Hindu texts

Shruti Image File history File links Created by me. ... The Brahmic family is a family of abugidas used in South Asia, Tibet and Southeast Asia. ... Hindu scripture is overwhelmingly written in Sanskrit. ... Image File history File links Aum. ... Shruti (Sanskrit श्रुति, what is heard) is a canon of Hindu scriptures. ... Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti The Vedas (Sanskrit:- वेद), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo Aryan religious literature that are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ... The Rig Veda ऋग्वेद (Sanskrit ṛc praise + veda knowledge) is the earliest of the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas. ... The Sama Veda (सामवेद), or Veda of Holy Songs, is third in the usual order of enumeration of the four Vedas, the ancient core Hindu scriptures. ... The Yajur Veda यजुर्वेद is one of the four Hindu Vedas; it contains religious texts focussing on liturgy and ritual. ... The Atharva Veda is a sacred text of Hinduism, part of the four books of the Vedas. ... The Brahmanas (Brahmin Books) are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures focus on sacrifice -- particularly that of horses and soma. ... The Aranyakas (Forest Books, Forest Treatises) are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures are sometimes argued to be part of either the Brahmanas or Upanishads. ... The Upanishad (उपनिषद्, Upaniá¹£ad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... Smriti (Sanskrit स्मॄति, what is fit/deserves to be remembered) refers to a specific canon of Hindu religious scripture. ... Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Gita Govinda Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit/Hindi भगवद् गीता, in transliteration: Bhagavad Gītā), is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhishma-Parva chapters 23–40. A core sacred text of Hinduism and philosophy, the Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita, is a summation of the Vedic, Yogic, Vedantic and Tantric philosophies. The Bhagavad Gita, meaning "song of the Lord", refers to itself as an 'Upanishad' and is sometimes called Gītopanişad. During the message of Gita, Lord Krishna proclaims that he is God Himself (a Bhagavat, or all-embracing personal god). In order to make Arjuna believe this, he shows Arjuna his divine form which is described as timeless and leaves Arjuna shaking with awe and fear. The great Hindu Epics are also occasionally termed Mahakavya (Great Compositions); the terms refer to a canon of Hindu religious scripture. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ... The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Ram) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Puranas (Sanskrit पुराण, purāṇá ancient, since they focus on ancient history of the universe) are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss varied topics like devotion to God in his various aspects, traditional sciences like Ayurveda, Jyotish, cosmology, concepts like dharma, karma, reincarnation and many others. ... The Puranas (Sanskrit पुराण, purāṇá ancient, since they focus on ancient history of the universe) are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss varied topics like devotion to God in his various aspects, traditional sciences like Ayurveda, Jyotish, cosmology, concepts like dharma, karma, reincarnation and many others. ... The Tantra (Looms or Weavings), refer to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb siv-, meaning to sew (these words, including English to sew and Latinate suture, all derive from PIE *syÅ«-). It literally means a rope or thread, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms... Below is a list of sutras organized alphabetically under the broad categories of Hinduism and Buddhism. ... Stotras are Hindu prayers that praise aspects of God, such as Devi, Siva, or Vishnu. ... The Ashtavakra Gita (Song of Ashtavakra) is an influential nondualist Hindu text traditionally said to have been written by the Sage Ashtavakra, though its authorship is not known with certainty. ... The Gita Govinda or the Song of the Shri Krishna is a work composed in the 12th century by Jayadeva Goswami. ... The most fundamental text of Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a Sanskrit classic written by Swami Swatamarama, a disciple of Swami Goraknath. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is a classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Hindi (हिन्दी hindÄ«) is an Indo-European language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... In mathematics, see epic morphism. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ... Bhishma born as Devavrata, son of Shantanu and the holy River Ganga, is the most respected and perhaps the most fabulous character in the epic Mahabharata after Lord Krishna. ... Kaiser Chiefs Kaiser Chiefs are a britpop band from Leeds formed early in 2003. ... Basic beliefs What can be said to be common to all Hindus is the belief in Dharma (duties and obligations), Samsara (Reincarnation/rebirth), Karma (actions, leading to a cause and effect relationship), and Moksha (salvation) of every soul through a variety of paths, such as Bhakti (devotion), Karma (action) and... Hindu philosophy (one of the main divisions of Indian philosophy) is traditionally seen through the prism of six different systems (called darshanas in Sanskrit) that are listed here and make up the main belief systems of Hinduism. ... // Yoga practice and intention Modern yoga practice often includes traditional elements inherited from Hinduism, such as moral and ethical principles, postures designed to keep the body fit, spiritual philosophy, instruction by a guru, chanting of mantras (sacred syllables), quietening the breath, and stilling the mind through meditation. ... Vedanta , meaning literally the end section of the Vedas, is a branch of Hindu philosophy. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ... The Upanishad (उपनिषद्, Upaniá¹£ad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... Krishna (IAST , the Sanskrit for dark or black - see below), is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Bhagavat refers to Vishnu-Krishna as an all-embracing personal god, and defines a new form of Vishnuism penetrated by Bhakti (devotion to a deity, who in return bestows its grace). ... In Hindu mythology, Arjuna is one of the heroes of the epic Mahabharata. ... In Hindu mythology, Arjuna is one of the heroes of the epic Mahabharata. ... The concept of the divine or of The Divine, meaning matters relating to a god, forms an important ingredient in many religious faiths (but compare Buddhism, for example, or Scientology). ... Eternal links here. ...

