Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Bhagavad Gita
    Bhagavad Gita
    Bhagavad Gita
    Ebook96 pages2 hours

    Bhagavad Gita

    By Start Publishing LLC

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    The Bhagavad-Gita is the Gospel of Hinduism, and one of the great religious classics of the world. Its simple, vivid message is a daily inspiration in the lives of millions throughout the world and has been so for countless generations.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStart Publishing LLC
    Release dateAug 20, 2013
    ISBN9781627933520
    Bhagavad Gita

    Related to Bhagavad Gita

    Related ebooks

    Hinduism For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Between Fact And Fiction

      Apr 9, 2022

      THE MAHABHARATA remains one of the most compelling stories ever told and, for most Indians, it provides a common cultural vocabulary that enriches their diverse linguistic ones. It is no surprise that G.N. Devy would turn his attention to it. Scholar

      2 min read

    • Article

      Metaphors Of The Goddess

      Oct 5, 2018

      In Hinduism, god cannot be divine without the goddess. There is no Vishnu without Lakshmi. No Shiva without Shakti. No Brahma without Saraswati. But it is a mystery for many why Hindus, for whom divinity is both male and female, treat women so badly.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Spiritual Benefits Of Hanuman Jayanti

      Apr 25, 2021

      TO MARK the birth of Lord Hanuman, Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated all over India in the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar. Hanumanji has always held a special place in my heart and I am sure this is true for all Hindus as well. Lord Hanuman is kn

      3 min read

    • Article

      Bhagavad Gita Influenced Many Great Thinkers

      Dec 13, 2020

      THERE are many paths to attain self-realisation yet there are many who choose to attain the knowledge from all different parts so that they can raise their consciousness to such a great extent that they see “One God” in all organisations and in all r

      2 min read

    • Article

      Interest In Spiritual Healer Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Rekindled As Will Smith Visits India After Slap-gate

      Apr 30, 2022

      Will Smith's wife Jada Pinkett-Smith has hogged the headlines since her Oscar-winning spouse "smacked the s**t" out of comedian Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards ceremony on March 27. As far as narratives go, she's been saddled with the dubio

      3 min read

    • Article

      “I Regret Nothing”

      Apr 24, 2021

      “I Regret Nothing”
      3 min read

    • Article

      Hindus, Despite Their Links To India, Are Still Very South African

      Feb 17, 2021

      “Let national interests supplant parochial ones”, proclaims Edwin Naidu in the POST (February 10 – 14). Naidu is right. Indians are not a homogeneous group, but he writes as if they are. We Indians are perfectly aware that India is not our motherland

      3 min read

    • Article

      When You Wish To Pray To Mars

      Mar 23, 2021

      The Picatrix even offers ways to pray to each of the planets, so that one could gain their favour. The act of praying to Mars is quite elaborate – the person must first pick a favourable time and go to a remote place. He must be wearing all red cloth

      1 min read

    • Article

      Righteousness

      Nov 12, 2023

      Tamaso ma jyothir gamaya – lead us from darkness to light (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, section I.iii.28) – is an important concept in Hinduism, and is the essence of Diwali. Dispelling darkness and illuminating truth, honesty, integrity, justice, mora

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Making Of bharatavarsha

      Sep 16, 2023

      This country has been known as Bharat or Bharatavarsha for a very long time. The span literally ranges across thousands of years. The name has two origin stories: an older Vedic one and a later Pauranic/Jain one. Interestingly, the origins of the nam

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Protector

      Dec 16, 2021

      RELIGION BEFORE THE ARYANS arrived, according to Gond folklore, this land was ruled by many great kings. Beginning with Andiperiyol and Sukmaperi, there were 88 samboo—those who ruled the earth—a lineage that includes Banasur, Kaliyanag, Jatasur, Rav

      7 min read

    • Article

      Desert Power

      Jul 25, 2022

      Desert Power
      6 min read

    • Article

      FAMILY TIME with God

      Aug 25, 2023

      FAMILY TIME with God
      3 min read

    • Article

      Mahishasura And Durga

      May 6, 2020

      Mahishasura And Durga
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Epic Of Gilgamesh

      Jan 1, 2020

      My friends, who can reach heaven? The monster bellows like a river swollen with flood.Many are consumed in his fiery breath. My friends, who can reach heaven? Let us ask the mountain for a sign.Let us cut the spirits from the cedars. My friends, who

