Chapter 5: With 29 verses or shlokas, the fifth chapter is one of the shorter chapters.
Arjuna (Shloka 1): 1 shloka
Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Shloka 2-29): 28 shlokas
Brief Summary: In this chapter, Lord Krishna responds to prince Arjun's question about whether the path of renunciation of action or working with devotion is better.
The Lord reassures the prince that both paths lead to the supreme goal. Yet, he notes that working with devotion is easier/better than the renunciation of action. Then the lord proceeds to explain that both renunciation of action and devotional action are the same. The Krishna conscious person is a pure soul who controls his mind and senses, being dear to everyone.
Shloka 10 mentions the analogy of "Padma-patram iva āmbhasā" (which means like water on a lotus leaf) to reiterate that those who perform actions by abandoning all attachments are unaffected by sin just like a lotus leaf which remains untouched by water. The 13th shloka refers to the human body as a city of 9 gates in which the soul resides happily through self-control and detachment.
Shloka 5.18: For the truly learned, Brahmin=cow=elephant=dog=dog eater as the same consciousness resides in all.
Krishna conscious person (KCP),
- Has equanimity (i.e., neither rejoices upon success nor laments upon failure or unpleasantness) of mind. The famous poet Hari Vansh Rai Bachan is credited with saying "Man ka ho to acha, na ho to aur bi acha.".This means that if things happen according to your wishes it is good, it is even better if they don't. The sense of equanimity and the importance of surrendering to the divine is exemplified by this statement.
- Knows the divinity within all beings.
- Enjoys unlimited happiness.
- Is free from fear, anger and material desires.
- Is self-realised and self-disciplined
- Conquer the cycle of birth and death in this very life.
Favourite Shlokas:
