrendered devotion (Bhakti yoga).

In the 11^th chapter Krishna shows Arjuna the reality of consciousness as it is expressed in all things.

The final seven chapters are devoted to explaining from a higher perspective how to apply what has been learned to daily life.

The Actual story tells us of a great battle that occurred between cousins on a battlefield north of the present city of New Delhi.

When we look at it from an esoteric perspective, we see a great story with characters and events symbolizing ideas, moral and spiritual principles.

What is revealed is the soul’s awakening process from self conscious involvement with psychological and physical circumstances to full realization of its true nature as pure consciousness.

It is interesting to observe that the mental conflict and emotional unrest shown by Arjuna can be seen in many devotees today. They want to be spiritual, yet at the same time they want to cling to ego centered behavior with its conditioned believes, moods and habits, the very things that keep us in self created bondage.

The text stresses that only knowledgeable, purposeful action will produce will produce desired results.

The truths as explained in the Gita have great value to every person on the enlightening path.     

From our own experience we know that when our mind is clouded, when our lives are controlled by our senses, we live without meaningful purpose. We are like a ship without a rudder; we live for fun and its consequent pain.

What we need is for the mind to be illumined by the soul’s innate light and for the senses to be controlled by the will of the soul. This is how self consciousness is transcended  

It is at this point when life flows smoothly under the direction of the soul’s originating impulses, supported by the power of grace.

Grace is the omnipresent influence of the Spirit of God. Grace is most influential in our lives, when we are living a purposeful, spiritual life. When our lives are soul directed, we function under the guiding influence of grace and intuition. In this manner we are walking the path of righteousness, the path of light.

When we relate as soul, mind, and body beings to the physical realm, we are instinctively and intuitively directed to fulfill our essential needs, well being and growth (Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26). Being Soul directed we will live in harmony with life’s processes and actualize our full spiritual potential.

However, when we neglect our spiritual side, we will always experience a feeling that something is missing in our lives. This deep seated feeling is our yearning, our desire of the heart (soul) to awaken to Self knowledge which in turn allows us to experience the presence of God and transcendental realization.

In Sanskrit literature, the first chapter serves as the introduction to the main body of the text. To have access to the core message, we have to carefully examine this chapter to get an idea of the author’s purpose for writing the Bhagavad Gita and to learn the esoteric meaning of the names of the main characters in the story.

The Story

In ancient India, at Hastinapur, there lived a king of the solar dynasty whose name was Santanu.

The first of two queens was named Ganga. When she left him, he wed Satyavati.

While walking beside the Ganges River, King Satanu met Ganga and ask her to be his wife. He did not know that she was actually a manifestation of the river in human form.

Ganga agreed to his proposal after the king promised not to interfere with anything she might do after they got married. If he ever questioned her actions, she would leave him forever.

When the first son was born, Ganga carried the infant from the palace and through him into the river. The king although much disturbed by her behavior, did nothing because he previously agreed not to interfere.

Six more sons were born; each of them was given to the river by the Queen.

When the 8^th was born, the king implored her not to do with him as she did with the other 7. True to her word, Ganga left her husband and her 8^th son. She rushed to the Ganges, threw herself into it and merged with the water.

The King gave all his affection to the son whom he had named Devarata. He educated him as it befitted a prince and heir.

What are we to think of this? A King who weds an embodiment of the Ganges River, who for reasons of her own throws her first seven sons into the water and merges with it herself when she is asked not to drown the 8^th.

One day the king went hunting in the forest. Resting under the shade tree by the river, he saw lotus petals floating on the water. Following the steam of pedals to their source, he saw a charming damsel, Satyavati, putting them into the river as a ritual of offering. Remaining out of the young woman’s sight, the king followed her when she returned home. She lived with her father Dasa Raja, known as the fisher king.

Satuna asked Dasa Raja to give him Satyavati as his wife.

Dasa Raja agreed, but insisted that his daughter must be the principle wife and that her son must be the successor to the throne.

King Santanu refused the terms of marriage and returned to his palace. But he was unhappy and Prince Devarata decided to do something about it. Without telling anyone of his plan, he went alone to Dasa Raja and asked him to consent to the marriage of Satyavati to his father. To assure Dasa Raja about his daughter’s future and the future of any sons, Prince Devarata promised not to claim the throne, and that he would never marry or have children.

Because of these two vows, Prince Davarata became known as Bhishma the formidable (inspiring fear).

King Santanu and Satyavati were married. They had two sons: Chitrangata, who died at an early age, and Vichitravirya, who was weak. After the death of Santanu, vichitravirya became King, but because he was weak, the kingdom was ruled by Bhishma.

