Bhagvad gita as it is
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- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
- ISBN：9384564192
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Summary
The translator provides a blend of literal accuracy and religious insight on the "Bhagavad-Gita"。 "Bhagavad-Gita" is universally renowned as the jewel of India's spiritual wisdom。 Spoken by Lord Krishna， the Supreme Personality of Godhead， to His intimate devotee Arjuna， the "Gita's" 700 concise verses act as a guide to the science of self-realization。 It explores revelations of man's essential nature， his environment and， ultimately， his relationship with God。
Reviews
Mrinal Saravate
，
Being a huge fan of mahabharata， I was too curious about Gita。 But probably I should not have read it in my twenties because I got disappointed with most part of this book。 ▪︎Most people say that this book has solutions to all your problems。 But instead I found that it tells you to blindly follow what Krishna is saying and you'll be happy。 Worship Krishna and all your problems will go away。 （？）▪︎Also I'm totally surprised with the hatred given to atheism in this book。 ▪︎And even after considerin Being a huge fan of mahabharata， I was too curious about Gita。 But probably I should not have read it in my twenties because I got disappointed with most part of this book。 ▪︎Most people say that this book has solutions to all your problems。 But instead I found that it tells you to blindly follow what Krishna is saying and you'll be happy。 Worship Krishna and all your problems will go away。 （？）▪︎Also I'm totally surprised with the hatred given to atheism in this book。 ▪︎And even after considering the fact that this book is written in the era where men and women were not treated equally， I still got offended with the statements made about women by Krishna。▪︎Yet I've given this book three stars， because of course there were some good points also which I've appreciated。 。。。more
Dr。 Appu Sasidharan
，
（Reread Review- 2） The Bhagavad Gita is considered as the condensed form of complex philosophical texts， The Upanishads。 It is said to have all the essence of Vedas。 Bhagavad Gita means the Lord's song， and it can be seen in the 11th chapter of the Indian epic， The Mahabharata。Gita has Lord Krishna's conversation with his disciple， Arjuna， on the Kurukshetra battlefield。 This is considered one of the important religious texts of Hinduism。 But in my opinion， it can't be just considered as a h （Reread Review- 2） The Bhagavad Gita is considered as the condensed form of complex philosophical texts， The Upanishads。 It is said to have all the essence of Vedas。 Bhagavad Gita means the Lord's song， and it can be seen in the 11th chapter of the Indian epic， The Mahabharata。Gita has Lord Krishna's conversation with his disciple， Arjuna， on the Kurukshetra battlefield。 This is considered one of the important religious texts of Hinduism。 But in my opinion， it can't be just considered as a holy book for a single religion。 It is a treasure house of wisdom that will help every person irrespective of their caste， religion， and nationality。 I am a person who believes in the following quote by Tryon Edwards， "Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny。" Bhagavad Gita is my favorite book of all time。 Every day I start my daily routine by reading few pages from it in the morning and thinking about what I read for some time。 I believe that this habit has played a vital role in building up my character。 I have read multiple versions of the Bhagavad Gita。 Each one is unique in its own way。 This is a book that every human being must read at least once in their lifetime。 。。。more
J。P。 Bailey
，
This book is never off my shelf - I read from this book daily。 Do not think of the BG as simply a Hindu religious book， it really is a philosophy for every day life。 The BG's pages （beautiful Sanskrit alongside English translations）， are filled with the very solution for whatever situation us folks may find ourselves in as we try to make our way through this often very difficult world。 This read still brings me peace of mind and a happier countenance。 This book is never off my shelf - I read from this book daily。 Do not think of the BG as simply a Hindu religious book， it really is a philosophy for every day life。 The BG's pages （beautiful Sanskrit alongside English translations）， are filled with the very solution for whatever situation us folks may find ourselves in as we try to make our way through this often very difficult world。 This read still brings me peace of mind and a happier countenance。 。。。more
Denar
，
This translation was different from the previous one I read。 This version used simpler words than the Ravindra one。
Varsha Gopaulchan
，
