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Bhagavad Gita Quotes

Key shlokas from all 18 chapters - Sanskrit original, Roman transliteration, English meaning and significance. Timeless wisdom from Lord Krishna.

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Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.6 Ch.9 Ch.10 Ch.11 Ch.12 Ch.15 Ch.16 Ch.17 Ch.18
1

Chapter 1 - Arjuna's Dilemma

The chapter where Arjuna sees his relatives as opponents and becomes overcome with grief and confusion. Krishna begins his divine teaching.
BG 1.1
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच। धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः।
Dhritarashtra uvācha. Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre samavetā yuyutsavah.
Translation
Dhritarashtra said: On the sacred field of Dharma, Kurukshetra, assembled and eager to fight - what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?
The very first verse establishes the entire philosophical framework: the field of Kurukshetra is the Dharmakshetra - the field of dharma. Every human life is a battlefield of duty, righteousness and dharma.
BG 1.47
एवमुक्त्वार्जुनः सङ्ख्ये रथोपस्थ उपाविशत्। विसृज्य सशरं चापं शोकसंविग्नमानसः।
Evam uktvā Arjunah sankhye rathopastha upāvishat. Visrujya sasaram chāpam shoka-samvigna-mānasah.
Translation
Having spoken thus on the battlefield, Arjuna sat down on the seat of the chariot, casting away his bow and arrows, his mind overwhelmed with grief.
Arjuna's collapse represents the ego's crisis when facing its own illusions. This moment of breakdown is the necessary beginning of all spiritual awakening - the surrender that precedes transformation.
2

Chapter 2 - Sankhya Yoga - The Yoga of Knowledge

The foundational chapter containing the essential teaching of the Gita - the immortality of the soul, the nature of action and the characteristics of a realized person (Sthitaprajna).
BG 2.19
य एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम्। उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते।
Ya enam vetti hantāram yashchainam manyate hatam. Ubhau tau na vijānito nāyam hanti na hanyate.
Translation
One who thinks the self is a slayer and one who thinks it is slain - both are in ignorance. The self neither slays nor is slain.
The eternal soul (Atman) is beyond all action, cause and effect. This is the foundational insight that dismantles all fear - including the deepest fear, the fear of death.
BG 2.20
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः। अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे।
Na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin nāyam bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyah. Ajo nityah shāshvato'yam purāno na hanyate hanyamāne sharīre.
Translation
The soul is never born, never dies. It has never come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and ancient. It is not slain when the body is slain.
The most complete statement of the immortality of the Atman in all of Sanskrit literature. This single verse is the bedrock of the Vedic understanding of death and liberation.
BG 2.47
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि।
Karmanyevādhikāraste mā phaleshu kadāchana. Mā karmaphala-hetur-bhūr mā te sango'stvakarmani.
Translation
You have the right to perform your duty, but never to the fruits of action. Let not the fruit of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.
Perhaps the most famous verse in the Bhagavad Gita - the complete teaching of Karma Yoga. Act with full commitment; release attachment to results. This is the secret of both excellence and inner peace.
BG 2.62
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते। सङ्गात् संजायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते।
Dhyāyato vishayān pumsah sangah teshu upajāyate. Sangāt sanjāyate kāmah kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate.
Translation
When a person constantly thinks of sense objects, attachment to them arises. From attachment comes desire, and from unfulfilled desire comes anger.
This verse describes the entire psychological chain of suffering - thought → attachment → desire → frustration → anger → loss of reason → destruction. The Gita's diagnosis of human suffering is breathtakingly precise.
3

Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga - The Yoga of Action

Krishna explains why action cannot be avoided and how selfless action performed as offering to the Divine leads to liberation rather than binding the soul.
BG 3.21
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः। स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते।
Yad-yad ācharati shreshthas tat tad evetaro janah. Sa yat pramānam kurute lokas tad anuvartate.
Translation
Whatever a great person does, ordinary people follow. Whatever standard they set, the world follows it.
A universal truth about leadership and influence. Those who are noble and accomplished become standards for others. The responsibility of the evolved person to model right action is described here.
BG 3.27
प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः। अहंकारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते।
Prakriteh kriyamānāni gunaih karmāni sarvashah. Ahankāra-vimūdhātmā kartāham iti manyate.
Translation
All actions are performed by the Gunas of nature (Prakriti). The person deluded by ego thinks: "I am the doer."
The ego's claim of being the doer is the fundamental delusion. In reality, nature acts through us - the witness-self watches, unmoved. Liberation is the recognition of this truth.
4

