Thoughts On The Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most important scriptures of the Hindus. The very fact that this scripture has been commented upon by innumerable saints only highlights its great importance. This being the case, readers would find it deeply interesting to know what Swami Vivekananda had to say regarding it. In the pages of this booklet are found those wonderful ideas and authoritative statements regarding Gita by one who was aptly fit to bring out the hidden significance and essence of this great scripture. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, India.

Swami Vivekananda’s views on the Bhagavad Gita are scattered throughout 'The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda' published in nine volumes. The present book, published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication branch of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, is an extensive compilation of these insightful views of Swami Vivekananda on this sacred scripture of the Hindus. The reader is, as it were, taken through several verses of the Gita along with the Swami’s elevating and soul-stirring commentary. Note: This book has embedded fonts to display the verses in Devanagari. You may have to use the 'Original' Font option in Google Play Books app. "... The book is certainly not a commentary on the Gita, in the traditional sense. But, what is available is indeed a treasure house of wisdom. Swamiji was a living embodiment of the Gita. According to him, the Gita was ‘practical Vedanta’. He demonstrated this through his life. Reading through the book is indeed a rewarding experience. One is in holy company, imbibing the words of one who is speaking from his heart. ... Just as Swamiji himself used to carry a copy of the Gita with him always, one cannot do better than carry a copy of this book with one always..." - from a Review in the Vedanta Kesari, November 2010, p.441 published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. As of February 2017, the print book has undergone seven reprints and more than 27,000 copies have been sold.

'The truth is, Partha,' Krishna said, 'that there is no "better" path. Both paths – the path of knowledge and the path of action – work just as well. It is up to you to pick the one that you are suited to.' The Bhagavad Gita is a profound book from India that people have cherished for over 2500 years. It emphasises kindness and understanding when we make mistakes, and tells a compelling story about Prince Arjuna and his friend Krishna. They engage in a crucial conversation about the war against the most powerful and dangerous enemy of all – the one that lives within our minds. Roopa Pai's spirited, one-of-a-kind retelling is engaging, easy to grasp, and leaves a lasting impact. After you finish reading, you'll find yourself contemplating its wisdom and feeling a sense of inner strength.

For centuries, readers have turned to the Bhagavad Gita for inspiration and guidance as they chart their own spiritual paths. As profound and powerful as this classic text has been for generations of seekers, integrating its lessons into the ordinary patterns of our lives can ultimately seem beyond our reach. Now, in a fascinating series of reflections, anecdotes, stories, and exercises, Ram Dass gives us a unique and accessible road map for experiencing divinity in everyday life. In the engaging, conversational style that has made his teachings so popular for decades, Ram Dass traces our journey of consciousness as it is reflected in one of Hinduism’s most sacred texts. The Gita teaches a system of yogas, or “paths for coming to union with God.” In Paths to God, Ram Dass brings the heart of that system to light for a Western audience and translates the Gita’s principles into the manual for living the yoga of contemporary life. While being a guide to the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, Paths to God is also a template for expanding our definition of ourselves and allowing us to appreciate a new level of meaning in our lives.

Among the several modern commentaries on the Gita, this one is unique in the sense it is both down to earth and fascinatingly erudite. In explaining every verse, the author, the 13th President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, relates its real connotation and significance to not only what Shankaracharya said in his introduction to the Gita, or how Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda interpreted it in terms of practical Vedanta, but also how it conforms to the thinking of some of the greatest Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.The author also takes the readers on an enlightening voyage of discovery, where they meet Buddha, Mahavir, Tao, Christ and most of the thinkers in the West and he relates their thought by an ingenious interaction with the message of Sri Krishna. Even scientists like Einstein, famous neurologists like Charles Sherrington and poets like Wordsworth and Shelley and philosophers like Julian Huxley and Bertrand Russell are brought in by the author to give the readers an in-depth understanding of this great scripture. The author weaves every verse into the requirements of modern life and throws light on how man should lead his life while involved in his daily chores and fulfil his duties in accordance with the philosophy of action as taught by Sri Krishna. The book contains the Sanskrit slokas in Devanagari script, their English transliteration, simple meaning in English followed by explanation in English.

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the leading texts on the practice of spirituality without abandoning life in the world. It forms 18 chapters within the epic Mahabharata and provides in its brief scope an extraordinarily concise review of the Yoga of Knowledge, Yoga of Devotion and Yoga of Works. At the same time, it represents a synthesis of Vedanta and Sankhya. Sri Aurobindo wrote his famous Essays on the Gita as a systematic review of the Bhagavad Gita. M.P. Pandit, the author of the current volume, has systematically presented Sri Aurobindo’s view of the Bhagavad Gita and its teachings. Major questions and issues are addressed. At the end there are a series of “gems” from Essays on the Gita to encapsulate Sri Aurobindo’s views on major concerns. M.P. Pandit was a prolific writer and lecturer, and a noted exponent of Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga, while at the same time having a deep grounding in the Gita, the Upanishads, the Veda and the Tantras.

Compiled and edited by Swami Atmashraddhananda The Bhagavad Gita is a treasure-house of wisdom. This booklet for students contains selection of relevant verses from the Gita for self-improvement in all its varied aspects—such as knowing one’s real nature, developing concentration of mind, overcoming negative thoughts, overcoming anger, evolving a healthy outlook towards life, building a strong and pure personality, and so on. This booklet contains twelve chapters with four Gita verses in each, and Swami Vivekananda’s appropriate, inspiring quotes have been added at the end of each verse. Besides, some interesting facts about the Bhagavad Gita and what great people said on it are included in this booklet. A few thematic pictures in between chapters add visual impact to this booklet.

The Bhagavad-Gita has the original Sanskrit Text with Roman Transliteration, and a lucid English Rendition. Concise and to the point commentaries of two hundred twenty seven selected key verses are provided. One hundred thirtythree verses are printed in red to enable the first-time readers to study these verses before delving deep into the vast ocean of transcendental knowledge. The teachings of saints and sages of major religious denominations as well as world leaders and scholars have been included. Quotations from the Vedas, Puranas, Upanisads, Smrtis, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhakti-sutras, Brahma-sutra, Yoga-sutra, as well as other major scriptures of the world such as the Bible, Dhammapad and Koran have been incorporated to underline the basic unity of all religious thoughts and to promote the universal brotherhood of mankind. Epilogue, references, Sanskrit transliteration and pro-nunciation guide, glossary and index are provided. A guide to meditation, beautiful pictures and Gita Calisa are included for daily sadhana.