Many of us read Bhagvad Geetaa daily, but many of us are not aware that, before starting the Paath, we have to chant, the Bhagvad Geetaa Dhyaan, and after we finish it, we should chant the Bhagvad Geetaa Mahaatmya. Here are given both Dhyaan and Mahaatmya. (see also   Geetaa Mahaatmya by Shankaraachaarya) Those who do Paaraayan of Bhagvad Geetaa, should chant this prayer (Dhyaan) before starting reading Geetaa and its Mahaatmya after reading the Geetaa. This remarkable prayer brings out the greatness of Bhagvad Geetaa brilliantly. Its author is Madhusoodan Saraswati.

1. Om Paarthaaya prati bodhitam bhagavataa naaraayanen swayam,
Vyaasen grahitam Puraan muneenaa madhye Mahaabhaaratam,
Adwaitaamrit varshaneem bhagavteem asht dashaadhyayineem,
Ambaa twaam anusandadhami bhagvad geetaa bhava dweshineem.

That which was taught to Arjuna by Lord Naaraayan himself,
Which was written by the epic sage Vyaas in the middle of Mahaabhaarat,
Oh Mother goddess who showers the nectar of advaitha called the Bhagawad Geetaa ,
Which has eighteen chapters , I meditate on you mother who removes all past karm

2. Namostute Vyaas vishaal buddhe, phullar Vindata tha patra netra,
Yen twayaa Bhaarat tail poorn prajjwalito Gyaanamaya pradeep

Salutations to Vyaas who has immense intellect, who has eyes like petals of a lotus flower,
Who has filled up the oil to the lamp of Mahabaratha , and lighted it to pinpoint wisdom.

3. Prapanna parijataya, totra vetraika panaye ,
Gyaan mudhraaya Krishnaaya geetaamrit duhe nama.

Salutations to Krishna who is a wish giving tree, who holds a cane to drive the cattle ,
Who also shows the seal of Gyaan, and gave us all the nectar of Geetaa.

4. Sarvopanishado gaavo dogdhaa Gopaal Nandan,
Paartho vatsa sudheer bhoktaa dugdam Geetamritam mahat.

All the Upanishads are the cows and Krishna is the one who milks them,
Arjun is the calf, The devotees are the consumers of the great nectar of Geetaa.

5. Vasudev sutam devam kans Chaanoor mardanam,
Devakee paramaanandam Krishnam vande Jagat Gurum.

I salute the teacher of the world, who is the son of Vasudev,
Who killed Kans and Chaanoor and is the one who gave divine joy to Devakee.

6. Bheeshm Dron tathaa jayadrath jalaa , Gaandhaar neelotpal,
Shalyaa grahavatee, kripen vahanee , karnen Velakulaa,
Ashwatthaamaa Vikarnaa ghor Makaraa Duryodhan varthinee,
Sotheerno kalu Pandavai, rana nadee kaivarthaka Keshav.

Bheeshm and Drone were two banks, Jayadrada was the water, Shakuni the king of Gaandhaar was the blue lotus,
Shalya was the crocodile , Kripaa was the tide , Karn was the mighty wave,
Ashwatthaamaa and Vikarn were the dangerous alligators and Duryodhan was the whirlpool,
And the Paandav crossed this river of war with Krishn as their helmsman.

7. Paraashrayaa vaachaa sarojam maalam Geetaarth gandotkatam,
Nanakhyanak kesaram hari kathaa sambodhanaa bodhitam,
Loke sajjana shat padairaharaha pepeyamaanam mudhaa,
Bhooyad Bhaarat pankajam kali maala pradhwamsina shreyasee.

Let the lotus flower of Mahaabhaarat, which arose from the water,
Which are the words of son of Paraashar, which has the pollen grains of different stories,
Which is taught in the form of stories of Lord Vishnu ,
That is drunk by the honey bee of very good people, Help those who want to remove the ills of Kali age.

