My copy of the Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit seems to being with a series of mantras that I am not finding evidence for an association with the Gita itself. After this initial section, there is a translation of the Gita Dhyanam, which seems to be the more traditional "preface" to the Gita, although again - not part of the original Bhagavad Gita. I'll go ahead and work through this as well, though

Footnotes

  1. ध्यान Meditation, reflection, thought (p. 869). ध्यानम् No entry? Generalization of ध्यान? ↩

  2. ॐ (or ओम्) The sacred syllable; uttered as a holy exclamation at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas, or previous to commencement of a prayer or sacred work; as a particle, solemn affirmation/respectful assent/acceptance (so be it, amen, all right) (p. 507) ↩

  3. श्री Great, respectable, virtue or excellence, honorific prefix to the names of deities and eminent persons (p. 1576) ↩

  4. परमात्मन् the Supreme Spirit or Brahman (p. 966) परमात्मने in total seems ultimate soul, great soul, supreme soul, supreme spirit; परमा Most distant, last, highest best, most excellent, greatest (p. 965); आत्मन् soul, breath, principle of life and sensation, self, oneself, universe, character (p. 323). Being? ↩

  5. नमः Not in Apte? Salutations or adorations in mantra Om Namah Shiva. References to it meaning "Not me" seem cute fabrications for anglophones. More verbal gesture, underline, emphasis, than word with specific meaning, a la ॐ ↩

  6. त्वा Seemingly "to thee" or "by thee" or "in refrence to thee", त्वद् form of the second personal pronoun occurring as the first member of some compounds (p. 794). Compare त्वामाहुति Offering oblations to thee (m. p. 463). Potentially joined with मेव to make त्वमेव? मेव Likely conjugation/formation of मेव् To worship, serve, attend upon (p. 1290) - although directly translated from मेव: much; a ram? sheep? Aries of the Zodiac?? ↩

  7. माता a mother (p. 1257) ↩

  8. च and (p. 689) ↩

  9. पिता Nominative case of पितृ (m. p. 627), in turn meaning father (p. 1021) ↩

  10. बन्धु relation, kinsman, relative in general (p. 1152). Similar words have of a tree, of a relationship, of a friendship - pertaining to connection. Also "unchaste woman" - many relationships? श्च seemingly added as just conjoined च, as in "and" again ↩

  11. सखि friend (सखा as nominative?) (p. 1600) ↩

  12. विद्या Knowledge, learning, lore, science (p. 1440). Also maybe Durga? and a small bell ↩

  13. द्रविणं (but spelled द्रविणम्) Wealth, money, property, substance - Strength, power - matter, material - a wish, desire? (p. 843) ↩

  14. सर्व All, every, whole, entire (p. 1655). MW has सर्वं meaning सर्व "nom. acc. sg. n." - nominative, accusative singular noun (m. p. 1184). "to all"? ↩

  15. मम My, mine (p. 1240) ↩

  16. देव Shining, celestial; a god, deity (p. 833), देवदेव variously an epithet of Brahman, Ram, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha (p. 834). MW has "the God of Gods" (m. p. 493) ↩

  17. शान्त Appeased, calmed, satisfied (p. 1544), आकार Form, figure, shape, stature, appearance (m.p. 127) so "Serene appearance" ? ↩

  18. भुजगः Snake, serpent (p. 1202), शयनं Sleeping, sleep, lying down, a bed. (p. 1535). Vishnu in the form Narayana reclines on Shesha, his snake mount (secondary mount to Garuda, his eagle), which looks pretty bedlike, in the cosmic milk ocean (wiki) ↩

  19. पद्मनाभः Epithet of Vishnu (p. 961) from पद्म Lotus (p. 961), नाभि navel ? (p. 887) In the Vishnu Purana, in the beginning of time, Brahma is described to have been created within a lotus blooming from the navel of Vishnu ↩

