In 32 slokams it gives the essence of the Bhagavad Gita: its aim, the gist of each chapter, and the paths of karma, jnana and bhakti. Ramanuja said his own commentary on the Gita was inspired and guided by it.
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Meaning
The whole Gita is about one Being: Sriman Narayana, the Supreme Brahman. He can be reached only through bhakti, loving devotion. That devotion grows out of doing one's own duty, knowing the true self, and letting go of attachment to lesser things.
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The first six chapters teach two disciplines: the way of action (karma yoga) and the way of knowledge (jnana yoga). Both are practised by a well-prepared mind, aim at steady inner concentration, and lead to the seeker directly experiencing his own self.
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The middle six chapters teach bhakti yoga. It is made possible by the earlier practice of action and knowledge, and its purpose is to know the Lord exactly as He is and to reach Him.
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The last six chapters fill in what the earlier ones left open. They separate primal matter, the individual soul, the world we see, and the Lord of all from one another, and they explain again action, knowledge and devotion.
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Arjuna was shaken by affection and pity in the wrong place, and confused about what was right and wrong. Because he took refuge in Krishna, the Lord began the teaching of the Gita for his sake.
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To clear Arjuna's confusion, the second chapter teaches that the self is eternal, and that action done without attachment is the way to see it. This practice leads to the steady mind of a person of settled wisdom.
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The third chapter says one must keep acting. Act without attachment, for the good of the world, seeing that the qualities of nature are the real movers; or better still, place all doership in the Lord of all.
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In the fourth chapter the Lord speaks, in passing, of the truth of His own births. He shows how action filled with knowledge stops binding a person, describes the kinds of such action, and praises knowledge.
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The fifth chapter shows that the way of action is easier and quicker than the way of knowledge alone. It names some of its aids and describes how one comes to see the pure self equally in all beings.
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The sixth chapter gives the method of meditation, describes the yogi, the four stages of yoga, and its fruit. It ends by saying that the yogi devoted to the Lord Himself is the highest of all.
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The seventh chapter reveals the Lord's true nature and how His material nature hides Him. Taking refuge in Him is the way through that veil. It also names four kinds of devotees and declares the one with knowledge the best.
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The eighth chapter explains what each kind of seeker must know and practise: the one who wants worldly greatness, the one who wants to experience the pure self, and the one who wants only the Lord's feet.
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The ninth chapter tells of the Lord's greatness, and that He remains supreme even when He comes as a man. It praises the great souls devoted to Him and teaches bhakti yoga itself.
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The tenth chapter describes at length the Lord's endless auspicious qualities, and that everything in existence is under His control. This is told so that devotion may arise and keep growing.
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In the eleventh chapter Arjuna is given divine eyes and sees the Lord's true form directly. The chapter declares that devotion alone is the way to truly know Him and reach Him.
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The twelfth chapter praises devotion above other paths and gives the means to it. For one not yet able to practise devotion, it offers dwelling on the self as a first step, explains its forms, and shows the Lord's deep love for His devotees.
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The thirteenth chapter explains the nature of the body, the means to reach the self, how the self is purified, what causes bondage, and how to tell the self apart from matter.
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The fourteenth chapter shows how the three qualities of nature bind the soul, how they act, and how to be free of them. It also teaches that the Lord is the root of all three goals a seeker may reach.
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The fifteenth chapter teaches that the Lord is the Supreme Person, distinct both from souls bound up with matter and from souls that are free. He is different from them because He pervades them, supports them and owns them.
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The sixteenth chapter describes the divine and the demonic natures in people. It then teaches that one must live by scripture, so that knowledge of the truth and its practice become firm.
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The seventeenth chapter teaches that whatever ignores scripture is demonic and fruitless. What follows scripture differs in three ways according to the qualities of nature, and the marks of rightly performed acts are given.
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The eighteenth chapter teaches that the Lord is the true doer of all acts, that the quality of goodness (sattva) must be cultivated, and what results our own actions bring. It closes with the essential meaning of the whole scripture.
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Karma yoga means practising austerity, pilgrimage, charity, sacrifice and other good works. Jnana yoga, for those who have mastered their minds, means resting in the pure self.
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Bhakti yoga means remaining in meditation and similar practice with love for the Lord alone. The three paths are not separate; each one supports the other two.
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Daily duties, and duties on special occasions, are done as worship of the Lord. Done this way, all three paths become means to seeing the self, through the practice of yoga.
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When all ignorance is removed, the seeker sees the self as existing for the Lord. He then gains the highest devotion, and by that devotion alone he reaches the Lord's abode.
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For one who seeks worldly greatness, bhakti yoga is the means to win it in full. For one who seeks only the experience of his own self, the three paths lead to that state of isolation (kaivalya).
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All these seekers are alike in turning only to the Lord. But the first two keep this devotion only until they gain their goal. The one who seeks the Lord Himself enjoys Him forever.
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The one with true knowledge is devoted to the Lord alone. His very life depends on the Lord. Being with Him is his only joy and being apart from Him his only sorrow, and his mind rests on Him alone.
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He lives by meditating on the Lord, speaking of Him, bowing to Him, praising Him and singing His names. His breath, mind, intellect, senses and actions are all given over to the Lord.
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Moved only by love, he should keep doing his duties, from daily rites up to devotion itself. He should give up the thought that these are what save him. Without fear, he should leave that role with the Lord.
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Delighting only in complete, exclusive service to the Lord, he reaches the Lord's abode. This is the main teaching of the scripture. So ends this summary of the meaning of the Gita.
The text is checked verse by verse against sanskritdocuments.org, GRETIL, prapatti.com, githa.koyil.org. The meanings are simple ones to help the reader; learn the recitation from an adhyapaka.
These are short introductions to help the reader; the works themselves are best studied under one's acharya.
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