Chapter 18 · Verse 51
बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्याऽऽत्मानं नियम्य च।शब्दादीन् विषयांस्त्यक्त्वा रागद्वेषौ व्युदस्य च।।18.51।।
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Read & reflect
Bhagavad Gita
Explore the Sanskrit verses chapter by chapter. Read a passage in context, compare a named translation and take time with the questions it raises.
A simple way to read
Begin by identifying the speaker and the question being discussed. Read the preceding and following verses before lifting a sentence out of the conversation. Different translators and philosophical commentators can make different interpretive choices; note whose explanation you are following.
Keep three short notes: what the passage says, your interpretation and what remains unclear. A personal reflection can be valuable without being presented as the only meaning of the text.
For a starting point, read our introduction to chapter two or the guide to action and attachment to results.