From the Index of Management Areas

The 32 verses the book gathers under Stress and Pressure

Chapter and verse, as listed in the Index of Management Areas, each with The Meaning as it appears in the book. The Teaching and the Reflect question for every verse are in the book.

1. 1.3Duryodhana said to Drona: Look at this great army of the Pandavas, arranged by the intelligent son of Drupada, your own disciple.
2. 1.29Arjuna says that his body is trembling, his hair is standing on end, his bow is slipping from his hand, and his skin is burning.
3. 2.1Arjuna was deeply disturbed, full of pity and sorrow, with tears in his eyes. Seeing him in this condition, Krishna began to speak to him.
4. 2.23The soul cannot be cut by weapons, burned by fire, wetted by water, or dried by wind. The self is beyond material destruction.
5. 2.24The soul cannot be cut, burned, wetted, or dried. It is eternal, present throughout the body, steady, immovable, and everlasting.
6. 2.53When your intelligence is no longer disturbed by many conflicting things you have heard, and becomes steady in spiritual absorption, then you will attain yoga.
7. 2.64A disciplined person can move among sense objects without being controlled by attachment or hatred. When the senses are under control, such a person attains peace and clarity.
8. 2.67When the mind follows the wandering senses, wisdom can be carried away, just as a strong wind carries away a boat on water.
9. 2.69The self-controlled person is awake to spiritual truth, while most people are asleep to it. What ordinary people chase as important becomes like night to the wise sage.
10. 2.70A peaceful person is like the ocean. Many desires may come, just as many rivers enter the ocean, but the person remains steady and full within. Peace comes to such a person, not to one who keeps chasing desires.
11. 2.72Krishna says that this steady spiritual state is called brāhmī sthiti. One who attains it is no longer deluded, and if one remains in it even at the final moment of life, one attains liberation and supreme spiritual peace.
12. 3.15Krishna says that proper action comes from sacred wisdom, sacred wisdom comes from the Imperishable, and therefore Brahman is always established in yajña.
13. 6.21The yogi experiences a supreme happiness that is beyond the senses and understood by purified intelligence. Once established in that truth, the yogi does not fall away from it.
14. 6.22When a person attains this deep spiritual state, no other gain seems greater. Established in it, the person is not shaken even by great sorrow.
15. 7.29Krishna says that those who take shelter of Him and strive to be free from old age and death come to know Brahman, the self, and the complete truth about action.
16. 8.5Krishna says that one who leaves the body at the final moment while remembering Him alone attains His divine nature; there is no doubt about it.
17. 9.21Krishna says that after enjoying heaven, people return to the mortal world when their merit is exhausted. Those who follow ritual religion for desires keep moving back and forth between higher enjoyment and mortal life.
18. 11.12The splendour of Krishna’s universal form was so great that it could be compared only to the light of a thousand suns rising together in the sky.
19. 11.14Seeing the universal form, Arjuna was filled with wonder, bowed his head before Krishna, folded his hands, and began to speak.
20. 11.51Arjuna says that seeing Krishna’s gentle human-like form has made him clear- minded again and restored him to his natural state.
21. 12.15Krishna says that His dear devotee does not disturb the world, is not disturbed by the world, and is free from excessive joy, resentment, fear, and agitation.
22. 13.15Krishna says that the Supreme works through all senses yet has no material senses, supports everything yet remains unattached, and is beyond the gunas while still knowing and overseeing them.
23. 14.20Krishna says that one who transcends the three gunas becomes free from birth, death, old age, and sorrow, and attains immortality.
24. 14.27Krishna says that He is the foundation of Brahman, immortality, imperishable reality, eternal dharma, and complete happiness.
25. 15.14Krishna says that He is present in living beings as the digestive fire. Joined with the life-airs, prāṇa and apāna, He digests the four kinds of food.
26. 15.18Krishna says that because He is beyond the perishable and higher than the imperishable, He is known in the world and in the Vedas as Puruṣottama, the Supreme Person.
27. 16.12Krishna says that people of demoniac tendency are bound by many hopes and desires. Driven by desire and anger, they try to collect wealth unjustly for the sake of sense enjoyment.
28. 18.24Krishna says that action done with desire, ego, and excessive restless effort is called rajasic action.
29. 18.31Krishna says that rajasic intelligence does not properly understand dharma and adharma, or what should and should not be done.
30. 18.43Krishna says that the natural work of a kṣatriya-type disposition is marked by courage, energy, firmness, skill, not running away from righteous struggle, generosity, and leadership.
31. 18.60Krishna tells Arjuna that because he is bound by his own nature-born duty, he will still do the very action he now refuses to do out of delusion.
32. 18.66Krishna asks Arjuna to give up all other shelters and surrender to Him alone. Krishna promises to free him from all sinful reactions and tells him not to grieve.

One verse in full

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं

āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭhaṁ

समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् ।

samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat |

तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे

tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśanti sarve

स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ॥

sa śāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī ||

The Meaning A peaceful person is like the ocean. Many desires may come, just as many rivers enter the ocean, but the person remains steady and full within. Peace comes to such a person, not to one who keeps chasing desires.

Mature leadership is ocean-like: it receives pressure, praise, desire, opportunity, and crisis without losing foundation, principles, or peace.

Every verse under this area, with its Teaching and its Reflect question, is in The Ethical Leader’s Gita. For copies for your leadership team, see corporate and bulk gifting.

All areas