When Vichitravirya was of marriage age, Bhishma decided that he should have a queen. With the idea in mind, he went to the court of King Kashi. The king had 3 marriageable daughters, Bhishma waited until the 3 daughters wandered away from the large group, put them into his chariot, and rushed toward Hastinapur.

The princesses’ names were Amba, Ambika and Ambalika.

Amba prayed to be released because, in her heart, she had already promised herself to another. Bhishma let her go and continued with the 2 remaining sisters.

King Vichitravirya died soon after marrying Amba and Ambalika. His two widowed wives were then introduced to Veda Vyasa, and by him each had a son.

Ambika’s son, Dhristarashtra, was born blind, Ambalika’s son Pandu, was of light complexion.

Bhishma continued to rule the kingdom. When the sons grew to be adults, Pandu was put on the throne because Dhristarashtra, the older brother was blind.

Pandu had two wives, Kundi and Madri. Before her marriage, Kunti, was testing the power of mantra which she had learned from a sage, inadvertently invoked the blessings of the sun and gave birth to a male child. Because it was considered to be illegitimate, the child was adopted by a carpenter and later became known as Karna, a hero of the Kauravas clan. After her marriage, Kunti invoked the gods who controlled dharma (righteousness), prana (vital forces), and Indra (the god of fire, the power of transformation).

From these unions were born Yudhisthira, Bhima, and Arjuna.

Knnti then taught the mantra to Mardi, who could only use it once. Mardi invoked twin gods and begot twin sons, Nakula and Sahadeva. Because they were considered the progeny of Pandu, the five sons were known as Pandavas.

In this section we learn of plural marriages, Children conceived by the power of mantra, manipulative behavior, deception and eventually a decision to engage in battle.

When the Pandava brothers grew older, they participated in a contest arranged by King Drupada. The purpose was to chose a husband for his daughter Draupadi.

The contestants had to lift a heavy bow, string it, and shoot an arrow through the eye of a fish that was hanging above a revolving wheel with a hole in the center. Then they had to shoot at the target by looking at it in a pool below. Only Arjuna was successful in the contest. Returning home with Draupadi, the brothers asked Kunti, their mother, to come and see what they had brought. She said whatever you have brought share among yourselves. This is how Draupadi became the wife of the Pandavas.

The blind Dhritarahtra, half brother of King Pandu fathered 100 sons and one daughter, cousins to the five Pandava brothers. When king Pandu died, Duryohana, the firstborn son of Dhritasashtra, sought the throne which he felt was rightfully his because his blind father had been denied it, when Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava, was put on the throne instead, Duryodhana conspired to remove him. To do this he challenged Yudhisthira to a loaded dice game. It was agreed that whoever should lose was to go into exile for 12 years plus retire into seclusion for 1 year. Yudhisthira lost and with 4 brothers and their wife Draupadi left for the agreed upon time.

Duryodhana assumed the ruling of the Kingdom.

After 13 years, the Pandava brothers returned to Hastinapur to reclaim their rights, but were refused them. Civil war was declared. All of the Royal families of that region of India took sides and gathered their armies. Krishna, a King, and cousin of the Pandavas, asked the opposing faction to choose either him or his army. He would not participate in the battle, but would put his army at the disposal of everyone who wanted it, while he remained with the other side.

What do we learn from this? The key to understanding the drama lies in the discovery of what the characters represent and what their actions and experiences reveal.

Santanu, (pure consciousness) interacts with Ganga (the conscious intelligence of Om). From this interaction, eight aspects of consciousness were produced.

The first seven were hidden or subjective; the eights is objective.

The seven hidden aspects which regulate subjective cosmic processes are:

Two aspects, cosmic and individualized, at the level of causal or fine cosmic forces of creation; two aspects, cosmic and individualized.

At the level of astral, or subtle life forces; two aspects, cosmic and individualized, two aspects at the level of gross physical creation; and one all pervading aspect.

In the Indian traditions they are referred to as gods, they represent the various intelligence-directed influences and powers of Consciousness.

In Vedic scriptures, the 2 aspects at the causal level are, together referred to as Vishnu, that which preserves or maintains.

The two aspects at the astral level are Brahma, that which expands and causes manifestation. The 2 aspects at the physical level are Shiva, that which causes change and transformation.

The seventh unseen aspect is the Spirit of God pervading the cosmos without being confined or limited by it.

The eights aspect which is not hidden is cosmic individuality or Bhishma (the witness or perceiving consciousness which participates in outer affairs but is not itself the determining factor).

