The answer to your query lies within your question. When Arjuna needed Lord Krishna to help explain fundamentals of Bhagavad Gita... how is it possible for a commoner to know the essence of Bhagavad Gita. It is not possible. The wisdom of Bhagwad Gita was never meant for the common man.
The wisdom of Bhagavad Gita can never be understood by reading the scriptural text literally. To understand and analyze teachings contained in Bhagavad Gita... one has to dive deep into the ocean of wisdom jnana the world knows as most Sacred Scripture of Hinduism... the sacred bhagvad gita!
What in fact is Bhagavad Gita? And why would one want to read through Bhagwad Gita.
In short, Bhagavad Gita the doctrine by Lord Krishna in the battle of Mahabharata contains all that is knowable in whole cosmos and particularly as a human being. The knower of Bhagavad Gita becomes omniscient. One gains enlightenment and finally salvation moksha in Hinduism. The sacred Bhagwad Gita encompasses the true meaning of life.
From the first to the last... the 700th verse, Bhagavad Gita teaches one the true essence meaning of life. For a human being there is nothing beyond Bhagvad Gita to learn. The knower of Bhagwad Gita becomes an enlightened being.
You may read the sacred Scriptures of Jainism, Buddhism, Bible and the Quran. Yet, none can say with certainty that having read one obtains the end goal of life... stage of enlightenment and finally salvation moksha. The knower of Bhagavad Gita becomes the knower of all and crosses the ocean of Samsara (physical manifested life) with ease.
From the first manifestation as an amoeba to the last... the 8.4 millionth manifestation, it takes approximately 96.4 million earthly years to reach stage of enlightenment and finally gain salvation moksha.
Every living being initially starts life as a single cell formation. Slowly this life form evolves into a multi-cell formation, then insect life, plant life, animal life and finally the form of a human being.
Almighty God never desired the human form to digest the wisdom of Bhagavad Gita in one go! Even in human form we have 1.1 million distinct manifestations. This confirms that the highest stage of manifestation... the form of a human being is achieved after passing through 7.3 million manifestations... the maximum number of manifestations being 8.4 million.
The wisdom of Bhagavad Gita is complex yet simple. Only the most ardent of spiritual seekers dare complete their cosmic journey within ones lifetime.
1.1 million Manifestations mean an earthly journey of about 12.1 million earthly years. Does it mean God Almighty desired a human being to learn the cosmic wisdom of Bhagavad Gita within a period of 12.1 million earthly years... yes it is so! What value of one life span of 70 to 80 years?
The status of a human being is truly privileged one. It is only as a Human Being one gains enlightenment and finally salvation moksha in Hinduism. Bhagavad Gita clearly enumerates that fixing a spiritual goal early is the ultimate crux of life. Who knows what form our soul atman manifests next?
As a child one initially attends play school, nursery, K.G and finally class one. Slowly we gain wisdom class after class (jnana in hinduism) and finally complete our graduation. Having graduated... does it mean the end of learning? Never!
Life is a journey. We always keep learning. In the field of spirituality the gist of Bhagavad Gita is not to be learnt in one go (manifestation)... one human life! We must continue our spiritual journey step-by-step never indefinitely delaying traveling the spiritual path. It is then we learn the cosmic wisdom contained in Bhagavad Gita.
I gained self realization in 1993. I started in search of God when 13 years of age. I had an inkling that come whatever may... I shall succeed in my search of God within present life. I had no dearth of patience and persistence to face most adverse circumstances head-on. I was ever ready for any sacrifice God may demand on the spiritual path.
I reached the end part of my cosmic life. This is my 8.4 millionth manifestation. I never read Bhagavad Gita in my life. Yet, having realized God the contents of the Bhagavad Gita have become like ABC to me. It is as if I had dictated the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna in one of my earlier manifestations.
Not alone Bhagavad Gita... the gist of every Upanishad, the sacred Scriptures of Jainism and Buddhism and for that matter all sacred Scriptures have become like ABC to me.
God has been very kind to me. The patience and persistence I practiced in the initial stages of my life paid its dividends at the end.
I always advise one to travel the path of Bhagavad Gita early in life. Most people I meet in life keep the study of Bhagwad Gita pending for the last moment. Their intentions are clear. They want to travel the spiritual path but fear travelling the uncharted territory. Unable to leave the bondage of attachments, materialistic wants and desires... people busy themselves fulfilling materialistic goals.
It is not surprising... the wisdom of Bhagavat Gita must never be enforced on one. It was never meant to be. I have always withstood by the sweet small inner voice of my atman soul residing within my heart. It has always guided me on the right path. Our atman soul is of the same essence as God Almighty!
It is only our faith in the Almighty God which paves way for crossing this ocean of life and death. Absolute faith in Almighty God is an essential must on the path of Spirituality. Absence of absolute faith never leads one towards enlightenment.
It is not for the skeptics to learn of Bhagwad Gita. The essence of Bhagwad Geeta is meant for one who is logistical in approach and keeps the welfare of the community above self.
Various essays and glossary on my web sites give clues to the inner wisdom of Bhagwad Geeta. Some essays are so potent that every reading gives a different meaning. These essays were a direct dictation from God after I realized God in 1993.
It would not be prudent to mention that Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa had only Swami Vivekananda who understood the teachings of Bhagvat Geeta imparted to him by Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
In a period of about hundred years... there was only one Swami Vivekananda who understood the teachings of Bhagavat Gita. Imagine one person amongst 6 billion people living on Mother Earth.
In the history of mankind we find very few people who have deciphered the wisdom jnana of Bhagvat Gita from the spiritual masters of the era.
If you want (mere desire does not help) to learn the wisdom contained in Bhagvad Geeta... you need to salvage and digest everything written by and about Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana... The only two people who gained self realization in the last about 150 years.
The knower of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana becomes the knower of Bhagvad Gita.
May God Almighty bless you in understanding the wisdom of Bhagavat Gita at the earliest!
