Bhagavad Gita
A Mini Book + A Micro Version
A K JAGANNATHAN
Aug 2024
Contents
Page No.
1. Bhagavad Gita (18 chapters in 36 sentences) 02
2. Bhagavad Gita – A Micro Version 06
3. Bhagavad Gita - A Flow Diagram 07
4. Verses referred to in the Flow Diagram 08
5. Divine Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita 09
6. Mini Book to Full Book 10
7. A Few Reviews of the Full Book 11
8. Acknowledgements 12
9. About the Author 12
Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
1. Bhagavad Gita (18 Ch in 36 sentences)
(Chapters 1 to 6 are regarded as Karma Yoga. Arjuna is
advised to do his duty)
Chapter 1: Arjuna’s Despondency
The Kurukshetra war is between the righteous and the
unrighteous (for material gains – the Kingdom of Hastinapur).
Arjuna is in an ethical dilemma whether to ight against his
clan and mentors or not.
Chapter 2: The Yoga of Knowledge
Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna that since the soul is immortal
and eternal, he will never kill nor be killed. He instructs Arjuna
to perform his prescribed Duty as a warrior, to stand up
for righteousness (svadharma) without attachment to the
fruits of action, to rise above the three gunas: Sattva
(Goodness), Rajas (Passion), and Tamas (Ignorance) of
human nature, and to do his actions in the service of God.
Chapter 3: The Yoga of Action
Both the (Divine) Knowledge path and the Action path are
required to be a Karma Yogi; akin to the two wings of a lying
bird. He works with the body, with the mind on God.
Chapter 4: A Secret Aid to Moksha
Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna his Divine Descension as an
Avatar on earth from time to time to protect the Righteous,
destroy the wicked, and re-establish Dharma. He advises
Arjuna that with the Divine Knowledge imparted to him, he
should be ready to do his duty of ighting the Kauravas.
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
Chapter 5: The Yoga of Renunciation
Sri Krishna clari ies to Arjuna that Karma Yoga is preferable to
Karma Sanyasa Yoga; since a Karma Yogi, if he is not able to ix
his mind on God, has a fallback of doing action which a Karma
Sanyasi does not have.
Chapter 6: The Yoga of Meditation
A peaceful mind (renouncing all material desires) enables
meditation and complete devotion to Sri Krishna. No devotee
is ever lost to Him nor He is lost to him.
(Chapters 7 to 12 are regarded as Bhakti Yoga – Arjuna is moved
from Karma Yoga to Bhakti Yoga – His devotion to
Sri Krishna keeps on increasing and he gains Divine Knowledge
through the Vishwaroopa Darshana of Sri Krishna).
Chapter 7: Realisation Through Divine Knowledge
Sri Krishna, so far, a friend and the charioteer to Arjuna, now
reveals Himself as the Supreme Divine Personality and lists
His in inite attributes. He bestows His grace upon the
surrendered souls.
Chapter 8: The Yoga of Eternal God
Remembering Sri Krishna constantly, chanting His name, and
singing His praises will elevate a person from the material
platform to the spiritual platform, to reach the abode of God.
Chapter 9: The Yoga of Royal Secret
Sri Krishna, reveals further His glories to Arjuna like being the
creator, the sustainer, and the annihilator of the cosmos, His
accessibility to anyone with minimal offering of a leaf, a lower,
a fruit, or water, with love and devotion, etc. Arjuna’s Bhakti
increases.
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
Chapter 10: The Yoga Through Knowing the Glories of God
Sri Krishna further reveals his abundant glories: He is the
Sun, the Asvattha Tree, the Om among sounds, and so forth.
Arjuna accepts Him as the Supreme Divine Personality,
indicating that his mindset has been elevated from the
earthly materialistic platform to the spiritual one.