Chapter 4 - Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga - Yoga of Knowledge and Action

Krishna reveals the ancient lineage of Yoga teaching and explains the nature of Avatar - the descent of God into human form.
BG 4.7
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत। अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्।
Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir-bhavati Bhārata. Abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānam srijāmy-aham.
Translation
Whenever there is a decline of righteousness (Dharma), O Arjuna, and a rise of unrighteousness - at that time I manifest myself.
The most famous description of the Avatar. Whenever the balance of the universe tips into ignorance and injustice, the Supreme descends to restore dharma. This applies cosmically - and internally within each human heart.
BG 4.8
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्। धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे।
Paritrānāya sādhūnām vināshāya cha dushkritām. Dharma-samsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge.
Translation
For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness - I appear age after age.
The purpose of every divine intervention and every great teacher is stated here: protection of the vulnerable, removal of evil and the restoration of dharma. This is the eternal cosmic function of the Avatar.
BG 4.38
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते।
Na hi jñānena sadrisham pavitram iha vidyate.
Translation
There is nothing as pure and sacred as divine knowledge in this entire world.
True knowledge - Jnana - is the highest purifier. Not rituals, not wealth, not status - but the direct knowledge of the self and the Supreme is the supreme sanctifier. The entire Gita is an invitation to this knowledge.
6

Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga - The Yoga of Meditation

The complete teaching on meditation - how to sit, how to breathe, how to still the mind, and the nature of the liberated yogi.
BG 6.5
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः।
Uddhared ātmanātmānam nātmānam avasādayet. Ātmaiva hy-ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanah.
Translation
Lift yourself by yourself; do not degrade yourself. For the Self alone is the friend of the Self, and the Self alone is the enemy of the Self.
Radical self-responsibility. No one else can uplift or degrade you - only you can. The awakened self is your best friend; the deluded ego is your worst enemy. Your liberation is entirely in your own hands.
BG 6.19
यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता। योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः।
Yathā dīpo nivātastho nengate sopamā smritā. Yogino yatachittasya yuñjato yogam ātmanah.
Translation
Just as a lamp in a windless place does not flicker - this is the simile of the yogi whose mind is controlled, practising meditation on the Self.
One of the most beautiful metaphors in all spiritual literature. The undisturbed flame is the perfectly still mind - the prerequisite for deep meditation, clear perception and spiritual realization.
BG 6.34
चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम्। तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम्।
Chañchalam hi manah Krishna pramāthi balavad-dridham. Tasyāham nigraham manye vāyor iva sudushkaram.
Translation
The mind is very restless, turbulent, strong and obstinate, O Krishna. I think it is as difficult to control as the wind.
Arjuna voices the universal complaint of every meditator. Krishna's answer follows in 6.35 - with practice (abhyasa) and detachment (vairagya), the mind can be controlled. This exchange is the complete teaching on meditation.
9

Chapter 9 - Raja Vidya Yoga - The Royal Knowledge

Krishna reveals the supreme secret: his immanence in all existence and how the path of devotion transcends even learning and ritual.
BG 9.22
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते। तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्।
Ananyāsh-chintayanto mām ye janāh paryupāsate. Teshām nityābhiyuktānām yoga-kshem-am vahāmyaham.
Translation
For those who worship me with devotion, meditating on my transcendental form - I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.
The most personal of all Krishna's promises. For those who surrender completely - who think of nothing else - God becomes their provider, protector and burden-bearer. This is the supreme grace of devotion (bhakti).
BG 9.26
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति। तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः।
Patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati. Tadaham bhaktyupahritam ashnāmi prayatātmanah.
Translation
If one offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water with devotion - I accept that offering made with love from the pure-hearted one.
Probably the most beloved verse in the Bhagavad Gita among devotees. God accepts the simplest offering - a leaf, a flower, a cup of water - if given with pure love. Divine grace is not for the wealthy or learned, but for the sincere.
10

