Talks on Gita – Part 2 (Chapters 7–12)

In Part 1, I shared my reflections on the first six chapters of Vinoba Bhave’s Talks on the Gita (1958) — from Arjuna’s confusion to Krishna’s lessons on Karma-Yoga, Stithaprajna, and desireless action.

Now, in Chapters 7–12, Krishna takes us deeper: into concentration, vision, death, devotion, and the cosmic form. These chapters stretched my understanding — they felt both grounding and limitless.

Here are my reflections and learnings from this part of the journey:

1. Raise Yourself

Too often, we build fences around ourselves:
“I’m ordinary. I’m worldly. Dharma is only for saints.”

The Gita rejects this. Don’t degrade yourself — raise yourself.
Aspiration and noble thoughts are not optional; they are the first step forward.

2. One-Pointedness of Mind

Krishna lays out three essentials for meditation:

1. One-pointedness of mind
2. Boundaries that support discipline
3. A state of equanimity (evenness of vision)

Think about gaming: hours vanish. Now think about a dull lecture: every second drags.
The difference? Concentration.

We waste the power of knowledge on trivialities:
“Too much salt in the curry… Why is the neighbor’s daughter always at home?… My friend became successful before me…”

One-pointedness means saving our mind from such drains. And it’s only possible through calm practice.

3. Vision Shapes the World

Nothing is wrong in this world except our vision. Wear red glasses, and the world turns red.

Krishna’s words echo in me: “Remember Me and fight on.”

A mango is sweet not only because of itself, but because we perceive it so.
Life is as we choose to see it.

4. Death as Sleep

Arjuna fears death. Krishna calls it a long sleep.

We are not afraid of sleep — we only worry when we don’t get it.
Death is the same. Sleep ends in morning, death ends in rebirth.
A new body, a new chance, a new work.

This thought makes death less heavy.

5. The Three Devotees

Krishna describes three devotees:

1. One who prays for something
2. The partial devotee (afflicted, seeker of knowledge, seeker of purpose)
3. The perfect devotee

No matter where we start, devotion burns like wood in fire. All paths lead to Him.

But the seer-saint — the perfect devotee — sees Narayana everywhere:
in men, women, children, even in ants and the sun.

6. Life Drop by Drop

At night, we only remember a few things from the day; the rest fades.
At year’s end, a businessman looks only at profit or loss.
So too with life: death is the final balance sheet.

Life builds drop by drop, not in lumps.
Medicine works daily, not all at once.
A seed grows slowly, watered every day.

Each act chisels the marble of our life.

7. Dedicate Everything

The ninth chapter is called the king of teachings. Its message is simple, yet vast:

Whatever you do, dedicate it to the Lord.

Work skillfully so that the fragrance of reward never touches your mind.
Don’t just renounce the fruit — offer it up.

Karma-Yoga + Bhakti-Yoga = Raja-Yoga.
Work and devotion. Action and surrender.

A walnut tree takes 25 years to fruit. The planter may never taste it, yet he tends it with love. That is Karma-Yoga.

8. Seeing God Everywhere

Two paths to seeing God:

• First, see Him in vast things (sun, moon, ocean). Then, learn to see Him in ants and droplets.
• Or, begin with His forms (Rama, Krishna, temples). Then, see Him in every person.

We can’t touch the sun, but we feel its warmth. Similarly, we can’t “see” God directly, but we can experience Him everywhere.

The first god we meet is our mother — the one who gave us life without asking what we’d become.

Even in the Ramayana, Rama’s victory was possible because of monkeys. God is present in all, not just in heroes — even in Ravana.

9. The Ocean in a Drop

In Chapter 11, Arjuna asks to see Krishna’s complete form.
What he sees is the ocean in a drop: dazzling, infinite, terrifying.

And yet Krishna accepts even the smallest offering — a leaf, a flower, a drop of water — if given with love.

It’s not about the size of the gift, but the heart behind it.

10. The Essence

Krishna sums up the heart of devotion:

He who bears enmity toward none,
who is impartial and detached,
who serves selflessly,
who endures with love and devotion —
that devotee becomes My instrument.

Closing Reflections

From these chapters, I’ve learned:

• Raise yourself by your own hands
• Train the mind into one-pointedness
• See death as sleep
• Live life drop by drop
• Dedicate all actions to the Lord
• See Him everywhere
• Offer even the smallest act with love

This was Part 2 of my journey through Vinoba Bhave’s Talks on the Gita.

Next comes Part 3 (Chapters 13–18) — the final stretch, where Krishna ties it all together: knowledge, devotion, renunciation, and freedom.

I can already feel that it won’t just complete the book — it will complete a circle in me.