I went to Govardhan Eco Village with a close friend, leaving the bustle of Mumbai behind for a day that felt like a gentle reset. The air was quieter, the pace slower, and the conversations deeper. What began as a simple visit turned into a memorable encounter when I met Premananjan Prabhuji, who offered to explain the Bhagavad Gītā to me in a way that stayed with me long after I left.
Meeting Premanjan Prabhuji
Prabhuji spoke with calm clarity. He began by situating the Gītā in its narrative frame and then offered a compact way to remember the first chapter using the acronym DISC. His teaching was conversational, full of small symbolic details, and grounded in lived practice rather than abstract theory. I listened, took notes, and later compared what he said with standard references to make sure I had the facts right.
Framework: 700 shlokas, 18 chapters, and the “sandwich” of Yoga
The Bhagavad Gītā is traditionally counted as 700 shlokas arranged in 18 chapters. Many teachers and commentators read the 18 chapters as a three‑part whole: chapters 1–6 (Karma Yoga), chapters 7–12 (Bhakti Yoga), and chapters 13–18 (Jñāna or knowledge Yoga). This tripartite reading is often described metaphorically as a “sandwich”—action (Karma) on one side, knowledge (Jñāna) on the other, and devotion (Bhakti) forming the nourishing middle that connects and balances them. This framing is widely used in contemporary expositions to help readers move from practical duty to devotion and then to deeper philosophical insight.
Five Aspects: Eshwar Prakriti Jiva Kala Karma
Prabhuji also spoke about five interrelated aspects that shape how we engage with the Gītā’s teaching: Eshwar (Ishvara), Prakriti, Jiva, Kala, and Karma. He presented these as a practical map for spiritual work.
- Eshwar — the divine principle or the supreme reality that underlies the cosmos.
- Prakriti — nature or the material field of change and manifestation.
- Jiva — the individual living being, the embodied self that experiences and acts.
- Kala — time and the unfolding context in which events occur.
- Karma — actions and their results, the dynamic that links choice to consequence.
Prabhuji emphasized a practical point: of these five, karma is the only aspect that is not fixed and therefore the one we can directly work on. Eshwar, Prakriti, Jiva, and Kala are described as the enduring background conditions of existence—real and operative, but not subject to direct alteration by individual effort in the same way. Karma, by contrast, is the field of intentional action and choice; because actions can be changed, refined, and redirected, karma is the practical lever for transformation. In Maharajji’s teaching this distinction is not meant to discourage inquiry into the other aspects, but to focus practice on what is immediately actionable: how we act, why we act, and how we can change our actions and their fruits.
DISC — A way into Chapter One
Prabhuji used DISC to summarize Chapter 1. He explained each letter as a lens for seeing the opening of the Gītā.
D — Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the thrust of the scene
The Gītā opens with Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s question to Sanjaya: what is happening on the battlefield? That question sets the narrative frame and gives the whole dialogue its context. The king’s vantage point is one of anxious curiosity, and that tone shapes how the rest of the conversation is received. It also showcases the separatist ( self versus other ) viewpoint of looking at a battle.
I — Introduction of Kṛṣṇa
Prabhuji pointed out how Kṛṣṇa’s presence is introduced early and how his role is central even before the philosophical teaching begins. In the scene‑setting, Kṛṣṇa is not only Arjuna’s charioteer but also the steady presence whose counsel will reframe duty, self, and action.
S — Signs of victory as symbolic reading
Prabhuji described five signs of victory he reads into the battlefield imagery: the conch (Panchajanya), the chariot as a gift from Agni, Kapiraju ( Lord Hanuman ) on the banner, Kṛṣṇa the charioteer and mark of Shree ( Śrīvatsa ) on Kṛṣṇa’s chest. These are powerful images used to show how the scene is charged with auspicious symbolism and is already heralding the victory of Pandavas over Kauravas. This list is a teacher’s interpretive reading—meaningful and traditional, but not a literal, enumerated list in the canonical verses.
C — Confusion of Arjuna
The heart of Chapter 1 is Arjuna’s confusion and moral crisis. Arjuna sees his relatives, teachers, and friends arrayed on both sides and is overwhelmed. His confusion is existential—he cannot reconcile duty with the prospect of killing kin—and that collapse of clarity is what invites Kṛṣṇa’s teaching.
What Prabhuji‘s reading gave me
Hearing DISC in that setting made the first chapter feel immediate and human. The framework helped me hold three things at once: the narrative frame (Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sanjaya), the symbolic staging (Kṛṣṇa and the battlefield signs), and the emotional core (Arjuna’s confusion). In the quiet of Govardhan Eco Village, those elements felt less like distant scripture and more like a living conversation about duty, fear, and clarity.
Closing
If you visit Govardhan Eco Village, set aside time to sit with the people who live and teach there. The place invites slow listening, and that’s where the most useful lessons appear.