Bhagavad Gita A Handbook for Students

THE Gita is one of the most authoritative sources of Hindu doctrine and ethics, and is accepted as such by Hindus of all denominations. A study of even selections from it, strengthened by earnest meditation, will enable young men and women to understand the religion of our fathers, which is the background of all the noble philosophy, art, literature and civilization that we have inherited.

There are many excellent translations of the Gita in English and in the Indian spoken languages. For scholars, the commentaries of Sri Sankaracharya and other great religious teachers are mines of knowledge before which any modern notes are but chaff. The following pages are intended for students who have not the equipment and time for studying the original text with any of these great commentaries.

Though The Gita is a chapter in the Mahabharata, one should note that the Gita, as a scripture of Hinduism, stands apart from the Mahabharata. The context has rightly receded into insignificance and has practically disappeared in orthodox Hindu interpretation. To take the battle of Kurukshetra literally and to interpret all that is said in the Gita in the light of the motive of the particular scene would not only not help the student to understand the Gita aright, but may even lead him to error.