The Bhagavad Gita and Transcendental Consciousness

The Bhagavad Gita is the Light of Life. It is there to save humanity from the darkness of ignorance and suffering.

The word Bhagavad means Lord, which signifies the state of self-referral intelligence, which is also referred to as Krishna, Brahm and totality. The word Gita means song.

The Bhagavad Gita is the voice of totality, the voice of the infinite organizing power of Natural Law. Its purpose is to explain all that is needed to raise our consciousness to the highest possible level.

The Bhagavad Gita consists of about 700 verses, each one giving invaluable insight into how to live life in the most successful way. The Bhagavad Gita is therefore a complete guide to practical life.

The essence of the Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita has a greater number of commentaries than any other known scriptures. Most of these have not brought to light the essential teaching of this precious knowledge.

Fortunately for us, inspired by his teacher Brahmananda Saraswati, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has rediscovered the essential teaching of the Bhagavad Gita.

In this publication, the Bhagavad Gita has been beautifully translated and Maharishi gives a very complete and easy to understand commentary.

For example, Chapter 2, verse 45 tells us: "nistraygunyo bhav arjuna - be without the three gunas". Maharishi explains that only by contacting Transcendental Consciousness can life be lived in freedom from duality by bringing the mind to a state where all differences dissolve.

Harmony and fulfillment

This verse teaches us that all influences of the outside world, and their consequences as well, will cling to us as long as we are out of our Self (Transcendental Consciousness). Once we are in that state of the Self, we will find eternal harmony and fulfillment.

The three gunas, called sattva, rajas and tamas, are the forces that constitute life in the relative (changing) field. When we are out of the field of the three gunas, we are in a non-changing state of perfect harmony and silence, which is our Self, the state of Yoga. This is pure consciousness, the home of all the laws of nature in every one of us.

Unifying quality of Natural Law

The Bhagavad Gita is that part of the Vedic Literature which deals with the unifying quality of Natural Law. It asks us to act from the level of non-action, the state of Yoga. Yoga means unity, one-ness, which is our Self, or Transcendental Consciousness.

This brings us to another very important verse in the Bhagavad Gita. It is Chapter 2, verse 48 which explains the fundamental skill in action: "Yogasthah Kuru Karmani - Established in Yoga, perform action".

Performing action from the state of Yoga

Maharishi tells us that when we perform action from the state of Yoga, self-referral consciousness, Transcendental Consciousness, then that action is performed by the infinite organizing power of Natural Law.

The infinite organizing power of Natural Law organises everything in the universe in perfect order and harmony. If we are able to be active from the level of Yoga, unity, one-ness, pure singularity, or Transcendental Consciousness, then every action leads to success and fulfillment.

Action from that level does not consume energy. It revitalises and therefore gives energy. Every action that we perform from the level of infinite organizing power within, is spontaneously done with the least amount of effort.

If we perform an action from the state of Yoga, we spontaneously perform right action, action which is in accord with Natural Law. (in accord with "dharma", which is that invincible power of nature which upholds evolution)

The state of Yoga is not far distant from us

The state of Yoga is Transcendental Consciousness. This supreme state of existence is not far distant from us. It is within ourselves and therefore always within our reach. It is our own Self, nothing other than our own Self.

For this reason we don't need to go far to find that glorified state. We only have to experience the most settled state of awareness, which is pure silence, Transcendental Consciousness, at the source of thought.

This is done in a completely effortless and natural way through the Transcendental Meditation technique, which was introduced to the world by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1957. This technique has been verified in the lives of millions of people of different nationalities and backgrounds throughout the world.

Life in perfection

The essence of the Bhagavad Gita is to experience the inner field of pure silence, self-referral consciousness, Transcendental Consciousness within. If we start our day's activity with a technique that effortlessly refers our mind back to this state of non-action, then this source of all action, of all dynamism, will automatically be infused into our daily activities. This will result in life in accord with Natural Law, life in accord with the invincible, evolutionary power of dharma, leading us towards supreme quality of life, life in perfection, in enlightenment and bliss.

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Links to related websites:

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, 
A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1–6

In this book, Maharishi comments on each verse of the Bhagavad Gita in a detailed and easily understandable way.The Bhagavad Gita is the sum total of all the Chapters of the Rk Ved and the Vedic Literature, in seed form. It is a complete guide to practical life and provides all that is needed to raise one's consciousness to the highest possible level. More about Maharishi's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita...