Lord Kṛṣna instructing the Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna
The Bhagavad-gītā, often know as The Gītā, is one of the most popular scriptures in the Vedic tradition. Writers, poets, scientists, theologians, philosophers and even management experts have quoted from its teachings for centuries and it is often the introductory text to Hinduism for Occidental audiences. The Gītā is a dialogue between the warrior-prince Arjuna and the god Kṛṣṇa who is serving as his charioteer on the eve of the Battle of Kurukṣetra fought between Arjuna’s family and allies (the Pāṇḍava-s) and those of the prince Duryodhana and his family (the Kaurava-s) and their allies.
The Bhagavad-gītā presents a range of philosophical topics that offer helpful ideas about how to live our life. The text is a synthesis of high quality of the core teachings from the Vedic culture, and hence is also often called an Upaniṣad, despite it not being part of the four Veda-s. It combines many different elements from Sāṁkhya, Yoga and Vedānta philosophies, providing insights into different facets of the Vedic tradition.
It is seen as a very important teaching on yoga, second only to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which it complements, rather like harmonies complement a tune. There are so many valuable lessons that can be taken from this very special text. Not only does it present key teachings of Yoga, including techniques of Prāṇāyāma, Yama & Niyama, and concepts of Dhyānam, but it also expounds fundamental Vedic principles like Dharma, an understanding of which deepens our understanding of the teachings of Yoga, because knowledge of these principles is assumed by the yoga masters such as Patanjali. It details paths like Karmayoga, Jñānayoga and Bhaktiyoga. It presents the highest teaching principles expounded in the Upaniṣad-s, like the nature of the Divine, and how to achieve Mokṣa (liberation). It is rich with concepts from the Sāmkhya and Vedānta schools of philosophy. The Bhagavad-gita is an invaluable and necessary text for all sincere travellers on the Yoga path.
Additionally, the Bhagavad-gītā offers the sincere spiritual seeker a safe sanctuary in which to explore a spiritually meaningful life, elevating our consciousness in a step by step manner. The study of this sacred text will allow the practitioner to relax more into their own heart, and live precious experiences that are part of our normal evolution towards liberation.
A serious study of this text is vital to everyone who wants to understand the key tenets of Indian philosophy, as well as for Yoga teachers and students who want to understand Yoga as a holistic way of life.
The purpose of this ongoing study group is to gather a sincere group of students who want to explore this text in detail.
The ongoing study will be conducted by Dr. Kaustubha Desikachar in English
Mode of Study
The ongoing study will be conducted online via Zoom, and will include two sessions each month. Each session will be about 50 minutes each. All sessions will be recorded via audio, and uploaded to the course’s resource centre, so that even those who cannot participate live can gain access to it.
Each session will include the chanting of the conventional invocatory chants for Bhagavad-gītā, chanting of the relevant verses of the Bhagavad-gītā, explanation of the word-to-word meaning of each verse and discussion on the overall meaning of the verse, following the traditional commentaries of this auspicious text.
There won’t be any handouts, but we will use a recommended version of the text that will be uploaded to the resource centre.
PLEASE NOTE: This course already began in 2021 and has seen about five chapters covered. We will be continuing in 2022 and new participants are welcome to join and continue from here. If you would like access to the material covered in 2021, you may definitely purchase them by sending us an email at info@viniyoga.com.sg
Dates & Time
Sessions will be conducted on two Wednesdays each month at 14.00 India Time. The exact dates for each month will be communicated at the beginning of each month. The online study will continue each month, until the end of the study of all chapters.
Please Note | When travel restrictions are lifted, and travel resumes, it is possible that the time of the sessions may be altered based on the teacher’s availability. In some cases, when times are inconvenient, pre-recorded audios may also be uploaded into the resource centre.
Investment - €75 per month
Payments can be made through Bank Transfer using IBAN or Paypal or Credit Card.
All Paypal and Credit Card payments will be charged only in Singapore Dollars (S$120 including Processing Fee). Interested participants can kindly send your Full name, Mailing Address and Email to info@viniyoga.com.sg
Payments can also be made in the following other currencies through Bank Transfer - British £ (£70) | Australian $ (A$125) | New Zealand $ (NZ$130)
Once we receive your email, we will start sending the invoices at the beginning of each month.
Double Dose of Joy!!!
Please note - A special rate of €130 (S$200/ £115/A$210/NZ$220) will be offered if you are also participating in our monthly Patañjali’s Yogasūtra Ongoing Study, which also begins in January 2021. If you intend to join both the training, click here to sign up—>
Please note that owing to the COVID-19 Crisis, this special price is offered. We are well aware of the financial stress this Coronavirus Crisis is causing to all around the world and we want to be of support. We hope all of you will take the chance to benefit from this special offer and invite you to join this very special course.