  20. सु well, good, excellent (p. 1685), सुरः God, deity (p. 1693), ईश Lord of, master of, सुरीशः of Indra, of Vishnu (p. 1693). "Lord of the Gods" ↩

  21. विश्व All, whole, entire, universal (p. 1474) विश्वाधारः Support of the unviverse (p. 1474),विश्वंधार All-sustaining, _विश्वंधारः the all-pervading spirit (p. 1475). आधारः Support, prop, stay, power of sustaining aid, patronage, assistance (p. 332) ↩

  22. गगनम् They sky, atmosphere, "a cypher", firmament, heaven, गगनसद a dwelling in the air (p. 641) सदृश Like, similar, of the same rank (p.1616) "Heavenly"? ↩

  23. मेघवर्णं the indigo plant मेघः A cloud, mass, multitude, a fragrant grass, (p. 1288) वर्ण Color, hue (p. 1394) ↩

  24. My Apte seems to be missing a few pages of defs here, but शुभ beautiful, shining, bright, auspicious शुभाङ्ग Handsome (op. 1561) ↩

  25. लक्श्मी Fortune, propsperity, wealth, but mostly Lakshmi, the Goddess of fortune, property, wealth, and wife of Vishnu लक्श्मीकान्तः An epithet of Vishnu, or a king (p. 1364) कान्त Desired, favorite, loved, dear, a lover, a husband (p. 556) "Husband of Lakshmi"? ↩

  26. कम् To love, be enamored of, be in love with (p. 532) कमल desirous, pale red, lotus? कमला an epithet of Lakshmi, an excellent woman or an orange (p. 533) नयनम् Leading, guiding, conducting, managing - or the eye (p.879) Lotus-eyed (m.p. 252) ↩

  27. योगः joining, united, combination, connection - but in this context, gotta be yogi (p. 1316), ध्यान Meditation, reflection, thought, ध्यनगम्य Attainable only though meditation (p. 869) "Attainable only through yogic meditation" or "appreciable only by Yogis" - Appreciate vs attainable ↩

  28. वन्द to salute, greet respectfully, pay homage to, adore, worship, extol (p. 1387) ↩

  29. विष्णुं Vishnu ↩

  30. भव Arising or produced from, orginating in, being, state of being (p. 1187) भयं fear, alarm, dread (p. 1184) हर taking away, removing, depriving one of. So "taking away the fear of being" ↩

  31. सर्वला An iron club (p. 1667) but also शर्वः of Shiva or of Vishnu? (p. 1538) but actually सर्व all, every (p. 1665), सर्वः of Visnu or of Shiva. लोकः world (p. 1372) एक one नाथः leader, guide ↩

  32. यं to check, curb, restrain, control, stop , suppress, but also to offer, give, bestow, sustain, raise, lift up, to go, to exhibit... (p. 1305) ↩

  33. ब्रह्मा Brahma ↩

  34. वरुणः Varuna, regent of the ocean and the western quarter (p. 1392); इन्द्र Indra (god of weather); रुद्र Rudra (god of wind/storms); मरुतः Maruts - storm deities, sons of Rudra. ↩

  35. स्तु To praise, eulogize, extol (p. 1716) स्तुन्वन्ति conjugated स्तु? We praise? ↩

  36. दिव्य Divine, heavenly, celestial (p. 814) ↩

  37. स्तवः Praising, celebrating (p. 1715) ↩

  38. वेदः Sacred knowledge (p. 1496) ↩

  39. साङ्ग Having members, complete in every part, finished (p. 1664) पद To go, move, a foot, quarter, or part (p. 959) Pada and Krama are methods of Vedic chanting pathas: Pada-patha having a conscious pause after every word (foot?) of the chant, and Krama joining every word with its follower e.g. "a b c d" is recited as "ab bc cd d". पदक्रम combining the two, sequence of steps/walking pace and also series of verses/method of reciting Vedic texts (m.p. 583). उपनिषद् Upanishads. गायः, गायनः A singer/singing a song. "Sung throughout the Upanishads" ↩