 Bhagavad Gita–The Book of Life
Several thousand years ago in north-central India, two people sat in a chariot in the midpoint of a great battlefield. One of them, the yogi Arjuna, knew that it would be not be long before the conflict would begin. So he asked Krishna, the Master of Yoga, what should be his attitude and perspective in this moment. And above all: What should he do?
There was no time to spare in empty words. In a brief discourse, later turned into seven hundred Sanskrit verses by the sage Vyasa, Krishna outlined to Arjuna the way to live an entire life so as to gain perfect self-knowledge and self-mastery.
The battle was ferocious and–as always with war–everyone lost. But when Vyasa wrote his epic poem, the Mahabharata, he put Krishna’s inspired words into it as a precious jewel. Instantly they were extracted, named The Song of God (Bhagavad Gita), and circulated throughout the subcontinent.
The Bhagavad Gita today
That was several thousand years ago, and today the Gita is found in every household in India and has been translated into every major language of the world. Literally billions of copies have been handwritten and printed. (A few years ago a spiritual organization in South Africa printed one million copies for free distribution!)
What is the appeal of the Gita? First of all, it is totally practical, free of any vague or abstract philosophy. During my first trip to India over forty years ago, I heard about a yogi who lived in a small houseboat on the Ganges river in the holy city of Benares (Varanasi). He never spoke or wrote; yet every day for many years people came to him for advice. How did he manage? He had a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, and after he was told the problem or question he would open the book and point to a portion. And the inquirer would have a perfect and complete solution to the trouble.
My own spiritual awakening began by kicking me out of the nest of comfortable religion into a vast world of realities I had no idea how to cope with. I floundered around in the sea of my new horizons until one day I bought a paperback edition of the Bhagavad Gita. I did not read it, I inhaled it. I was not reading the words of a long-dead teacher: my own Self was talking to me in the pages of that little book. Nor did I learn anything from the Gita–I remembered that which I had always known. Eternal Self spoke Eternal Truth. The Bhagavad Gita changed my life by giving me Life. Life that has never ended.
Nothing has ever arisen in my life, internal or external, that the Gita has not made clear and enabled me to deal with or understand. Yet is it not dogmatic. At the very end Krishna says to Arjuna: “Now I have taught you that wisdom which is the secret of secrets. Ponder it carefully. Then act as you think best.” No threats, no promises, no coercion. It is all in the reader’s hands. Even better: the Bhagavad Gita tells us that we can attain a Knowing beyond even what it tells us. And it shows us the way.
The Bhagavad Gita is a lifetime study, and it is extremely beneficial to read at least one chapter a day. Its meanings are virtually infinite, so that new things will be continually found within its seven hundred verses. Equally important is the Gita’s ability to continually point us in the right direction spiritually. Further, it conveys to us the necessary perspective for success in spiritual life. Although it presents the clearest philosophical principles, even more it provides us with the practical means for cultivation of higher consciousness.
However, we who are English-speaking have a problem: we only have access to the Gita in translations. And, translators being human, none have produced a completely perfect English version. For this reason we are planning to post several of the best English translations for your study.
 The text of the Gita posted below is arranged according to the meter of the original Sanskrit text so it can be sung–as it is done every morning in our ashram and in most of the ashrams of India.
To hear this text sung, in the melody we use, click here.
Chapters of the Bhagavad Gita:
Swami Swarupananda’s translation was printed in the early part of the twentieth century. Although Swarupananda was active in its preparation, it is really the work of Sister Nivedita (Margaret Noble) a disciple of Swami Vivekananda who spent the rest of her life in India after meeting the great Swami. Her work in India was mostly in education, but she also wrote some books and articles and made this translation. Why it was not printed under her name we are not sure. Perhaps it was because at that time the movement for independence was gaining momentum in India and a translation of India’s supreme scripture by a citizen of the oppressing country might not have been welcome. Also, the publication of any writings by a woman was totally unknown at that time–and therefore liable to disapproval.
Swami Sivananda’s translation is very evidently based on the Swarupananda translation, as in so many instances the wording is identical. (Actually, our version of the Gita arranged for singing is also based on Swarupananda, since it often has the same meter as the Sanskrit original.) Yet it has a value of its own as it reflects the illumined consciousness of this great twentieth-century Master.
The Song of God, Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood’s translation of the Bhagavad Gita, is unparalleled. First, its beauty of language is unique, making it absolutely memorable. Second, it is an interpretive translation, which makes it of double value because it is a commentary as well. Third is the translator himself. Swami Prabhavananda was a monk of the worldwide Ramakrishna Mission and head of the Vedanta Society of Southern California for many decades. Even more important, he was a disciple of Swami Brahmananda, the spiritual son of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the sage of Dakshineswar (a suburb of Calcutta).
We are pleased to announce that Swami Nirmalananda’s entire Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita is now available as a free PDF download. The endless spiritual treasures of this essential scripture have been mined by saints, scholars, and devotees throughout the ages. Through a unique combination of exhaustive study and scholarship, and insight and wisdom gleaned from personal experience, Swami Nirmalananda’s commentary offers new gems that will enrich all true seekers.
Read the Bhagavad Gita online: The English text of the Gita posted on this Web Site is arranged according to the meter of the original Sanskrit text so it can be sung–as it is done every morning in our ashram and in most of the ashrams of India.
and more as it is posted.
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