Gita Dhyanam
गीता ध्यानम्
What is the Gita Dhyanam?
Gita Dhyanam The Gita Dhyanam is a set of nine Sanskrit invocation verses, traditionally attributed to Madhusudana Saraswati, recited before studying the Bhagavad Gita. They salute the Gita as a divine mother and honor Vyasa and Krishna, the sage who recorded it and the Lord who spoke it.
The Gita Dhyanam, also called the Gita Dhyana Shlokas, is a short garland of nine Sanskrit verses recited before a reading or study of the Bhagavad Gita. Rather than teaching philosophy directly, these verses set the mood for study: they greet the Gita as a compassionate mother, bow to the sage Vyasa who recorded it, and praise Krishna who spoke it to Arjuna on the field of Kurukshetra.The verses are traditionally attributed to Madhusudana Saraswati, a 16th-century Advaita scholar and devotee of Krishna. Reciting them first is a way of asking for a clear mind and the right attitude before approaching the text. Below you will find all nine verses in Sanskrit, in both Devanagari and Roman transliteration, with a plain-English meaning for each.
Gita Dhyanam Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
All nine verses in the traditional recitation order, opening with Om and closing with a salutation to the Supreme.
om pārthāya pratibodhitāṁ bhagavatā nārāyaṇena svayaṁ
vyāsena grathitāṁ purāṇamuninā madhye mahābhāratam
advaitāmṛtavarṣiṇīṁ bhagavatīm aṣṭādaśādhyāyinīm
amba tvām anusandadhāmi bhagavadgīte bhavadveṣiṇīm
ॐ पार्थाय प्रतिबोधितां भगवता नारायणेन स्वयं
व्यासेन ग्रथितां पुराणमुनिना मध्ये महाभारतम् ।
अद्वैतामृतवर्षिणीं भगवतीमष्टादशाध्यायिनीम्
अम्ब त्वामनुसन्दधामि भगवद्गीते भवद्वेषिणीम् ॥
Meaning
O Mother Gita, the teaching that Lord Narayana himself gave to Arjuna, that the ancient sage Vyasa set into the middle of the Mahabharata, raining down the nectar of non-duality across eighteen chapters and driving out the fear of worldly existence, on you I fix my thought.
namo’stu te vyāsa viśālabuddhe phullāravindāyatapatranetra
yena tvayā bhāratatailapūrṇaḥ prajvālito jñānamayaḥ pradīpaḥ
नमोऽस्तु ते व्यास विशालबुद्धे फुल्लारविन्दायतपत्रनेत्र ।
येन त्वया भारततैलपूर्णः प्रज्वालितो ज्ञानमयः प्रदीपः ॥
Meaning
Salutation to you, Vyasa, of vast intellect, whose eyes are wide like the petals of a full-blown lotus. By you the lamp of knowledge was kindled, its bowl filled with the oil of the Mahabharata.
prapannapārijātāya totravetraikapāṇaye
jñānamudrāya kṛṣṇāya gītāmṛtaduhe namaḥ
प्रपन्नपारिजाताय तोत्रवेत्रैकपाणये ।
ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृतदुहे नमः ॥
Meaning
Salutation to Krishna, the wish-granting tree for those who take refuge in him, who holds the driver's cane in one hand and forms the gesture of knowledge with the other, and who draws out the nectar of the Gita.
sarvopaniṣado gāvo dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ
pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīr bhoktā dugdhaṁ gītāmṛtaṁ mahat
सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः ।
पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥
Meaning
All the Upanishads are the cows, the cowherd's son Krishna is the milker, Arjuna is the calf, the wise are the drinkers, and the great nectar of the Gita is the milk drawn out for them.
vasudevasutaṁ devaṁ kaṁsacāṇūramardanam
devakīparamānandaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ vande jagadgurum
वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम् ।
देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥
Meaning
I bow to Krishna, the divine son of Vasudeva, destroyer of Kamsa and Chanura, the supreme joy of Devaki, and the teacher of the whole world.