8. Mookam karoti vaachaalam , pankhum lankayate girim,
Yat kripaa thaham vande Paramanand maadhavam.

I salute that Maadhav of divine joy, whose graceful mercy,
Makes the dumb as master of words and the lame to cross the mountain.

9. Yam brahma Varuna indra Rudra marut sthunvanti divyai sthavai,
Vedai saang pad Kram upanishadair gaayanti yam SAmaga,
Dhyaanasthit tadgadaina manasa pashyanti yam Yogino,
Yasyaantam na vidhu surasura ganaa devaaya tasmai nama.

I salute him who is worshipped by divine chants by Brahmaa, Varun, Indra , Rudra and Vaayu,
Who is pleased by singers of Saam Ved by singing Ved and Upanishad by following the word sequence,
Who is seen by Yogee who are absorbed in him, with their mind merging in him,
And whose end is not known even by the hoards of Dev and Asur.

Geetaa Mahaatmya
From  Varaah Puraan    Also found in Vaishanaveeya Tantra Saar

After the days Paaraayan is completed, it is a common practice to read this (Mahaatmya) which is taken from the Varaah Puraan. Goddess earth asks Lord Vishnu , how the human being drowned in the net of domestic problems can become his devotee. Lord Vishnu replies that it is done by reading Geetaa, either fully or a chapter or a verse or even a part of the verse.

Dharo Uvaach :-
The Earth said:-
1.Bhagavan parameshaanaa Bhakthiravyabhi charinee ,
Prarabdham bhujyamanasya kadam bhavati hey Prabho.

O God , Oh divine Lord, how can spotless devotion arise and, Exist in one who is affected by domestic problems?

Sri Vishnor Uvaach:-
Lord Vishnu said:-

2. Praarabdham bujyamano hi Geetaa abhyasta sadaa,
SA muktaa, sa sukhee loke Karmanaa nopalipyate.

If those affected by domestic problems always practice Geetaa,
They would become free, have a pleasant life and would not be tied by Karm.

3. Mahaa paapaadi paapaani Geetaa dhyaanam karoti chet,
Kwachit saparsam na kurvanti nalinee dalam ambuvat.

If one reads and masters Geetaa, even the greatest sins,
Would not able to touch you like water would not be able to make lotus leaf wet.

4. Geetaayah pustakam yatra yatra paathaah pravartate,
Tatra sarvaani teerthaani prayaag dheeni tatra vai.

Wherever the book of Geetaa is read, there all sacred waters,
Do act and sacred places like Allaahaabaad are also there.

5. Sarve devaan cha rishayo yogeen pannagashcha ye,
Gopaal Gopikaa vaapi naarad uddhav parasadai.

All dev, sages, yogee, serpents, Cowherds,  Gopee and sages like Naarad and Uddhav exist there.

6. Sahayo jayate sheeghram yatra Geetaa pravartate ,
Yatra Geetaa vicharashch patanam shrutam,
Tatraaham nishchitam prithvi nivaasaami sadaiv hi.

Help will reach quickly where Geetaa is there,
And Oh earth, in the places where Geetaa is read or heard, I would definitely be there always.

7. Geetaa shrayeham tishtaami Geetaa may cha uthamam Graham,
Geetaa janam upasritya, treen lokaan palayamyaham.

I Stay in Geetaa as Geetaa is my best home, I protect all the three worlds, taking recourse to Geetaa.

8. Geetaa may param Vidyaa, brahm roop ne sanshaya,
Ardh maatraa akshar nithyaas swa nirvaachya padathmika.

Geetaa is the divine knowledge and has the form of Braahm without any doubt.
And the half syllable letter “om “ is the one defining one’s own self.

9. Chidaanandena Krishnen proktaa swamukto Arjun,
Vedastrayee Paranandaa tatwarth Gyaan sanyut.

It was spoken by Krishn who is divinely happy and free of himself to Arjun,
And it has the knowledge of the philosophy of divine joy of the three Ved.

