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Thread: What are your favorite verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

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    What are your favorite verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    I'm reading Bhagavad Gita again right now. My favorite quotes are:



    "No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul."
    - Gita 2:17

    "For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next."
    - Gita 4:40

    "The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (outcaste)."
    - Gita 5:18

    "A person is said to be still further advanced when he regards all--the honest well-wisher, friends and enemies, the envious, the pious, the sinner and those who are indifferent and impartial--with an equal mind."
    - Gita 6:9

    "A true yogi observes Me in all beings, and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere."
    - Gita 6:29

    "He is a perfect yogi who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, both in their happiness and distress.
    - Gita 6:32

    "Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance."
    - Gita 10:11
    Last edited by ohhcuppycakee; 16 November 2011 at 08:52 PM.
    Pave to Musalman, pave Hindu, Sikh ve, sada ve Rabb jive; ek sada dil ve. Apne aap nu tu vakhra kyun samjhe...?
    Whether you are Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh...Our God is the same; our heart is one. Why do you consider yourself different...?


    Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself?

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    Re: What are your favorites verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    Quote Originally Posted by ohhcuppycakee View Post
    I'm reading Bhagavad Gita again right now. My favorite quotes are:

    Vannakkam occ: This will probably come as a surprise to you, but I've never read the Gita. One of the misconceptions in the west is that every Hindu everywhere has read the Gita. For one, not all Hindus can read. For another, not all Hindus read any scripture as scriptural study isn't a requirement to be a Hindu. Thirdly, not all sects put great importance on it.

    I'm curious as to your take on this.

    But for the record, I have nothing at all against it. Certainly its more read than the Vedas, which most sects would consider higher in order, if there is one.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: What are your favorites verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    Vannakkam occ: This will probably come as a surprise to you, but I've never read the Gita. One of the misconceptions in the west is that every Hindu everywhere has read the Gita. For one, not all Hindus can read. For another, not all Hindus read any scripture as scriptural study isn't a requirement to be a Hindu. Thirdly, not all sects put great importance on it.

    I'm curious as to your take on this.

    But for the record, I have nothing at all against it. Certainly its more read than the Vedas, which most sects would consider higher in order, if there is one.

    Aum Namasivaya


    I mainly read the Bhagavad Gita because I like it and it is pretty easy to understand. My friend actually gave it to me. He had gotten it from a member of ISKCON who asked for a donation for it. I have a lot of respect for the Hare Krishna movement. I think if I was ever going to be Hindu I would be a member of ISKCON.
    Pave to Musalman, pave Hindu, Sikh ve, sada ve Rabb jive; ek sada dil ve. Apne aap nu tu vakhra kyun samjhe...?
    Whether you are Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh...Our God is the same; our heart is one. Why do you consider yourself different...?


    Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself?

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    Re: What are your favorites verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    Hari Om!

    Ch 18, V 37 translation: "Pleasure that at first seems like poison, but in the end is nectar, is pure (sattvic) joy arising in the clear mind of Self-realization."

    Ch 18, V 38 translation: "The pleasure that arises when the senses contact the sense objects seem at first to be nectar, but in the end is bitter poison. This is rajasic pleasure of a desirous mind"

    Ch 18, V 39 translation: "Pleasure that is delusive in the beginning and also at the end, arises in a dull and listless mind (tamas). Its signs are oversleeping, laziness, and using intoxicants"

    From "The Living Gita" by Sri Swami Satchidananda

    I especially like these verses because they remind me that some of the things that I do may be painful at the start but will be beneficial in the long term perhaps for more than myself. Also reminds me that many of the so called "fun" things aren't really fun at all. Much of TV is truly a waste of time. Entertaining yes, can numb the mind too but think long term - what is the benefit of watching the useless shows? Not to say of course that everything on is useless mind you. As part of my discipline, I simply don't watch. Keeps the mind free of some sense gratification that I would otherwise have to deal with. The final verse spells it out and lays it on the line telling one what exactly to avoid. No need to comment here.

    Om Namah Sivaya
    Jai Hanuman!

