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The Eighteen Chapters at a Glance

A map of the Bhagavad Gita's eighteen chapters, with the name, size and job of each, and how Arjuna's questions carry the book from despair to decision.

In brief

  • The Gita has 18 chapters and 701 verses in one dialogue between Arjuna and Lord Krishna.
  • The chapters follow Arjuna's questions, from his despair in chapter 1 to his decision in chapter 18.
  • Chapters 2 to 6 teach how to act, chapters 7 to 12 turn to the Lord and devotion, and chapters 13 to 18 show how to live it.
  • Any chapter can be a place to start, and the chapter paths walk each one in order.

This is the map of the Gita. It lists all eighteen chapters, with the name, the number of verses and the job of each, and shows how they fit together. The 701 verses follow one thread: Arjuna's questions, from his despair in chapter 1 to his decision in chapter 18.

It is the third step of the path Begin the Gita. The step before it is How to Read the Gita, and the next is Arjuna's Despondency.

The map comes in three readings: a simple reading, a detailed reading and a deeper reading. For a short route through the whole book, see The Gita in 7 Days, or try Not sure where to start?.

Read at your level

Same topic, three depths. Pick the one that fits you today; you can switch any time.

Start with Simple →

Simple New to this topic. Plain words, one idea at a time. What Is in the Gita's Eighteen Chapters? A Plain Guide to Where to Start The eighteen chapters are one conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna, and they answer five questions in order. 6 min · Read → In Depth Know the basics. Verse by verse, with reasons. The Eighteen Chapters of the Gita in Order: What Each Chapter Does and Why It Comes Next Each of the eighteen chapters has one clear job, and Arjuna's questions are what move the talk from one chapter to the next. 14 min · Read → Deeper Want the text itself: Sanskrit terms, commentary, close reading. How the Gita Is Built: The Frame, Arjuna's Questions, the Verse Counts and the Chapter Names The Gita presents itself as one dialogue inside a frame: Dhritarashtra asks what happened, and Sanjaya tells it from start to finish. 12 min · Read → Quick summary Short on time. The whole topic in a few minutes. The Eighteen Chapters at a Glance: Quick Summary The 18 chapters and 701 verses of the Gita move in the order of Arjuna's questions: from sitting down in despair to decision. 13 min · Read →

Key shlokas

Part of these learning paths

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