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Saarthi

The Bhagavad Gita, verse by verse

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता — हर श्लोक, सरल अर्थ के साथ

All 18 chapters and 701 verses, each with the Sanskrit, a transliteration, and a plain-language meaning in English and Hindi written for Saarthi. Have a question about your own life? Ask Saarthi — it finds the verses that fit.

Bhagavad Gita

Popular verses

Gita 2.47Gita 2.20Gita 2.14Gita 4.7Gita 6.5Gita 6.35Gita 9.22Gita 12.13Gita 18.66

Chapters

  1. Chapter 1 · 47 versesArjuna’s DespairArjuna Vishada Yoga · अर्जुनविषादयोगOn the battlefield of Kurukshetra the two armies face each other. Seeing his own family and teachers on the other side, Arjuna is overwhelmed by grief and refuses to fight.
  2. Chapter 2 · 72 versesThe Yoga of KnowledgeSankhya Yoga · सांख्ययोगKrishna begins his teaching: the soul is eternal, pleasure and pain pass, and one should do one’s duty without clinging to results. He describes the person of steady wisdom.
  3. Chapter 3 · 43 versesThe Yoga of ActionKarma Yoga · कर्मयोगWhy action is better than inaction, how to work as an offering without selfish desire, and how desire and anger are the real enemies within.
  4. Chapter 4 · 42 versesKnowledge and the Renunciation of ActionJnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga · ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोगKrishna reveals that he comes into the world again and again to protect goodness, and explains how wisdom frees a person while they still act.
  5. Chapter 5 · 29 versesRenunciation of ActionKarma Sanyasa Yoga · कर्मसंन्यासयोगBoth renunciation and selfless action lead to freedom, but acting without attachment is easier. The wise see all beings with an equal eye.
  6. Chapter 6 · 47 versesThe Yoga of MeditationDhyana Yoga · ध्यानयोगHow to meditate, how to train a restless mind through practice and detachment, and the reassurance that no sincere effort is ever wasted.
  7. Chapter 7 · 30 versesKnowledge and RealisationJnana Vijnana Yoga · ज्ञानविज्ञानयोगKrishna describes his higher and lower natures, the kinds of people who turn to God, and why few truly know him.
  8. Chapter 8 · 28 versesThe ImperishableAkshara Brahma Yoga · अक्षरब्रह्मयोगWhat happens at the time of death, why one should remember God at all times, and the path that does not return.
  9. Chapter 9 · 34 versesThe Royal SecretRaja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga · राजविद्याराजगुह्ययोगThe most confidential knowledge: God pervades everything, accepts even a leaf offered with love, and protects those devoted to him.
  10. Chapter 10 · 42 versesDivine GloriesVibhuti Yoga · विभूतियोगKrishna describes how his glory shines through the best of everything in creation, so that Arjuna can remember him everywhere.
  11. Chapter 11 · 55 versesThe Cosmic FormVishvarupa Darshana Yoga · विश्वरूपदर्शनयोगArjuna asks to see Krishna’s universal form and is shown the whole cosmos within him — awe-inspiring and terrifying — before Krishna returns to his gentle form.
  12. Chapter 12 · 20 versesThe Yoga of DevotionBhakti Yoga · भक्तियोगThe path of loving devotion, step-by-step practices for every level, and the qualities of the devotee who is dear to God.
  13. Chapter 13 · 35 versesThe Field and Its KnowerKshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga · क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोगThe difference between the body (the field) and the soul that knows it, and the virtues that make up true knowledge.
  14. Chapter 14 · 27 versesThe Three GunasGunatraya Vibhaga Yoga · गुणत्रयविभागयोगThe three qualities of nature — sattva, rajas and tamas — how they bind us, and the signs of one who rises above them.
  15. Chapter 15 · 20 versesThe Supreme PersonPurushottama Yoga · पुरुषोत्तमयोगThe image of the upside-down tree of worldly life, the soul as an eternal part of God, and God as the Supreme Person beyond all.
  16. Chapter 16 · 24 versesDivine and Demonic QualitiesDaivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga · दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोगTwo sets of human qualities — those that lead to freedom, like fearlessness and kindness, and those that bind, like arrogance, greed and anger.
  17. Chapter 17 · 28 versesThe Three Kinds of FaithShraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga · श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोगHow faith, food, worship, discipline, speech and giving each take three forms according to the gunas.
  18. Chapter 18 · 78 versesLiberation Through RenunciationMoksha Sanyasa Yoga · मोक्षसंन्यासयोगKrishna sums up the teaching: true renunciation, doing one’s own duty, and finally surrendering everything to God — after which Arjuna is ready to act.

The Sanskrit text is public domain. Meanings are original plain-language paraphrases written for Saarthi, not a scholarly translation; for study, read them alongside a traditional commentary. Verse numbers follow the common 701-verse numbering, where Arjuna’s question that opens chapter 13 is counted as 13.1. Some editions omit it, so their chapter-13 numbers are one lower.