10. Yo ashta dash japen nityam naro Nischal Manas,
Gyaan siddhim sa labhate thatho yaati parmam padam.

Those men who read its eighteen chapters would not have a wavering mind,
They would get wisdom and power and later attain the feet of the divine Lord.

11. Pathate asamarth sampoornam tatho ardham patham aacharet,
Tadaa Go danajam punyam labhate naatra sanshaya.

Those who are not able to read it fully, Should read half of it,
And they would get the blessing of Cow as a gift, There is no doubt about it.

12. Tribagam padamaanastu, gangaa snaan phalam labhet,
Shadamam jap manasta som Yaag phalam labhet.

Those who read one third of it would get the effect of taking bath in Gangaa,
And those who read one sixth would get the effect of performing Som Yagya.

13. Yeka adhyaanam tu yo nityam pathate, bhakti sanyut,
Rudra Lokam avapnoti, gano bhootwaa vaset chiram.

Those who read one chapter a day along with devotion,
Would reach the land of Rudra and live there as a Gan for a long time.

14. Adhyayam shlok padam vaa nityam yah pathate nar,
Sa yaati naraatham yaava manvantaram Vasundhare

O Earth, the human being who reads one verse of a chapter daily ,
Would retain their human form in the rule of one Manu.

15. Geetayo shlok Dashakam sapt Panch chatushtayam,
Dwaatrin yekam tathaa ardham vaa shlokaanaam ya pathen nar.

16. Chandra lokam avapnoti varshaanaam aayutam druvam,
Geetaa Pata samayukto mrito manu shataam vrajet.

If one reads ten or seven or five or four or two or one stanza Of Geetaa or at least one half the stanza, he would,
Reach the land of Moon and live there for ten thousand years,
And when a human being has the habit of reading Geetaa. After his death , he comes back again as a human being.

17. Geetaabhyasam puna kritwaa labhate muktim uthamam,
Geetetyu charan sanyukto mriyamano gatim labhet.

By thoroughly learning the Geetaa one gets very great salvation,
And one who utters a word of Geetaa at the time of death attains liberation.

18. Gitaarth shravan aasakto mahaa paap yuto apivaa,
Vaikuntham sam avapnoti Vishnunaa saha modate.

Those who are interested in hearing the meaning of Geetaa,
Though they are great sinners , they would go to Vaikunth, And lead a life of Joy in the presence of Vishnu.

19. Geetaartham dhyaayate nityam, kritwaa karmaani bhoorisaha,
Jeevan muktaa sa vigyeyo deha ante paramam padam.

Those who daily meditate on the meaning of Geetaa, After doing very many good deeds,
Would be deemed as ones who have got salvation while being alive, And at the end of his life , he would reach the divine status.

20. Geetam Aashritya bahavo bhoobujo janakadhayaa,
Nirdhoot kalmashaa loke Geetaa yatha paramam padam

Many kings like Janak have taken refuge in Geetaa,
Have attained highest status in the divine world
After leading a life without any sin in this world.

21. Geetayaa pathanam kritwaa mahaatmyam naiv yaa pathet,
Vrithaa pato bhavet tasya shrama hyudaritaa.

Those who read Geetaa and do not read the Geetaa Mahaatmya,
Are doing a reading without any aim, And only their great effort would remain.

22. Yetan mahaatmya sanyuktam Geetaa bhaashyam karoti yaa,
Sa that phalam apnoti durlabhaam gatrhim aapnuyat.

One who studies Geetaa along with Geetaa Mahaatmya,
Would get results for that and would get an unattainable state.

23. Soot Uvaach : Soot Jee said

Mahaatmyam yetad Giataya maya proktam sanaatanam
Geetante cha pathet yastha yaduktam thath phalam labhet.

This eternal Geetaa Mahaatmya which was told by me,
Should be read at the end of Geetaa and then one would realize the results mentioned.

Iti Shree Varaah Puraane Shree Geetaa Mahaatmyam sampoornam
Thus ends the “greatness of Gita”, which occurs in the Varaaha Puraan.