bhīṣmadroṇataṭā jayadrathajalā gāndhāranīlotpalā
śalyagrāhavatī kṛpeṇa vahanī karṇena velākulā
aśvatthāmavikarṇaghoramakarā duryodhanāvartinī
sottīrṇā khalu pāṇḍavai raṇanadī kaivartakaḥ keśavaḥ
भीष्मद्रोणतटा जयद्रथजला गान्धारनीलोत्पला
शल्यग्राहवती कृपेण वहनी कर्णेन वेलाकुला ।
अश्वत्थामविकर्णघोरमकरा दुर्योधनावर्तिनी
सोत्तीर्णा खलु पाण्डवै रणनदी कैवर्तकः केशवः ॥
Meaning
The war was a river: Bhishma and Drona its banks, Jayadratha its waters, Shakuni the blue water-lily, Shalya its crocodile, Kripa its current, Karna its restless waves, Ashvatthama and Vikarna its fierce sea-monsters, Duryodhana its whirlpool. This river of battle the Pandavas crossed in safety, with Krishna as their ferryman.
pārāśaryavacaḥ sarojam amalaṁ gītārthagandhotkaṭaṁ
nānākhyānakakesaraṁ harikathāsambodhanābodhitam
loke sajjanaṣaṭpadair aharahaḥ pepīyamānaṁ mudā
bhūyād bhāratapaṅkajaṁ kalimalapradhvaṁsanaṁ śreyase
पाराशर्यवचः सरोजममलं गीतार्थगन्धोत्कटं
नानाख्यानककेसरं हरिकथासम्बोधनाबोधितम् ।
लोके सज्जनषट्पदैरहरहः पेपीयमानं मुदा
भूयाद्भारतपङ्कजं कलिमलप्रध्वंसनं श्रेयसे ॥
Meaning
May the spotless lotus of the Mahabharata, born of the words of Vyasa the son of Parashara, heavy with the fragrance of the Gita's meaning, its many stories the filaments, opened by talk of Hari, drunk day after day with joy by good people like bees, destroyer of the stains of the Kali age, bring lasting good to the world.
mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yatkṛpā tam ahaṁ vande paramānandamādhavam
मूकं करोति वाचालं पङ्गुं लङ्घयते गिरिम् ।
यत्कृपा तमहं वन्दे परमानन्दमाधवम् ॥
Meaning
I bow to Madhava, the supreme bliss, whose grace makes the mute speak with ease and carries the lame across a mountain.
yaṁ brahmā varuṇendrarudramarutaḥ stunvanti divyaiḥ stavair
vedaiḥ sāṅgapadakramopaniṣadair gāyanti yaṁ sāmagāḥ
dhyānāvasthitatadgatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino
yasyāntaṁ na viduḥ surāsuragaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ
यं ब्रह्मा वरुणेन्द्ररुद्रमरुतः स्तुन्वन्ति दिव्यैः स्तवैर्
वेदैः साङ्गपदक्रमोपनिषदैर्गायन्ति यं सामगाः ।
ध्यानावस्थिततद्गतेन मनसा पश्यन्ति यं योगिनो
यस्यान्तं न विदुः सुरासुरगणा देवाय तस्मै नमः ॥
Meaning
Salutation to that God whom Brahma, Varuna, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise with divine hymns; whom the singers of the Sama Veda sing with the Vedas and their branches, with pada and krama recitation and the Upanishads; whom yogis behold with minds fixed and absorbed in meditation; and whose end neither gods nor demons know.
Meaning & Significance
The nine verses of the Gita Dhyanam move through a sequence of salutations and images. They do not argue a point; they prepare the reciter, the way one bows at a threshold before entering.
Praise of the Gita and its transmitters
The opening verse addresses the Gita as “Mother,” recalling that the teaching passed from Narayana to Arjuna and was set into the Mahabharata by Vyasa. The verses that follow bow to Vyasa, whose recorded epic is likened to a lamp of knowledge, and to Krishna, the speaker of the Gita, shown holding both a driver’s cane and the gesture of wisdom.
