Gita

The Bhagavad Gita, commonly called the Gita, is a 700-verse Sanskrit scripture that forms part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It is presented as a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and his charioteer, who is revealed to be the god Krishna. The setting is the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where Arjuna faces a moral crisis about fighting his relatives, teachers, and friends.

Traditionally attributed to Vyasa, the text’s exact dating is uncertain, with scholars placing its composition from the early centuries BCE to the early centuries CE. The Gita consists of 18 chapters, each framed as a yoga or path to spiritual realization, and it discusses several approaches to spirituality within a single convergent framework.

The core themes include dharma (duty/ethical obligation), the nature of the self (atman), and the ultimate reality (Brahman or Krishna as God). It offers guidance on how to live a righteous life while addressing action, knowledge, devotion, and detachment. Prominent concepts include karma yoga (the path of selfless action), bhakti yoga (the path of devotion), and jnana yoga (the path of knowledge), along with discussions on the transient nature of the material world and the immortality of the soul.

Influence of the Gita extends beyond religious thought to Indian philosophy and ethics. It has been widely studied and commented upon within various schools, including Vedanta and Yoga, and has had a lasting impact on both traditional and modern interpretations of spirituality, morality, and leadership. It remains a foundational text in Hindu thought and a widely read philosophical work.