It is not exactly clear when the Bhagavad Gita was written. Astronomical evidence cited(Two Eclipses in Thirteen Days) in the Mahabharata itself put the date at 3137 BCE, the Puranas suggest a date of about 1924 BCE. Scholarly estimates place it in the latter half of the 1st millennium BC (roughly 4th century BC), together with the older Upanishads. (5th millennium BC – 4th millennium BC – 3rd millennium BC - other millennia) // Events Sumerian city of Ur in Mesopotamia (40th century BC); Sumerian hegemony in Mesopotamia, with the invention of writing, base-60 mathematics, astronomy and astrology, civil law, complex hydrology, the sailboat, the wheel, and the potters wheel, 4000... The Puranas are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss devotion and mythology. ... (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 2064 – 1986 BC -- Twin Dynasty wars in Egypt. ... (2nd millennium BC – 1st millennium BC – 1st millennium – other millennia) // Events The turn of the 1st millenium BC introduced a deep change in civilization throughout the ancient world. ... (5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) // Events Invasion of the Celts into Ireland Battle of the Allia and subsequent Gaulish sack of Rome 383 BCE Second Buddhist Councel at Vesali. ... The Upanishad (उपनिषद्, Upaniṣad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ...

Bhagavad Gita in General

Lord Krishna to Arjuna: Behold My mystic opulence!
Artwork © courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

The discourse on the Bhagavad Gita begins before the start of the climactic battle at kurukshetra. It begins with the kshatriya prince Arjuna as he becomes filled with doubt on the battlefield. Realising who his enemies are; relatives, beloved friends, and revered teachers, he turns to his charioteer, Sri Krishna, an avatar of Sri Vishnu for advice. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x713, 74 KB)Source: [1] Fair use in Hinduism the photo is only being used for informational purposes. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x713, 74 KB)Source: [1] Fair use in Hinduism the photo is only being used for informational purposes. ... Krishna (IAST , the Sanskrit for dark or black) (see below), is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... In Hindu mythology, Arjuna is one of the heroes of the epic Mahabharata. ... Kurukshetra may refer to: The Kurukshetra war described in the Mahabharata, an Indian epic The town and district of Kurukshetra in the Indian state of Haryana This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... According to the code of Manu, a Kshatriya is a member of the military or reigning order, one of four varna within the Vedic system of four groups or castes. ... Krishna (IAST , the Sanskrit for dark or black - see below), is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... The 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu In Hinduism, an avatar or avatara (Sanskrit अवतार), is the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of an Immortal Being, or of the Ultimate Supreme Being. ... For other uses of the name Vishnu, see Vishnu (disambiguation). ...