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    Re: What are your favorites verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    Quote Originally Posted by ohhcuppycakee View Post

    I mainly read the Bhagavad Gita because I like it and it is pretty easy to understand. My friend actually gave it to me. He had gotten it from a member of ISKCON who asked for a donation for it. I have a lot of respect for the Hare Krishna movement. I think if I was ever going to be Hindu I would be a member of ISKCON.
    Vannakkam: I think ISKCON has done about 90% of the work in propulgating the Gita in the west.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: What are your favorites verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    Namaste OCC,

    I love the whole Bhagwad Gita. Unless you read the Bhagwad Gita as a whole, the real message of Bhagwad Gita won't be clear. Moreover, to understand Bhagwad Gita correctly, you must have some knowledge of the Upanishads/VedAnta.

    I will post some verses which are very dear to me. I will post this for this moment :

    Na Kartritvam na KarmANi, lokasya srijati prabhuh |
    Na karma-phala sanyogam, svabhAvastu pravartate ||

    ==> God neither takes part in creation of motive for an action (in anyone), nor in (creation of) any action in this world. He doesn't even takes part in deciding the results arising out of those actions. It is the Nature that works.

    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

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    Re: What are your favorite verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    My favourites:

    BG 2:12 -

    Quote Originally Posted by Bhagvan Krishna
    Certainly never at any time did I not exist, nor you, nor all these kings and certainly never shall we cease to exist in the future.
    BG 13:19 -

    Quote Originally Posted by Bhagvan Krishna
    You must understand that both Prakriti and Purusha are without beginning. All evolution and all the gunas proceed from Prakriti.
    The reason why I like these verses is that beyond theology, they have very important connotations to Hindu philosophy.

    From a Dvaita perspective, Brahman always was. Prakriti and Purusha are co-eternal with Brahman. The relationship is that of independent [Brahman] - dependent [Prakriti and Purusha] entities.

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    Re: What are your favorite verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    Namaste All,

    Oh sorry, I just read the title in full, still; I shall leave this here as to my mind it is in fitting with the thread.

    This resonates with my heart...



    The Chandogya Upanishad.

    1.1 - Let us meditate on OM the imperishable, the beginning of prayer.

    2 - For as earth comes from the waters, plants from the earth, and man from plants, so man is speech, and speech is OM. Of all speech the essence is the Rig Veda; but Sama is the essence of Rig, and of Sama the essence is OM, the Udgitha.

    3 - This is the essence of essences, the highest, the eigth rung, venerated above all that human beings hold holy, OM is the self of all.

    4 - What is rig, what is sama, at the heart of prayer? As rig is speech, so sama is song, and the imperishable OM is the Udgitha ...



    Transcribed and interpreted by Eknath Easwaran.


    sama = same, equal, match, self similarity.

    Udgitha = syllable om, chanting of the sAma-veda

    udgIta = sung, singing, song, celebrated, announced



    From this personally, I derive eternal song ...



    praNAma

    mana


    OM shanti shanti shanti
    Last edited by Mana; 17 November 2011 at 04:10 AM.

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    Re: What are your favorites verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    Quote Originally Posted by ohhcuppycakee View Post

    I mainly read the Bhagavad Gita because I like it and it is pretty easy to understand. <snip> I think if I was ever going to be Hindu I would be a member of ISKCON.
    You are not alone in getting the feeling that the BG is pretty easy to understand. There is this guy who seems to also feel that the BG is pretty clear in what it wants to say as compared to other scriptures out there.

    ISKCON and many Vedantins hold that the BG is the very cream of the Vedas/Upanishads/Hindu Dharma itself.

    Edited to add: I have no idea of who the guy in the video is, or what his credibility is on scriptural matters. The video was part of my youtube playlist and the topic was relevant, hence the posting of the video.

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    Re: What are your favorite verses of the Bhagavad Gita?

    Many to choose from, but just a few:

    "Certainly never at any time did I not exist, nor you, nor all these kings and certainly never shall we cease to exist in the future." 2.12

    "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." 9.26

    "But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe." 10.42

    "One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Mesuch a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.

    He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me." 12.13-15

    Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. 18.65
    śivasya hridayam viṣṇur viṣṇoscha hridayam śivaḥ

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