Ravi Ranganathan Podcast

Episode 78 of podcast "BG - yah pashyati sa pashyati"

With Episode 78 this podcast has reached the final chapter of BG. The final eighteenth chapter is the longest chapter in BG and it covers all the major topics that has been taught in earlier chapters. In fact, In this chapter, BhagavAn actually uses  some of the phrases he has used earlier. For anyone who has not been following the previous episodes, this chapter alone will give a good understanding of BG. Because of that I will not be taking a short cut to finish this chapter. A total of eleven episodes will cover chapter 18. I will give lots and lots of cross references to earlier chapter where the idea has been brought up. If you refused 😂 to listen to earlier episodes, keep that idea aside and listen to chapter 18 episodes to know what is in BG.

This episode starts the final chapter eighteen. A quick summary of the past 17 chapters is followed by an introduction to the chapter. The intro is followed by a brief summary of this chapter and its division into eight segments. 

Arjuna starts the chapter and asks his final question. Bhagavan explains what is thyAgam (giving up) and sannyAsam (renunciation) as explained by others in the society.

Episode 77 covers the final part of chapter 17. In the first three parts we have seen the influence of the three guNAs, sattva, rajas and tamas on faith we have, food we consume, sacrifices we perform, austerities at the body, speech and mind levels and also charities we give. The final part explains the meaning of the three words OM tat and sat separately and together, and when they are used. This is followed by chapter appreciation which will address two important aspects of this chapter.

Episode 74 starts chapter 17. This chapter is titled as shraddhAtrayabhAga yogo, The glories of three fold faith.  You can see this chapter as an extension of chapter fourteen. If Chapter fourteen is theory about the three gunAs, chapter 17 is application of the three guNAs in our daily life.

This chapter explains three types of faith (shraddhA), food (annam), sacrifices (yagnAs), austerities (tapas), and charity (dhAnam). In addition to these the meaning of the expression 'om tat sat' is also explained.

Chapter 16 is a unique chapter in the sense that the entire chapter 16 has a battlefield context.  As part of the chapter appreciation, episode 73 will cover the battlefield context of the divine and demonic values taught in chapter 16.

Episode 71 covered twenty six divine and six demoniac values. Episode 72 cover the philosophy and life style of demoniac people.