A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE GITA MAHATMYAM STORIES FROM PADMA PURANA (GLORIES OF EACH CHAPTER OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA)

As suggested by the title, the following is a brief synopsis of the stories from the Padma Purana describing the glories of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. As we find with many such stories, they are described as a conversation between Lord Shiva and His consort Parvatee. In the Gita Mahatmyam, Lord
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Shiva responds to Paravatis question about the glories of the Gita by saying that he will relate them to her by narrating the conversation between Mahavishnu and His consort Lakshmi. The following links provide the story in full detail; click on each link to access the story. The links for two previous documents in this series of related documents are also given below.
Gita Mahatmyam Chapter One (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Two (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Three (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Four (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Five (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Six (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Seven (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Eight (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Nine (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Ten (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Eleven (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Twelve (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Thirteen (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Fourteen (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Fifteen (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Sixteen (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Seventeen (click here) Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Eighteen (click here)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/73863254/Bhagavad-Gita-Chanting
Bhagavad Gita Chanting, published November 26, 2011, in time for Gita Jayanthi celebrations on December 18, 2011. Provides a compilation of slokas chanted during Gita Yajna (recitation of all 18 chapters of the Gita).

http://www.scribd.com/doc/111238456/Slokas-Chanted-at-theBeginning-and-End-of-Gita-Sessions Slokas Chanted at the Beginning and the End

of Gita Sessions, published October 26, 2012. An updated version of the earlier document providing a compilation of slokas chanted at the beginning and the end of each of our Gita sessions and Gita Yajnam (recitation of all 18 chapters of the Gita).
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Sri Balaji Temple of Great Lakes December 2013 Events Update

Gita Jayanthi Celebration - Sri Bhagavad Gita Yagnyam (chanting all 18 chapters) on 12/15/2013
Dear Devotees, Sri Balaji Temple of Great Lakes is glad to invite you for Gita Jayanthi Celebrations (chanting all 18 chapters) is scheduled on Sunday 12/15/2013 at 10.00 a.m.

Sankalpam Chant introductory slokas Krishna Ashtakam Gita Dhyanam Read/Chant each chapter Short summary of each chapter Short arti at end of each chapter Gita Mahatmyam at end of all 18 chapters Maha arti (Jaya Jagadisha Hare....) at conclusion

Gita Shastram idam puNyam yah pattet prayatah pumaan l VishNoh padam avaapnoti bhaya shokaadi varjitahaa ll PROGRAM SCHEDULE Suprabhatam 9.00 a.m. Thomala Seva - Acharya Thanian, Tiruppalliyezuchchi,Tiruppaavai Chanting 9.30 a.m. Gita Yagnyam (chanting all 18 chapters) 10.00 a.m Maha Prasadam 12.30 p.m. Gita Yagnyam (chanting all 18 chapters) Continues 1.00 p.m Gita Yagnyam Special Puja 4.00 p.m. Sri Venkateswara Kalyana Utsavam 5.00 p.m. Sri Vishnu Sahasaranama Parayanam 7.00 p.m. Mangala Aarthi & Sattrumurai 8.30 p.m. Please Participate With Friends and Families and get the blessings!! MAY THE BLESSINGS OF SRI VENKATESWARA BE WITH YOU, ALWAYS.