As many critics below have mentioned， there are many flaws with this translation。 Firstly， the author states multiple times （including in the title） that his translation is devoid of any personal bias， interpretation or intent to sway the reader， instead focusing only on relaying the exact original meaning from the original Sanskrit written text。 Readers。。。。I have to roll my eyes。 I was beginning to get suspicious with his extreme Krishna-centric translation that pretty ignores some known facts As many critics below have mentioned， there are many flaws with this translation。 Firstly， the author states multiple times （including in the title） that his translation is devoid of any personal bias， interpretation or intent to sway the reader， instead focusing only on relaying the exact original meaning from the original Sanskrit written text。 Readers。。。。I have to roll my eyes。 I was beginning to get suspicious with his extreme Krishna-centric translation that pretty ignores some known facts about the "hierarchy" of Brahma's forms （I use the term hierarchy loosely）。 This all came to a head when I reached verse 40 of the first book and saw the author interpret this verse in a highly misogynistic light （I believe his translation claimed rather boldly that women are less intelligent than men and if the elder of a family dies， women will fall straight into the throes of deviance， lust and perversion as they are prone to）。 You could argue that this sentiment was simply a product of its times but other translators did not translate this verse in that manner and they had no reason not to。 I immediately researched reviews of this author in more depth and saw others calling him out for pushing his own agenda onto the translation。。。exactly what he swore this book avoided。 I didn't bother harping on this annoyance， I simply deleted my copy and downloaded Eknath Easwaran's translation which I have so far been enjoying。You may be wondering what my 2 stars are for and this is because， this book does include the actual Sanskrit verses as well as a direct translation。 For readers who are interested in seeing the Sanskrit alongside a literal translation this book may be the one for you （although I am sure other versions do this as well）。 。。。more
Silvio
，
Horrible Hare Krishna version。 Stopped reading after a （way too long） while。
Partth Jagtap
，
Most amazing books that covers all aspects of life。 A book that tells the art of living life。 It tells about soul， karma， how to achieve heavenly planet， how to be successful， how to behave。 Amazing book。 Read if you want to know more in deep about life。
Anjalica
，
Awesome my first time reading the Bhagavad-Gita。 So beautiful and so much knowledge and wisdom。 Beautiful glad I got the chance to read this precious book。
Frank Lawton
，
I mean sort of I read it。 I skipped 95% of Bhaktivedanta Swami's extrapolations cos they seemed like a him problem to me。 Read all of the direct translations though。 Otherwise whilst occasionally impossible for me to relate to， much of this book was awe inspiring and offered and incredibly uplifting conception of being。 Certain sectarian Hindu insertions， some of which seemed far too arbitrary to be possibly really tied into the universal and impartial reality of KSNA and KSNA consciousness。 Lik I mean sort of I read it。 I skipped 95% of Bhaktivedanta Swami's extrapolations cos they seemed like a him problem to me。 Read all of the direct translations though。 Otherwise whilst occasionally impossible for me to relate to， much of this book was awe inspiring and offered and incredibly uplifting conception of being。 Certain sectarian Hindu insertions， some of which seemed far too arbitrary to be possibly really tied into the universal and impartial reality of KSNA and KSNA consciousness。 Like reciting the vedic literatures specifically？ Why？ Like sacrificing with the proper ritualistic methods？ Some of it I could draw the non-subjective wider truth within but often I couldn't。 Regardless， the being of KSNA and the unique and profound breakdown of being was just awesome to digest and I will revisit this book for the rest of my life likely， probably sometimes looking at the author's surrounding info （/opinions）。 。。。more
Badescu Cristian
，
" Cand ma napadesc indoielile， cand deziluziile ma privesc drept in ochi si nu vad nici o raza de speranta la orizont， ma indrept spre Bhagavad-gita si gasesc un verset care ma linisteste; si imediat incep sa zambesc in mijlocul necazului care m-a coplesit。 Cei care mediteaza asupra Gitei vor obtine o bucurie si un nou sens in fiecare zi。 " - Mohandas K。 Gandhi - " Cand ma napadesc indoielile， cand deziluziile ma privesc drept in ochi si nu vad nici o raza de speranta la orizont， ma indrept spre Bhagavad-gita si gasesc un verset care ma linisteste; si imediat incep sa zambesc in mijlocul necazului care m-a coplesit。 Cei care mediteaza asupra Gitei vor obtine o bucurie si un nou sens in fiecare zi。 " - Mohandas K。 Gandhi - 。。。more
Shikha
，
