Maṅgalācaraṇa from the Introduction to Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
Bhagavad-gita Introduction
भगवद्गीता भूमिका
Opening mantras with diacritics, Hindi, and English meaning — for Gita class and home recitation.
- Author
- Traditional
- Source
- Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Introduction
- Language
- Sanskrit
- Mantra 1
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
ओं अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः
I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.
- Mantra 2
śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam
श्रीचैतन्यमनोऽभीष्टं स्थापितं येन भूतले स्वयं रूपः कदा मह्यं ददाति स्वपदान्तिकम्
When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?
- Mantra 3
vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada- kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa- raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana- sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa- lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
vande 'ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada- kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana- raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam sadvaitam savadhutam parijana- sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana- lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca
वन्देऽहं श्रीगुरोः श्रीयुतपद- कमलं श्रीगुरून् वैष्णवांश्च श्रीरूपं साग्रजातं सहगण- रघुनाथान्वितं तं सजीवम् साद्वैतं सावधूतं परिजन- सहितं कृष्णचैतन्यदेवं श्रीराधाकृष्णपादान् सहगण- ललिताश्रीविशाखान्वितांश्च
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and unto the feet of all Vaiṣṇavas. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī along with his elder brother Sanātana Gosvāmī, as well as Raghunātha Dāsa and Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda along with Advaita Ācārya, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and other associates. I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Śrī Kṛṣṇa along with Their associates Śrī Lalitā and Viśākhā.
- Mantra 4
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
he krsna karuna-sindho dina-bandho jagat-pate gopesa gopika-kanta radha-kanta namo 'stu te
हे कृष्ण करुणासिन्धो दीनबन्धो जगत्पते गोपेश गोपिकाकान्त राधाकान्त नमोऽस्तु ते
O my dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the gopīs and the lover of Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
- Mantra 5
tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye
tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye
तप्तकाञ्चनगौराङ्गि राधे वृन्दावनेश्वरि वृषभानुसुते देवि प्रणमामि हरिप्रिये
I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
- Mantra 6
vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah
वाञ्छाकल्पतरुभ्यश्च कृपासिन्धुभ्य एव च पतितानां पावनेभ्यो वैष्णवेभ्यो नमो नमः
I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.
- Mantra 7
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda
श्रीकृष्णचैतन्य प्रभुनित्यानन्द श्रीअद्वैत गदाधर श्रीवासादिगौरभक्तवृन्द
I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.
- Mantra 8
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे
The Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, printed at the close of the opening prayers. The source page gives no separate English translation for this verse.
About these mantras
These eight prayers open the Introduction to Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. They are the usual maṅgalācaraṇa recited before a Gita class: guru, Rūpa Gosvāmī, the Vaiṣṇava line, Krishna, Rādhā, the devotees, the Pañca-tattva, and the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra.
Summary
The Introduction to Bhagavad-gītā As It Is starts with the prayers above, then says why another English Gita was needed. Prabhupada's point is plain. Most editions he had seen let the commentator talk over Krishna. He wants the book taken as the speaker directed it, the way you take a medicine from the label, not from a friend's guess.
The speaker is Krishna, named throughout as Bhagavān. In this reading that is not a private slogan. Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, Caitanya, the Brahma-saṁhitā, and the Bhāgavatam (kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam) are cited as already saying the same thing.
The Gita traces its own line. Krishna first spoke this yoga to the sun-god, who told Manu, who told Ikṣvāku. The line broke. He speaks it again to Arjuna on the field of Kurukṣetra because Arjuna is His devotee and friend. So the book is for someone in relationship with God, not for a spectator. That relationship shows up as remaining quiet before Him, serving, friendship, parental love, or conjugal love. Arjuna stands in friendship.
How Arjuna takes the book is the model. In the tenth chapter he names Krishna as the Supreme Brahman, the rest of everything, pure, the original person. He says the sages already taught this, and that he accepts every word. If you start by making Krishna an ordinary hero, or by making yourself His equal, the Gita stays shut.
The subject matter is five items: the controller (īśvara), the living being (jīva), material nature (prakṛti), time, and activity (karma). The first four are eternal. Karma is not. You can change what you do. Nature is real and temporary, like a season of rain, not a hallucination. The living being is also prakṛti, the superior energy, a minute controller who cannot become the supreme controller. Consciousness does not crawl out of matter. The Lord's consciousness is never covered. Ours is.
Liberation here is not vanishing. It is dropping the bodily claim "I am the enjoyer and the creator" and taking up the soul's own work, which is service. Caitanya told Sanatana Gosvami that the living being's svarūpa is to serve God. Every creature already serves someone. That habit does not change when a Hindu becomes a Muslim or a Christian changes his church. Sanātana-dharma is that service, not a census label.
The Gita does not send you to demigods for private boons. It points to Krishna's own abode, which needs no sun or moon, and from which one does not fall back. The practical method is to remember Him, especially at death, which means practicing that memory now while you still do your work. Chanting the name is the same instruction in another key, because the name and the Lord are not two things.
The close of the Introduction is a short list. One book: the Gita. One God: Krishna. One mantra: Hare Krishna. One work: His service. The edition is said to come down a Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya line that ends, in this printing, with A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Mantra FAQ
When are these Bhagavad-gita introduction mantras recited?
- They are the opening prayers of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. In many temples they are recited before a Gita class, in this order, ending with the Pañca-tattva and the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra.
What is the first mantra in the Bhagavad-gita introduction?
- oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya, the guru praṇāma. The speaker offers obeisances to the spiritual master who opens the eyes with the torch of knowledge.