Because it is unmarried (aloof from creation), it does not produce anything. It and the spirit of God are like two faces of consciousness. The former looks outward into the realm of objective nature, the latter remains hidden.

The Sanskrit word for the all pervading Spirit is, the consciousness of God aspect, it is Kutashtha Chaitanya, the one on the summit. It is also referred to as Kishna or Christ consciousness.

Satyavati interacts with the unconscious side of nature, the intelligent principle.  Om, expresses as fine cosmic forces, space and time, which contains sat or truth, the enlivening aspect of consciousness causes the primordial field of nature, maya that which builds forms and hides the truth.

The first to manifest (first child of Satyavati) is the field of primordial nature. It undergoes change from fine to gross but does not last long (Chitrangada).

Satyavati’s second son, Vichitravirya is the false or independent sense of existence, the ego which is peculiar or different and weak, but necessary for creation to occur.  

The two wives of ego consciousness Vichitravirya are doubt (Ambika) and the power of discrimination (Ambilika). The other sister Amba chose not to marry because she was promised to another (involvement in sensation through the lower chakras.

Vichitravirya died soon after marrying his wives. It was then arranged for them to have children by the sage Veda Vyasa (wisdom and knowledge).

From knowledge and doubt (Ambika) blind mind (Dhristrashtra is born.

From knowledge and the power of discrimination (Ambalica) pure intelligence (Pandu) is born.

In the Mahabarata, Dhristarashtra and his wives had 100 sons and a daughter.

This means that blind or deluded mind produces multiple self serving tendencies.

The first of these was Duryodhana (passion, lower desire that is difficult to fight or resist and causes many problems).

Although Dhristarashtra and Pandu belong to the Kura clan, only Dhristarashtra became known as the chief representative of the clan because with Bhishma’s help; he ruled the kingdom.

Pandu (pure intelligence) with 2 wives, Kunti (kundalini power of attraction, dispassionate compassion and discernment) and Madri (intellect influenced by sentiment) secluded himself in the forest and was away from the kingdom (mind). Pure intelligence like Pandu remains aloof, while the mind, like Dhristarashtra, rules the material affairs.

By the power of mantra, the two wives of Pandu produced 5 sons. They are referred to as the Pandavas (products of pure intelligence).

Kunti (kundalini) power of attraction, dispassion, and discrimination produced 3 sons, Yudhisthira, Bhima and Arjuna. They symbolize the true essence of the subtle elements of the 3 higher chakras.

Yudhisthira (righteousness, dharma, steadfast and firm), ether element, throat chakra, Vishudda, the pure. Sound-ocean roar, color misty gray, taste sour, bija mantra hum.

Bhima, pranayama, control of vital forces, endless strength, air element of the heart center, Anahata, unstuck sound- like a gong. Color blue, taste salty, bija mantra yum.

Arjuna, (purity of mind and heart), aspiration of excellence, fiery, self control, fire element, Manipura, the city of gems. Color red, sound harp, taste pungent, bija mantra rum.

Pandu’s second wife, Madri (spiritual intellect influenced by sentiment), gave birth to twins, which symbolize the influences of the two lower chakras:

Nakula (stillness of the mind) water element, Svadhisthan, the abode of the Self. Color white, frequency flute, taste astringent, bija vam.

Sahadev (the power of resistance) earth element, Muladhara, foundation. Color yellow, sound buzzing bees, taste bitter, mantra lum.

Draupadi, the common wife of the Pandava brothers, represents kundalini shakti, the flowing, harmonizing, enlivening action of the creative power of the soul.

The five sons of Draupadi are the sound of the light frequency perceived in the chakras when they are energized by the action of the kundalini shakti.

The eldest Pandava brother, Yudhisthira (righteousness, tranquility gambled with the eldest cousin, Duryodhana (egoism, lower desire, jealousy, pride), lost the match and was banished.

When righteousness plays with unrighteousness, when soul awareness gambles with conditioned mental tendencies and sense attraction, we experience error in our judgement which results in clouded awareness.

To reclaim the previous status, we must withdraw for a duration to become again grounded in virtues, engage in spiritual practices and confront that which restricts the soul’s freedom and the fulfillment of our destiny, thus, the symbolism of the Pandavas going into exile, into seclusion and return to battle.

Krishna (enlightened consciousness) offered his services to one of the opposing factions and his army to the other. The Kauravas (self serving mental tendencies), chose the army.

The Pandavas chose Krishna who agreed to drive Arjuna’s chariot.

Where Krishna (enlightened consciousness) is, there is victory.

When we read the Gita we should do so from a viewpoint of experiencing our own innate potential.