Srimad Bhagavad Gita

English-only text of the Gita.

Shankara sees the Gita as teaching the unity of the individual soul (Atman) and the absolute reality (Brahman). For him, Krishna is a symbol of the higher Self, and the essence of the Gita is that the true Self is beyond the body and mind, untouched by action or suffering. The world is ultimately an illusion (maya), and liberation comes through knowledge-specifically, the realization that "I am not this limited person, I am the infinite." Devotion and action are helpful, but secondary to self-inquiry and understanding.

Ramanuja reads the Gita as a devotional text. He believes that God (Krishna) is a real, personal being-supreme, loving, and full of attributes. The soul is real, but always distinct from God, though inseparably connected to Him. The highest goal is to surrender to Krishna in love and devotion. Knowledge and action have their place, but true liberation comes through heartfelt surrender and grace. The Gita's call to "abandon all dharmas and come to Me alone" is, for Ramanuja, its central message.

The dual interpretation Madhva emphasizes that God, the soul, and the world are all eternally distinct. There is no merging of the soul into God. Krishna is the independent and supreme reality, while the soul is forever dependent on Him. Devotion is not a means to dissolve individuality, but to enter into a loving relationship with the divine. Liberation, in this view, means attaining nearness to God, but always remaining separate. For Madhva, the Gita affirms the importance of surrender, devotion, and divine grace-but without any loss of duality.