Gītā-māhātmya — the glory of the Gita

The Gītā’s own promise

At the end of the Gītā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself glorifies those who explain, study and hear it.

Gītā-māhātmya in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

At the end of his Introduction to Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Śrīla Prabhupāda glorifies the Gītā using these seven Gītā-māhātmya verses. Under each verse are his own words about it.

1. Gītā-māhātmya Gītā-māhātmya 1

   गीताशास्त्रमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेत्प्रयतः पुमान् ।
   विष्णोः पदमवाप्नोति भयशोकादिवर्जितः ॥

   gītā-śāstram idaṁ puṇyaṁ yaḥ paṭhet prayataḥ pumān
   viṣṇoḥ padam avāpnoti bhaya-śokādi-varjitaḥ

   In conclusion, Bhagavad-gīta is a transcendental literature which one should read very carefully. It is capable of saving one from all fear.

   Source: Gītā-māhātmya 1

2. Gītā-māhātmya Gītā-māhātmya 2

   गीताध्ययनशीलस्य प्राणायामपरस्य च ।
   नैव सन्ति हि पापानि पूर्वजन्मकृतानि च ॥

   gītādhyāyana-śīlasya prāṇāyāma-parasya ca
   naiva santi hi pāpāni pūrva-janma-kṛtāni ca

   If one reads Bhagavad-gītā sincerely and seriously, then all of the reactions of his past misdeeds will not react upon him.

   Source: Gītā-māhātmya 2

3. Gītā-māhātmya Gītā-māhātmya 3

   मलनिर्मोचनं पुंसां जलस्नानं दिने दिने ।
   सकृद्गीताम्भसि स्नानं संसारमलनाशनम् ॥

   mala-nirmocanaṁ puṁsāṁ jala-snānaṁ dine dine
   sakṛd gītāmṛta-snānaṁ saṁsāra-mala-nāśanam

   One cleanses himself daily by taking a bath in water, but one who takes his bath only once in the sacred Ganges water of the Bhagavad-gītā cleanses away all the dirt of material life.

   Source: Gītā-māhātmya 3

4. Gītā-māhātmya Gītā-māhātmya 4

   गीता सुगीता कर्तव्या किमन्यैः शास्त्रविस्तरैः ।
   या स्वयं पद्मनाभस्य मुखपद्माद्विनिःसृता ॥

   gītā su-gītā kartavyā
   kim anyaiḥ śāstra-vistaraiḥ
   yā svayaṁ padmanābhasya
   mukha-padmād viniḥsṛtā

   Because Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gītā. In the present age, mankind is so absorbed with mundane activities that it is not possible to read all of the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gītā, will suffice because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

   Note

   This same verse comes at the start of chapter 43 of the Bhīṣma-parva of the Mahābhārata. There it has the word शास्त्रसंग्रहैः (“collections of scriptures”).

   Source: Gītā-māhātmya 4

5. Gītā-māhātmya Gītā-māhātmya 5

   भारतामृतसर्वस्वं विष्णोर्वक्त्राद्विनिःसृतम् ।
   गीतागङ्गोदकं पीत्वा पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥

   bhāratāmṛta-sarvasvaṁ
   viṣṇu-vaktrād viniḥsṛtam
   gītā-gaṅgodakaṁ pītvā
   punar janma na vidyate

   It is said that one who drinks the water of the Ganges certainly gets salvation, but what to speak of one who drinks the waters of Bhagavad-gītā? Gītā is the very nectar of the Mahābhārata spoken by Viṣṇu Himself, for Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original Viṣṇu. It is nectar emanating from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Ganges is said to be emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord. Of course there is no difference between the mouth and the feet of the Supreme Lord, but in our position we can appreciate that the Bhagavad-gītā is even more important than the Ganges.

   Source: Gītā-māhātmya 5

6. Gītā-māhātmya Gītā-māhātmya 6

   सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः ।
   पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥

   sarvopaniṣado gāvo
   dogdhā gopāla-nandanaḥ
   pārtho vatsaḥ su-dhīr bhoktā
   dugdhaṁ gītāmṛtaṁ mahat

   The Bhagavad-gītā is just like a cow, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. The milk is the essence of the Vedas, and Arjuna is just like a calf. The wise men, the great sages and pure devotees, are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-gītā.

   Note

   This is also verse 4 of the Gītā-dhyānam, which people recite before reading the Gītā.

