How Many Slokas Are in the Bhagavad Gita? Chapters, Verses and Author

How many slokas are in the Bhagavad Gita? The most widely used text has 700 verses, called slokas, spread over 18 chapters. In this short guide, you will also learn who wrote the Bhagavad Gita and how the chapters are arranged.

How many slokas are in the Bhagavad Gita?

The common answer is 700 slokas in 18 chapters. In fact, this is the count used in most printed editions, including Bhagavad-gita As It Is. However, some versions of the Mahabharata text list 745 verses, because they count the lines that name each speaker. Therefore, the number you see depends on the edition.

Chapters and verses at a glance

• The longest chapter is Chapter 18, with 78 verses.
• Chapter 2 is the second longest, with 72 verses.
• Chapters 12 and 15 are the shortest, with 20 verses each.
• Altogether, the 18 chapters add up to 700 verses.

Who wrote the Bhagavad Gita?

Tradition says that Vyasadeva wrote the Bhagavad Gita. He also compiled the Mahabharata, and the Gita forms part of its Bhishma Parva. In the story, Lord Krishna speaks the Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Meanwhile, Sanjaya describes the scene to King Dhritarashtra. For this reason, devotees see Krishna as the speaker and Vyasadeva as the one who recorded it.

What the slokas in the Bhagavad Gita teach

The slokas in the Bhagavad Gita answer the questions that every seeker asks. For example, it explains the nature of the soul, the path of devotion and the duty of acting without selfish attachment. As a result, many devotees read a few verses every day.

Reading the slokas in the Bhagavad Gita with japa

Many devotees chant their rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and then read a few Gita verses. Also, a clean Tulsi japa mala helps you keep a steady daily practice. You can see our hand-made Tulsi malas from Mayapur in the shop. For more background on the text, see the Bhagavad Gita article on Wikipedia.

Hare Krishna! May the words of the Gita guide your daily life.