Providing experience of changing the Bhagavad Gita verses into five line English poetry: Example and learning task for senior students

"Bhagavad Gita Shlokas help us find the right path and make the right choices in difficult times. They guide us to find inner peace, purpose, and true success in life. Understanding the shlokas from Bhagavad Gita gives us deep insights into the whys and hows of daily life. By reading Bhagavad Gita regularly, you can experience some remarkable changes in your life and perspective. You will become calmer, happier, and more content. There are ample benefits to understanding and implementing the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita in real life. It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and helps you evolve on intellectual, emotional, and spiritual levels," informs hellomyyoga blog [1]

From forementioned blog 6 verses were selected and converted into five-line poetry forms such as Tanka and Limerick

Here is one example:

1. The Bhagavad Gita Shloka 2.48

In Sanskrit: योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय। सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते।। yogasthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā dhanañjaya / siddhyasiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṃ yoga ucyate

Translation in English : Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachments to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.

TANKA

Just do your duty

With a calm and even mind

Detached from results

Practice equanimity -

Yog is focus on action

***

LIMERICK

Deem duty as your Dharma or aim

Do duty without any fear or shame

Keep your focus on present moment

And give your best hundred percent

Forget about name, wealth and fame

After the example creation was demystified, students of secondary level creared Tanka and Limerick verses on rest of the five verses listed as follows.

2.The Bhagavad Gita Shloka 6.23

In Sanskrit: तं विद्याद् दुःखसंयोगवियोगं योगसंज्ञितम्। स निश्चयेन योक्तव्यो योगोऽनिर्विण्णचेतसा।। taṃ vidyād duḥkhasaṃyogaviyogaṃ yogasaṃjñitam / sa niścayena yoktavyo yogo’nirviṇṇacetasā

Translation in English: Let it be known: the severance from the union-with-pain is YOGA. This Yoga should be practised with determination and with a mind steady and undespairing.

3. The Bhagavad Gita Shloka 4.38

In Sanskrit: न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते। तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति॥ na hi jñānena sadṛśaṃ pavitramiha vidyate/ tatsvayaṃ yogasaṃsiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati

Translation in English: In this world, there is nothing so purifying as knowledge. One who has attained perfection in yoga, finds it within himself in due course of time.

4. The Bhagavad Gita Shloka 2.21

In Sanskrit: वेदाविनाशिनं नित्यं य एनमजमव्ययम्‌ । कथं स पुरुषः पार्थ कं घातयति हन्ति कम्‌ ॥ vedāvināśinaṃ nityaṃ ya enamajamavyayam / kathaṃ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha kaṃ ghātayati hanti kam

Translation in English: O Partha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?

5. The Bhagavad Gita Shloka 5.16

In Sanskrit: ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः । तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् ॥ jñānena tu tadajñānaṃ yeṣāṃ nāśitamātmanaḥ / teṣāmādityavajjñānaṃ prakāśayati tatparam

Translation in English: But to those whose ignorance is destroyed by the Knowledge of the Self, like the sun, to them Knowledge reveals the Supreme (Brahman) .

6. The Bhagavad Gita Shloka 2.47

In Sanskrit: कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ Karmaṇyev ādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana / mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgo’stvakarmaṇi

Translation in English: You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

References

[1] 18 Life-Changing Bhagavad Gita Shlokas (Verses) With Meaning and Lessons, hellomyyoga, https://www.hellomyyoga.com/blog/bhagavad-gita/shlokas/

[2] Kishore, L. (2025). Providing experience of changing the Bhagavad Gita verses into five line English poetry forms: Example and learning task for senior students https://lalitculp.wixsite.com/website/post/providing-experience-of-changing-the-bhagavad-gita-verses-into-five-line-english-poetry-example-and