The Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God") is an
important Sanskrit Hindu scripture. It is revered as a sacred scripture of
Hinduism, and considered as one of the most important religious classics of the
world. The Bhagavad Gita comprising 700 verses, is a part of the
Mahabharata. The teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Krishna, who is regarded
by the Hindus as the supreme manifestation of the Lord Himself, and is referred
to within as Bhagavan—the divine one. The Bhagavad Gita is commonly referred to
as The Gita for short.
The content of the Gita is the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna taking
place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war. Responding to
Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a
warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic and Vedantic
philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita often being
described as a concise guide to Hindu philosophy and also as a practical,
self-contained guide to life. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi describes it as a lighthouse
of eternal wisdom that has the ability to inspire any man or woman to supreme
accomplishment and enlightenment. During the discourse, Krishna
reveals his identity as the Supreme Being Himself (Svayam bhagavan),
blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring vision of his divine universal form.
- Excerpted from the Wikipedia