The Upanishads as cows
One of the best-loved images compares the Upanishads to cows, Krishna to the cowherd who milks them, Arjuna to the calf, and the Gita itself to the milk drawn out for the wise to drink. It is a compact way of saying that the Gita distils the essence of the older Upanishadic teaching.
The war as a river to cross
A longer verse recasts the Kurukshetra war as a river, with each major warrior standing for a hazard in the water. The Pandavas cross it safely because Krishna serves as their ferryman, a picture of grace carrying the devotee past danger.
Grace and the highest praise
The closing verses turn to grace itself, the power that makes the mute speak and the lame climb mountains, and end with a salutation to the Supreme that even gods and sages cannot fully fathom.
How to Chant the Gita Dhyanam
- Sit and settle – Sit facing east or toward an image of Krishna, keep the spine easy, and take a few slow breaths.
- Open with Om – Begin the first verse with a steady Om, letting the sound quiet the mind before the words.
- Recite in order – Chant all nine verses in their fixed sequence, keeping the meter even and unhurried.
- Follow the meaning – Where you can, hold the sense of each verse in mind, especially the salutations to Vyasa and Krishna.
- Close and pause – After the ninth verse, sit in silence for a moment, then begin your reading of the Gita.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Reciting the Gita Dhyanam before study is valued for the frame of mind it creates.
- Prepares the mind: The verses draw attention away from distraction and toward the text, giving study a settled start.
- Honors the lineage: Bowing to Vyasa and Krishna acknowledges the source of the teaching before receiving it.
- Builds devotion: The images of the Gita as mother and Krishna as ferryman nurture a devotional attitude.
- Aids focus and memory: A short, repeated invocation trains concentration and supports the longer study that follows.
- Fits any practice: At about four minutes it suits daily reading, group study, or festival recitation alike.
- Carries deep meaning: Each verse compresses a large idea, so even a brief recitation rewards reflection.
Who Composed This Stotram?
The Gita Dhyanam is traditionally attributed to Madhusudana Saraswati, a scholar and devotee of the 16th century who wrote an influential commentary on the Bhagavad Gita called the Gudhartha Dipika. The nine verses came to be printed at the head of many Gita editions and are widely recited before study, though the attribution is traditional and some verses may be older or drawn from other sources.
Their purpose is practical as much as devotional. Indian learning has long begun a study session with an invocation that names the teacher and the subject and asks for a clear mind. The Gita Dhyanam does exactly this for the Gita: it places the reader in a line that runs from Narayana to Vyasa to the present day, and it frames the coming study as something received rather than merely read.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Gita Dhyanam?
It is a set of nine Sanskrit verses recited as an invocation before studying the Bhagavad Gita. They salute the Gita, the sage Vyasa, and Krishna, and are traditionally attributed to Madhusudana Saraswati.
How many verses does the Gita Dhyanam have?
It has nine verses, recited in a fixed order. They open with "Om parthaya pratibodhitam" and close with the salutation "yam brahma varunendra."
Who composed the Gita Dhyanam?
Tradition attributes it to Madhusudana Saraswati, a 16th-century Advaita Vedanta scholar and devotee of Krishna, though some of the verses may be older.
When should the Gita Dhyanam be recited?
It is chanted just before reading or studying the Bhagavad Gita, on any day, and is recited in particular on Gita Jayanti.
What does the verse about the Upanishads as cows mean?
It compares the Upanishads to cows, Krishna to the cowherd who milks them, Arjuna to the calf, and the Gita to the milk, meaning the Gita draws out the essence of the Upanishads for the wise.
Is the Gita Dhyanam part of the Bhagavad Gita itself?
No. It is a separate invocation placed at the beginning of many Gita editions, not one of the Gita's 700 verses.
॥ इति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता ध्यानम् सम्पूर्णम् ॥