Summing up -"The Hindu "dt 2015-09-19 (made with Spreaker)

Summing up
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The Mahabharata is a sweet ocean and the Bhagavad Gita is nectar from that ocean, said M.K. Srinivasan in a discourse. Those who teach the Gita, those who listen to it being taught and those who study it with faith will be able to exit the sweltering heat of worldly life and shine with spiritual intelligence.

In the 18th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord sums up what He has elaborated upon thus far and utters the famous verse which enjoins surrender to Him as a sure means to liberation. Subsequently, in verses 68 and 69, He talks about the Acharyas who teach the Gita to their disciples. This is a part of karma-yoga which He has talked about earlier. In verse 70, He talks about disciples who understand that there is none greater than Him. So here the Lord is talking about jnana-yoga. In verse 71, He refers to those who listen to discourses on the Gita with complete faith and act upon it. He says such people will attain moksha. So, in this verse, the Lord can be said to talk about bhakti-yoga. Thus, in these verses, the Lord sums up all three yogas, which He has explained in detail in the preceding 17 chapters.

Sage Vyasa perceived the events in Mahabharata with his divine vision and dictated the story to Ganesa. Sage Narada taught it to the celestials. Suka taught it to the Gandharvas and Yakshas. A sage called Devala told the story to pitrus (manes). Sage Vaisampayana, a disciple of Vyasa, related the Mahabharata to Janamejaya, son of Parikshit. This happened after Janamejaya was dissuaded from performing a yaga for destroying all the snakes in this world to avenge his father’s death, which was caused by being bitten by the snake Takshaka. Thus, through Janamejaya, the Mahabharata, including the Bhagavad Gita, came to all mankind.