Tavamithram’s Gita Samiti
Germany
श्रीमद्भगवत गीता
Srimad Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 1
अर्जुनविषादयोग – Arjuna Vishaadha Yoga
The despondency of Arjuna
The Srimad Bhagavad Gita comes under both Shruti as well as Smriti Literature. The term ‘Smriti’ signifies ‘something which is remembered’ and ‘Shruti’ denotes ‘that which is heard’. The Gita being ‘Smriti’ literature, has been handed down over generations. There are a few differences between the commentaries written by great scholars and teachers who carried the knowledge of the Gita through bygone centuries. There are also slight differences in the numbering of the verses. These differences may be found in Chapters 1 and 13.
The metre used almost throughout Srimad Bhagavad Gita is the ‘Anushtup Chanda’ अनुष्टुप्छन्दः . Verses composed in the Anushtup Chanda are quatrains. Each stanza has four lines consisting of 8 syllables each. Every quatrain in the Anushtup Chanda has 32 syllables. The entire Mahabharata and the Valmiki Ramayana are composed in Anusthup Chanda.
It is also important to note that there are some verses in the ‘Trishtup Chanda’ too. They are the verses 15 to 50 in the 11th Chapter. Arjuna is the one who starts speaking in the ‘Trishtup Chanda’. The ‘Trishtup Chanda’ consists of 11 syllables per line and 44 in a verse. Verses 51 to 55 of Chapter 13, are back in the Anushtup Chanda or 8 syllables per verse.
The (:) विसर्गः Visarga is an h sound which is either pronounced or not pronounced in order to maintain metrical balance of 32 syllables per verse.
As we all know, the Srimad Bhagavad Gita has 700 (or 701) verses in total. The one we follow has 47 verses in the 1st Chapter and the 13th chapter ends with verse 34. (Note: The Chapter 13 starts with the verse 13.0 and not 13.1). Some large organisations teaching the Gita, have 46 verses in Chapter 1 and 35 verses (13.1 to 13.35) in Chapter 13. The difference in numbering of the verses of Chapter 1 can be noticed between verses 1.30 to 1.37.