November 27, 2025
Spirituality
8 min read
Geeta Jayanti
The month of Margashirsha is said to be divine for the devotees. There are many festivals in this month which are celebrated with devotion and love. The 11thday of the lunar cycle of this month in Shukla Paksh is Gita Jayanti. It is believed on this day only Shree Krishna preached to Arjuna the Gita. The Divine knowledge of universe.
The 11th day of Margashirsha month of the Hindu calendar is celebrated as Mokshada Ekadashi. Margashirsha is also called Agahan in some areas.
Why is it called Gita Jayanti
Over 5000 years ago when the mighty war between Pandavas and Kaurwas was imminent and both sides were there on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna asked Krishna who was his chariot rider to take him to the front to see his opponents.
When they reached there Arjuna after seeing everyone who taught him, watched him grow up, his own blood on the opposing side, he was hesitant to continue the fight. He put down his weapon Gandiv and told Krishna of his dilemma, his fear and hesitation.
Krishna listened to his words then he took on his Vishwarupa and preached the whole Gita in just a matter of minutes before the battle. He is said to have taken his Shwetambar form while he was preaching which is him in white cloths and in plain attire. this is because it can be said it was him appearing in soul form and the soul is plain and pure like the color white.
He had narrated all the 700 shlokas to Arjuna.
We wonder if only Arjuna was the one to hear the divine knowledge from the Parampita. Then the answer is no, there were also others who heard the shlokas. they were:
1. Sanjay - He was blessed by Sage Vyas to see the future events and could see the scenes from the battlefield. He heard the shlokas from Shree Krishna as he was looking at the battlefield.
2. Dhritrashtra - He heard it second hand from Sanjay who was narrating the whole sequence to him.
3. Hanuman - in many places it is said that Shri Hanuman who was on the Dhwaj or the flag of Arjuna's chariot also heard the preaching.
4. Barbarik - Barbarik the grandson of Bhima is also said to have heard the narration according to some narration. It is said that he heard it from his hilltop vintage point from where he was overlooking the battle.
What exactly is the knowledge that Shree Krishna preached to Arjuna after which he was ready to fight his kin after hesitating at such crucial moment. He had told him of knowledge of Yogas. the knowledge he imparted to Arjuna is Also called Brahmayog. In this he told of four types of Yogas. they were :
1. Karma Yoga: in this Yoga it is told to do your duty selflessly. in elaboration, when doing a action don't worry of the result but the work itself. Also to not think of yourself or what is your personal gain from it. It teaches to lower your ego and live in present. It teaches us to perform our duty and keep our mind calm collected and not affected by the sea of emotions in our mind.
It also teaches how one should keep calm in face of any situation, whether favorable or not.
2. Jnana Yoga: This yoga teaches us of self-realization. To realize your own self, to feel your atman distinct from mind and body. It says to leave the mind and body behind and listen the Atman.
To transcend the illusion of the world and see beyond the horizon is what it is meant to teach in the Jnana Yoga. To remove yourself from the mundane matters of this world and move towards the freedom of soul, to the spirituality, towards the path of Moksha( Spiritual Liberation)
3. Bhakti Yoga: This can even be understood through the name only. In this Yoga Shree Krishna talks how devotion to one god is easier to forming the path to Moksha. it is also the direct path. It is the most superior way as this is the most heartfelt and pure way of devotion. This tests how calm, how collected nd how pure is the minds of the devotees because only by leaving their all worries all sadness and all the happiness to their Isth( god/goddess) will they all have truly liberated themselves.
4. Raja Yoga: It is also known as Dhyana Yoga or the "royal path," is discussed extensively in Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita, where it is presented as a path to self-realization and union with the divine through meditation and mental discipline. This path involves controlling the mind and emotions, often using the principles of Ashtanga Yoga (the eight-limbed path), which includes ethical observances, postures, breath control, and withdrawal of the senses, culminating in deep concentration and meditation. The goal is to achieve a state of inner peace, self-purification, and liberation from suffering.
There were also five fundamentals teachings by Lord Krishna aside from the four Yogas-
1. Ishvara (The Supreme Lord): He told of how Ishvara is the supreme being of the universe. They are the Creator, Sustainer and the destructor. He revealed his supreme form as the Ishvara.
He is all-knowing, ever-present. He is here but he is there too. He is present in his godly presence and he is formless too. He is in every atom of the universe, he is in everyone, everything yet not visible to all. Only those who are willing to believe and look for him.
2. Jiva (The Living Entity/Soul): Jiva or Atma you are more familiar with is the indestructible part of any living being. He who is the supreme lord and he is the one controlling everything. He decide what we are reincarnated as but not what we will do. The physical form is nashvar (destructible), anything related to it is left behind the moment the Jiva is separated from the physical body. This means when dying all the pain, the joys, the riches are all not a part of us now and the soul is liberated from these burdens.
3. Prakriti (Material Nature): The materialistic world we live in is Prakriti. It is one of God's energies and is composed of two parts:
The "inferior" material nature (earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and ego)
The "higher" spiritual nature (life-elements or jiva-bhuta).
Prakriti is further characterized by three gunas or modes of nature: sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance), which drive all actions and form an individual's characteristics and experiences
4. Kaal: The ever going, never-stopping, governing high above everything. The supreme over everything even the Tridevas. The ruler of 21 universes as talked of in ancient texts.
In some sections it is said that Kaal himself possessed Lord Krishna in somewhere between the sermon of Gita.
Proponents cite Bhagavad Gita 11:32 as evidence, where Kaal says, "I have now appeared," suggesting a separate entity taking over Krishna's body. They also note that Krishna's earlier appearance of his "Virat form" in the Kaurava assembly differs from the form Kaal shows on the battlefield.
Kaal in Sanskrit can mean two things, Time or Death both of which are imminent and never detangle from us.
Karma (Action): This is same as Karma Yoga. This tells us to do, don't think unnecessarily of the consequences.
He also talked of Dharma, and for Arjuna to surrender himself to the supreme.
A few Shlokas from that Divine text which we should take teachings from:
Chapter 2, Verse 47: *Karmanyevadhikaraste Ma Phleshu the kadachana. ma karma phala-hetur bhur ma te sango\'stvakarmani'*; *This shloka from Gita tells us that we have the right only to our actions and not to their results. Do not let the results of your actions be your motive and do not be attached to inaction.*
Chapter 4, Verse 7-8: *yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata | abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmy aham ||*;
Translation: Whenever and wherever there is a decline in righteousness and a rise in unrighteousness, O Arjuna, at that time I send Myself forth.
Chapter 18, Verse 11: *Nahi dehbhṛtā śakyaṃ tyaktuṃ karmāṇyaśeṣataḥ, Yastu karmaphalatyaagī sa tyāgītyabhidhīyate.*
Translation: Indeed, it is impossible for any embodied being to completely renounce all action. But he who gives up the fruits of action is considered to be the truly renounced
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते।।
(Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachments to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.)
तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम्।
स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा।।
(Let it be known: the severance from the union-with-pain is YOGA. This YOGA should be practised with determination and with a mind steady and undespairing.)
After preaching, Krishna gave Arjuna a choice. If he still insisted on not fighting the war he will not stop and if he wished to fight then he could do so with confidence because the Lord of the three worlds is with him.
We can also learn many life lessons from this incident, from the holy sermon 'Gita'. It is just not useful in the battlefield it also useful in day to day life. It is for everyone to understand and to use it in their lives.
Gita not just a part of the tales or just a book it the moral teacher who can guide us to a better path. we only just need to believe in the supreme and yourself.
Why is it called Gita Jayanti
Over 5000 years ago when the mighty war between Pandavas and Kaurwas was imminent and both sides were there on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna asked Krishna who was his chariot rider to take him to the front to see his opponents.
When they reached there Arjuna after seeing everyone who taught him, watched him grow up, his own blood on the opposing side, he was hesitant to continue the fight. He put down his weapon Gandiv and told Krishna of his dilemma, his fear and hesitation.
Krishna listened to his words then he took on his Vishwarupa and preached the whole Gita in just a matter of minutes before the battle. He is said to have taken his Shwetambar form while he was preaching which is him in white cloths and in plain attire. this is because it can be said it was him appearing in soul form and the soul is plain and pure like the color white.
He had narrated all the 700 shlokas to Arjuna.
We wonder if only Arjuna was the one to hear the divine knowledge from the Parampita. Then the answer is no, there were also others who heard the shlokas. they were:
1. Sanjay - He was blessed by Sage Vyas to see the future events and could see the scenes from the battlefield. He heard the shlokas from Shree Krishna as he was looking at the battlefield.
2. Dhritrashtra - He heard it second hand from Sanjay who was narrating the whole sequence to him.
3. Hanuman - in many places it is said that Shri Hanuman who was on the Dhwaj or the flag of Arjuna's chariot also heard the preaching.
4. Barbarik - Barbarik the grandson of Bhima is also said to have heard the narration according to some narration. It is said that he heard it from his hilltop vintage point from where he was overlooking the battle.
What exactly is the knowledge that Shree Krishna preached to Arjuna after which he was ready to fight his kin after hesitating at such crucial moment. He had told him of knowledge of Yogas. the knowledge he imparted to Arjuna is Also called Brahmayog. In this he told of four types of Yogas. they were :
1. Karma Yoga: in this Yoga it is told to do your duty selflessly. in elaboration, when doing a action don't worry of the result but the work itself. Also to not think of yourself or what is your personal gain from it. It teaches to lower your ego and live in present. It teaches us to perform our duty and keep our mind calm collected and not affected by the sea of emotions in our mind.
It also teaches how one should keep calm in face of any situation, whether favorable or not.