      3 min read

    • Article

      Ayodhya: Why We Should Move On

      Nov 15, 2019

      On November 9, we reached a tide in the affairs of our nation that, to paraphrase Shakespeare, if taken at the flood, could lead us to peace and prosperity but omitted, could continue to bind us in the shallows of our past miseries. On that day, with

      6 min read

    • Article

      When The Buddha Was A Tree

      Mar 21, 2023

      When The Buddha Was A Tree
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Faith Of A Warrior | Independence Day Special

      Aug 9, 2019

      One might think that explaining the concept and meaning of patriotism would come easy to a soldier. After all, we are the most visible symbols of a group that displays its commitment towards the country by being forever ready to sacrifice lives for t

      5 min read

    • Article

      Season of Separation

      Feb 11, 2022

      As believers, it is important for us to know the times and seasons that we are in, so that – like the sons of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32 – we know what we must do and are able to respond with the right strategy and actions. For the past few years

      2 min read

    • Article

      Recommended Reads

      Jun 21, 2017

      Vybarr Cregan-Reid R375 v-publishing.co.uk “The French word for a track, sentier, carries with it the wonderful idea that pathways are like scent trails for us to follow,” says Vybarr Cregan-Reid in his 2016 book Footnotes. And then he continues: “Wh

      5 min read

    • Article

      Total War: Warhammer III

      Feb 3, 2022

      Total War: Warhammer III begins with a bear betrayed. The Kislev bear god, Ursun, specifically. Shot with a cursed bullet by the prince originally intent on rescuing him, the furry deity is now trapped in the Realm of Chaos, prisoner of the powerful

      5 min read

    • Article

      Well Done, Kalle

      Dec 24, 2020

      Well Done, Kalle
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Bawa Way Of Life

      Aug 28, 2021

      Why and how is it that, for a minuscule community that numbers about 57,000 but will soon be down to 23,000, the Parsis cut such an inordinately high profile and exert huge influence—as tycoons (the Tatas, Wadias, Mistrys and Godrejs), jurists and la

      2 min read

    • Article

      Songs Of Conquest

      Mar 31, 2022

      Songs Of Conquest
      2 min read

    • Article

      Mini Breaks

      Sep 15, 2022

      Mini Breaks
      10 min read

    • Article

      Total War: Warhammer III

      Feb 22, 2022

      Total War: Warhammer III
      5 min read

    Reviews for Bhagavad Gita

    4/5

    790 ratings22 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Read for class at Carleton University in 2016. I had read through lightly a long time ago, but used the ISKCON translation. I liked this one much better. Knowing a bit more of the background really helped me to get more out of it this time too. The descriptions in the final chapter of each term as it relates to the three gunas (material constituents) was particularly neat. I often didn't agree with the points of the philosophy (not believing in an eternal transmigrating self). And (relatedly) at times I felt strange that the doctrine was essentially being used to convince Arjuna that it was okay to kill thousands of his family and friends. Still I can see why this has been so widely read and I greatly enjoyed my reading.
    • 5/5
      The classic Indian examination of duty.
    • 5/5
      The best detailed translation work of the Bhagavad Gita out there. It includes grammatical classification for each word, as well as a word for word translation. Every significant translated text should have the level of detail that this book has. As a student of Sanskrit, I would not agree with some of the verse interpretations of this book, but that will always be the case. I found a few typos and incorrect grammatical classifications, but overall it is amazing. The language is a bit dated, but nothing too archaic. A must have for the student of Sanskrit.
    • 4/5
      a great and necessary read for all. this translation is superb and accessible. I have read it three or four times now
    • 4/5
      Beautiful volume, oversized as Arjuna tries to work up his courage.
    • 3/5
      1885 translation of the Bhagavad Gita by a Victorian poet and journalist, who fashioned the Gita in the language of the King James Bible. One of the earlier English translations, and of value for that reason. Also reported to be the translation that Mohandas Gandhi first read as a law student in London with the Theososphical Society.
    • 4/5
      Very much like the other "wisdom collections" of the time. I kind of enjoyed the frame concept of it being a conversations between two characters, rather than the author talking at the reader, such as with other collections of wisdom, but at the same time, I kind of just wanted it to get on with it.
    • 5/5
      If you are a seeker then you need to read this!
    • 5/5
      I will always be grateful to Barbara Miller for her translation of the Bhagavad Gita for one overarching reason: her translation of Chapter 15, "The True Spirit of Man" pointed out the non-duality at the heart of the Gita, something that I had missed in other translations. Here's an excerpt:15:16"There is a double spirit of manin the world, transient and eternal-transient in all creatures,eternal at the summit of existence.....15:18Since I transcend what is transientand I am higher than the eternal,I am known as the supreme spirit of manin the world and in sacred lore."This was very useful to me since it pointed out that Krishna - or the Supreme Spirit - is more significant and more fundamental than both the transient and the eternal. In other words, this is a non-dual insight which goes beyond polytheism, monotheism, henotheism and kathenotheism. There is only Spirit - there is only Ati - and Miller beautifully captures the heart of this wisdom teaching in 15:16 and 15:18.
    • 5/5
      An excellent reading of the most read story in the world. Needleman, reads with the authority of someone who has studied the subject matter in depth for a long time.
    • 2/5
      I find Mascaro's introduction too syncretistic in trying to reconcile Christianity and Hindium. Both may be good things, but they are very different things.
    • 5/5
      I've read this translation, along with Easwaran's three volume commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, more than once. I don't really understand it, but I can see why this is a classic text of world spirituality. What I don't understand is what I need to understand better.
    • 3/5
      Friends,

