Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita's revelation: Krishna tells the Gita to Arjuna
Information
ReligionHinduism
AuthorTraditionally attributed to Vyasa
LanguageSanskrit
Chapters18
Verses700
Full text
The Bhagavad Gita at English Wikisource

The Bhagavad Gita (/ˌbʌɡəvəd ˈɡtɑː/; Sanskrit: भगवद्गीता, lit.'"God's Song"', IAST: bhagavad-gītā[a]), often referred to as the Gita (IAST: gītā), is a 700-verse Hindu scripture, which is part of the epic Mahabharata. It forms the chapters 23–40 of book 6 of the Mahabharata called the Bhishma Parva. The work is dated to the second half of the first millennium BCE.[2]

The Bhagavad Gita is set in a narrative framework of dialogue between the Pandava prince Arjuna and his charioteer guide Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu. At the start of the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, Arjuna despairs thinking about the violence and death the war will cause in the battle against his kin and becomes emotionally preoccupied with a dilemma.[3] Wondering if he should renounce the war, Arjuna seeks the counsel of Krishna, whose answers and discourse constitute the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna counsels Arjuna to "fulfil his Kshatriya (warrior) duty" for the upholding of dharma.[4] The Krishna–Arjuna dialogue covers a broad range of spiritual topics, touching upon moral and ethical dilemmas, and philosophical issues that go far beyond the war that Arjuna faces.[1][5][6] The setting of the text in a battlefield has been interpreted as an allegory for the struggles of human life.

Summarizing the Upanishadic conceptions of God, the Gita posits the existence of an individual self (Atman) and the supreme self (Brahman) within each being.[note 1] The dialogue between the prince and his charioteer has been interpreted as a metaphor for an immortal dialogue between the human self and God.[note 2] Commentators of Vedanta read varying notions in the Bhagavad Gita about the relationship between the Atman (individual Self) and Brahman (supreme Self); Advaita Vedanta affirms on the non-dualism of Atman and Brahman,[7] Vishishtadvaita asserts qualified non-dualism with Atman and Brahman being related but different in certain aspects, while Dvaita Vedanta declares the complete duality of Atman and Brahman.[note 3][6][8]

Per Hindu mythology, the Bhagavad Gita was written by the god Ganesha, as told to him by the sage Veda Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita presents a synthesis of various Hindu ideas about dharma, theistic bhakti, and the yogic ideal of moksha.[9][10] The text covers Jñāna, Bhakti, Karma, and Rāja yogas,[9] while incorporating ideas from the Samkhya-Yoga philosophy.[web 1][note 4] The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered Hindu scriptures,[12] and has a unique pan-Hindu influence.[13][14] It is a central text in the vaishnava tradition, and is part of the prasthanatrayi. Numerous commentaries have been written on the Bhagavad Gita with differing views on its essence and essentials.

  1. ^ a b Davis 2014, p. 2.
  2. ^ "Bhagavadgita | Definition, Contents, & Significance | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  3. ^ The Song Celestial, Or, Bhagavad-gîtâ (from the Mahâbhârata) Being a Discourse Between Arjuna, Prince of India, and the Supreme Being Under the Form of Krishna. Roberts Bros. 1885. pp. Book one the first, page 19.
  4. ^ Easwaran 2007, pp. 111–122.
  5. ^ Eliot Deutsch & Rohit Dalvi 2004, pp. 60–62.
  6. ^ a b Sargeant 2009, pp. x–xviii.
  7. ^ Eliot Deutsch & Rohit Dalvi 2004, p. 97
  8. ^ Ronald Neufeldt (30 September 1986). Robert Neil Minor (ed.). Modern Indian Interpreters of the Bhagavad Gita. State University of New York Press. pp. 31–33. ISBN 978-1-4384-1325-9.
  9. ^ a b Eliot Deutsch & Rohit Dalvi 2004, pp. 61–62.
  10. ^ Scheepers 2000.
  11. ^ Raju 1992, p. 211.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Robinson2014viii was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference buitenen7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Neusner2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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