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The Glories of Chapter One of the Bhagavad Gita from the Padma Purana Parvati said My dear husband, You know all the transcendental truths, and by your mercy I have heard the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. Oh Lord, now I long to hear from You the glories of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita, which was spoken by Lord Krishna, and by hearing which, ones devotion to Lord Krishna increases Lord Shiva replied That person, Whose body is the color of a dark rain cloud, whose carrier is the king of birds, Garuda, and Who is lying on Ananta-Sesha, the thousand headed serpent, that Lord Vishnu, Whose glories have no limit, I am always worshipping. My dear Parvati once after Lord Vishnu had killed the demon Mura, He was resting peacefully on Ananta-Sesha, when the bestower of all good fortune of the universe, Sri Lakshmi, respectfully inquired from Him. Bhagavan, You are the controller and maintainer of the whole universe, but yet You are sleeping unhappily on this ocean of milk What is the reason? Lord Vishnu said, My dear Lakshmi, I am not sleeping, but I am watching how wonderfully My energy is working. It is by this wonderful energy of Mine, by which I am controlling all things, and yet remain separate. And it is by remembering these divine activities of Mine, that the great devotees and yogis manage to free themselves from the wheel of birth and death, and attain that transcendental nature of Mine, which is eternal and free from all qualities. Lakshmi said, O, controller of all things. You are the goal of the meditation of great yogis. Nothing can go on without You. And yet You are separate. You are the cause of creation, maintenance and destruction of all the material universes. Kindly inform me about the workings of Your wonderful energies, which are so attractive, that even You are lying here, meditating upon them Lord Vishnu said, My dear Lakshmi, the workings of My multi-fold energies, and how to become free from the bonds of birth and death, and attain My eternal Nature, can only be understood by one of pure intelligence, who has an inclination to render service unto Me. This transcendental knowledge is fully explained in the Srimad Bhagavad-gita Lakshmi inquired, My dear Lord, if you yourself are amazed, by the workings of Your energies, and are ever trying to fathom their limit, then how is it possible that the Bhagavad-gita can describe those unlimited energies of Yours, and how to cross over them, and attain the transcendental nature? Lord Vishnu said, I Myself have manifested in the Form of Bhagavad-gita. Please understand that the first five chapters are My five heads, the next ten chapters are My ten Arms, and the Sixteenth Chapter is My stomach. The last two chapters are My lotus-feet. In this way you should understand the transcendental Deity of the Bhagavad-gita. This Bhagavad-gita is the destroyer of all sins. And that intelligent man who daily recites one chapter or even one shloka, one half shloka, or at least one quarter shloka, will attain the same position as Susharma had attained.
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Gita Mahatmyam Chapter One (click here): Story of a Brahmin named Susharma who lived a wicked and sinful life and became a bull. He suffered as a bull too and then a prostitute relieved him of his suffering when he fell unconscious and could not die in his bull form. He is reborn as a pious Brahmin in the same village and then meets the same prostitute and begs her to tell him what punya she has done that relieved him. The prostitute points to her parrot, who narrates the story of his own sinful life and how he learned chapter one of the Bhagavad Gita. Lord Vishnu continued, By reciting the First Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, that parrot had become completely pure. And by hearing that recitation that prostitute also became completely pure. And by receiving some of the pious results of hearing that recitation, Susharma also become completely pure. After discussing for some time the glories of the first chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Susharma returned to his home, and the three of them individually engaged in reciting the First Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad-gita, and very quickly attained the supreme destination, Vaikuntha. Anyone who recites, who hears, or studies the First Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, will very easily cross over the ocean of material miseries, and attain the service of the lotus-feet of Lord Krishna. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Two (click here): Long intriguing story of a pious Brahmana named Devashyama who lived in Pandharpur. He was always serving the Lord and engaged in austerities and in serving sages. He wanted to attain full knowledge of Lord Krishna. One day a sage directed him to a nearby forest where a goat-herder named Mitravan. He immediately goes there and Mitravan tells him the story of how he came to that forest and what happened. Then they all go deep inside the forest to an old Shiva temple, with the Shivalingam installed by Lord Brahma Himself. (The monkey whom Mitravan had met, when he first came there, told this part of the story.) The monkey said a sage named Sukama used to live there in that temple and daily prayed to Lord Shiva. Then another sage came to the temple and Sukama fell at his feet and received instructions on chapter 2. Devashyama and Mitravan also went into the forest and found the tablets with chapter 2 written on it. Devashyama went back to Pandharupur with them and, thereafter, all who came to visit Vitthala received instructions on chapter 2 from Devashyama. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Three (click here): Story of a Brahmana named Jada from Janasthana, who gave up his Brahminical life, became a business man, lived a sinful life, accumulated great wealth and died when on a business trip and became a pretha and was living in a tree. His son was pious and went in search of his father. Then the father was released from the pretha form when the son rested at the foot of the same tree. Then the son also released Jadas uncle who was suffering in hell. Then he decided to keep reciting chapter three of the Gita until all the souls are released from hell. Then Yamaraja goes to VaikuNTha and asks MahavishNu what he should do now. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Four (click here): Story of the pious sage named Maharaja Bharata, who slept, while on a pilgrimage resting his head on the roots of one Bael tree and his feet on the roots of another. The Bael trees died and the two apsaras who were living
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that tree were released and took birth in the family of a pious Brahmin. Then they meet the sage Bharata and relate their story to him. They also received instructions on chapter 4. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Five (click here): Story of the pious sage and his skull. A Brahmana (named Pingala) and his wife (named Aruna) both lived a sinful life. The wife Aruna killed Pingala when she found out that he found out about her affairs with other men. Then they both suffered in hell and Aruna took birth as a female parrot and Pingala as a vulture. The vulture found the parrot and remembered the past and attacked the parrot with its sharp beak. Then the vulture got shot by a hunter. Both fell in the water contained in the a human skull and went to Yamaraja who sent them to VaikuNTha. Then Yamaraja told them the story of the sage and his human remains, the skull which they came in contact with. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Six (click here): Story of the sage Raikva, who was fully renounced and wanted nothing. The king named Janashruti performed great sacrifices (smoke rose to swargalokam and blackened even the Parijata tree) and all the gods came to pay homage to him. Took form of swans and were coming to visit. A swan went ahead of rest, with two others, and was asked not to do so (aparadham) since King Janashruti was watching and he could burned them down with just a glance/desire. Is he greater than Raikva? asks the swan. Then the king asks his charioteer to search for Raikva and meets him and receives instructions on chapter six. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Seven (click here): Story of the selfish business man named Shankukarna, who amassed lot of wealth, gave no charity, and became a Pretasarpa, after dying one day of snake bite. He was going for his fourth marriage when he died. Then he lived as a snake guarding his own wealth that he buried. Then got tired and appeared in the dream of his sons and told them to rescue him from his hellish life.