This is the second time I have read the Gita， and I take little pride in saying that this was a total different experience than the previous one。 The only logical explanation to this is， that I have grown up since then。 I agree， that more than a religious book， the Bhagavat Gita should be taken as a way of life。 Even if you are not a religious person， it would still make a lot of sense。 Honestly， all the self-help books combined， is equal to the Bhagavat Gita。 However， to summarize the Gita will This is the second time I have read the Gita， and I take little pride in saying that this was a total different experience than the previous one。 The only logical explanation to this is， that I have grown up since then。 I agree， that more than a religious book， the Bhagavat Gita should be taken as a way of life。 Even if you are not a religious person， it would still make a lot of sense。 Honestly， all the self-help books combined， is equal to the Bhagavat Gita。 However， to summarize the Gita will probably take me whole another book and hence， here I write only the most constructive messages I take away from each chapter。Chapter 1:It is important to break the entitled mindset。 Man， by nature， believes that he deserves everything he wants。 Because of this ego， the man often practices to live in his delusional world。 He starts walking over people’s life only to get what he thinks he deserves。 However， if you are truly dedicated to your work and acknowledge the objective of your existence， put your ego aside and carry on with each day with an open mind of a child。 （Remember！ no one owes you anything in this world）。Chapter 2:Man is made omnipotent。 We already have within us what we seek outside of us。 For example， if I want to seek knowledge， my medium would be a good education， good books and knowledgeable partnerships。 I draw strength from these infinite sources。 However， it is important to realize that the strength is already within me。 （Remember！ We have problems in our lives only because we have inner strength to face them boldly）。 Chapter 3:If man can follow the path balanced by right knowledge and action， he/ she can be a leader for many。 Man， by nature is reactive to situations and people around。 However， if we seek knowledge constantly， it leads us to non-reactive behaviour towards another man’s actions。 Knowledge helps us to mind our own business and honestly do our actions。 （Remember！ You are answerable for your actions only）。Chapter 4:Furthering on knowledge， thriving for self – advancement through right action leads to wisdom。 Hence， this chapter stresses on never to stop doing right actions and never to stop seeking knowledge。 Chapter 5:One of my favourite chapters because it talks about meditation。 Meditation does not always mean yoga; man’s dedication to its work， actions， duties and responsibilities is a path to meditation。 This chapter makes us realize the importance of focus in our daily activities。 For example， even if you are doing a thoughtless job like sweeping the floor， if done with focus – is your meditation and hence， worship。 （Remember！ Work is worship）。Chapter 6:“…。mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and the soul is even higher than the intelligence”， says it all。Chapter 7:This chapter talks about practicing non attachment or absolute freedom。 The destination of peace and self-realization which we are all set out to achieve， is a rather longer path – called life。 It is necessary to understand absolute freedom， self and nature of action to go through this journey。Chapter 8:The concept of death and rebirth are highlighted in this chapter。 Man needs to acknowledge this cycle and the nature of its functioning。 Man cannot avoid his prominent presence in this cycle， but meditation， yoga and right actions can definitely prepare him for a peaceful endless future。Chapter 9:This chapter reveals the secret of how to attain wisdom and overcome suffering。 Man needs to have trust and faith in their beliefs。 Remember！ You are limited to your faith but your faith is not limited to only you。 This understanding is much larger than the belief itself。 And hence， man should never give up on faith and belief。 Chapter 10:Continuing of the previous chapter further， “The wise seek the self。 The ignorant disregard the Self and pursue the world with vain hopes and aspirations。 And go through the cycle of birth and death。 Thus humanity strives for material or spiritual goals。 The ignorant fulfil their mundane desires but never gain fulfilment in life。 Whereas， the wise pursuing the Self attain the state of absolute peace and bliss in Self-realization。” Chapter 11:Man must visualize the entire universe in a colossal， immeasurable form and yet realize the philosophical aspect of those theologies and cosmologies。 Chapter 12:This chapter is apologetic in favour of those who are unable to rise to a philosophical state （as explained in the other chapters）。