Chapter 11: Revelation of Krishna’s Cosmic Form
Sri Krishna reveals His Vishwaroopa – His in inite form
that over-awes Arjuna. Arjuna sees therein that the Kauravas
have already been slain in God’s narrative to uphold
Righteousness and Arjuna was only an instrument to ight
the war and emerge victorious. Arjuna could see life both from
the material and spiritual perspectives. He has acquired Divine
Knowledge having seen the Bhagavan with his own eyes.
Chapter 12: Yoga of Devotion
Sri Krishna clari ies to Arjuna that worshipping Him either in
the personal form or in the impersonal form (as sanyasis do)
leads to liberation from the karmic cycle of birth, death, and
rebirth. Yet, it is af irmed that worshipping the personal form
is the most perfect.
(Chapters 13 to18 are regarded as Gnana Yoga – Emphasis
on Divine Knowledge and attaining the goal of reaching
God’s abode)
Chapter 13: The Field and the Knower of the Field
As Paramatma, seated in the heart of all living souls,
Sri Krishna is the Knower (Kshetragnana) of the ields of all the
souls while the body is the Field (Kshetra) doing material
actions. The devotees understand this knowledge and attain
Moksha.
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
Chapter 14: The Three Modes of Material Nature
The three gunas of material nature viz. Sattva (Goodness),
Rajas (Passion), and Tamas (Ignorance) are the causes of
material bondage to the karmic cycle. Rising above these gunas
and attachment to Sri Krishna are the paths to God-realisation.
Chapter 15: The Yoga of the Supreme Personality
One must cut down the inverted Asvattha Tree (compared to
the Tree of Life which is nourished by the three gunas of
material nature) with the axe of detachment and take refuge in
God (seated at the roots which are at the top of the inverted
Tree) to reach the Divine Realm.
Chapter 16: Yoga Through Discerning the Divine and
Demoniac Nature
Sri Krishna expounds on cultivating the Divine qualities and
shunning demoniac qualities, for one’s welfare and the welfare
of the society. This is one more path to attain Moksha.
Chapter 17: Yoga Through Discerning the Three Divisions
of Faith
Yagnas, Tapas, and Daana must always be done with faith in
Sattvic nature. The directions given in the Vedas must be
complied with.
Chapter 18: Yoga Through Perfection of Renunciation
Arjuna started with Karma Yoga (material dharma), moved on
to Bhakti Yoga and Gnana Yoga, and inally to Karma Sanyasa
Yoga (all comprising spiritual dharma) and also gained Divine
Knowledge and the Blessings of Sri Krishna (Divine
Providence) to win the war against the Kauravas. Arjuna’s
dilemma stands resolved and agrees to ight the war as
instructed by Sri Krishna.
Arjuna, as a pure devotee, attains liberation.
Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanam Astu
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
2. Bhagavad Gita – A Micro Version
Arjuna has an inner con lict about whether to ight against his
clan and Mentors (Ch1).
Arjuna is instructed to perform his prescribed duty as a
warrior without attachment to the fruits of his actions and to
do his actions in the service of God (Ch 2).
Sri Krishna says He comes to the Earth as an Avatar from time
to time to protect the Righteous, destroy the Wicked, and
reinstate Dharma (Ch 4).
In Vishwaroopa Darshana, Sri Krishna reveals to Arjuna that
the Kauravas have already been killed in God’s narrative to
uphold Dharma and Arjuna was only an instrument in His
narrative (Ch 11).
Sri Krishna advises Arjuna to forget all other Yogas and take to
Karma Sanyasa Yoga (Total devotion to God). With Divine
Providence (Sri Krishna being on the side of Pandavas), Arjuna
is bound to win the war. Arjuna’s inner con lict is resolved as he
decides to ight the Kauravas. (Ch 18).