   Source: Gītā-māhātmya 6

7. Gītā-māhātmya Gītā-māhātmya 7

   एकं शास्त्रं देवकीपुत्रगीतमेको देवो देवकीपुत्र एव ।
   एको मन्त्रस्तस्य नामानि यानि कर्माप्येकं तस्य देवस्य सेवा ॥

   ekaṁ śāstraṁ devakī-putra-gītam
   eko devo devakī-putra eva
   eko mantras tasya nāmāni yāni
   karmāpy ekaṁ tasya devasya sevā

   In this present day, man is very eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. So let there be one common scripture for the whole world—Bhagavad-gītā. And let there be one God only for the whole world—Śrī Kṛṣṇa. And one mantra only—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only—the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

   Source: Gītā-māhātmya 7

In the Mahābhārata

In the Mahābhārata, right after the Gītā ends, chapter 43 of the Bhīṣma-parva begins with these verses in praise of the Gītā (in the traditional text).

1. Gītā-māhātmya Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 43.1

   गीता सुगीता कर्तव्या किमन्यैः शास्त्रसंग्रहैः ।
   या स्वयं पद्मनाभस्य मुखपद्माद् विनिःसृता ॥

   gītā sugītā kartavyā kimanyaiḥ śāstrasaṁgrahaiḥ
   yā svayaṁ padmanābhasya mukhapadmād viniḥsṛtā

   One should sing and study the Gītā well. What is the need for many other scriptures? The Gītā came from the lotus mouth of Lord Padmanābha (Viṣṇu) Himself.

   Note

   The same verse, with the word śāstra-vistaraiḥ, is Gītā-māhātmya 4 in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

   Source: Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 43.1

2. Gītā-māhātmya Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 43.2

   सर्वशास्त्रमयी गीता सर्वदेवमयो हरिः ।
   सर्वतीर्थमयी गङ्गा सर्ववेदमयो मनुः ॥

   sarvaśāstramayī gītā sarvadevamayo hariḥ
   sarvatīrthamayī gaṅgā sarvavedamayo manuḥ

   The Gītā holds all the scriptures, just as Lord Hari holds all the devatās, the Gaṅgā holds all the holy places, and Manu holds all the Vedas.

   Source: Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 43.2

3. Gītā-māhātmya Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 43.3

   गीता गङ्गा च गायत्री गोविन्देति हृदि स्थिते ।
   चतुर्गकारसंयुक्ते पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥

   gītā gaṅgā ca gāyatrī govindeti hṛdi sthite
   caturgakārasaṁyukte punarjanma na vidyate

   Gītā, Gaṅgā, Gāyatrī and Govinda: these four names begin with “ga”. One who keeps them in his heart is not born again.

   Source: Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 43.3

4. Gītā-māhātmya Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 43.5

   भारतामृतसर्वस्वगीताया मथितस्य च ।
   सारमुद्धृत्य कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य मुखे हुतम् ॥

   bhāratāmṛtasarvasvagītāyā mathitasya ca
   sāramuddhṛtya kṛṣṇena arjunasya mukhe hutam

   The Gītā is the whole treasure of the nectar of the Mahābhārata. Kṛṣṇa churned it, took out its essence and gave it to Arjuna to drink.

   Source: Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva 43.5

The Gītā-māhātmya of the Varāha Purāṇa

Mother Earth asks Lord Viṣṇu how a person who is still bound by past karma can get pure devotion. The Lord answers by telling the glory of the Gītā. By tradition, this māhātmya is from the Varāha Purāṇa. Gita Press and others print it with the Gītā.

1. Gītā-māhātmya Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 1

   धरोवाच
   भगवन् परमेशान भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी ।
   प्रारब्धं भुज्यमानस्य कथं भवति हे प्रभो ॥

   dharovāca
   bhagavan parameśāna bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī
   prārabdhaṁ bhujyamānasya kathaṁ bhavati he prabho

   Mother Earth (Dharā) said: O Lord, O Supreme Master! A person still has to live through the results of his past deeds (prārabdha karma). How can such a person get steady, pure devotion?

   Source: Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 1

2. Gītā-māhātmya Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 2

   श्रीविष्णुरुवाच
   प्रारब्धं भुज्यमानो हि गीताभ्यासरतः सदा ।
   स मुक्तः स सुखी लोके कर्मणा नोपलिप्यते ॥

   śrīviṣṇuruvāca
   prārabdhaṁ bhujyamāno hi gītābhyāsarataḥ sadā
   sa muktaḥ sa sukhī loke karmaṇā nopalipyate

   Lord Viṣṇu said: Even while living through his prārabdha, a person who always studies the Gītā is free and happy in this world. His karma does not touch him.

   Source: Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 2

3. Gītā-māhātmya Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 3

   महापापादिपापानि गीताध्यानं करोति चेत् ।
   क्वचित्स्पर्शं न कुर्वन्ति नलिनीदलमम्बुवत् ॥

   mahāpāpādipāpāni gītādhyānaṁ karoti cet
   kvacitsparśaṁ na kurvanti nalinīdalamambuvat

   If a person meditates on the Gītā, even very great sins cannot touch him, just as water does not stick to a lotus leaf.