The Glories of Chapter Eight of the Bhagavad Gita from the Padma Purana http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/wpcontent/uploads/2012/09/gita-014b.jpg Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Eight (click here): Story of a sinful Brahmana named Bhavasharma, who gave up his Brahminhood and lived a sinful life (took to hunting, drinking wine, eating meat, enjoying prostitutes, taking others wives) and then became a tree. Two Brahma rakshasas (sinful husband and wife pair) came there one evening to rest. Wife was asking the husband how to get over such a miserable life.
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The husband said, Only by knowledge of Brahman, only by knowledge of self, only by knowledge of fruitful activities, can such a sinful life be overcome. The wife repeats it as a question, kim tad Brahma, kim adhyaatmam, kim karma and they are both immediately released from the Brahma rakshasa form and go to VaikuNTha. The Brahmana Bhavasharma, who had become the tree, regains his human form and also becomes dedicated to eighth to the one-half sloka of chapter eight, kim tad Brahma, kim adhyaatmam, kim karma Purushottama and goes to VaikuNTha after his death. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Nine (click here): Story of the pious Brahmana named Madhava was performing a sacrifice and a goat was to be offered. The goat laughs and tells its own story. The goat itself was a Brahmana performing a sacrifice and the goat for that sacrifice cursed to him to become a goat like him. Then the goat (from Madhavas sacrifice) tells another story about a King who offered dakshina to a pious Brahmin at the time of a solar eclipse, at the holy place Kurukshetra. A shudra was offered as dakshina also and from the body of the Shudra appeared a male and a female chandala (sin and sinful activities personified) who entered the body of the Brahmin receiving the dakshina. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Ten (click here) : Story of the Brahmana named Dhirabuddhi who was always being served by Lord Shiva himself. Shivas attendant Bhringhiriddhi asks why Shiva is always following and serving Dhirabuddhi. Then Shiva tells the story about Dhirabuddhi long complicated story, which begins with a black colored swan falling at Shivas feet and offering a lotus to him. Then story is told by the swan who is then born as Dhirabuddhi. The swan was Brahmas vehicle, came to a lake, turned black, saw an apsara who was responsible for that, apsara tells her own story (and goes to Vaikuntha).

