Glories of Bhagavad-gita Chapter-1 in Gita-mahatmya

Padma Purana records how Lord Siva informed his wife Parvati devi about what Lord Vishnu was telling His consort Lakshmi devi about Bhagavad-gita. Lord Vishnu himself manifested in the form of Bhagavad-gita. The first five chapters are His head, the next ten chapters His ten arms, the sixteenth chapter His stomach and the last two chapters His lotus feet. An intelligent person who daily recites one chapter or even one sloka, one half sloka, or at least one quarter sloka, will attain the supreme destination, Vaikuntha.

There was a brahmana named Susharma who was wicked and sinful. He took pleasure hurting others, drinking wine and eating flesh. One day he died from snake bite. He had to suffer in many hells and ultimately attained the body of a bull. A crippled man purchased the bull and made him carry heavy load on his back. One day the bull fell unconscious and many people gathered to watch him. Several pious people including a prostitute bestowed upon the bull the results of some of their pious activities. Later the bull died and was taken to Yamaraja, the god of death. Because of the pious credits given by the prostitute he took birth in a very high brahmana family. In that birth, he was able to remember his past birth and wanted to meet the prostitute. Later he met the prostitute and understood the reason for her purity.

There was another brahmana who was very proud of his learnings and used to insult other learned persons out of jealousy. After death he was cast into many hells and achieved the body of a parrot. The bird lost its parents when young and was left alone. It was given shelter by some rishi's in their ashrama. The children of the rishi's used to recite the first chapter of Bhagavad-gita and the parrot picked the slokas from them. He was later stolen by a thief and sold to the prostitute. Continuously hearing the recitation from the parrot, the prostitute became pure in heart.

Anyone who recites, hears or studies the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gita will very easily cross over the ocean of material miseries and attain the service of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.