num_pages: 403
description: The Bhagavad Gita is published by The Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York which bases it teachings on the principles of Vedanta, or Hinduism. Hinduism teaches that every soul is potentially divine, and that its divinity may be manifested through worship, contemplation, unselfish work, and philosophical discrimination. According to Hinduism, Truth is universal and all humankind and all existence are one. It preaches the unity of the Godhead, or ultimate Reality, and accepts every faith as a valid means for its own followers to realize the Truth. The Bhagavad Gita, an important Hindu scripture, is one of the outstanding religious classics in the world. Its unique feature is the emphasis given to the discharge of duties, irrespective of their nature, as an effective discipline for the realization of God. The stage set for the teaching was a battlefield; the aspirant, a warrior chief, was blessed there with the vision of the Universal Spirit. The teacher was Sri Krishna, the Lord Himself incarnated in a human body. The Lord teaches through The Gita that if a man performs his duties, surrendering the fruit to God and discarding all selfish motives, he gains purity of heart and achieves ultimate liberation. It is knowledge of God that gives man the strength to face calmly and cheerfully the duties of life. The Gita shows the way to spiritualize life and illumine even its drab and grey phases with the radiance of the Spirit. The book also treats of such metaphysical problems as the nature of the universe, God, the soul, the hereafter. It lays down practical spiritual disciplines which can be followed by all, irrespective of faith and creed.The teachings of The Gita determined the spiritual culture of India during the many centuries from the close of the Upanishad period to the rise of Buddhism. Even today its influence on the spiritual life of India remains undiminished. The Gita inspires millions of Hindus in their search after God and Truth, and shows the way to the realization of peace and blessedness. The present translation, it is hoped, will help make this universal teaching available to the Western readers in this time of confusion and spiritual need.
language: English
title: Bhagavad Gita
titlecomplete: Bhagavad Gita
characters: King Dhrtarastra, Dronacharya, Dhrstadyumna, Sanjaya, Arjuna, Krishna
genres: History, Classics, Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Hinduism, Spirituality, Poetry, Theology, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 69443
places: India
publisher: Ramakrishna Vivekanada Center