Chapter 13:This chapter talks about the vision， which is not a static one。 There is no fixed mould into which the vision is supposed to fit。 The man who has the vision can see whatever he desires to see， according to his own conditionings。 Without conditioning， that is to say in the case of a man without religious or other prejudices， it is to be inferred that there is no vision， or that the vision is of no importance。 Chapter 14:This chapter informs that it is the domain of necessity or action which forms the subject。 Necessity has an irreducible minimum implicit in it which is itself eternal， and therefore has to be given due recognition in the context of the Absolute。 The Absolute which is merely conceived in terms of an idea has no power to release one from the bonds of nature。 It is simple neutrality between the dual aspects of the Absolute itself which helps in the release of the person seeking liberation through wisdom。Chapter 15:This chapters deals with very objective values in life in the ethical， religious and other fields。 The whole of chapter is devoted to what comes as revised way of life， which can be said to be neither orthodox nor heterodox， but in conformity with the recognition of the main subject， where the Spirit is lifted high above both relativist and non-relativist levels。Chapter 16:As a guide to conduct， it is necessary for each person to be able to recognize what is good from what is bad， in other words， to discriminate between the values belonging to life。 In this chapter there is an enunciation and description of values which have been divided and distinguished as belonging to the world of divinities and demons， from which we should understand references to higher and lower values。Chapter 17:On highlighting “faith”， it is divided into 3 levels: purest， mediocre and lowest。 This chapter explains how they relate to the type of foods， sacrifices， austerities and charity。 The nature of these practices helps determine the quality of faith。 A seeker uses them as disciplines to reach the ultimate reality。 Chapter 18:Action has to be understood in the context of wisdom。 Actions may thus help to lead Man in his spiritual progress from the lowest of levels in which he is caught in confusion and necessity up to the clear heights of a wisdom， which is both pure and practical。 Thought itself could be included in the highest values belonging to the context of action and inseparable from the being。 。。。more
Abhishek Karekar
，
Too much of explanation for every verse。At times it also feels like the book is trying to brainwash us by explanation too much of similar aspects repeatedly throughout the book。 It is better to read only the verses and their translations and read the explanations only when needed。Also， I did not find the Bhagvad Geeta to be as enlightening as I expected。 It is highly difficult or even impossible to live a life explained in Bhagvad Geeta。 Instead I feel that the epic of Mahabharata is much more p Too much of explanation for every verse。At times it also feels like the book is trying to brainwash us by explanation too much of similar aspects repeatedly throughout the book。 It is better to read only the verses and their translations and read the explanations only when needed。Also， I did not find the Bhagvad Geeta to be as enlightening as I expected。 It is highly difficult or even impossible to live a life explained in Bhagvad Geeta。 Instead I feel that the epic of Mahabharata is much more practical and enlightening than this。 。。。more
Anshuk Attri
，
DisclaimerThe review I am posting is of the translation， not of Gita itself。This disclaimer is mandatory because the one thing that religious people love more than claiming that they are non-violent is beating the hell out of someone talking about their religion。Short ReviewTLDR version:You might need to consult a separate translation of the Bhagvad Gita while reading this one。CommentsThis translation has been done by the founder of Hare Krishna Movement， and unsurprisingly it is very Krishna-ce DisclaimerThe review I am posting is of the translation， not of Gita itself。This disclaimer is mandatory because the one thing that religious people love more than claiming that they are non-violent is beating the hell out of someone talking about their religion。Short ReviewTLDR version:You might need to consult a separate translation of the Bhagvad Gita while reading this one。CommentsThis translation has been done by the founder of Hare Krishna Movement， and unsurprisingly it is very Krishna-centeric。 At times， the author replaces the word Brahman/Godhead/the Supreme with Krsna。He also added references to Krishna in places where there were none。For example， in Verse 8。7， the author transliterates the verse as，“therefore at all times， Me go on remembering fight also”but in the translation the author writes，“Therefore…you should always think of Me in the form of Krsna…”Moreover， the author uses words like transcendentalist/mystic for the word yogi。 