Introduction
The Gita Dhyanam, or "Meditation on the Gita," is a sacred set of nine verses recited before studying the Bhagavad Gita. It is not merely poetic praise but a powerful invocation that prepares our heart and mind to receive divine wisdom. Swami Mukundananda Ji emphasizes that we must approach the Gita with shraddha (faith) and bhakti (devotion), recognizing that every word spoken by Shree Krishna comes from a place of pure compassion. This dhyanam elevates our consciousness and reminds us that we are about to hear the Supreme Truth—not as theory, but as divine instruction meant to transform our life.
Gita Dhyanam – Full Lyrics, Transliteration & Meaning
🔸 Verse 1
ॐ पार्थाय प्रतिबोधितां भगवता नारायणेन स्वयम् ।
व्यासेन ग्रथितां पुराणमुनिना मध्ये महाभारतम् ।
अद्वैतामृतवर्षिणीं भगवतीम् अष्टादशाध्यायिनीम् ।
अम्ब त्वामनुसन्दधामि भगवद्गीते भवद्वेषिणीम् ॥ १ ॥
Om pārthāya pratibodhitām bhagavatā nārāyaṇena svayam
vyāsena grathitāṁ purāṇamuninā madhye mahābhāratam ।
advaitāmṛtavarṣiṇīṁ bhagavatīm aṣṭādaśādhyāyinīm ।
amba tvāmanusandadhāmi bhagavadgīte bhavadveṣiṇīm ॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
O Divine Mother Bhagavad Gita! I meditate upon you again and again—revealed by Lord Narayana Himself to Arjun (Parth), compiled by the ancient sage Vyas in the midst of the great epic Mahabharat. You are the embodiment of the nectar of non-dual wisdom, consisting of eighteen chapters, and you destroy the illusion of worldly existence.
🔸 Verse 2
नमोऽस्तु ते व्यास विशालबुद्धे फुल्लारविन्दायतपत्रनेत्र ।
येन त्वया भारततैलपूर्णः प्रज्वालितो ज्ञानमयः प्रदीपः ॥ २ ॥
namostu te vyāsa viśālabuddhe phullāravindāyatapatranetra
yena tvayā bhāratatailapūrṇaḥ prajvālito jñānamayaḥ pradīpaḥ ॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Salutations to you, O Vyas of vast intellect and wide lotus-like eyes! You have lit the lamp of wisdom, filled with the oil of the Mahabharat.
🔸 Verse 3
प्रपन्नपारिजाताय तोत्रवेत्रैकपाणये ।
ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृतदुहे नमः ॥ ३ ॥
prapannapārijātāya totravetraikapāṇaye
jñānamudrāya kṛṣṇāya gītāmṛtaduhe namaḥ ॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Salutations to Shree Krishna, the giver of the nectar of the Bhagavad Gita, who holds the whip and staff in one hand for guiding the chariot, and who bestows the boon of knowledge to those surrendered to Him like the wish-fulfilling tree.
🔸 Verse 4
सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः ।
पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥ ४ ॥
sarvopaniṣado gāvo dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ
pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīrbhoktā dugdhaṁ gītāmṛtaṁ mahat ॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
The Upanishads are the cows, Shree Krishna the cowherd boy who milks them, Arjun is the calf, the wise person is the one who drinks, and the great nectar of the Gita is the milk.
🔸 Verse 5
वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम् ।
देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥ ५ ॥
vasudevasutaṁ devaṁ kaṁsacāṇūramardanam
devakīparamānandaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ vande jagadgurum ॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
I offer my salutations to Shree Krishna, the son of Vasudev, the destroyer of Kamsa and Chanura, the supreme bliss of Devaki, and the teacher of the world.
