Hardev S Thakur

The Bhagavad Gita Hardev S Thakur

The present book contains text and translation of the Bhagavad Gita (or the Gita). One might wonder why a further translation is needed when hundreds of translations and even scholarly commentaries are already there. This suspicion of readers is quite genuine. No doubt, we have many translations and commentaries, but many of them suffer from defects like too voluminous or too scholarly. Quite often, we find that the Gita many times is explained, from beginning to end, with commentator's bias toward Bhakti (devotion) or Karma Yoga (yoga of action). Such translation becomes lopsided. My firm belief is that readers would be more interested in what His Highness Krishna himself said and meant. Such translation or commentary will do better justice to the job. Otherwise the Gita says or intends something else, the commentator says something else. After translating the Sama Veda and the Yajur Veda for lay readers, I felt excited to translate next the Bhagavad Gita, which acts as an invaluable link in the ancient Vedic tradition. The Gita embodies holistic vision which requires to be put before the readers in plain words, as far as it is possible. This book with only 200 pages, of course, avoids unnecessary details. After introductory sections on Samkhya, Dharma &c. there follows translation with text. In Appendices are provided: the story of Savitri-Satyavan from the Mahabharata (as an exemplar of practical Dharma); an excerpt on holy life from the Taittiriya Upanishad; and chapter 40 of the Yajur Veda (as precursor of the Bhagavad Gita). All this has been done to retain and demonstrate the holistic vision and comprehensive approach of the Gita. For some terms, a glossary is also provided at the end. I am very hopeful that the book should appeal to all readers in a meaningful way. Wish you happy reading!