Here is the entire 700 verses of the ancient 5000 year old Indian Bhagavad-gita [As It Is] on 45 Cards condensed for quick comprehension of the contents replete with graphics and side-bar notes; along with highlighted texts for contextual emphasis.
Imho, the BG is ultimately about the yoga of "Krishna Consciousness" ---but first one must experience "Self-Realisation" by knowing the constitution of our beings is that we are "Individual Conscious Spirit Souls ---in the material world"
See A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's edition for this great spiritual 700 versed dialogue translated, in its original Devotional Tradition, from the chapter in the Ancient Sanskrit Epic of Antiquity, the 'Maha-Bharata'.
The 'Maha-Bharata' is the 5000 year old Epic of ancient India describing the court intrigue and culture of Brahminical India during the end of the last [dwarpa yuga] epoch.
My own footnotes:
Definition of 'Yoga' = to link up to, to re-unite (also see entomology of the word 'religion'.)
The 5 topics of discussion addressed in the Bhagavad-gita
Four are eternal:
1 Isvara - (Controller) - God
2 Jiva-atma – (Indiviual Soul) - Living Entity
3 Prakriti – Energy (Material & Spiritual)
4 Kala – “Time”
One is transient:
5 Karma – Action = a) artha—wealth, abundance b) kama—enjoyment, pleasure
c) dharma—work, duty
The three stages of yoga practice
A) Karma-yoga, yoga of action.
B) Sankya-yoga, yoga of analytical study of scripture.
C) Bhakti-yoga, yoga of Devotion to Krishna
The three progressive stages of yogic enlightenment
I) Brahman-Realization, ---the impersonal manifestation of God, nothingness, the field, the void; Brahman is also used as a general reference for God, et al.
II) Paramatma Realization, the presence of god as the nucleus of every inanimate spark and particle of matter and energy in the universe, and also god as present in every animate individual soul as the witnessing 'Supersoul'—hence the word, 'Param (super) atma' (soul)
[Note: Conscience living beings, by birth-right, are capable of progressing through the following 5 stages of spiritual maturity:
A) anna-maya = recognize the manifest mercy of god as 'food'.
B) prana-maya = recognize god as 'living force in all life forms'.
C) Sankya-maya=recognize god as 'thinking, willing, and feeling'.
D) vigyana-maya= 'mind and ego seen different from the soul'.
E) ananda-maya= 'all-blissful nature' Via prema-bhakti-seva. (loving devotional service to Krishna]
III) Bhagavan Realization, God as he is reveal in the Vedas of India—(krsnas tu bhagavan svayam . . . )
FACT OF LIFE: The "4 defects flaws of the conditioned soul = mistakes; illusion; cheating and imperfect senses”
Karma & Reincarnation = Karma means, 'action'. All living creatures Eat/sleep/mate/defend---one must rise above the mundane order of life and death. We are all destined to take repeated births in various bodies until we are re-acquainted with The grace of Mukunda (a name for Krishna---the sole Bestower of Liberation from the material ocean of repeated births and deaths—since time immemorial). This is done by approaching the top experts in the world authorized to instruct novices in the science of Bhakti-yoga.
Priyas-citta = (traditional sacrament of atonement) pursued at the end of household life, or after legal retirement. Typically, to surrender all wealth and remain in ashram life till death.
God [aka "Bhagavan"] = The original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shree Krishna who is infinitely full in all opulences ("Bhagavan"), specifically:
God is the original person who possesses all Beauty, Fame, Intelligence, Power, Wealth, and Renunciation;
also, God is the first person, with his own eternal and transcendental name, fame, form, personality, paraphernalia, entourage and pastime.
God's body is the absolute form of 'Sat-Chit-Ananda'—Eternity. Cognizance, and Bliss.
The "Supreme-Soul" is a Person that Person is called 'Bhagavan' ('the possessor and source of all opulences').
The life-force in all animate bodies is the precence of a "Soul", and that soul is striving birth-after-birth seeking the supreme soul ---this is the mystery of life.
