Concept Flashcards

Samatvam — equanimity of mind. Also: union with the divine through action, knowledge, or devotion.

Action and its consequences. Every deliberate action leaves an impression. The Gita teaches performing action without attachment to its fruit.

Right duty — cosmic order, ethical law, and one's personal duty given their role, nature, and circumstance.

The eternal, individual soul. The real self beyond body and mind. It is never born, never dies, and cannot be harmed by any material element.

The universal, ultimate reality. The source of all existence. Individual atman is ultimately identical to Brahman — the realization of this unity is liberation.

Liberation — freedom from the cycle of birth and death (samsara). The ultimate goal of all spiritual practice in the Gita.

Devotion — love directed toward the divine. One of the three primary paths in the Gita. Chapter 12 is entirely dedicated to bhakti yoga.

Knowledge or wisdom. Specifically, knowledge of the true nature of reality — that atman is brahman. Chapter 4 focuses on jnana yoga.

The path of right action — performing your duty fully and skillfully while releasing attachment to the results. Described mainly in Chapters 3-5.

Desireless action — performing work without craving for personal reward. The result still matters to others; you simply don't cling to it personally.

The path of devotion — cultivating loving surrender to the divine. Krishna says in Chapter 12 that this is the most direct path to Him.

The path of knowledge — systematic inquiry into the true nature of self and reality. Chapter 13 (The Field and Its Knower) is its core.

Illusion — the power that makes the temporary appear permanent and the unreal appear real. Maya causes identification with the body and ego rather than the atman.

The three qualities of material nature: Tamas (inertia/darkness), Rajas (passion/activity), Sattva (clarity/goodness). All of prakriti is composed of these three.

Material nature — the field of all physical and mental phenomena. Everything we experience through the senses is prakriti. Opposed to purusha (the witness/soul).

The pure witness — the observer of prakriti. The atman in relation to nature. Purusha is untouched by the activities of prakriti.

Equanimity — evenness of mind in all circumstances. The Gita defines Yoga itself as samatvam (2.48). Neither elated by success nor crushed by failure.

A person of steady wisdom. Chapter 2 (verses 55-72) describes their qualities: unshaken by sorrow, not craving pleasure, free from desire, fear, and anger.

One's own unique duty and calling — dharma personalized to your nature, gifts, and circumstance. Better to perform your svadharma imperfectly than another's perfectly.

Meditation — sustained, focused attention on the divine or the self. Chapter 6 (Dhyana Yoga) is the complete manual on mental training and meditation.

Faith — not blind belief, but trust based on experience and inquiry. Chapter 17 says a person IS their shraddha. What you have faith in determines your nature.

Sacred offering or sacrifice. Originally ritual sacrifice, expanded in the Gita to mean any selfless action done as an offering. Work becomes yajna when done without ego.

Non-attachment or dispassion — not aversion, but the ability to hold lightly. Krishna says the mind is controlled through abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (6.35).

Self-restraint of the senses. One of the daivi sampad (divine qualities). The practice of choosing what experiences you allow rather than being pulled by every impulse.

Renunciation — but not of action. The Gita redefines sannyasa as renunciation of the fruits of action, not of action itself. True renunciation is internal.

Divine qualities — fearlessness, purity, compassion, truthfulness, non-cruelty, generosity, and more (Chapter 16). These qualities lead toward liberation.

Demonic qualities — arrogance, pride, anger, cruelty, delusion, ignorance (Chapter 16). These qualities bind the soul and lead downward.

The cycle of birth and death — repeated existence driven by karma and attachment. Moksha (liberation) means freedom from this cycle.

The Supreme Person — beyond both the perishable (ksara) and imperishable (aksara). Krishna reveals himself as Purushottama in Chapter 15.

Divine descent — the divine taking a physical form. Krishna declares in 4.7-8 that he descends age after age to restore dharma and protect the righteous.