Chapter 10 - Vibhuti Yoga - The Yoga of Divine Glories

Krishna describes his infinite divine manifestations - wherever excellence, greatness or supremacy is found, that is a fragment of his divine glory.
BG 10.20
अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः। अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च।
Aham ātmā Gudākesha sarvabhūtāshaya-sthitah. Aham ādish-cha madhyam cha bhūtānām anta eva cha.
Translation
I am the Self, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all beings. I am the beginning, middle and end of all beings.
God is not distant - he is the innermost self of every creature. The recognition of the divine in all beings is the foundation of all compassion and all true spirituality.
BG 10.42
अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन। विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत्।
Athavā bahunaitena kim jñātena tavārjuna. Vishtabhyāham idam kritsnam ekāmsena sthito jagat.
Translation
But what is the need of this detailed knowledge, Arjuna? Know that I pervade and sustain this entire universe with a single fragment of myself.
After 40 verses listing his divine glories in all things, Krishna summarises: the entire cosmos is just one fragment of the Infinite. This induces profound humility before the incomprehensible vastness of the Divine.
11

Chapter 11 - Vishvarupa Darshana - The Vision of the Cosmic Form

Krishna grants Arjuna divine vision to see his true cosmic form - the Vishvarupa - containing all of creation within one infinite, awe-inspiring being.
BG 11.32
श्रीभगवानुवाच। कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः।
Shribhagavān uvācha. Kālo'smi lokakshayakrit-pravriddho lokān samāhartum iha pravrittah.
Translation
The Supreme Lord said: I am Time (Kāla), the great destroyer of worlds. I have come to destroy all peoples. Even without your action, all these warriors arrayed on both sides shall cease to exist.
One of the most awe-inspiring verses in world literature. The divine revealing its nature as Time itself - the cosmic force of transformation and dissolution that transcends all human action. This was the verse J. Robert Oppenheimer recalled witnessing the first nuclear explosion.
12

Chapter 12 - Bhakti Yoga - The Yoga of Devotion

Krishna declares that the path of devotion to the personal God is easier and higher than the path of meditating on the formless Absolute, and describes the qualities of the perfect devotee.
BG 12.13
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहंकारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी।
Adveshtā sarvabhūtānām maitrah karuna eva cha. Nirmamo nirahankārah sama-duhkha-sukhah kshamī.
Translation
One who harbours no hatred toward any being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, equal in pleasure and pain, and forgiving - that devotee is dear to me.
The first characteristic of the ideal devotee: unconditional friendliness. Not merely tolerance or non-violence - but active, warm friendship and compassion toward all living beings, including those who cause harm.
15

Chapter 15 - Purushottama Yoga - The Yoga of the Supreme Person

Krishna describes the imperishable Ashvattha tree (the world) and the Supreme Person beyond both the perishable and the imperishable.
BG 15.15
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च। वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्।
Sarvasya chāham hridi sannivishtho mattah smritir jñānam apohanam cha. Vedaish-cha sarvairaham eva vedyo Vedānta-krit veda-vid eva chāham.
Translation
I am seated in the heart of every being. From me come memory, knowledge and their removal. I alone am the purpose behind all the Vedas. I am the author and knower of the Vedanta.
God is not found in a distant heaven - he is the most intimate resident of every heart. Memory, intelligence, and even forgetfulness - all arise from him. He is the subject, author and goal of all sacred knowledge.
16

Chapter 16 - Daivasura Sampad - Divine and Demonic Natures

Krishna describes the divine qualities (fearlessness, purity, compassion, truthfulness) and demonic qualities (arrogance, harshness, ignorance), and urges Arjuna to follow the scriptures.
BG 16.1
अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः। दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम्।
Abhayam sattva-samshuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitih. Dānam damash-cha yajñash-cha svādhyāyas tapa ārjavam.
Translation
Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in the Yoga of knowledge, charity, self-control, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity and integrity…
The first verse of the list of divine qualities begins with fearlessness (abhaya). Fear is the foundation of all ignoble action. The spiritual path begins with the courage to face reality, practice truth and live with integrity.
17

Chapter 17 - Shraddha Traya Vibhaga - Three Kinds of Faith

Krishna categorises all human activities - faith, food, sacrifice, austerity and giving - according to the three Gunas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas).
BG 17.3
सत्त्वानुरूपा सर्वस्य श्रद्धा भवति भारत। श्रद्धामयोऽयं पुरुषो यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः।
Sattvānurūpā sarvasya shraddhā bhavati Bhārata. Shraddhāmayo'yam purusho yo yach-chhraddha sa eva sah.
Translation
The faith of everyone is in accordance with their nature, O Arjuna. Each person is made of faith - whatever that faith is, that is what they are.
A profound psychological insight: we are, at the deepest level, what we believe. Our deepest convictions - conscious or unconscious - shape our entire personality, our choices and our destiny.
18

