The Essential Meaning of the Bhagavad Gītā According to Caitanyaite Vaishnavism

Abstract

The article “The Essential Meaning of the Bhagavad Gītā According to Caitanyaite Vaishnavism” by Graham M. Schweig explores how the Caitanya tradition interprets and appropriates key theological insights from the Bhagavad Gītā. The article highlights how Caitanyaite Vaishnavism emphasizes devotional love (bhakti) over metaphysical or philosophical interpretations, presenting Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna as emotionally transformative rather than purely doctrinal. Using selective citations from the Gītā and the Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Schweig illustrates that divine love, embodied in Krishna and experienced by the devotee, is the ultimate message of the text in this tradition.