It would have been better if after explaining the word yogi， the first time it appeared， he would have used it wherever it was appearing as it is。Additionally， I found the overall structure that the author has adapted a tad bit annoying。 The book contains the verse in Sanskrit， followed by an English transliteration， followed by the translation of the individual words of Sanskrit to English， followed by a free translation by the author。By following this method， the original structure of the verse is lost。 I would have preferred if the author had provided a more direct translation of the verse as a separate paragraph， instead of providing translation of each word of Sanskrit。 It’s difficult to read and makes the exercise seem like taking a language course。The purports can be skipped。 They mostly contain the author’s interpretation， and additional verses from other Hindu texts， which I would prefer reading by myself because the author uses them primarily to support a Krishna-centeric universe。I would recommend following a separate translation as you go through this book。 Many of them are available for free online and I found nearly all of them a much better translation than this one。Of Gita itselfPhilosophically Gita is similar to Stoicism， a branch of philosophy which I find the most appealing。 Therefore， I found it enjoyable， and its message timeless。Its overall message is to avoid materialism and to surrender yourself to the Supreme Being， the former of which is something that we need to hear more now than ever。 。。。more
Mandar Dahigaonkar
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Life transformative。 If there is one book which you're looking for to change your life for the better， then this has to be it。 It is a way of life。 Profound wisdom shared。 Life transformative。 If there is one book which you're looking for to change your life for the better， then this has to be it。 It is a way of life。 Profound wisdom shared。 。。。more
Mohita Sharma
，
（The review is for the interpretation not the holy book Shrimad Bhagavad Gita）。 May be this interpretation should be renamed to "As it is not"。 I have not finished reading the book but till now， the book is heavily focused on conversion and Iskcon philosophy。 For instance， the second chapter's name has been changed from Sankhya Yoga to Gita Saar （in the Hindi version of this book）。There are many shlokas where the interpretation is not linked to the meaning of shloka。 The literal meanings have be （The review is for the interpretation not the holy book Shrimad Bhagavad Gita）。 May be this interpretation should be renamed to "As it is not"。 I have not finished reading the book but till now， the book is heavily focused on conversion and Iskcon philosophy。 For instance， the second chapter's name has been changed from Sankhya Yoga to Gita Saar （in the Hindi version of this book）。There are many shlokas where the interpretation is not linked to the meaning of shloka。 The literal meanings have been altered in some places too。For instance2。41- vyavsayatmikta which means unwavering nature or resolute- has been changed to resolute krishna consciousness。 Mind you， this is in a shloka where Shri Krishna is asking Arjun to fight the war with an unwavering mind。 Chapter 3- Karma yoga has been explained as bhakti and not yoga of selfless action。 Shlok 3。10- the Shloka interpretation says that vishnu created this Earth， while the literal translation says that the earth was created FOR vishnu。 I'm simultaneously reading other translations by other authors and all of them say that Krishna speaks of Brahma having created humankind and Earth （in this shlok）。I feel that if someone wants to read Shrimad Bhagvad Gita， may be read some other version of it， atleast not this one。 。。。more
Stewart
，
"Finished" - I did not read all the commentaries。 Only where a passage was especially obvious or obscure did I indulge the Purports。 On to another translation "Finished" - I did not read all the commentaries。 Only where a passage was especially obvious or obscure did I indulge the Purports。 On to another translation 。。。more
Maya
，
it is the worst translation and commentary
Made Entong
，
Tafsir dan telaah sloka demi sloka dituliskan dengan lengkap dalam buku ini yang menjadikannya salah satu buku terbaik yang saya baca。
Tushar Sharma
，
“This book has answers to all your life’s problems” - I heard this saying and guess what this is 100% true
Hector Fazio
，
Shoro。
Samuel Norberg
，