Krishna counsels Arjuna, beginning with the tenet that since souls are immortal, their deaths on the battlefield are just the shedding of the body, which is not the soul. Krishna goes on to expound on the yogic paths of devotion, action, meditation and knowledge. Fundamentally, the Bhagavad Gita proposes that true enlightenment comes from growing beyond identification with the ego, the little self, and that one must identify with the truth of the immortal Self, the soul or Atman, the ultimate divine consciousness. Through detaching from the personal ego, the yogi, or follower of a particular path of yoga, is able to transcend his mortality and attachment for the material world and see the infinite. Krishna (IAST , the Sanskrit for dark or black - see below), is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... In Hindu mythology, Arjuna is one of the heroes of the epic Mahabharata. ...

To demonstrate the infinity of the unknowable Brahman, Krishna gives Arjuna a glimpse of cosmic sight and allows the prince to see Him in all his divine glory. He reveals that He is fundamentally both the ultimate essence of being in the universe and also its material body. This is called the Vishvarupa/Viratrupa. Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ...

Among the great sages and philosophers who have drawn inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who initiated public singing of the "Hare Krishna" mantra. Deities of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (right) and Sri Nityananda (left) at Radha-Krishna temple in Radhadesh, Belgium Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST ) (Bangla ) (1486 - 1534), was an ascetic Hindu monk and social reformer in 16th century Bengal, India (present-day West Bengal and Bangladesh). ...

American physicist and director of the Manhattan Project J. Robert Oppenheimer, upon witnessing the world's first atomic blast in 1945, is reported to have misquoted "I am become Death, the shatterer of worlds," from the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 11, Verse 32. Control panels and operators for calutrons at the Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. ... J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, served as the first director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, beginning in 1943. ... An early stage in the Trinity fireball. ...

The dynamic Swami Vivekananda, the follower of Sri Ramakrishna known for his seminal commentaries on the four yogas, Bhakti, Jnana, Karma and Raja Yoga, also drew from his knowledge of the Gita to expound on them. Swami Sivananda advises the aspiring yogi to read verses from the Bhagavad Gita every day. Paramahamsa Yogananda, writer of the famous "Autobiography of a Yogi," viewed the Bhagavad Gita as one of the world's most divine scriptures, along with the Four Gospels of Jesus. Introduction Swami Vivekananda (Narendranath Dutta) (January 12, 1863 - July 4, 1902) is considered one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the Hindu religion. ... Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (Bangla: রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস), born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay (Bangla: গদাধর চট্টোপাধ্যায়) , (February 18, 1836 - August 16, 1886) was one of the most important Hindu religious leaders of India, and is deeply revered by many Hindus to this date. ... // Yoga practice and intention Modern yoga practice often includes traditional elements inherited from Hinduism, such as moral and ethical principles, postures designed to keep the body fit, spiritual philosophy, instruction by a guru, chanting of mantras (sacred syllables), quietening the breath, and stilling the mind through meditation. ... Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887-1963), as he is known under his monastic name, was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, Tamil Nadu, India. ... Mukunda Lal Ghosh (January 5, 1893 in Gorakhpur, in northern India - March 7, 1952), better known as Paramahansa Yogananda, was a Bengali yogi and guru. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus the Nazarene, is the central figure of Christianity, in which context he is known as Jesus Christ (from Greek Ιησούς Χριστός) with Christ not being a name but rather a title meaning Anointed One. He is also considered a very important prophet in...

Bhagavad Gita as a Yoga Scripture

The Gita describes the best yogi as one who constantly thinks of God. The Gita addresses the discord between the senses and the intuition of cosmic unity. It speaks of the yoga of equanimity, a detached outlook. The term yoga covers a wide range of meanings, but in the context of the Bhagavad Gita it describes a unified outlook, serenity of mind, skill in action, and the ability to stay attuned to the glory of the Self (Atma), which is of the same essence as the basis of being (Brahman). According to Krishna, the root of all suffering and discord is the agitation of the mind caused by desire. The only way to douse the flame of desire is by stilling the mind through discipline of the senses and the intellect. // Yoga practice and intention Modern yoga practice often includes traditional elements inherited from Hinduism, such as moral and ethical principles, postures designed to keep the body fit, spiritual philosophy, instruction by a guru, chanting of mantras (sacred syllables), quietening the breath, and stilling the mind through meditation. ... // Yoga practice and intention Modern yoga practice often includes traditional elements inherited from Hinduism, such as moral and ethical principles, postures designed to keep the body fit, spiritual philosophy, instruction by a guru, chanting of mantras (sacred syllables), quietening the breath, and stilling the mind through meditation. ...

