What is the Bhagavad-Gita?
The Bhagavad-Gita is the eternal message of spiritual wisdom from ancient India. The word Gita means song and the word Bhagavad means God, often the Bhagavad-Gita is called the Song of God.
Why is the Bhagavad-Gita called a song if it is spoken?
Because its rhyming meter is so beautifully harmonic and melodious when spoken perfectly.
What is the name of this rhyming meter?
It is called Anustup and contains 32 syllables in each verse.
Who originally spoke the Bhagavad-Gita?
Lord Krishna originally spoke the Bhagavad-Gita.
Where was the Bhagavad-Gita originally spoken?
In India at the holy land of Kuruksetra.
Why is the land of Kuruksetra so holy?
Because of benedictions given to King Kuru by Brahma that anyone dying in Kuruksetra while performing penance or while fighting in battle will be promoted directly to the heavenly planets.
Where is the Bhagavad-Gita to be found?
In the monumental, historical epic Mahabharata written by Vedavyasa.
What is the historical epic Mahabharta?
The Mahabharata is the most voluminous book the world has ever known. The Mahabharata covers the history of the earth from the time of creation in relation to India. Composed in 100,000 rhyming quatrain couplets the Mahabharata is seven times the size of the Illiad written by Homer.
Who is Vedavyasa?
Vedavyasa is the divine saint and incarnation who authored the Srimad Bhagavatam, Vedanta Sutra, the 108 Puranas, composed and divided the Vedas into the Rik, Yajur, Artharva and Sama Vedas, and wrote the the great historical treatise Mahabharata known as the fifth Veda. His full name is Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa and he was the son of sage Parasara and mother Satyavati.
Why is the Mahabharata known as the fifth Veda?
Because it is revealed in the Vedic scripture Bhavisya Purana III.VII.II that the fifth Veda written by Vedavyasa is called the Mahabharata.
What are the special characteristics of the Mahabharata?
The Mahabharata has no restrictions of qualification as to who can hear it or read it. Everyone regardless of caste or social position may hear or read it at any time. Vedavyasa wrote it with the view not to exclude all the people in the worlds who are outside of the Vedic culture. He himself has explained that the Mahabharata contains the essence of all the purports of the Vedas. This we see is true and it is also written in a very intriguing and dramatically narrative form.
What about the Aryan invasion theory being the source of the Bhagavad-Gita?
The Aryan invasion theory has been proven in the 1990?s not to have a shred of truth in it. Indologists the world over have realized that the Aryans are the Hindus themselves.
What is the size of the Bhagavad-Gita?
The Bhagavad-Gita is composed of 700 Sanskrit verses contained within 18 chapters, divided into three sections each consisting of six chapters. They are Karma Yoga the yoga of actions. Bhakti Yoga the yoga of devotion and Jnana Yoga the yoga of knowledge.
When was the Bhagavad-Gita spoken?
The Mahabharata confirms that Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna at the Battle of Kuruksetra in 3137 B.C.. According to specific astrological references in the Vedic scriptures, the year 3102 B.C. is the beginning of kali yuga which began 35 years after the battle 5000 years ago.
What is the opinion of western scholars from ancient times?
According to the writings of both the Greek and the Romans such as Pliny, Arrian and Solinus as well as Megastathanes who wrote a history of ancient India and who was present as an eyewitness when Alexander the Great arrived in India in 326 B.C. was that before him were 154 kings who ruled back to 6777 B.C. This also follows the Vedic understanding.
When was the Bhagavad-Gita first translated into English?
The first English edition of the Bhagavad-Gita was in 1785 by Charles Wilkins in London, England. This was only 174 years after the translation of the King James Bible in 1611.
Was the Bhagavad-Gita also translated into other languages?
Yes. The Bhagavad-Gita was translated into Latin in 1823 by Schlegel. It was translated into German in 1826 by Von Humbolt. It was translated into French in 1846 by Lassens and it was translated into Greek in 1848 by Galanos to mention but a few.
What was the original language of the Bhagavad-Gita?
The original language of the Bhagavad-Gita was classical Sanskrit from India.
Why is Srimad often written before the Bhagavad-Gita?
The word Srimad is a title of great respect. This is given because the Bhagavad-Gita reveals the essence of all spiritual knowledge.
Is history aware of the greatness of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita?
Historically many very extraordinary people such as Albert Einsten, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Herman Hesse, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Aldous Huxley, Rudolph Steiner and Nikola Tesla to name but a few have read Srimad Bhagavad-Gita and were inspired by its timeless wisdom.
Who is qualified to read Srimad Bhagavad-Gita?
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana a 16th century saint from the Brahma Madhva Vaisnava Samparadaya has stated that those who are pious and reverent, those who are of controlled senses and those sincerely performing their daily spiritual duties are qualified to read Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.
What can be learned by the study of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita?
Mangal Lakshmi