The Glories of Chapter Eleven of the Bhagavad Gita from the Padma Purana http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/wpcontent/uploads/2012/09/gita-006b.jpg Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Eleven (click here) : Story of the pious Brahmana Sunanda who rescued the son of a villager who had been eaten by the Brahma rakshasa. Sunanda was a great devotee and prayed to the deity named Jagat Isvara in the temple in the town named Megankra (banks of Pranita river) where he lived. Once, he went on a pilgrimage, with his associates, and stayed in the dharmashala in that town/village (Vivian Mandela), which had been built for the villagers to accommodate travelers. However, they were secretly trying to keep the Brahma rakshasa from killing their own children and offering the unsuspecting travelers as food to the Brahma rakshasa. Fear is the topic here.
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Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Twelve (click here) Story of the prince who went to worship Mahalakshmi in Kohlapur and then wanted to regain the horse (to complete the Ashwamedha sacrifice started by his father) and then regain his father who had died before completing the Ashwamedha yajna. The father then asked for divine instructions from the sage (a sidhha to whom the prince was directed to by Mahalakshmi Herself). Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Thirteen (click here): Perhaps the saddest story of all. A very sinful woman (wife of a very pious Brahmin), attacked by a tiger and killed, while she was lusting away in her special forest apartment where she met her lovers. Then she suffered in various hells (hell named Duyuda for ten million kalpas and hell named Raurava for 100 manvantaras), was born again as a female chaNDala and lived a sinful life during which time she came in contact with the holy sage Vasudeva who is always reciting chapter 13 of the Gita. She was thus liberated and went to VaikuNTha. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Fourteen (click here) : Story of King Vikrama-Vetala and the rabbit and dog when he went hunting; the rabbit and the dog were the husband and the wife in a previous birth and the husband (a cruel Brahmana) killed the wife (who was a sinful and loose woman). Both the rabbit and the dog went to VaikuNTha after coming in contact with the muddy earth mixed with water that had washed the feet of a sages disciple who was attached to chanting chapter 14 of the Gita. http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/wpcontent/uploads/2012/09/gita-017b.jpg Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Fifteen (click here): Story of the king of Gaudadesa named Narasinga. He was powerful and could defeat all the gods. His minister plotted to kill him but died before the plot was executed and he (minister) then became a horse. The horse was very beautiful and was purchased by a merchant who sold it for a nice profit to the king. The king went hunting with his new horse and after a long chase, after a deer, got tired and rested himself on a huge stone while tying his horse to a tree. A parchment came flying in the wind and the king caught it and read some words from chapter 15. As soon as the words were heard, the horse was released from its body and went to VaikuNTha.

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The king was amazed and looked around and found an ashram nearby where there was a sage. He told the sage what happened and the sage explained to him the glory of chapter 15. Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Sixteen (click here): Story of the taming of a wild elephant in the kingdom of Khadgabandhu. The elephant got mad and was running amock. People came to the king who was skilled in taming elephants. But, as he approached, he saw a sadhu walking towards the elephant. He was completely undisturbed. The king fell at his feet and asked the sage his secret. The sadhu told him about the first three verses chapter sixteen (starting with abhayam or fearlessness). The king receives instructions from the sage on Chapter 16. After some time, he gave the kingdom to his son and performed austerities and reached the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/wpcontent/uploads/2012/09/gita-022b.jpg Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Seventeen (click here): Story of the King Kadgabandhus (of previous chapter) son and his servant named Dushasana. The foolish servant one day claimed he could ride the elephant and prodded him. The elephant got angry and trampled Dushasana. Then he got the body of an elephant in the kingdom of Simhaladvipa. The king of Simhaladvipa gave the elephant as gift to his friend King Kadgabandhu who gifted the elephant to a poet who sold it to the King of Malva. Then the elephant (who was Dushasana) got terminal illness and the king brought skilled doctors to cure it. The elephant started speaking and told the king that only someone who can recited chapter 17 of the Gita can relieve him. The king found such a devotee and as soon he recited chapter 17 and sprinkled water on the elephants head, the elephant attained a four-armed form and went to VaikuNTha. The king asked the elephant, who had transformed, about his past life and got dedicated to chapter 17 and also attained VaikuNTha.

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http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/wpcontent/uploads/2012/09/gita023b.jpg Gita Mahatmyam Chapter Eighteen (click here) The story of how Indra lost his position when a pious man entered the sabha (court) one day. He was perplexed and then Indra learned about the glories of chapter 18 from Mahavishnu Himself and attained the lotus feet of the Lord, and went to VaikuNTha, in other words, a position superior to Indras position.