However, abstinence from action is regarded as being just as detrimental as extreme indulgence. According to the Bhagavad Gita, the goal of life is to free the mind and intellect from their complexities and to focus them on the glory of the Self by dedicating one's actions to the divine. This goal can be achieved through the yogas of meditation, action, devotion and knowledge.

Krishna summarizes the Yogas through eighteen chapters. There are four kinds of Yoga: Raja Yoga or psycho-physical meditation, Bhakti Yoga or devotion, Karma Yoga or selfless action, and Jnana (pronounced gyaan) Yoga or self-transcending knowledge. Other forms that exist today sprang up long after the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutras and are all essentially forms of Raja Yoga.

While each path differs, their fundamental goal is the same: to realize Brahman (the Divine Essence) as being the only truth, that the body is temporal, and that the Supreme Soul (Paramatman) is infinite. Yoga's aim (nirvana, moksha) is to escape from the cycle of reincarnation through realization of oneness with the ultimate reality. There are three stages to self-realisation enunciated from the Bhagavad Gita:

1. Brahman - The impersonal universal energy

2. Paramatma - The Supreme Soul sitting in the heart of every living entity.

3. Bhagavan - God as a personality, with a transcendental form.

Here are some quotations from Lord Krishna that make up history's first real yoga text and give comprehensive definitions of the four principle yogas:

On The Goal Of Yoga

"When the mind comes to rest, restrained by the practice of yoga, and when beholding the Self, by the self, he is content in the Self." (B.G., Chapter 6, Verse 20) | " He who finds his happiness within, his delight within, and his light within, this yogi attains the bliss of Brahman, becoming Brahman."

On Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is simply service in love and devotion to God (Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita). The teaching of Bhakti thus bears some resemblance to finding salvation in Christ through love.

"I consider the yogi-devotee - who lovingly contemplates on Me with supreme faith, and whose mind is ever absorbed in Me - to be the best of all the yogis." (B.G., Chapter 6, Verse 47) "After attaining Me, the great souls do not incur rebirth in this miserable transitory world, because they have attained the highest perfection." (B.G., Chapter 8, Verse 15) "... those who, renouncing all actions in Me, and regarding Me as the Supreme, worship Me... For those whose thoughts have entered into Me, I am soon the deliverer from the ocean of death and transmigration, Arjuna. Keep your mind on Me alone, your intellect on Me. Thus you shall dwell in Me hereafter." (B.G., Chapter 12, Verses 6-8) "And he who serves Me with the yoga of unswerving devotion, transcending these qualities [binary opposites, like good and evil, pain and pleasure] is ready for liberation in Brahman." (B.G. Chapter 14, Verse 26) "Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer service to Me, bow down to Me, and you shall certainly reach Me. I promise you because you are My very dear friend." (B.G., Chapter 18, Verse 65) "Setting aside all meritorious deeds (Dharma), just surrender completely to My will (with firm faith and loving contemplation). I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not grieve." (B.G., Chapter 18, Verse 66) Surrender in religion means that a believer completely gives up his own will and subjects his thoughts, ideas, and deeds to the will and teachings of a divine power or deity. ...

On Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is essentially acting, or doing one's duties in life as per his/her dharma or duty, without desire or expectation of reward - a sort of constant sacrifice of action to the Supreme. It is action done without thought of gain. In a more modern interpretation, it can be viewed as duty bound deeds done without letting the type of result affect your action. It is said that the results can be of 3 types, a. as aimed for, b. opposite of what is aimed for and c. a mixture of these. If one can perform his duties (as prescribed in the Vedas) without any anticipation of the result of his actions, he is bound to succeed. It includes, but is not limited to, dedication of one's chosen profession and its perfection to God. It is also visible in community and social service, since they are inherently done without thought of personal gain. Dharma (Sanskrit, roughly law or way) is the way of the higher Truths. ... The Vedas (Sanskrit:- वेद), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo Aryan religious literature that are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ...

