Why the गीता gītā is called श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता śrīmadbhagavadgītā

Though the words spoken by Shri Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra is popularly known as गीता gītā, yet the original name of the text is श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता śrīmadbhagavadgītā which is a combination of three words: श्रीमत् śrīmat + भगवत् bhagavat + गीता gītā.

The word श्रीमत् śrīmat refers to someone who is or something which is in possession of श्री śrī which means light, lustre, radiance, splendour, glory, beauty, grace, loveliness, prosperity, welfare, good fortune, success, auspiciousness, wealth, treasure, riches, high rank, power, might, majesty, royal dignity etc. Goddess लक्ष्मी lakṣmī is known as श्री śrī because she is the refuge and support of all existence; she is the goddess of beauty and harmony. It is the greater harmony that supports all movements in the creation, without that there will be no creation. The words श्रीमान् śrīmān and श्रीमती śrīmatī the masculine and feminine forms of श्रीमत् śrīmat respectively refer to one who is in possession of श्री śrī, the one who shines with the knowledge of Self, lives in the light of the spirit. When the word श्री śrī or श्रीमत् śrīmat is used as an epithet or attribute it carries the above sense.

The word भगवत् bhagavat which is the base word of भगवान् bhagavān and भगवती bhagavatī means refers to someone who is in possession of or endowed with भग bhaga meaning delight or ananda as the creative enjoyment.The word भग bhaga derived from the root-sound भज् bhaj therefore, in its root sense, refers to the enjoyment, bliss, happiness, fortune etc. So, the true meaning of the word भगवत् bhagavat (भगवान् bhagavān and भगवती bhagavatī) is the one who is in possession of perfect enjoyment of bliss, the all-blissful lord (सर्वानन्दमय sarvānandamaya), the perfect enjoyer; he who enjoys his own infinite being and enjoys all that it creates within itself. It is he to whom belongs the right enjoyment. He is the supreme enjoyer of the infinite reality and its creative power opens the gate to the Divine bliss, to the Supramental Truth.

The words of the गीता gītā are spoken by that All-delightful Bhagavān Shri Krishna.

A verse in the Shantiparva (358/8) of Mahabharata says that in the beginning of the war between the Kauravas and Pandavas when Arjuna collapsed and did not want to fight Krishna Bhagavān himself gave this teaching to him: समुपोढेष्वनीकेषु कुरुपाण्डवयोर्मृधे। अर्जुने विमनस्के च गीता भगवता स्वयम्॥

Also in the गीतामाहात्म्य gītāmāhātmya (9) of Madhusudana Sarasvati it is said that the words of the Gita have emerged from the mouth of the All-blissful Krishna himself: चिदानन्देन कृष्णेन प्रोक्ता स्वमुखतोऽर्जुनम् |

A verse in the Bhishmaparva of the Mabharata (43/1) says that the wisdom that was released from the mouth of the Divine himself: या स्वयं पद्मनाभस्य मुखपद्माद्विनिःसृता |
As it was given by Bhagavān himself it is known as भगवद्गीता bhagavadgītā.

The Sanskrit word गीत gīta from the root ‘gai’ means that which has been sung. Why the words spoken by Bhagavān Krishna is termed as गीता gītā? Why is it again in feminine? Why not भगवद्गीतम् ?

The words spoken from a higher consciousness is not the same as the words ordinarily spoken. Here the teaching is given by Bhagavān himself. Krishna says in Anuggītā (12) परं हि ब्रह्म कथितं योगयुक्तेन तन्मया – ‘I have spoken to you O Arjuna, these words by being in a state of Yoga’.

Words coming from a higher state of consciousness have the intensity of rhythm, substance and vision. The speech of this nature is छन्दोमयी – full of rhythm. Therefore the Veda is also called छन्दस् chandas or the rhythmic speech.

In the Gītā (13.5) itself it is said: ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं छन्दोभिर्विविधैः पृथक्। ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चितैः॥ Mark the phrase ऋषिभिर्बहुधा गीतं ‘it has been sung by the Rishis in manifold ways’. The words of the Rishis are not ordinary words but words full of rhythm.
Therefore, the words of bhagavan Krishna is known as the भगवद्गीता – The Celestial Song or the Song of the Divine. Sri Aurobindo (CWSA 19, p36) calls it ‘the great diapson’ (A full, rich outpouring of melodious and harmonious sound).

Why is it then in feminine – गीता? The भगवद्गीता is not just the essence of all Upanishads but itself one of the Upanishads. At the end of every chapter of the गीता it is said: ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु –Thus in the Upanishad sung by bhagavan.

The word Upanishad in Sanskrit is feminine. The Upanishad is ब्रह्मविद्या – the supreme knowledge (which contains God-knowledge, World-knowledge and Self-knowledge). The word विद्या also is feminine. So गीता being one of the Upanishads is in feminine. In the Mahabharata (Shantiparva 356.10; 358.53) it is referred to as हरिगीतासु.

The gītāmāhātmyam:

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः।

पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत्॥

All Upanishads are likened to cows, Krishna, the son of the cowherd, is the miker; Arjuna, the son of Pritha, is the calf. The wise men are the drinkers and the milk is the supreme nectar of Gita - gītāmṛtam.