Bhagvad Gita for Dummies

The Gita has two streams of thought flowing - an ethical stream and a metaphysical stream-dealing respectively with what man ought to do and what God is.

Work Alone are thou entitled to and not its fruit. So never work for fruit nor yet desist from work.

A man of even mind puts away here both good and evil. Therefore strive for Yoga. Yoga is skill in action.

No man can be ever free from a life of action by merely avoiding active work. and no man can ever reach perfection through mere renunciation.

This world is fettered by work, UNLESS it is done as a sacrifice. Therefore, O son of Kunti give up your attachments and do thy work as a SACRIFICE.

Therefore always without attachment do the work thou hast to do for a man who does his work without attachment wins the SUPREME.

There is nothing in the three Worlds O Partha for me to achieve nor is there anything to gain that I have not gained. Yet I continue to work - for if I did not continue to work unwearied men all round the world would follow my path. If I should cease to work, these worlds would perish and I should cause confusion and destroy these people.

Better is one's duty though imperfectly done than the duty of another, well done

The works of a man whose attachments are gone, who is free and whose mind is well established in knowledge melt away entirely being done as a sacrifice.

THere is nothing whatever that is higher than what I am O Dhananjaya ; all this is strung on me as rows of Gems on a string ( a central consciousness pervading all things)

Goodness binds one to hapiness. Passion binds one to action and dullness veiling knowledge binds one to negligence.

There are three gateways of this HELL leading to the ruin of the soul - LUST, WRATH and GREED. Therefore let man renounce all three.

Penances - The Worship of the Gods, of teachers and of the wise, purity, uprightness, abstinence and non-violence - these are said to be penances of the BODY

The utterance of words which do not give offense and which are truthful, pleasant and beneficial, and the regular recitation of the Vedas - these are said to be penance of speech.

The serenity of the mind, beneficience, silence, self control and purity of the heart - these are said to be penances of the mind.

These three fold penances practised with perfect faith by men of balanced mind without desire for gain is said to be a "good disposition"

....for sacrifice, gifts and penances purify the wise. Even these works should be however done with surrender of attachment and of fruits. This O Partha is my decided and final view.

But renunciation of any duty that ought to be done is not right.

The wise man of renunciation, who is imbued with goodness and whose doubts are dispelled never hates a duty that is unpleasant.

The steadiness by which one never fails in concentration and by which one controls the activities of the mind, the life breaths and of the senses - that O partha is of the nature of goodness.