Chapter 18 - Moksha Sannyasa Yoga - The Yoga of Liberation

The concluding chapter synthesising all the Gita's teachings - culminating in the supreme declaration of unconditional surrender to God and the promise of complete liberation.
BG 18.61
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति। भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया।
Ishvarah sarvabhūtānām hrid-deshe Arjuna tishthati. Bhrāmayan sarvabhūtāni yantrārūdhāni māyayā.
Translation
The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings to revolve by his divine maya as if mounted on a machine.
The divine puppet-master image: all beings are revolving on the wheel of cosmic law, moved by the divine intelligence at the heart of everything. True freedom comes only when we recognize this and consciously align with the divine will.
BG 18.65
मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु। मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे।
Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām namaskuru. Māmevaishy-asi satyam te pratijāne priyo'si me.
Translation
Fix your mind on me, be devoted to me, worship me, bow down to me - you shall come to me. I promise you truly, for you are dear to me.
The most personal promise in the entire Gita. God says: "You are dear to me." Not as a mass or a category - but you, personally. This is the essence of Bhakti Yoga - the recognition of the mutual love between the soul and God.
BG 18.66
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज। अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः।
Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam sharanam vraja. Aham tvā sarva-pāpebhyo mokshayishyāmi mā shuchah.
Translation
Abandon all varieties of dharma and simply surrender unto me alone. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
The final and supreme teaching of the Bhagavad Gita. The ultimate act of spiritual maturity: total, unconditional surrender to the Divine. All other paths lead here - this is the destination. "Do not fear" - the last words of the teaching.

Bhagavad Gita Quotes and Wisdom

The Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse scripture embedded in the Mahabharata, composed between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE. It presents a dialogue between prince Arjuna and his charioteer Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Across 18 chapters, Krishna addresses duty, devotion, knowledge, action and the nature of the self - making the Gita one of the most studied philosophical texts in human history. It has been translated into more than 75 languages and commented upon by thinkers ranging from Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE to Mahatma Gandhi, who called it his "spiritual dictionary."

Relevance to Indian Life and Examinations

The Gita's teachings permeate Indian public life - its core concept of nishkama karma (action without attachment to results) is cited in corporate training, school curricula and court judgments. UPSC aspirants frequently encounter questions on Indian philosophy and ethics where Gita concepts appear in the General Studies Paper 4 (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude). The Supreme Court has also referenced Gita verses in landmark rulings on dharma and public duty. Schools affiliated with CBSE include excerpts from the Gita in Hindi and Sanskrit syllabi, keeping the text alive for millions of students each year.

Reading the Shlokas

Each shloka in this collection is presented in Devanagari script, Roman transliteration and English meaning - making it accessible whether you are a student learning Sanskrit, a devotee seeking daily inspiration or a researcher studying comparative philosophy. Chapters like 2 (Sankhya Yoga) and 12 (Bhakti Yoga) are especially popular for daily reading and memorisation.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) is a 700-verse Sanskrit scripture in the Mahabharata (Bhishma Parva), recording the divine conversation between Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna on the Kurukshetra battlefield just before the great war. The Gita covers duty (dharma), action (karma), knowledge (jnana), devotion (bhakti), yoga, the immortal soul, God, creation, and liberation - and is considered the most complete spiritual guide in the Hindu tradition.

Most cited verses: (1) 2.47 - Karma Yoga; (2) 18.66 - Supreme surrender (the Charama Shloka - "final verse"); (3) 4.7 - The Avatar principle; (4) 2.20 - Immortality of the soul; (5) 9.26 - Bhakti (any sincere offering accepted). Chapter 18, verse 66 is widely considered the ultimate or final teaching of the entire Gita: "Abandon all dharmas and surrender to me alone - I will free you from all sins. Do not fear."

The Bhagavad Gita has 18 chapters and 700 verses total. The number 18 is sacred throughout the Mahabharata - 18 Puranas, 18 days of battle, 18 akshauhinis of armies. The chapters cover all paths of spiritual life - from Karma Yoga to Bhakti Yoga to Jnana Yoga - culminating in the complete surrender of Chapter 18. The shortest chapter is 20 verses (Ch. 15); the longest is 78 verses (Ch. 18).

Core teachings: (1) The Atman is eternal and indestructible - death is not to be feared; (2) Perform duty without attachment to results (Nishkama Karma Yoga); (3) All paths - Jnana, Karma and Bhakti - lead to the same supreme goal; (4) The highest state is equanimity - unmoved by pleasure, pain, success or failure; (5) The ultimate reality is the loving relationship between the individual soul and God - the soul's goal is reunion through love, knowledge and right action.
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