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
3. Bhagavad Gita - A Flow Diagram
BHAGAVAD GITA - CONFLICT RESOLUTION - A DECODE
1 SVADHARMA 2 - 31, 47
KARMA MATERIAL
DUTY DHARMA
2 UPHOLD
2 - 31
RIGHTEOUSNESS
KARMA BHAKTI GNANA
YOGA YOGA YOGA
Ch 1 to 6 Ch 7 to 12 Ch 13 to 18 S
P
I
R
VISHWAROOPA DARSHANA 11 - 45 I
T
U
KARMA SANYASA YOGA 18 - 66
Union with God - Liberation A
L
3 DIVINE KNOWLEDGE
Ch. 2 to D
Ch. 18
H
A
4 LAW OF KARMA
18 - 61 R
(Karmic Cycle)
M
DIVINE PROVIDENCE 11 - 34 A
5
(Guidance and Care) 18 - 14, 78
INNER CONFLICT - RESOLVED
OUTER CONFLICT - VICTORY TO PANDAVAS
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
4. Verses referred to in the Flow Diagram
2 – 31 Considering your speci ic duty as a warrior, there is
no better engagement for you than ighting for the
upholding of righteousness.
2 – 47 You have a right to perform your prescribed duty but
do not be attached to the fruits of action. Never
consider yourself to be the cause of the results of
your activities.
11 – 34 All the great warriors – Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha,
Karna– have already been killed by me (even
without your participation). Just ight and you will be
victorious over your enemies.
11 – 45 I rejoice having seen your cosmic form that I have
never seen before. Yet, my mind is disturbed with
fear. Have mercy on me and reveal your usual form,
O God of Gods, Abode of the Universe.
18 -14 Divine Providence is one of the ive factors of Action.
Those who are acting under the direction of the
Supreme are not bound by their actions. Everything
is dependent on God’s will.
18 – 61 The Supreme dwells in the hearts of all living beings,
O Arjuna. According to their karmas, He is directing
the wandering of the souls as though they are
mounted on a machine made of material energy.
18 – 66 Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply
surrender unto Me alone. I shall liberate you from all
sinful reactions; you have nothing to fear.
18 -78 Wherever Sri Krishna (Divinity), the Master of all
Yoga, and Arjuna, the supreme archer (humanity)
are together, there will also certainly be opulence,
victory, prosperity, and righteousness.
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
5. Divine Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita
1. Do your prescribed duties as per the injunctions of the
Scriptures.
2. Do not be attached to the fruits of actions.
3. The body is perishable. The soul is imperishable.
4. Do any activity as an offering to God.
5. Be free from desire and sel ishness.
6. Give up pride of doer-ship.
7. Do not be attached to inaction.
8. Rise above the three Gunas (modes) of material nature
(Sattva - Goodness, Rajas - Passion, and Tamas -
Ignorance).
9. Dedicate all work and the results to the pleasure of
God; loving devotional service is highly valued by Sri
Krishna.
10. Do only righteous things.
11. Perform All Vedic duties like Yagnas, Tapas, and Daana,
as ordained in the scriptures.
12. Always follow the right conduct and behaviour (sattva
guna). Protect dharma.
13. Control your senses, mind, and intellect, not being
attached to sense objects or actions.
14. Overcome negative emotions of lust (desire for things
outside the boundaries of the scriptures), greed, and
anger.
15. Those who abide by Sri Krishna’s teachings with
profound faith and free from envy, are released from
the bondage of karma.
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
16. See all species including the sinners as equal and be
equally disposed to all living beings.
17. To view success and failure, pleasure and pain with
Equanimity.
18. In whatever way people surrender unto Him, Sri Krishna
reciprocates accordingly. No devotee is lost to Sri Krishna.
19. Surrender exclusively (transcendental loving service)
to Sri Krishna to reach His divine abode.
20. One who remembers Him at the time of leaving the
body, chanting the syllable Om, attains Moksha.
The teachings of the Bhagavad Gita are universal and
eternal. More than 5,000+ years have passed and they are
as eternal as the Supreme.
6. Mini Book to Full Book
This Mini Book lets the Readers know What the Bhagavad Gita
is all about in an hour. The Flow of the Text has been given
importance for easy understanding. A micro version of the
Bhagavad Gita and the Flow Diagram give the core of the Gita in
a concentrated form.