   Source: Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 3

4. Gītā-māhātmya Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 4

   गीतायाः पुस्तकं यत्र यत्र पाठः प्रवर्तते ।
   तत्र सर्वाणि तीर्थानि प्रयागादीनि तत्र वै ॥

   gītāyāḥ pustakaṁ yatra yatra pāṭhaḥ pravartate
   tatra sarvāṇi tīrthāni prayāgādīni tatra vai

   Wherever a Gītā book is kept and wherever the Gītā is read, all the holy places (tīrthas), like Prayāga, are present there.

   Source: Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 4

5. Gītā-māhātmya Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 5

   सर्वे देवाश्च ऋषयो योगिनः पन्नगाश्च ये ।
   गोपाला गोपिका वापि नारदोद्धवपार्षदैः ।
   सहायो जायते शीघ्रं यत्र गीता प्रवर्तते ॥

   sarve devāśca ṛṣayo yoginaḥ pannagāśca ye
   gopālā gopikā vāpi nāradoddhavapārṣadaiḥ
   sahāyo jāyate śīghraṁ yatra gītā pravartate

   Wherever the Gītā is read, all the devatās, sages, yogīs and nāgas, the cowherd boys and gopīs, Nārada, Uddhava and the Lord’s associates quickly come to help.

   Source: Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 5

6. Gītā-māhātmya Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 6

   यत्र गीताविचारश्च पठनं पाठनं श्रुतम् ।
   तत्राहं निश्चितं पृथ्वि निवसामि सदैव हि ॥

   yatra gītāvicāraśca paṭhanaṁ pāṭhanaṁ śrutam
   tatrāhaṁ niścitaṁ pṛthvi nivasāmi sadaiva hi

   O Earth, wherever the Gītā is discussed, read, taught or heard, I (Lord Viṣṇu) always live there.

   Source: Varāha Purāṇa, Gītā-māhātmya 6

The glory of each chapter: Padma Purāṇa

In the Padma Purāṇa, Lord Śiva tells Pārvatī how Lord Viṣṇu explained to Lakṣmī the glory of each of the Gītā’s eighteen chapters. There is one story for each chapter. Here are short summaries in our own words.

Source: Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa, chapters 175–192

From the Gītā-dhyānam

The Gītā-dhyānam is a set of prayers for meditation. By tradition, people recite them before reading the Gītā.

1. Gītā-māhātmya Gītā-dhyānam 3

   प्रपन्नपारिजाताय तोत्रवेत्रैकपाणये ।
   ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृतदुहे नमः ॥

   prapannapārijātāya totravetraikapāṇaye
   jñānamudrāya kṛṣṇāya gītāmṛtaduhe namaḥ

   I bow down to Kṛṣṇa. He is like a wish-fulfilling tree (pārijāta) for those who surrender to Him. He holds a whip in one hand and shows the sign of knowledge (jñāna-mudrā) with the other. He milks the nectar of the Gītā.

   Note

   By tradition, the Gītā-dhyānam is said to be by Madhusūdana Sarasvatī, but its author is not known for certain.

   Source: Gītā-dhyānam 3

The brāhmaṇa who cried while reading the Gītā

In the words of the ācāryas

1. Gītā-māhātmya Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, Gītā-bhāṣya, Introduction

   तद् इदं गीताशास्त्रं समस्तवेदार्थसारसंग्रहभूतं दुर्विज्ञेयार्थम् ।

   tad idaṁ gītāśāstraṁ samastavedārthasārasaṁgrahabhūtaṁ durvijñeyārtham

   This Gītā-śāstra holds the essence of the meaning of all the Vedas. Its meaning is not easy to understand.

   Source: Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, Gītā-bhāṣya, Introduction

2. Gītā-māhātmya Bhaja Govindam 20

   भगवद्गीता किञ्चिदधीता
   गङ्गाजललवकणिका पीता ।
   सकृदपि येन मुरारिसमर्चा
   क्रियते तस्य यमेन न चर्चा ॥

   bhagavadgītā kiñcidadhītā
   gaṅgājalalavakaṇikā pītā
   sakṛdapi yena murārisamarcā
   kriyate tasya yamena na carcā

   If a person has studied even a little of the Bhagavad-gītā, drunk even a drop of Gaṅgā water, and worshipped Murāri (Kṛṣṇa) even once, Yamarāja (the lord of death) has nothing to argue with him about.

   Note

   This verse is from the Bhaja Govindam of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. By tradition, it was spoken by his disciple Ānandagiri. Some editions give it a different number.

   Source: Bhaja Govindam 20