The Five Topics

1. Prakṛti is of two types: inferior material nature and superior spiritual nature (7.4-5)
2. Inferior material nature constitutes of 5 gross and 3 subtle elements. (7.4)
3. Jīva is spiritual, but becomes conditioned due to contact with material nature. (14.5, 13.22)
4. Material Nature acts under the direction of Lord Kṛṣṇa (9.10)
5. Material Nature constitutes three qualities (guṇas) namely, goodness, passion and ignorance that carry out all material activities and bind the jīvas to this world. (3.27, 14.5)
6. One who is engaged in unalloyed bhakti unto Lord Kṛṣṇa transcends the three modes of material nature. (14.26)

1. The jīva is a part of Lord Kṛṣṇa (15.7)
2. The jīva is the superior spiritual energy of Lord Kṛṣṇa (7.5)
3. The jīva is an eternal individual, never subjected to birth or death (2.16-21)
4. The jīva is the witness and knower of the field of material body (13.2)
5. The jīva is entrapped in this world due to material desires and material work born of their nature (7.27, 16.12, 14.6, 18.60)

1. Inexhaustible time is the representation of the Lord (11.32)
2. The material world is periodically created and destroyed by Kṛṣṇa’s will (9.7-8)
3. Arjuna describes the kāla-rupa of Kṛṣṇa (11.19-25)
4. Auspicious and inauspicious times of leaving body (8.23-26)
5. Brahma’s one day or kalpa is 1000 yuga cycles (8.17)
6. The Supreme Lord and His pure devotees are not influenced by time

1. The intricacies of karma are difficult to understand even by the wise (4.16-18)
2. One who is greedy for the fruits of one’s actions becomes entangled (5.12)
3. One should responsibly perform prescribed duties with detachment (2.47)
4. One who works with knowledge, renunciation, self-realization for the Supreme is a true yogī and is not bound by karma (4.41, 5.10, 6.1, 2.39)
5. Only by working for Vishnu, one is free from karma (3.9, 9.28)
6. With mind fixed on Kṛṣṇa, one will be liberated from bondage of karma (9.28, 12.7, 2.51)
7. Īśvara is the source of jīva and prakṛti, which are His superior and inferior energies respectively (7.4-7).
8. The jīva desires, the īśvara sanctions and the prakṛti facilitates. Thus they are the three doers. (5.13-16)
9. Īśvara and prakriti – Material nature works under the superintendence of the Lord, but the Lord is neutral and aloof. (9.9-10)
10. Īśvara and Jīva – The jīvas are parts of īśvara. The jīva is eternally atomic and dependent on īśvara while īśvara is eternally blissful, all cognizant, omniscient and fully independent (5.7, 15)
11. Reciprocation between Īśvara and Jīva
12. Īśvara reciprocates according to the way the jīva approaches (4.11)
13. Īśvara’s special favor to the devotees (9.29-32)
14. Īśvara gives spiritual intelligence and guidance from within (10.8- 11)

Relationship between Īśvara, Jīva, & Prakṛti 1 Dualities described in the Gītā: Cold and heat, joy and sorrow (2.14, 6.7, 12.18, 18.27, 15.5); gain and loss, victory and defeat (2.38); success and failure (2.48, 4.22, 18.26); love and hate (2.64, 3.34, 18.23, 18.51); honor and dishonor (6.7, 12.19, 14.25); earth, stone and gold (6.8, 14.24); friend and enemy (6.9, 12.18, 14.25); chastisement and p…