The Bhagavad Gita translates to meaning ‘Song of God’ and is more commonly referred to as the Gita. The Gita revolves around the religion of Hinduism and is one of India’s most popular poems. Many people believe that it is one of the first yogic scriptures. People have been reading this text for hundreds and hundreds of years. It is one with quite a reputation and is involved in a lot of lessons and teachings worldwide.
The Gita was written approximately in the 2nd century, The Gita is actually eighteen chapters and 700 verses of book six of the Mahabharata, a text about the history of Hinduism and India, but also is about the Hindu moral laws. It is written as a dialogue between a Pandava Prince, Arjuna and Krishna, an incarnation of the God Vishnu. Vishnu is the Hindu God that protects and preserves the universe.
Bhagavad Gita Quotes
- “It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “There are three gates to this self-destructive hell: lust, anger, and greed. Renounce these three.” – Krishna
- “Those who cannot renounce attachment to the results of their work are far from the path.” – The Gita
- “A Karma-yogi performs action by body, mind, intellect, and senses, without attachment, only for self-purification.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “Happiness derived from a combination of the senses and the sense objects is always a cause of distress and should be avoided by all means.” – The Gita
- “A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “One should strive and employ oneself to uplift oneself. One should never dishonor oneself. The self is one’s friend as well as one’s enemy.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “As they approach me, so I receive them. All paths, Arjuna, lead to me.” – Krishna
- “Calmness, gentleness, silence, self-restraint, and purity: these are the disciplines of the mind.” – The Gita
- “Always perform your duty efficiently and without attachment to the results, because by doing work without attachment one attains the Supreme.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “The impermanent appearance of happiness and distress and their disappearance in due course are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from a sense of perception, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” – The Gita
- “No one who does good work will ever come to a bad end, either here or in the world to come” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “What the outstanding person does, others will try to do. The standards such people create will be followed by the whole world.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “I am the beginning, middle, and end of creation.” – Krishna
- “When one’s mind dwells on the objects of Senses, fondness for them grows on him, from fondness comes desire, from desire anger.” – The Gita
- “Even the wise are confused about what is action and what is inaction.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “With the intuitive discrimination, saturated in patience, with the mind absorbed in the soul, the Yogi, feeing his mind, all thoughts, will by slow degrees attain tranquillity.” – The Gita
- “Curving back within myself I create again and again.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “Just remember that I am, and that I support the entire cosmos with only a fragment of my being.” – Krishna
- “They live in wisdom who see themselves in all and all in them, who have renounced every selfish desire and sense-craving tormenting the heart.” – The Gita
- “On this path effort never goes to waste, and there is no failure. Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person, at the right time, at the right place and when we expect nothing in return.” – The Gita
- “The peace of God is with them whose mind and soul are in harmony, who are free from desire and wrath, who know their own soul.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “The self-controlled soul, who moves amongst sense objects, free from either attachment or repulsion, he wins eternal Peace.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “That one is dear to me who runs not after the pleasant or away from the painful, grieves not, lusts not, but lets things come and go as they happen.” – Krishna
- “The offering of wisdom is better than any material offering, Arjuna; for the goal of all work is spiritual wisdom.” – The Gita
- “Sever the ignorant doubt in your heart with the sword of self-knowledge. Observe your discipline. Arise.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “There is neither this world nor the world beyond nor happiness for the one who doubts.” – The Gita
- “Hell has three hates: lust, anger and greed.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when they are annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “Just as a reservoir is of little use when the whole countryside is flooded, scriptures are of little use to the illumined man or woman, who sees the Lord everywhere.” – Krishna
- “Even if you were the most sinful of sinners, Arjuna, you could cross beyond all sin by the raft of spiritual wisdom.” – The Gita
- “The deluded ones, who restrain their organs of action but mentally dwell upon the sense enjoyment, are called hypocrites.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “You grieve for those who should not be grieved for, Yet you speak wise words. Neither for the dead nor those alive do the wise grieve for.” – The Gita
- “Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward.” – Ved Vyasa, The Bhagavad Gita
- “When a person is devoted to something with complete faith, I unify his faith in that. Then, when his faith his completely unified, he gains the object of his devotion.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “Pleasure from the senses seems like nectar at first, but it is bitter as poison in the end.” – Krishna
- “All the scriptures lead to me; I am their author and their wisdom.” – The Gita
- “You should perform your duty with a view to guide people and for universal welfare.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “All happiness in the material world has a beginning and an end, but happiness in Krishna is unlimited, and there is no end.” – The Gita
- “For the senses wander, and when one lets the mind follow them, it carries wisdom away like a windblown ship on the waters.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “All works are being done by the energy and power of nature, but due to delusion of ego people assume themselves to be the doer.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “Whatever you do, make it an offering to me – the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the help you give, even your suffering.” – Krishna
- “The immature think that knowledge and action are different, but the wise see them as the same.” – The Gita
- “Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “Some people spread happiness wherever they go, others create happiness wherever they go!” – The Gita
- “We behold what we are, and we are what we behold.” – Ved Vyasa, The Bhagavad Gita
- “There is more happiness in doing one’s own (path) without excellence than in doing another’s (path) well.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction.” – Krishna
- “For the senses wander, and when one lets the mind follow them, it carries wisdom away like a windblown ship on the waters.” – The Gita
- “One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “Those who realize the self are always satisfied. Having found the source of joy and fulfillment, they no longer seek happiness from the external world. Happiness can only be found within the self.” – The Gita
- “The embodied soul is eternal in existence, indestructible, and infinite, only the material body is factually perishable, therefore fight.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “The actions of a great man are an inspiration for others. Whatever he does becomes a standard for others to follow.” – The Bhagavad Gita
- “The ignorant work for their own profit, Arjuna; the wise work for the welfare of the world, without thought for themselves.” – Krishna
- “The peace of God is with them whose mind and soul are in harmony, who are free from desire and wrath, who know their own soul”.- The Gita
- “Through selfless service, you will always be fruitful and find the fulfillment of your desires.” – Bhagavad Gita
- “He who has no attachments can love others, For his love is pure and divine. And it is from those small acts of love you truly can be happy.” – The Gita
See also: Chanakya Quotes
Bhagavad Gita Video – 7 Minute Summary
If you want to get a very quick 7 minute summary of the epic book, check out this video.
A monk explains the book in a fun and accessible way.
Related: Inspirational quotes about prayer
Summary
The Bhagavad Gita has inspired many people over hundreds of years, leaving a long lasting influence. Philosophers, yogis, writers, teachers, students and many more people have read the Gita and treasure the text and the words within it because it left them inspired, motivated or just in touch with their inner self.
The Gita appeals to different people in different ways spiritually, practically, and morally. These quotes from the Bhagavad Gita are bound to motivate, inspire, give you wisdom or just make you think about life and maybe bring you closer to understanding life. Some of these quotes might even bring you or a friend some peace or happiness.
You can purchase a copy of the Bhagavad Gita here.
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