The Bhagavad-Gita for Children and Beginners

by Ramananda Prasad

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA For Children and Beginners(Economy Edition, In English and Hindi)Premier Modi of India receiving our Over 5011, ***** Stars reviews Chinese Bhagavad-Gita in China. (Ninth print in China, Oct 2015-May 2018) ******* (PICTURE GIVEN IN THE BOOK)To read more about the picture above, Click this Link: www.gita-society.com/pdf/china.pdfWith Introduction, A Lucid, Simple EnglishRenditions of over 200 Simpler Gita Verses, Illustrated With 26 Stories and 14 images.Suitable For Children Grades 8th and above as well as for the beginners.A simple meditation technique and mantras are included. Appendix of easy to read all 700 Sanskrit Verses of the Gita in Devanaagari. you may also add a dedication page for bulk distribution in loving memory of your dear ones.

Genres: Religion, Spirituality

98 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2012

About the author

Dr. Prasad, a 1959 Engineering graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, India, obtained his M.S. degree from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. He has his roots in Bihar (India) near Bodh Gaya. He has worked in research, teaching, several Consulting Engineering firms, as well as State and Federal Governments in the U.S.A. He worked as a supervisor at the Western Division of the U.S. Navy before his retirement in year 2000. He is also a professor of Civil Engineering at the San Jose State University and an adjunct professor of Religion and Psychology at the Graduate College of the Union Institute of Cincinnati, Ohio. He has published several papers in the Journals of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dr. Prasad wishes to acknowledge the immeasurable contributions made to his spiritual life by his gurus under whose guidance he had an opportunity and privilege to start the study of the Gita, and KriyaYoga. They are: Swami Prabhupada, Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Dayananda Sarasvati of Rishikesh, Swami Harihar, and Paramahamsa Hariharanandaji.

Dr. Prasad is the founding member of several non-profit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area such as the Vedic Dharma Samaj that now runs the Fremont Hindu temple, Ramayan Sabha, and the Universal Yoga Center of San Francisco. He founded the International Gita Society in 1984 whose aim is to serve the humanity through the teachings of the Bhagwad Geeta and other scriptures, and to establish harmony between all cultures, races, religions, and faith of the world through the immortal teachings of all great masters, and major scriptures. His English translation "The Bhagwad Geeta (The Sacred Song)", now in its Fourth Edition, has been translated in the following languages: Hindi, Dutch, French, Portuguese, and Spanish and is available free on the internet. He is helped by his wife Sadhana Prasad, a great devotee of Lord Shiva. He has one daughter, Mrs. Reeta Raina, married to Dr. Abhinav Raina, M.D.; and one son, Sanjay Prasad who directs the activities of the IGS and plans to become a Doctor of Dentistry.

Dr. Prasad retired in March 2000 to devote full-time propagating the message of Gita with the help and cooperation of like minded persons and organizations.

Reviews

[DivyaRani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written it for children but Good choice for first-time readers.

[Sujin Balakumaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful starter edition and equally good for Children and First Time readers. It has some methods also to practice and I am sure people will benefit.

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good attempt at presenting a deep, complex text, such as the Bhagavad Gita, in a form that's readable by "children", young adults and beginners. The title is a little misleading, since with words & terms such as "Self-Realization, austerities, arrogance, meditation" etc.. it's certainly not a kid's book by any means. There are almost zero pictures throughout, and only black/write text. There's also quite a lot of jargon, Sanskrit terms, and concepts that do require a glossary or background knowledge. That said, the book is relatively short (97 pages large print), and a decent commentary of what the Gita is speaking about in general terms.
The general chapters of the Gita are arranged here in a dialogue between a grandmother and grandson, in an attempt to explain each chapter's story line, 'moral', and summary. Rather than a direct translation, chapters include quotes from the Gita, and some explanation in the author's own words. So, this book is more of a commentary than an actual presentation of the Bhagavad Gita.
I liked the author's use of stories outside of the Gita to illustrate points, (taken from the larger Mahabharata (and even from other sources such as Aesop's fables)). It was also nice to have the author include some background info on great personages in the Vedanta / Hindu tradition, such as Sri Adi Shankara. Although, strictly speaking, these tangents didn't have a lot to do with the Bhagavad Gita or story line between Arjuna and Sri Krishna, per se. Some of the chosen 'side' stories tend to be overly moralistic and presenting views that seem to back up the author's idea of what the Gita is speaking about, but which, in actual fact, have little do with the actual Gita story line (which of course, can be interpreted in many ways).
Overall though, I feel this is a helpful attempt at trying to explain the gist of the Gita (and general Hindu thought), along with many of its key concepts, in a way that is readable and interesting for young adults and beginners. Hopefully, such a work can inspire readers to obtain a direct translation of the Bhagavad Gita itself (there are many good translations) for further study and contemplation (which I would highly recommend as a part of any spiritual training).

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this as a companion to studying the Bhagavad Gita on a college course, and I'm really glad I did. The themes given to each chapter and the summaries on each one gave me some mental idea to hold onto as part of beginning to understand each chapter in turn. He also weaves in parables from other texts in the tradition that support the ideas in the Bhagavad Gita. The narrative between grandson and grandmother is sometimes a bit forced and cliché, I rolled my eyes more than once, but its useful as a study tool. Don't be fooled by the 'for children' subtitle — he goes right in with conversations about nondualism and detailed definitions of Sanskrit terminology.

[Eve]

This book allows children to experience one of the world's most influential religious texts. Children learn the basic beliefs of Hinduism, and, after reading, will also be able to understand important religious references.

[Bagus · Rating 5 out of 5]

An answer for a beginner. Enlightening.

[sugandha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book to read , especially for kids

Read it today! My 7 year old son loved to read it.We read one chapter everyday. Good book to treasure!

[Srikantadatta Tagadur · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book for beginners who are interested in exploring the secrets for a happy and purposeful life. The author has beautifully condensed the essence of the epic scripture and conveys the message flawlessly through fascinating stories.

[Beatrix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great beginner's book for any age.

[Andrea Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant for any adult wanting to understand the Bhagavad-Gita in a simple way. Certainly a book I want to read again.

[McKenzie Ballo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite helpful primer before I read the actual text. Honestly it makes me want to read more spiritual books for children because the simplicity makes it really easy to absorb!

[Ne14reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Namaste 🙏