      why do you love this book? This book is awful. It's very smart, yes, and of course a great classic. But I want you to imagine a dialogue between Jesus and Charlemagne in which Charlemagne says he doesn't want to kill all the Germans because, well, they're his relatives, and it seems a bit silly. And Jesus counters this by saying I AM FREAKING GOD DO WHAT THE F*** I TELL YOU YOU HAVE NO OPTION ANYWAY LOOK I HAVE STARS IN MY BELLY!!!! and follows it up by saying that he, Jesus, determines everything and there is no free will but you *should* do the following things in order to really get to know Jesus.

      Now, obviously I'm being polemical here. The BG has some very nice individual moments; it's a philosophical masterpiece akin to Boethius or Job; and, most remarkably for me, it essentially says that everything a benighted Westerner like myself thinks of when I think of Hinduism is wrong. The step from polytheism to monotheism is pretty much the greatest intellectual leap ever made, and who the heck am I to say that someone who makes that leap thousands of years before I was even born is only worth three stars?

      Someone who thinks that determinism makes no sense in a religion, that Krishna is kind of a self-centered lunatic ("I AM THE CLARIFIED BUTTER! I AM THE HERB!"), and that justifying war by saying that if you're a warrior, you're logically compelled to kill your kin and besides, we have no option, is horrific.