🔸 Verse 6
भीष्मद्रोणतटा जयद्रथजला गान्धारनीलोत्पला ।
शल्यग्राहवती कृपेण वहनी कर्णेन वेलाकुला ।
अश्वत्थामविकर्णघोरमकरा दुर्योधनावर्तिनी ।
सोत्तीर्णा खलु पाण्डवै रणनदी कैवर्तकः केशवः ॥ ६ ॥
bhīṣmadroṇataṭā jayadrathajalā gāndhāranīlotpalā
śalyagrāhavatī kṛpeṇa vahanī karṇena velākulā ।
aśvatthāmavikarṇaghoramakarā duryodhanāvartinī ।
sottīrṇā khalu pāṇḍavai raṇanadī kaivartakaḥ keśavaḥ ॥ 6 ॥
Meaning:
The battlefield is compared to a river, with the banks formed by Bhishma and Drona, the waters being Jayadratha, and the blue lotus of the Gandhara prince floating in it. Shalya is the crocodile, Kripa the current, Karn the high waves, Ashwatthama and Vikarn the deadly sharks, and Duryodhan the whirlpool. Yet, the Pandavas successfully crossed it with Shree Krishna as their boatman.
🔸 Verse 7
पाराशर्यवचः सरोजममलं गीतार्थगन्धोत्कटं ।
नानाख्यानककेसरं हरिकथा सम्भोधनाबोधितम् ।
लोके सज्जनषट्पदैरहरहः पेपीयमानं मुदा,
भूयाद्भारतपङ्कजं कलिमलप्रध्वंसिनः श्रेयसे ॥ ७ ॥
pārāśaryavacaḥ sarojamamalaṁ gītārthagandhotkaṭam
nānākhyānakakesaraṁ harikathā saṁbodhanābodhitam ।
loke sajjanaṣaṭpadairaharahaḥ pepīyamānaṁ mudā
bhūyādbhāratapaṅkajaṁ kalimalapradhvaṁsinaḥ śreyase ॥ 7 ॥
Meaning:
May the immaculate lotus of the Mahabharat, born of the words of Sage Vyas, fragrant with the essence of the Gita, adorned with various narratives as its filaments, and opened by the discussion of Hari’s glories, which is drunk joyfully day after day by the righteous like bees—may that lotus of the Bharat bestow auspiciousness and destroy the impurities of Kali Yug.
🔸 Verse 8
मूकं करोति वाचालं पङ्गुं लङ्घयते गिरिम् ।
यत्कृपा तमहं वन्दे परमानन्दमाधवम् ॥ ८ ॥
mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yatkṛpā tamahaṁ vande paramānandamādhavam ॥ 8 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to that Supreme Bliss, Lord Madhav, whose grace makes the mute eloquent and the lame cross over mountains.
🔸 Verse 9
यं ब्रह्मा वरुणेन्द्ररुद्रमरुतः स्तुन्वन्ति दिव्यैः स्तवैः ।
वेदैः साङ्गपदक्रमोपनिषदैः गायन्ति यं सामगाः ।
ध्यानावस्थिततद्गतेन मनसा पश्यन्ति यं योगिनो
यस्यान्तं न विदुः सुरासुरगणा देवाय तस्मै नमः ॥ ९ ॥
yaṁ brahmā varuṇendrarudramarutaḥ stuvanti divyaiḥ stavaiḥ
vedaiḥ sāṅgapadakramopaniṣadair gāyanti yaṁ sāmagāḥ ।
dhyānāvasthitatadgatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino
yasyāntaṁ na viduḥ surāsuragaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ ॥ 9 ॥
Meaning:
To that Supreme Divine Being, whom Brahma, Varun, Indra, Rudra, and the Maruts glorify with divine hymns, whom the chanters of the Sam Ved sing about through the Vedas and the Upanishads in proper form, whom yogis perceive with their minds absorbed in meditation, and whose limits neither the gods nor the demons know—to that Supreme Lord, we offer our salutations. Om.
✅ इति श्रीभगवद्गीताध्यानं सम्पूर्णम्।
Thus concludes the Gita Dhyan (Meditation on the Bhagavad Gita).
Significance of Gita Dhyanam
According to Swami Mukundananda Ji, the Gita Dhyanam holds profound spiritual significance:
- It honors the source of knowledge – Shree Krishna, the speaker; Sage Vyas, the compiler; and the Mahabharat, the context.
- It prepares the mind for receptivity – Just as you bathe before worship, the Gita Dhyanam cleanses your intellect.
