Bhagavad Gita

by C. Rajagopalachari

The Gita is one the most authoritative sources of Hindu doctrine and ethics and is accepted as such by Hindus of all denominations. A studying of even sections from it, strengthened by earnest meditation, will enable young students to understand the religion of their forefathers, which is the back ground of all noble philosophy, art, literature and civilization that we have inherited.

This book is very brief (only 121 pages) and is especially written for students in a very simple language. This book aims at a simplified presentation of the Gita content and bringing it within a small compass so as to enable the modern student to understand, in the midst of all other studies, the faith discipline and the ideals that lighted the path of their forefathers, and to which we have given the name Hinduism

Students of Indian universities know much less about the Gita and the principles of Hinduism than undergraduates of European universities know about the Bible and Chritianity. The present handbook is a welcome step towards correcting this sad situation.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Philosophy, Classics, Mythology, India, Hinduism

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer, and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India. He also served as leader of the Indian National Congress, Premier of the Madras Presidency, Governor of West Bengal, Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union, and Chief Minister of Madras state, and as such, he rendered yeomen service to the nation.

Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party and was one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. He vehemently opposed the use of nuclear weapons and was a proponent of world peace and disarmament. During his lifetime, he also acquired the nickname 'Mango of Salem'.

Rajaji was a great patriot, astute politician, incisive thinker, great visionary, and one of the greatest statesmen of all time. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, hailed as conscious-keeper of the Mahatma.

Rajaji was closely associated with Kulapati Munshiji and he was among the distinguished founder-members of the Bhavan (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan). The Bhavan has published 18 books by him so far, the copyright of which he gifted to the Bhavan.
Rajaji wrote not only in English but also in chaste Tamil, his mother-tongue. He was at his best as a short-story writer.

Rajaji passed away in 1972 at the age of 94.

Reviews

[Shankar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing re read of the Book of Immutable Truths. I am convinced that Hinduism is the most accommodating of religions.

This book is just 120 pages - and its import is life changing.

[Marcos Miguel Navarro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book with a beautiful poetry that explains Hindu philosophy in religious terms, by a beautiful myth.

[Tom Secret · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is The song of God! Beautiful!

[Nithesh S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple yet brilliant. C Rajagopalachari wrote this for beginners . I still consider myself to be one. Nevertheless what sets apart this book is moderation in the presentation of themes and classification of verses themwise instead of chapter wise classification done in the regular presentation. This eases the clutter and one sees the relationship between verses from different chapters and the theme attached to them. The author has written few but brief commentaries that are neither naive nor to preachy. One of the best books on The Gita .

[Sai Krishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not read it for religious purposes. I found this as the best self-help book for every youngster today. The wisdom of the ages composed in just 100 pages, in lucid language, by none other than C. Rajagopalachari. Not a book to be missed, especially if you want to feel positive in life.

[Shrinit Badiyani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is indeed as concise as a handbook should be and as interesting as a book for students ought to be. I read it for the first time when I was a student, a lazy one who wished to know more about life and this book promised to tell me in a very crisp language without praising the lord in every other sentence. The teachings and revelations about life actually did help me to get some clarity in life back then and the book still motivates me with the sweet nostalgia of how I started reading books.
Highly recommended!

[Namratha · Rating 3 out of 5]

My quest to grasp the essence of the Bhagavad Gita continues. I hoped to find the answer in this version because I have great faith in the simple yet profound prose of C.Rajagopalachari.

The quest, however, is still on.

[Arvid Flodin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jag tror att det är så här det känns att ta svamp och vara med i typ Joe Rogans podd. Och asså jag trodde att den skulle ha lite mera zen budskap liksom men den handlar liksom om en gud som genom långa religiösa historier försöker förklara för en stackars man att det är okej att attackera släktingar i krig. Chilla mannen! Inte zen!

[Chaitanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to start 2021 w/ a good book, something to really learn. I picked this book hoping it would be great and it delivered. The work is very self-aware and direct. Quite old-fashioned prose and very text book-y feel, but again very much intentional. C.R was not too preachy & kept the book very much for the beginners. He even mentioned about not clarifying certain aspects and quoting multiple references for the ease of reading in the later editions (ignoring recommendations from lot of people). He wanted it to be a handbook for the generations & I'm glad they kept it that way even for the 25th edition.

I definitely need to improve my Hindi to really read the Sanskrit verses. Also, reread to further expand on the knowledge. Its a great entry point into the world. C.R also acknowledged it should be our quest to learn more about Gita. And I'm really interested in reading multiple versions :)

I'll start a new shelf for all my rereads w/ this book. 5/5!

[Thomas Clowater · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a hard read. It is very much a religious text and not a novel. I have no intention of reading it again any time soon, but I'm glad I did regardless.

It feels quite repetitive, like every point made is made 10 times, but it's a fascinating piece of philosophy, especially coming from a Catholic background.

I was very disappointed that the book basically had no conclusion. Criticizing the story in something like this is as useful as criticizing the bible, but still, it has such a strong opening, and a totally abrupt non ending.

[Sam Kauffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful overview of the primary concepts espoused by the Bhagavad Gita. Organized in a logical way that aids the reader, the Gita’s approach to life is presented accessibly and fairly persuasively. Certainly some errors from a scientific point of view, but overall a likely helpful manner of living.

[Ravi K. Avadhanula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few important verses from each canto are explained in standard terms. Every chapter will give you many insights. Thinking every verse with deep focus bonuses you many ideas. A guide to realisation only if practiced.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

For jessie: I never finished the book. It was for school and I want interested. Looking back now it has so much more relevance than I thought at the time. I think I should go back and finish such an important book.

[Bishnu Prasad Pokhrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book

[Arundhati Girish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of ancient wisdom that is still relevant today. A really insightful read.

[Matilda Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

made me rethink my whole life

[wrath_wrecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a great book for me as an introductory text to my spiritual path. A bit difficult at the beginning because I read the old English version and EN is my second language, but worth it, now I can read and understand old-English texts lol.

[Julia]

I'm not in the business of rating or critiquing religious works.

[Akshay Pai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a new experience to me reading the shlokas ( English translation) and knowing more about the Hindu scriptures and teachings. Reading this, I realized where most of the teachings from parents, grandparents and sometimes also from teachers came from. There are many things to learn from it and some others that didn't resonate with me.

To understand the context in which it was written and its purpose, one reading is definitely not enough. There are quite a few things that I couldn't grasp or understand. I feel that the second time I read this, I will be able to appreciate it more and have a deeper understanding of its teachings.

[Ehsan Giroux · Rating 5 out of 5]

The edition I read was a wonderful hybrid of poetry and philosophy. The content is a great insight that contains alot of the core principles in Hinduism in an accessible way (not super dense) but also the narrative is stunning and intriguing. Personally it has wonderfully demonstrates the importance of action, responsibility and surprisingly very forward concepts of faith and practice.

[Laurence Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a few Indian colleagues join my team so I felt the need to understand their culture a bit more. Interesting book, although a large amount is not applicable to a western atheist. There are a few take aways that give insights into the foundations of Buddhism and the mother of spirituality.

[Sunakshi Rattan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for someone who wants to understand the gist of Bhagawad Gita quickly. The handbook version is a quick read with literal translations of selective shlokas and a quick-read summary of the concepts at the beginning and end of each chapter.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

shoutout Arjuna, my boyfriend.