Subhashitams from Bhagavad Gita

Explore Bhagavad Gita shlokas with Sanskrit text, transliteration, English-Hindi meanings, commentary, and their place within the Mahabharata.

The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna set on the threshold of the Kurukshetra war. It forms part of the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata and begins when Arjuna’s moral and emotional crisis prevents him from seeing a clear path of action.

Krishna’s response develops an interconnected teaching about duty, disciplined action, knowledge, devotion, self-mastery, and the nature of the self. Individual verses are frequently quoted on their own, but their fuller force becomes clearer when read as parts of this sustained conversation.

Action without inner confusion

The Gita does not treat spiritual insight as withdrawal from every difficult responsibility. It repeatedly asks how a person can act with discernment while loosening the hold of fear, ego, attachment, and anxiety about results.

The verses represented in this collection touch leadership by example, the authority of sound guidance, courage in one’s duty, divine qualities, knowledge, and the image of the cosmic tree.

Explore the connected source tradition

Mahabharata
Read 44 subhashitams with meanings
Vidura Niti
Read 18 subhashitams with meanings
Knowledge (5)Duty (4)Ethics (4)Character (3)Self-Realization (3)Wisdom (3)

Related guides and shloka selections

Short Sanskrit Shlokas with Meaning
The most compact verses in the collection—two lines each, quickly memorised, with Devanagari, transliteration, and full meanings in English and Hindi.
Sanskrit Shlokas on Vidya
Verses on knowledge itself—what learning is for, what marks a real teacher, and the difference between information and understanding.

Bhagavad Gita shlokas in this collection

Each verse page keeps the Sanskrit text, meaning, commentary, chapter reference, and its parent relationship to the Mahabharata together.

Latest update: Oct 5, 2026

Oct 2, 2026
Bhagavad Gita

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥

adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca । nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ॥

The Bhagavad Gita describes a character free from hatred and ego, friendly to all beings and steady in joy and sorrow.

CharacterHumilityHarmony
Sep 30, 2026
Bhagavad Gita

स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः। स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु॥

sve sve karmaṇyabhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ । svakarmanirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tacchṛṇu ॥

The Bhagavad Gita teaches that devotion to one's own work is a path to perfection.

KarmaDutySuccess
Sep 24, 2026
Bhagavad Gita

अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्। स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनं चैव वाङ्मयं तप उच्यते॥

anudvegakaraṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priyahitaṁ ca yat । svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva vāṅmayaṁ tapa ucyate ॥

The Bhagavad Gita describes truthful, pleasant, beneficial, and non-agitating words, together with regular study, as austerity of speech.

EthicsPeaceKnowledgeDiscipline
Aug 4, 2026
Bhagavad Gita

न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते। तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति॥

na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ pavitram iha vidyate । tat svayaṁ yogasaṁsiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati ॥

Nothing is as purifying as knowledge; one perfected through yoga discovers it within oneself in due course.

KnowledgeYogaSelf-Realization
May 29, 2026
Bhagavad Gita

तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता। भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत॥

tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucam adroho nātimānitā । bhavanti sampadaṃ daivīm abhijātasya bhārata ॥

A Bhagavad Gita verse describing the six divine qualities of radiance, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of malice, and humility.

CharacterHumilityEthicsCourage
May 20, 2026
Bhagavad Gita

तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ। ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि॥

tasmācchāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau । jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṁ karma kartum ihārhasi ॥

A seminal verse from the Bhagavad Gita establishing that ethical conduct and duty must be guided by objective, well-ordered standards rather than personal impulse.

DharmaEthicsDutyKnowledgeWisdom
May 8, 2026
Bhagavad Gita

स्वधर्ममपि चावेक्ष्य न विकम्पितुमर्हसि। धर्म्याद्धि युद्धाच्छ्रेयोऽन्यत्क्षत्रियस्य न विद्यते॥

svadharmamapi cāvekṣya na vikampitumarhasi । dharmyāddhi yuddhācchreyo'nyatkṣatriyasya na vidyate ॥

Sri Krishna's profound advice to Arjuna, explaining that for a warrior, there is no path more glorious than fighting a righteous war.

DutyDharmaCouragePerseverance
Feb 18, 2026
Bhagavad Gita

ज्ञानं तेऽहं सविज्ञानमिदं वक्ष्याम्यशेषतः। यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह भूयोऽन्यज्ज्ञातव्यमवशिष्यते॥

jñānaṃ te'haṃ savijñānam idaṃ vakṣyāmyaśeṣataḥ । yajjñātvā neha bhūyo'nyajjñātavyamavaśiṣyate ॥

Krishna promises knowledge joined with realized understanding, through which the seeker sees that nothing essential remains unknown.

KnowledgeSelf-RealizationWisdomSpirituality
Feb 12, 2026
Bhagavad Gita

ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्। छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्॥

ūrdhvamūlam adhaḥśākham aśvatthaṃ prāhur avyayam । chandāṃsi yasya parṇāni yas taṃ veda sa vedavit ॥

The Bhagavad Gita's profound comparison of the world to an eternal Peepal tree with its roots above and branches below.

SpiritualitySelf-RealizationKnowledgeWisdom
Dec 25, 2025
Bhagavad Gita

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः। स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते॥

yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ । sa yat pramāṇaṃ kurute lokas tad anuvartate ॥

The conduct and standards of exemplary people shape society because others naturally take their actions as a model.

LeadershipCharacterEthicsDuty