      And yet the hippies love this stuff. Almost as if they were really just repressing their inner Charles Manson.
    • 3/5
      I picked this up because it is one of the essential texts of Hindu culture and I enjoy learning the history of culture and religions. This particular text is a series of conversations between the Arjuna (a warrior/prince) and the god Krishna. There are some interesting sections on what is the basis of action is and how we should approach it mentally and overcome our physical desires.I don't like to rate books that can be viewed as religious texts, so I give them all 3 stars as a rule.3/5
    • 5/5
      "As a Seeker you must learn a much higher code of conduct then just those taught to you as a child. This requires your willingness to integrate many points of view. What wisdom list would be complete without at least a few perspectives about the divine? Start with your own then try the Bhagavad Gita. From the East. This version of the Bhagavad Gita is translated for easier reading for Westerners."
    • 3/5
      Couldn't get into this. I know, I feel like shit about it. But do you know how many of the words in this were "wotteth"?? Like 30.
    • 3/5
      You really need to be interested and devoted to get something out of this text, but even if the material is not for you there are many wondrous scenes that can change the way you look at the world. So if you can stick with it and keep a clear head then this book has so much to offer, but if you can't then chances are it will just be confusing and you will think it is a waste of time. Definitely not for everyone.
    • 4/5
      For me, this is the best Baghavad Gita translation. Van Buitenen does not seem to have as much of a philosophical agenda as many other translations. The Sanskrit is included (for those of you with a sanskrit dictionary) and the English on the facing page.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely wonderful
    • 2/5
      Religious bullshit that sanctions violence because, according to Lord Krsna, men have souls so what does it matter if you kill them?? No thanks. I neither approve of nor recommend it. It claims truths simply on the authority of itself, which doesn't fly with me.
    • 5/5
      I loved it , this book is interesting . this looks great
    • 4/5
      The Bhagavad-Gita, subtitled, Krishna’s Counsel in Time of War, if taken literally, is a little difficult to abide with. A young prince, Arjuna, is on a battlefield, but sees “no good in killing my kinsmen in battle”, and thus lays down his arms. This seems like a very good and enlightened thing to do. However, the lord Krishna, in the form of his charioteer, then instructs him through various teachings that it’s his sacred duty to fight, that he must do so, and in the end Arjuna agrees; his “delusion is destroyed”, something we may have difficulty accepting. Along the way Krishna flexes his might, pointing out in one chapter that among other things he is Vishnu, Shiva, the Ganges, “the thunderbolt among weapons”, death, “indestructible time”, “the dice game of gamblers”, “everywhere at once”, “the beginning, middle, and end of creations”, etc etc. This heavy-handed commanding of Arjuna, similar to God in the Old Testament with Abraham and Job, is also off-putting at first glance. One asks, how can this be a spiritual book, versus an alternate story which might have Arjuna remaining a nonviolent pacifist to the very end, accepting whatever punishment from this overbearing God that resulted? One must read the Gita as countless others have throughout history, as a parable. I believe the “time of war” is the war within one’s own heart in times of difficulty, which are inescapable in life; the enemies one must kill are the desires and attachments which lead to suffering. The way to overcome these is through discipline and a sense of detachment from one’s emotions. This includes losing one’s fear even of death, since it is inevitable for all things, and in fulfilling one’s sacred duties (one’s Dhama) without regard for rewards or consequences. It takes discipline and a steadfastness to do this, but it’s through these means that one can have a tranquil mind, and transcend the limitations of worldly existence. I believe the reason Krishna “flexes his muscles” in the text is to remind us that these things we feel, these powerful emotions which seem so important and like the entire world to us when we feel them, are nothing when compared against the eternity of time and the infinity of space. When put in that context, one sees that we shouldn’t concentrate on them, that they (and we ourselves) are meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but we can ironically use this knowledge to become stronger, and to overcome suffering.Doing one’s sacred duty may in fact require one to be nonviolent, and it’s notable that Gandhi and other spiritual men have appreciated the Gita. As Thomas Merton wrote: “Arjuna has an instinctive repugnance for war, and that is the chief reason why war is chosen as the example of the most repellent kind of duty. The Gita is saying that even in what appears to be the most ‘unspiritual’, one can act with pure intentions and thus be guided by Krishna consciousness. This consciousness itself will impose the most strict limitations on one’s own use of violence because that use will not be directed by one’s own selfish interests, still less by cruelty, sadism, and blood-lust.”It’s an impressive text at 2200-2500 years old, and also poetic. I still recall reading the line “I see…the moon and sun in your eyes” while camping in Yosemite National Park long ago, and thinking of it as recently as this past week. Oppenheimer is famous for having quoted the Gita when he saw the first nuclear test: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”. I don’t think it’s necessarily the pinnacle of philosophical or religious works, but it is profound and certainly worth reading.Quotes:On doing one’s duty, without regard for the results; just doing it:“Be intent on action,Not on the fruits of action;Avoid attraction to the fruitsAnd attachment to inaction!”On enlightenment:“Truly free is the sage who controlsHis senses, mind, and understanding,Who focuses on freedomAnd dispels desire, fear, and anger.”On love:“O Arjuna, only by theunswerving love of a human heart,can my supreme state be seen,and known, and attained.”

    Book preview

    Bhagavad Gita - Start Publishing LLC

    The Grief of Arjuna

    Dhritarashtra said:

    1) Tell me, O Sanjaya! Assembled on Kurukshetra, the center of religious activity, desirous to fight, what indeed did my people and the Pandavas do?

    Sanjaya said:

    2) But then King Duryodhana, having seen the Pandava forces in battle array, approached his teacher Drona and spoke these words:

    3) "Behold, O Teacher! this mighty army of the sons of Pandu, arrayed by the son of Drupada, your gifted pupil.

    4-6) "Here [are] heroes, mighty archers, the equals in battle of Bhima and Arjuna–the great warriors Yuyudhana, Virata, Drupada; the valiant Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana, and the king of Kashi; the best of men, Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Shaibya; the powerful Yudhamanyu, and the brave Uttamaujas, the son of Subhadra and the sons of Draupadi–all of whom are lords of great chariots.

    7) "Hear also, O best of the twice-born! the names of those who [are] distinguished amongst ourselves, the leaders of my army. These I relate [to you] for your information.

    8) "Yourself and Bhishma and Karna and Kripa, the victorious in war. Ashvatthama and Vikarna and Jayadratha, the son of Somadatta.

    9) "And many other heroes also, well-skilled in fight, and armed with many kinds of weapons, are here, determined to lay down their lives for my sake.