2. Jnana Yoga: This yoga teaches us of self-realization. To realize your own self, to feel your atman distinct from mind and body. It says to leave the mind and body behind and listen the Atman.
To transcend the illusion of the world and see beyond the horizon is what it is meant to teach in the Jnana Yoga. To remove yourself from the mundane matters of this world and move towards the freedom of soul, to the spirituality, towards the path of Moksha( Spiritual Liberation)
3. Bhakti Yoga: This can even be understood through the name only. In this Yoga Shree Krishna talks how devotion to one god is easier to forming the path to Moksha. it is also the direct path. It is the most superior way as this is the most heartfelt and pure way of devotion. This tests how calm, how collected nd how pure is the minds of the devotees because only by leaving their all worries all sadness and all the happiness to their Isth( god/goddess) will they all have truly liberated themselves.
4. Raja Yoga: It is also known as Dhyana Yoga or the "royal path," is discussed extensively in Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita, where it is presented as a path to self-realization and union with the divine through meditation and mental discipline. This path involves controlling the mind and emotions, often using the principles of Ashtanga Yoga (the eight-limbed path), which includes ethical observances, postures, breath control, and withdrawal of the senses, culminating in deep concentration and meditation. The goal is to achieve a state of inner peace, self-purification, and liberation from suffering.
There were also five fundamentals teachings by Lord Krishna aside from the four Yogas-
1. Ishvara (The Supreme Lord): He told of how Ishvara is the supreme being of the universe. They are the Creator, Sustainer and the destructor. He revealed his supreme form as the Ishvara.
He is all-knowing, ever-present. He is here but he is there too. He is present in his godly presence and he is formless too. He is in every atom of the universe, he is in everyone, everything yet not visible to all. Only those who are willing to believe and look for him.
2. Jiva (The Living Entity/Soul): Jiva or Atma you are more familiar with is the indestructible part of any living being. He who is the supreme lord and he is the one controlling everything. He decide what we are reincarnated as but not what we will do. The physical form is nashvar (destructible), anything related to it is left behind the moment the Jiva is separated from the physical body. This means when dying all the pain, the joys, the riches are all not a part of us now and the soul is liberated from these burdens.
3. Prakriti (Material Nature): The materialistic world we live in is Prakriti. It is one of God's energies and is composed of two parts:
The "inferior" material nature (earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and ego)
The "higher" spiritual nature (life-elements or jiva-bhuta).
Prakriti is further characterized by three gunas or modes of nature: sattva (goodness), rajas (passion), and tamas (ignorance), which drive all actions and form an individual's characteristics and experiences
4. Kaal: The ever going, never-stopping, governing high above everything. The supreme over everything even the Tridevas. The ruler of 21 universes as talked of in ancient texts.
In some sections it is said that Kaal himself possessed Lord Krishna in somewhere between the sermon of Gita.
Proponents cite Bhagavad Gita 11:32 as evidence, where Kaal says, "I have now appeared," suggesting a separate entity taking over Krishna's body. They also note that Krishna's earlier appearance of his "Virat form" in the Kaurava assembly differs from the form Kaal shows on the battlefield.
Kaal in Sanskrit can mean two things, Time or Death both of which are imminent and never detangle from us.
Karma (Action): This is same as Karma Yoga. This tells us to do, don't think unnecessarily of the consequences.
He also talked of Dharma, and for Arjuna to surrender himself to the supreme.
A few Shlokas from that Divine text which we should take teachings from:
Chapter 2, Verse 47: *Karmanyevadhikaraste Ma Phleshu the kadachana. ma karma phala-hetur bhur ma te sango\'stvakarmani'*; *This shloka from Gita tells us that we have the right only to our actions and not to their results. Do not let the results of your actions be your motive and do not be attached to inaction.*
Chapter 4, Verse 7-8: *yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata | abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmy aham ||*;
Translation: Whenever and wherever there is a decline in righteousness and a rise in unrighteousness, O Arjuna, at that time I send Myself forth.
Chapter 18, Verse 11: *Nahi dehbhṛtā śakyaṃ tyaktuṃ karmāṇyaśeṣataḥ, Yastu karmaphalatyaagī sa tyāgītyabhidhīyate.*
Translation: Indeed, it is impossible for any embodied being to completely renounce all action. But he who gives up the fruits of action is considered to be the truly renounced
योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते।।
(Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachments to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.)
तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम्।
स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा।।
(Let it be known: the severance from the union-with-pain is YOGA. This YOGA should be practised with determination and with a mind steady and undespairing.)
After preaching, Krishna gave Arjuna a choice. If he still insisted on not fighting the war he will not stop and if he wished to fight then he could do so with confidence because the Lord of the three worlds is with him.
We can also learn many life lessons from this incident, from the holy sermon 'Gita'. It is just not useful in the battlefield it also useful in day to day life. It is for everyone to understand and to use it in their lives.
Gita not just a part of the tales or just a book it the moral teacher who can guide us to a better path. we only just need to believe in the supreme and yourself.