Having grasped the contents of the Gita, one can read the Full
Book “Bhagavad Gita – A Layman’s Decode to Understanding”.
One can become familiar with the contents of each chapter.
Then one can graduate to learn easily verse-wise commentary
written by the erudite Swamijis and scholars.
The cover page of the Full Book is on the back cover.
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
7. A Few Reviews (Excerpts) of the Full Book
1 A Novel Interpretation of the Gita has emerged from his
deep understanding of the Gita with his personal
experience from the Management’s point of view.
Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. S. Ranganath, Ex - Member,
Sanskrit Advisory Board, Sahitya Academi, New Delhi.
2 Congratulations on writing this book
ü Your lucid style holds the reader.
ü Your grasp of the subject is great. The narration is
impressive. Insights are unique.
ü The Light and path of Gita are presented like a beautiful
bouquet.
ü Your management expertise and concern towards the
values of life are given to the readers in a cream form.
ü Your endeavour is a value-addition to the ield of study
of the Gita.
Dr. R V Jahagirdar, Managing Trustee, Sri Aurobindo
Kapali Shastri Institute of Vedic Culture, Bengaluru.
3. You have summarised the Bhagavad Gita so succinctly,
transforming complex philosophical discourse into
easily digestible content in a meticulous fashion by
blending clarity, conciseness, and contextual relevance.
Distilling the essence of each chapter, you have ensured
that the core teachings and narratives are preserved
without overwhelming simple readers like me with
intricate details.
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
By linking philosophical concepts to everyday situations,
you make the core of the Bhagavad Gita more tangible and
understandable.
Your work appeals to the average man on the street and
de-mysti ies the holy book and invites readers of all
backgrounds to explore its profound teachings.
Shri S. Rajagopal, Former Chairman and Managing
Director – Bank of India & Indian Bank.
8. Acknowledgements
Thanks to Shri S. Durairaj, General Manager (Retd), BHEL,
Hyderabad for his review and valuable contribution to the
Mini Book.
About the Author
Shri A K Jagannathan was Ex - Managing Director of State Bank
of Travancore (now merged with SBI) and Ex - Managing
Director and CEO of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank.
He has published articles on Finance, Banking, and
Management. He has published a book on Banking Finance
and a book on Con lict Management titled “Be A Winner
Negotiating Life’s Con licts”
His academic quali ications are M.Sc (Physics), CAIIB, PGDBM
(NIBM, Bombay).
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Bhagavad Gita - A Mini Book
Know Your Bhagavad Gita, the Eternal Dharma
Mission: Bhagavad Gita Message in Mini Book and Full Book
to reach 1 million households/School/College students/others.
Mini Book: E-Mini book is Free. To send it to your e-mail,
please e-mail to: akjbanking
[email protected] a. I request you to forward this e-book to 100 or more
Relatives, Colleagues, Friends, and others. Please
advise the Author of the number to reckon the
achievement of the Mission.
b. You can download the e-book, take printouts, and
make copies for distribution. A physical book is
permanently accessible for life.
c. Physical copy needed (Minimum 5 copies) can be sent
by post (Rs 100/ + PP charges apply)
Full Book: To buy the Full Book (Price Rs 150/ per copy + PP
charges), email the number of copies required, Address, and
Phone number.
An ideal Spiritual Gift for any family function/birthday of
Friends, to school/college students. Gita says (18 – 68, 69) that
those who share this Divine Knowledge with others render
the highest service to God.
Being a "Non pro it'' venture, Donations (Big or Small) are
requested for printing more copies of the book/s to
spread the message of the Bhagavad Gita.
Name: A K Jagannathan
Canara Bank, Ulsoor Branch, Bengaluru
A/c No:110163451350 IFSC: CNRB0000791
© Copyright A K Jagannathan
Bhagavad Gita
A Layman's Decode to Understanding
A K JAGANNATHAN
"A Novel Interpreta on of Gita"
Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. S. Ranganath
Ex-Member, Sanskrit Advisory Board, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi
In his Foreword
