Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic Mahabharata. It contains the conversation between Prince Arjuna and his guide and charioteer Lord Krishna.
Revealed Scripture·Smriti / Prasthanatrayi·Author: Veda Vyasa·700 shlokas·Language: Sanskrit·Composed: 5th–2nd century BCE
- The Bhagavad Gita is the most celebrated philosophical text of Hinduism — 700 verses of Krishna's teaching to Arjuna.
- It is embedded in the Bhishma Parva (chapters 23–40) of the Mahabharata, composed by Veda Vyasa.
- The Gita synthesises Jnana (knowledge), Bhakti (devotion), and Karma (action) as complementary paths to moksha.
- Its central teaching: perform your duty without attachment to results — Nishkama Karma.
- Krishna reveals His universal cosmic form (Vishvarupa) in Chapter 11 — one of the most dramatic passages in world literature.
- The Gita is part of the Prasthanatrayi — the triple canonical foundation of Vedanta along with the Upanishads and Brahma Sutras.
- Every major Vedanta school (Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, Akshar-Purushottam) has written a commentary on the Gita.
- It has influenced leaders across traditions — from Adi Shankaracharya to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi to J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Structural Organization
ParvaBook (Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata)→AdhyayaChapter (18 total)→ShlokaVerse (700 total)
Example: Bhagavad Gita 2.47 → Chapter 2, Verse 47 (Karmanye vadhikaraste)
Key Topics
Nishkama Karma
Desireless action — perform duty without attachment to fruit (BG 2.47)
Atman & Brahman
The eternal self is indestructible; it is never born and never dies (BG 2.20)
Yoga Paths
Karma Yoga (action), Jnana Yoga (knowledge), Bhakti Yoga (devotion) — all lead to liberation
Vishvarupa
Krishna's cosmic universal form revealed to Arjuna in Chapter 11
Gunas
Three qualities of Prakriti — Sattva, Rajas, Tamas — govern all beings (BG 14)
Moksha
Liberation through surrender to the Lord: 'Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja' (BG 18.66)
Key Figures
Krishna
The teacher — 8th avatar of Vishnu, charioteer and spiritual guide of Arjuna
Arjuna
The student — Pandava hero overcome by grief on the battlefield of Kurukshetra
Veda Vyasa
Author — compiled the Mahabharata including the Gita
Sanjaya
Narrator — describes the battlefield dialogue to King Dhritarashtra
Key Texts & Works
Shankaracharya's Gita Bhashya
Advaita commentary — Gita teaches non-dual knowledge (Jnana Yoga)
Ramanuja's Gita Bhashya
Vishishtadvaita commentary — Gita teaches loving devotion to Saguna Brahman
Madhva's Gita-Tatparya-Nirnaya
Dvaita commentary — Gita teaches eternal dependence on Vishnu
Lokmanya Tilak's Gita Rahasya
Modern commentary emphasising Karma Yoga as the Gita's central teaching