- It is an expression of surrender – It helps dissolve ego and align the reader with the humility necessary to absorb divine knowledge.
- It reminds us of Shree Krishna’s intention – The Lord did not speak the Gita for power, but solely for the welfare of souls.
As Swamiji says:
“Every word in the Gita is saturated with divine compassion. The more devotionally we receive it, the more of Shree Krishna’s chit-shakti we absorb.”
Key Insights
- The Gita is secret, not because it’s hidden, but because not all are eligible to understand it. Devotion (bhakti) makes us eligible.
- Spiritual knowledge is not inert like material knowledge; it is alive with divine power.
- The Gita is not allegory alone. Many scholars try to strip Shree Krishna of personality and present the Gita as purely symbolic—but Shree Krishna asserts it is divine truth revealed in devotion.
- Envy and ego block spiritual understanding. When we reject surrender and claim we are God ourselves, we close the door to real transformation.
- The Gita must be heard with reverence and faith, not as an intellectual exercise, but as the voice of God speaking directly to the soul.
Practical Application
“Read the Bhagavad Gita as if Shree Krishna is speaking to YOU.” – Swami Mukundananda
- Recite the Gita Dhyanam daily before your Gita study or listening session.
- Approach the verses with reverence, not debate.
- Avoid over-intellectualization—let Shree Krishna speak to your heart.
- Keep the mindset: “Shree Krishna is not compelled to speak—He speaks only out of compassion.”
- Internalize the teachings slowly. Even one verse a day, absorbed deeply, can change your life.
How to Read the Bhagavad Gita (Swamiji's Way)
Swami Mukundananda Ji offers a unique and heart-centered approach:
- Start with bhav – Remind yourself Shree Krishna is your well-wisher and Jagadguru.
- Read with faith, not suspicion – You are not analyzing; you are surrendering.
- Use authentic commentary – Swamiji's verse-by-verse commentary brings clarity without diluting the original intent.
- Chant and reflect – Don’t rush through chapters. Reflect, absorb, and apply.
“Even if you chant without understanding, Shree Krishna is pleased. But if you chant with bhakti, you transform.” – Swamiji
Conclusion
The Gita Dhyanam is not optional—it is a spiritual preparation ritual that opens your inner eye before diving into the ocean of the Bhagavad Gita. As Swami Mukundananda teaches, true understanding of the Gita does not arise from intellect alone, but from purity, humility, and devotion. Let each verse of the Dhyanam remind you of the divine intention behind Shree Krishna’s words—your upliftment, your liberation, and your eternal bliss.
Call to Action
✅ Hungry to learn more about the Bhagavad Gita in its purest form?
🔔 Subscribe to these YouTube channels for divine wisdom, daily inspiration, and powerful teachings:
- 🎥 Swami Mukundananda Official Channel
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If you enjoyed exploring the divine rhythm of the Bhagavad Gita Dhyanam, you may also appreciate other sacred hymns that deepen your spiritual connection and devotion. Discover the divine power and meaning behind these timeless chants:
Let these divine verses become a part of your daily sadhana, awakening the spiritual power within you. 🌞
📚 Explore the entire Gita with verse-by-verse translation and commentary by Swami Mukundananda:
👉 Read Online – Bhagavad Gita Commentary by Swamiji
FAQs
Q1: Is Gita Dhyanam part of the Bhagavad Gita itself?
A: No, it is a traditional invocation composed later to honor and prepare for the study of the Gita.
Q2: Can I chant Gita Dhyanam even if I don’t understand Sanskrit?
A: Absolutely! Chanting with sincerity invokes divine vibrations, and understanding will come gradually.
Q3: Is it necessary to chant this every time before reading the Gita?
A: It’s not mandatory, but highly recommended for cultivating focus, purity, and devotional connection.
Q4: What if I struggle to relate to Shree Krishna personally?
A: Start with open-minded reflection. As Swamiji says, “When you realize Shree Krishna’s love for you, your heart will respond with devotion.”
Q5: Can I read Swami Mukundananda’s Gita Commentary for free?
A: Yes! You can access it completely free at 👉 www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org