📜 Bhagavad Gita
How Many Shlokas Are in the Bhagavad Gita? Chapter-wise Count
The commonly received Bhagavad Gita has about 700 verses in 18 chapters. Here is the chapter-wise count and why editions can differ slightly.
How many shlokas are in the Bhagavad Gita?
The Bhagavad Gita is commonly described as an 18-chapter scripture of 700 verses. Each verse is also called a shloka or sloka. The verses form Krishna and Arjuna’s dialogue, with a small number of additional lines spoken by Dhritarashtra and Sanjaya.
Some digital datasets and editions count 701 numbered entries because they handle a chapter opening, verse divisions, or textual tradition slightly differently. The important point is that the received Gita is a compact 18-chapter text of roughly 700 Sanskrit verses—not a collection of only a few famous quotations.
Chapter-wise Bhagavad Gita verse count
| Chapter | Sanskrit name | Common verse count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arjuna Vishada Yoga | 47 |
| 2 | Sankhya Yoga | 72 |
| 3 | Karma Yoga | 43 |
| 4 | Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga | 42 |
| 5 | Karma Sannyasa Yoga | 29 |
| 6 | Dhyana Yoga | 47 |
| 7 | Jnana Vijnana Yoga | 30 |
| 8 | Akshara Brahma Yoga | 28 |
| 9 | Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga | 34 |
| 10 | Vibhuti Yoga | 42 |
| 11 | Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga | 55 |
| 12 | Bhakti Yoga | 20 |
| 13 | Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga | 34–35 |
| 14 | Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga | 27 |
| 15 | Purushottama Yoga | 20 |
| 16 | Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga | 24 |
| 17 | Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga | 28 |
| 18 | Moksha Sannyasa Yoga | 78 |
The chapter counts above explain why totals can appear as 700 or 701 in different sources. Chapter 13 is the most common place where verse numbering or opening divisions differ.
Does the Gita have 700 or 701 verses?
“700 verses” is the standard traditional shorthand and the number most readers expect. A source that reports 701 may be using a different counting convention. This is not automatically evidence that one edition is wrong; Sanskrit texts have histories of oral recitation, manuscripts, commentaries, and editorial numbering.
VedicVani keeps the verse pages individually addressable so readers can open Chapter 1 through Chapter 18 in sequence. Visit the complete Bhagavad Gita collection to browse every chapter and verse.
How long does it take to read 700 shlokas?
A quick reading can be completed in a few sessions, but careful study takes much longer. A practical pace is three to five verses a day. Read the Devanagari, follow the transliteration, study the meaning, and ask what problem Krishna is addressing in that passage.
For a slower approach, follow the Bhagavad Gita daily reading plan. It covers one chapter each week and encourages reflection rather than memorisation alone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the longest chapter of the Bhagavad Gita?
Chapter 18 is the longest, with 78 commonly numbered verses. It gathers the Gita’s teachings on action, knowledge, devotion, duty, renunciation, and liberation.
Which chapter is the shortest?
Chapter 12, Bhakti Yoga, is commonly counted as having 20 verses. It gives a focused teaching on devotion and the qualities of a beloved devotee.
What is the most famous Gita shloka?
Chapter 2, Verse 47, beginning with “Karmanye vadhikaraste,” is among the most widely quoted. It teaches focused action without obsessive attachment to the result.