Example: If one is playing tennis on the tennis court his duty is to play as well as he can. If he is a Karma Yogi, the loss of a few points will not hamper his enthusiasm and energy for the rest of the game, but if he is not then he will start getting tense, nervous, self-conscious, etc. and is then bound to make mistakes and lose anyway. This is a simple example of Karma Yoga for a layman. In religious organizations , the laity comprises all lay persons, i. ...

"With the body, with the mind, with the intellect, even merely with the senses, the yogins perform action toward self-purification, having abandoned attachment. He who is disciplined in yoga, having abandoned the fruit of action, attains steady peace..." (B.G. Chapter 5, Verses 11-12)

On Nishkam Karma Yoga

Lord Krishna advocates Nishkam Karma Yoga as the Yoga of selfless action, as the ideal path to realize the truth. Allocated work done without expectations, motives, or thinking about its outcomes tends to purify one's mind and gradually makes an individual fit to see the value of reason and the benefits of renouncing the work itself. In order to achieve true liberation it is important to control all mental desires and tendencies to enjoy and sense pleasures.

On Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga is a process of learning to discriminate between what is real and what is not, what is eternal and what is not eternal. Through a steady advancement in realization of the real and the unreal, what is eternal and temporal, one develops into a Jnana Yogin. This is essentially a path to God through knowledge and discrimination, and has been described as being the "shortest, and steepest" path to God: the most difficult one.

"When he perceives the various states of being as resting in the One, and from That alone spreading out, then he attains Brahman. / They who know, through the eye of knowledge, the distinction between the field and the knower of the field, as well as the liberation of beings from material nature, go to the Supreme." (B.G. Chapter 13, Verses 31-35).

On Raja Yoga

Raja Yoga is, in general, stilling of the mind and body through meditating techniques, geared at realizing one's true nature. This practice was later described by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. This article is in need of attention. ...

" Establishing a firm seat for himself in a clean place... having directed his mind to a single object, with his thought and the activity of the senses controlled, he should practice yoga for the purpose of self-realization. Holding the body, head and neck erect, motionless and steady, gazing at the tip of his own nose and not looking in any direction, with quieted mind, banishing fear, established in the brahmacharin vow of celibacy, controlling the mind, with thoughts fixed on Me, he should sit, concentrated, devoted to Me. Thus, continually disciplining himself, the yogin whose mind is subdued goes to nirvana, to supreme peace, to union with Me." (B.G., Chapter 6, Verses 11-15)

Overview

In many ways seemingly a heterogeneous text, the Gita is a reconciliation of many facets and schools of Hindu philosophy of both Brahmanical (i.e., orthodox, Vedic) origin and the parallel ascetic, yogic tradition. It comprises primarily Vedic (as in the four Vedas, as opposed to the Upanishads/Vedanta), Upanishadic, Samkhya and Yoga philosophy. It has stood the test of time, bringing together all four thought systems by taking their largely cohesive, common ideologies and backgrounds into the powerful Sanskrit verse of one text. Here the underlined vowels carry the Vedic Sanskrit udātta pitch accent. ...

It had always been a creative text for Hindu priests and yogis in India. Although not strictly part of the 'canon' of Vedic writings, almost all Hindu sects draw upon the Gita as authoritative. Some claim that it may have been inserted into the Mahabharata at a later date, but this is only natural as it sounds more like an Upanishad (which are commentaries that followed the Vedas) in thought than a Purana (histories), of which tradition the Mahabharata is a part, which are quite absurd.

For its religious depth, quintessential Upanishadic and Yogic philosophy and beauty of verse, the Bhagavad Gita is one of the most compelling and important texts to come out of the Hindu tradition. Indeed, it stands tall among the world's greatest religious and spiritual scriptures.

See also

• Bhagavad Gita As It Is
• Mahabharata

The Bhagavad-Gita As It Is (BGAIS) is the translation and commentary of the Bhagavad Gita (BG) by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ...