Prabhupada is a religious fanatic and a sect leader misleading people into his sect by telling them that there is a shortcut to high levels of spiritual development by simply chanting hare krshna， people alway's look for shortcuts in everything and neglect the hard work required to get real results。It states that the Bhagavad Gita was spoken by God but it is clearly written by a human being。 Only a human being is capable of some of the stupid things that the book contain but considering that the Prabhupada is a religious fanatic and a sect leader misleading people into his sect by telling them that there is a shortcut to high levels of spiritual development by simply chanting hare krshna， people alway's look for shortcuts in everything and neglect the hard work required to get real results。It states that the Bhagavad Gita was spoken by God but it is clearly written by a human being。 Only a human being is capable of some of the stupid things that the book contain but considering that the book is 5000 years old it is not so wierd。Prabhupadaha is also a sexist and a racist， In one of his purports he recites from Caitanya: "women are not very intelligent and therefore not thrustworthy" His perspective is that of ancient times and he also believes that men are superior and that women are of lower birth rank than men。The Bhagavad Gita is a book full of wisdom but this version is pure hare krshna sectarian brainwashing， indoctrination， blind faith and dogma breeding religious intolerance。It also seems that Prabhupada justifies killing people in the name of religion and sacrificing animals early in the book saying that if you sacrifice an animal the animal will get an incarnation of a human being but at the same time he demonizes people that eat meat saying that they are sinful demons:"therefore， killing on the battlefield on religious principles and killing animals in the sacrificial fire are not at all considered to be acts of violence， because everyone is benefited by the religious principles involved" 。。。more
Rohan
，
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna， Krishna Krishna Hare Hare！！
Piyush
，
One of the best books， in my opinion。 The grand dad of all the self-help books。 After reading this， I'm more inclined towards spirituality and inner peace。 It gave me so many beautiful concepts to apply in my life。 It's a must read for everyone。"Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers。 - Bhagvad Gita 2。49""One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the three-fold miseries or elated when there is happiness; and who is free from attachment， fear and anger， is called a sage of One of the best books， in my opinion。 The grand dad of all the self-help books。 After reading this， I'm more inclined towards spirituality and inner peace。 It gave me so many beautiful concepts to apply in my life。 It's a must read for everyone。"Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers。 - Bhagvad Gita 2。49""One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the three-fold miseries or elated when there is happiness; and who is free from attachment， fear and anger， is called a sage of steady mind - Bhagvad Gita 2。56"No doubt it has been recommended by almost every spiritual teacher。 。。。more
David Rheinheimer
，
Lovely book， even if the subject is nominally to justify a great war。 Probably worth reading again。Seriously， though， one of the main things I got out of it （and it's the kind of book one should get something out of， aside from fun and/or facts） is the universal notion of different kinds of people。 Seriously， if all of us--and by "us" I mean Americans in particular--could read the Bagavad Gita we might all appreciate one another a little bit more and ease up on the us-vs-them nonesense taking ov Lovely book， even if the subject is nominally to justify a great war。 Probably worth reading again。Seriously， though， one of the main things I got out of it （and it's the kind of book one should get something out of， aside from fun and/or facts） is the universal notion of different kinds of people。 Seriously， if all of us--and by "us" I mean Americans in particular--could read the Bagavad Gita we might all appreciate one another a little bit more and ease up on the us-vs-them nonesense taking over the country。 。。。more
Avik Paul
，
This is the ultimate guide of life。
Emanuela
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Versione Sivananda e Raphael
Rajeshkumar Yadav
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No Person ever is capable enough of writing a review for the contents of bhagwad geeta。But I can say purport for every verse feels monotonous and makes the message boring and lengthy。 I would have preferred if I only had the original shlok and the translation that's it。。。 No Person ever is capable enough of writing a review for the contents of bhagwad geeta。But I can say purport for every verse feels monotonous and makes the message boring and lengthy。 I would have preferred if I only had the original shlok and the translation that's it。。。 。。。more
Siddiq Khan
，
