Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18

The Bhagavad Gita, the Lord’s own song, is a dialogue between Lord Sri Krishna and the Pandava prince Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The eighteenth chapter, Mokṣasannyāsa Yoga, opens with Arjuna’s question about the difference between sannyāsa (renunciation) and tyāga (abandonment). In response, Sri Krishna explains these terms in the light of the three guṇas — sattva, rajas and tamas — and how they shape a seeker’s temperament and outlook.

Throughout the chapter, important concepts such as the varṇa system, svadharma, and techniques of meditation are revisited and deepened. Concluding his teaching, Sri Krishna urges the seeker to “take refuge in Him” as the sure means to spiritual progress and ultimate freedom. If the second chapter is a summary of the Bhagavad Gita in anticipation, the eighteenth chapter is a comprehensive report on the Gita in retrospect. The epic song that begins with Sañjaya’s first word “dharma” culminates with his last word “mama”, thus subtly pointing to the vision of “mama dharma” — one’s true inner nature.

This album presents illuminating discourses by Swami Advayananda, recorded in September 2022 during the Vedanta Sadhaka Course held at Adi Sankara Nilayam, the maternal birth home of Adi Shankaracharya.