References

• Complete Bhagavad-Gita in Sanskrit with Devanagari script and vocals.[1]
• Bhagvad Geeta source text in Sanskrit/Devnagari at Wikisource
• Full text in Sanskrit with Devanagari (Wikisource)
• English translation by Kâshinâth Trimbak Telang (Wikisource)
• English translation by Sir Edwin Arnold (Wikisource)

External links: the text and translations

The Bhagavad Gita is quickly becoming one of the most popular religious texts in translation with numerous readings and adaptations of its 700 verses in many languages having come out, especially with its exposure to the world outside of India.

Traditionally the commentators belong to spiritual traditions or schools (sampradaya) and guru lineages (parampara) which preserve the teaching in pure form. Thus traditions stemming from Krishna himself are considered the most faithful to the original message. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Parampara denotes a long succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture. ... Krishna (IAST , the Sanskrit for dark or black - see below), is according to common Hindu tradition the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ...

It should be kept in mind that different translators and commentators have widely differing views on what multi-layered Sanskrit words and passages truly signify and their best possible presentation in English depending on the sampradaya they are affiliated to. Especially in modern times in the West different authors have come up with a wealth of diverse interpretations that often do not agree with the traditional views, the reason behind this again their background and their intrinsic views which are still well rooted in the Western culture. Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is a classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ...

Though overall the Gita features Sanskrit that is fairly easily comprehensible, translations of the original Sanskrit text may at times be inaccurate on account of the lack of appropriate corresponding terminology.

English translations and commentaries

• [2] Audio recitations of the Bhagavad-Gita in MP3 spoken in 15 languages and sung in Sanskrit, plus introductions of the Bhagavad-Gita from the four authorised samparadayas. Also articles on Bhagavad-Gita from the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya disciplic succession.
• Gita Supersite Multilingual Bhagavadgita with translations, classical and contemporary commentaries and much more.
• Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C._Bhaktivedanta_Swami_Prabhupada
• Online Bhagavad Gita by Srila Prabhupada

• Srimad Bhagavad-Gita Overview by Jagannath Das [3]
• Introduction
• Swami Chinmayananda translation and commentary
• Sir Edwin Arnold translation
• Kashinath Trimbak Telang translation
• Mahatma Gandhi translation and interspersed commentary
• Swami Nirmalananda Giri translation in metered verse for singing.
• Dr. Ramanand Prasad translation
• Sanderson Beck translation
• Swami Tapasyananda translation
• William Quan translation
• Steven J. Rosen, Gita on the Green: The Mystical Tradition Behind Bagger Vance (New York: Continuum International, 2000)

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (September 1, 1896–November 14, 1977) was born Abhay Charan De, in Kolkata, West Bengal. ...

Audio

• Verses in Sanskrit Devnagari, transliteration, word-for-word translations, verse translations and accompanying chants in Realaudio
• Recitation of verses in Sanskrit (downloadable mp3s)
• Bhagavad Gita in streaming Realaudio

Pictures and selected verses

• [4]

Selections

• Devanagri Sanskrit transliterations and Hare Krishna-influenced Sanskrit-to-English translations for all 700 verses
• Gita excerpt from the Mahabharata by Kisari Mohan Ganguly (published between 1883 and 1896), the most comprehensive English translation to date

Eknath Easwaran's poetic translation

• The Way of Love
• The Illumined Man
• What Is Real Never Ceases
• Whatever You Do
• Be Aware of Me Always

Miscellaneous

• Vedantic commentary on the Gita.
• International Gita Society
• Gita4free.com

Gujarati

• Saral Gita - translation of Bhagavad Gita alongwith sanskrit verses, mp3 audio of select chapters

External links: Commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita

• Six commentaries - Adi Sankara, Ramanuja, Sridhara Swami, Madhusudana Sarasvati, Visvanatha Chakravarti and Baladeva Vidyabhusana (Roman transliteration of Sanskrit)
• Bhagavad Gita introduction lecture by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• Commentary on the Gita by Swami Nirmalananda Giri
• Bhagavad Gita with Commentaries by Vladimir Antonov

External links: Quotes from the Bhagavad Gita

• Maharshi Gita Verses from the Bhagavad Gita arranged by Ramana Maharshi to give its essential meaning.
• http://home.att.net/%7Es-prasad/geeta.htm

• [5] Live Happily the Gita Way, in a sequence of 12 lectures, by profvk

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Bhagavad Gita