One of the most thoroughgoing， gripping， lyrical explications of philosophical monism I have come across。 This is one to come back to again and again。 I had no idea of what yoga really means before I read this。 The attitudes and actions described here are of the highest order and， if adopted consistently， undoubtedly result in a good life， rightly understood。 It is claimed that the Buddha´s aim was identical to that set forth in these teachings， and that his innovation was to develop a practical One of the most thoroughgoing， gripping， lyrical explications of philosophical monism I have come across。 This is one to come back to again and again。 I had no idea of what yoga really means before I read this。 The attitudes and actions described here are of the highest order and， if adopted consistently， undoubtedly result in a good life， rightly understood。 It is claimed that the Buddha´s aim was identical to that set forth in these teachings， and that his innovation was to develop a practical means to achieve them。 Upon reading this， however， it seems that the means were never lacking to begin with; the innovations in meditation technique -- jhana， vipassana & metha among many many others （such as contemplation on corpses， on feces， on colours， on sutras， on mantras， etc） -- attributed to him may be more elaborate than those described in the foundational Vedic texts such as this， but it is clearly inaccurate to claim that they are the only way to get there （clearly others had arrived before by means such as described by Krishna to Arjuna or such texts would never have been written in the first place） or that the noble eightfold path alone is by itself actually adequate to the task -- given the vast numbers who seem to commit themselves to this path without getting anywhere near the goal。What is revealed in this text is a path that is itself the goal， a meditation that has no technique or limit in time and space， a yoga whose practice has nothing to do with stretching the body and everything to do with stretching the heart， mind and spirit。 。。。more
Rajan
，
Bhagwat Gita is one of the most inspiring book but for the passages on varnas which is the most unjust social/religious system in the world。This book， however， is pretty disappointing and overhyped。 You can find the Hare Krishna followers on many intersections of Delhi selling this book。 The commentary is lame and self-indulgent。 Adding Krsna consciousness in every third line does not help the matter。 This is a book promoting a cult and not Gita。I request everyone to read a translated version of Bhagwat Gita is one of the most inspiring book but for the passages on varnas which is the most unjust social/religious system in the world。This book， however， is pretty disappointing and overhyped。 You can find the Hare Krishna followers on many intersections of Delhi selling this book。 The commentary is lame and self-indulgent。 Adding Krsna consciousness in every third line does not help the matter。 This is a book promoting a cult and not Gita。I request everyone to read a translated version of the Gita （in Hindi or English） and draw your own conclusions。 。。。more
Erika O
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There are aspects of the teaching in the bhagavad gita， specifically ones in reference to class and women that are difficult to settle with the cultural sense of those concepts that I have been raised with。 Initially that was what thwarted my first reading attempt。 However upon finishing my second attempt I find the bhagavad Gita often in my thoughts。 It comes up to me in my mind when I look for gratitude as well as in strife， offering a window to look through and a method of detachment。 Whether There are aspects of the teaching in the bhagavad gita， specifically ones in reference to class and women that are difficult to settle with the cultural sense of those concepts that I have been raised with。 Initially that was what thwarted my first reading attempt。 However upon finishing my second attempt I find the bhagavad Gita often in my thoughts。 It comes up to me in my mind when I look for gratitude as well as in strife， offering a window to look through and a method of detachment。 Whether or not this means I devote myself to krsna consciousness is to be seen， but it is a widely studied text for a reason。 In the bhagavad Gita there are wisdoms to be found， advice for how to manage oneself and their feelings about others。 This is the only copy/translation of the bhagavad Gita that I have read， so my perspective on this subject is still narrow。 Swami prabhupada has a heavy hand in his interpretations & I found myself often skipping over them for just the verse translations upon my first read of each chapter。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Bhagvad gita as it is
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Bhagvad gita as it is&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Bhagvad gita as it is&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0