The Glories of the Eighteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita from the Padma Purana Parvati said My dear husband, you have told me the glories of the Seventeenth Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita, now kindly relate the glories of the Eighteenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad-gita. Lord Shiva said; Oh daughter of the Himalayas (Parvati), please listen to the glories of the Eighteenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, which is higher than the Vedas and the giver of unlimited bliss. When it enters into ones ears it destroys all material desires. For the pure devotee, it is divine nectar, it is Lord Vishnus very life and it is a solace to the hearts of Lord Indra and the demigods as well as the great yogis headed by Sanaka and Sananda. One who recites it sends the messengers of Yamaraja far away. There is no other recitation, which can so quickly destroy all sin and free one from the threefold miseries of this world. Now listen with great devotion. On the topmost peak of Mount Meru is Amaravati, which was built by Visvakarma. In [hat heavenly kingdom, Lord Indra along with his wife Saci is served by the demigods. One day while Lord Indra was sitting peacefully, he saw that one very beautiful person had arrived there, whom the servants of Lord Vishnu were serving. When. Lord Indra saw that beautiful young person; he immediately fell from his throne unto the ground. At that time those demigod who had been worshipping Indra picked up the crown that he was wearing and placed it on the head of that new beautiful person. After that, all the demigods and other denizens of the heavenly
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planets started to perform arati and sing wonderful songs to that new King Indra. The great rishis came there and offered their blessings and chanted Vedic mantras and the Gandharvas and Apsaras started to sing and dance joyfully. In this way, the new Indra, who had not performed the usual one hundred horse sacrifices, started to enjoy hundreds of different types of services rendered by the demigods and other denizens of the heavenly planets. When the old Indra saw this he became very surprised. He started to think to himself, This person here has never built wells or dug kunds or planted trees for the welfare of others, and when there were droughts, he did not provide grains in charity. He never performed any fire-sacrifices or great charities in the holy places. So how has he managed to attain my seat? The old Indra, feeling greatly disturbed in his mind, left to the ocean of milk to pray to Lord Vishnu. When he managed to obtain darshan of Lord Vishnu, he asked Him My dear Lord Vishnu, in the past I performed many sacrifices and other pious activities, for which I was installed as the Lord of heaven. But at this time another person has come there and taken my place as the king of heaven. This person in his life never performed any great, wonderful pious activities, nor had he performed any great Vedic sacrifices. So, how is it possible that he has managed to obtain my throne? At that time Lord Vishnu said, My dear Indra, That great soul has performed the recitation daily of the Eighteenth Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita. Everyday during his life, he recited five Shlokas from this Chapter, and because of that activity he has attained the results of all sorts of pious activities and yajnas and after enjoying for many years as the king of heaven, he will attain My personal abode. If you perform the same activity of reciting the Eighteenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad-gita, you can also attain My divine abode. After hearing Lord Vishnus words, Lord Indra took the form of a brahmana and went to the bank of the Godavari River, where he saw the town of Kalegrani, which is very sacred. At that place, the Supreme Lord in His form known as Kalesva, resides. Close to this town, on the bank of the Godavari river, one very pure brahmana was sitting, who was very merciful and had understood the topmost goal and secret of the Vedic literatures. Daily he would sit at that spot and recite Shlokas of the Eighteenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad-gita. When Lord Indra saw him he became very happy. He immediately fell at his lotus-feet and requested him to teach him the Eighteenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad-gita. After Lord Indra had practiced the recitation, of the Eighteenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad-gita for sometime he managed to attain the topmost place of Vishnuloka. When he attained that place, he realized that the pleasure he had enjoyed as King Indra, along with the demigods, was nothing in comparison. My dear Parvati, for this reason, the great sages, especially chant this Eighteenth Chapter of Srimad Bhagavad-gita and by so doing very quickly attain the lotus-feet of Lord Vishnu. Anyone who hears or studies this Gita Mahatmya very quickly destroys all sins, which he has accumulated. And that person, who remembers this discourse with great faith attains the results of all kinds of pious activities and great sacrifices, and after enjoying all worldly opulence, attains the abode of Lord Vishnu.

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