Bhagavad-Gita is one of the most sacred Indian scriptures and is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It is from chapters 25 to 42 of the Bishma-Parva section of the Mahabharata. It forms a very important part of Vedic literature. Bhagavad-Gita, also known as Gitopanishad has 701 verses across 18 chapters. The Bhagavad-Gita has the teachings of Lord Krishna to the great warrior Arjuna at the time of the great war of Mahabharata.

The occasion for these teachings was furnished by the great war, between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, who were related to each other. As the battle is about to begin, Arjuna, the third of the five Pandava brothers, throws down his bow and arrow, and confesses his inability to kill his own cousins and kinsmen, as well as those revered teachers who had been the common tutors of the Kauravas and Pandavas. Lord Krishna then delivers an oration, urging Arjuna to perform his duty, to be the warrior that he is, and it is these teachings that are encapsulated in the Bhagavad-Gita. Bhagavad-Gita literally translates to "The Song of the Lord".

It is a classic of Indian literature and considered the essence of all Vedic knowledge. It is the indispensable Upanishad and the important handbook or guide for traveling the spiritual path to God Realization. It is especially good for those who do not have much time for reading or who cannot go very deeply into studying the Vedic literature. It contains knowledge of the soul, law of karma, reincarnation, attaining the Supreme, knowledge of God, and the essential purpose of life. It ultimately reveals the supremacy of the path of devotion, Bhakti Yoga, as the best means for regaining our awareness of our relationship with the Supreme Lord. More importantly, the Bhagavad-Gita is the direct instruction from God to His devotee.

The essence of the Gita is the vision of all things in God and the vision of God in all things. It imparts the knowledge of Self and answers two universal questions: who am I and how can I lead a happy and peaceful life in the world of dualities.

The reason that the Bhagvad-Gita is so appealing is because it deals with a practical problem of everyday life, namely, how can a person do his duty in this society with righteousness. The main aim of the Gita is to teach lessons that can be useful in our daily life so that one can enhance the quality of life one is living and attain our goal of God realization. Reading of the Gita makes us believe that when we have total faith in God., then we will have no fears, worries and doubts in the action we are performing and finally will attain mental peace.

The greatness of the Gita lies in its perennial philosophy of enduring values for all mankind. Its teachings are universal in nature and can be applied to any situation in life, and are applicable to everyone irrespective of place, race, language or time.

For an insight into all 18 Chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita:

Download or Read online the free Bhagavad-Gita : by Swami Sivananda, The Divine Life Society Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, India.

Formats: .pdf (360 kb), .html (347 kb)