    10) "This our army defended by Bhishma [is] impossible to be counted, but that army of theirs, defended by Bhima [is] easy to number.

    11) [Now] do, being stationed in your proper places in the divisions of the army, support Bhishma alone.

    12) That powerful, oldest of the Kurus, Bhishma the grandsire, in order to cheer Duryodhana, now sounded aloud a lion-roar and blew his conch.

    13) Then following Bhishma, conchs and kettle-drums, tabors, trumpets, and cowhorns blared forth suddenly from the Kaurava side, and the noise was tremendous.

    14) Then, also, Madhava and Pandava, stations in their magnificent Chariot yoked with white horses, blew their divine conchs with a furious noise.

    15) Hrishikesha blew the Panchajanya, Dhananjaya, the Devadatta,and Vrikodara, the doer of terrific deeds, his large conch Paundra.

    16) King Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, blew the conch named Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva, their Sughosha and Manipushpaka.

    17) The expert bowman, king of Kashi, and the great warrior Shikhandi, Dhristadyumna, and Virata, and the unconquered Satyaki;

    18) O Lord of Earth! Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, and the mighty-armed son of Subhadra, all, also blew each his own conch.

    19) And the terrific noise resounding throughout heaven and earth rent the hearts of Dhritarashtra’s party.

    20) Then, O Lord of Earth, seeing Dhritarashtra’s party standing marshalled and the shooting about to begin, the Pandava, whose ensign was the monkey, raising his bow, said the following words to Krishna:

    Arjuna said:

    21-22) Place my chariot, O Achyuta! between the two armies that I may see those who stand here prepared for war. On this eve of battle [let me know] with whom I have to fight.

    23) For I desire to observe those who are assembled here for fight, wishing to please the evil-minded Duryodhana by taking his side on this battle-field.

    Sanjaya said:

    24-25) O Bharata, commanded thus by Gudakesha, Hrishikesha drove that grandest of chariots to a place between the two hosts, facing Bhishma, Drona, and all the rulers of the earth, and then spoke thus, Behold, O Partha, all the Kurus gathered together!

    26) Then saw Partha stationed there in both the armies, grandfathers, fathersin- law, and uncles, brothers and cousins, his own and their sons and grandsons, and comrades, teachers, and other friends as well.

    27) Then, he, the son of Kunti, seeing all those kinsmen stationed in their ranks, spoke thus sorrowfully, filled with deep compassion.

    Arjuna said:

    28-29) Seeing, O Krishna, these my kinsmen gathered here eager for fight, my limbs fail me, and my mouth is parched up. I shiver all over, and my hair stands on end. The bow Gandiva slips from my hand, and my skin burns.

    30) Neither, O Keshava, can I stand upright. My mind is in a whirl. And I see adverse omens.

    31) Neither, O Krishna, do I see any good in killing these my own people in battle. I desire neither victory nor empire, nor yet pleasure.

    32-34) Of what avail is dominion to us, of what avail are pleasures and even life, if these, O Govinda! for whose sake it is desired that empire, enjoyment, 3 and pleasure should be ours, themselves stand here in battle, having renounced life and wealth–teachers, uncles, sons, and also grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, besides other kinsmen.

    35) Even tough these were to kill me, O slayer of Madhu, I could not wish to kill them–not even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds, how much less for the sake of the earth!

    36) What pleasure indeed could be ours, O Janardana, from killing these sons of Dhritarashtra? Sin only could take hold of us by the slaying of these felons.

    37) Therefore we ought not to kill our kindred, the sons of Dhritarashtra. For how could we, O Madhava, gain happiness by the slaying of our own kinsmen?

    38-39) Though these, with understanding overpowered by greed, see no evil due to decay of families, and no sin in hostility to friends, why should we O Janaradana, who see clearly the evil due to the decay of families, not turn away from this sin?

    40) On the decay of a family the immemorial religious rites of that family die out. On the destruction of spirituality, impiety further overwhelms the whole of the family.

    41) On the prevalence of impiety, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt; and women being corrupted, there arises, O Varshneya, intermingling of castes.

    42) Admixture of castes, indeed is for the hell of the family and the destroyers of the family; their ancestors fall, deprived of the offerings of rice-ball and water.

    43) By these misdeeds of the destroyers of the family, bringing about confusion of castes, are the immemorial religious rites of the caste and the family destroyed.

    44) We have heard, O Janardana, that dwelling in hell is inevitable for those men in whose families religious practices have been destroyed.

    45) Alas, we are involved in a great sin,

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1