Key verses from the Bhagavad Gita, explained

These are the verses people look up most often. Each page gives the original Sanskrit shloka, a Hindi and English meaning, where the verse sits in the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna, and how to use it in daily life.

• Bhagavad Gita 1.1The first verse of the Gita
• Bhagavad Gita 2.7Arjuna asks for guidance
• Bhagavad Gita 2.14Feelings come and go
• Bhagavad Gita 2.20The self is never born and never dies
• Bhagavad Gita 2.47Karmanye vadhikaraste — the most famous verse
• Bhagavad Gita 2.48Evenness of mind is yoga
• Bhagavad Gita 2.62How desire turns into anger
• Bhagavad Gita 3.35Your own path, even imperfect
• Bhagavad Gita 4.7Yada yada hi dharmasya
• Bhagavad Gita 6.5Lift yourself by yourself
• Bhagavad Gita 6.6The mind as friend or enemy
• Bhagavad Gita 9.22Yogakshemam vahamyaham
• Bhagavad Gita 9.26A leaf, a flower, a fruit, water
• Bhagavad Gita 10.8I am the source of all
• Bhagavad Gita 18.65Fix your mind on me
• Bhagavad Gita 18.66Sarva dharman parityajya — the final assurance

How to read a verse

Read the verse slowly once, then read it again asking a single question: where does this show up in my life this week? One verse understood and practised is worth more than a chapter skimmed. That is the idea behind our free WhatsApp experience — one verse-inspired thought at a time.