The Essence of Bhagwadgita: 70 Verses at Its Core

by ATUL SEHGAL

The Bhagwadgita comprises seven hundred verses and has guided us over generations. This book focuses on seventy verses, which, the author believes, form the core of what Shri Krishna told Arjun at the Kurukshetra battlefield.
Each chapter begins with a Sanskrit verse, which is followed by its literal translation. The wisdom of each of those is then eloquently expounded.
This book doesn’t confine itself to explaining the verses and the philosophy of the Bhagwadgita alone; it shows us how to apply these tenets in everyday life through lucid examples. Effectively, it teaches us how to resolve our problems, improve social relations, enrich our souls and make our journey worthwhile.

255 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 20, 20418

Reviews

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read 13 Aadhyayas / Chapters of Gita when I was in 5th Grade. At that time my age was not more than 13. Well, I was not mature enough to understand the conceptual or deep meaning, I just understood contextual or I would say textual meaning. That was all I had done till I started reading Ashwin Sanghi's book, in which shloka/stanza from Gita was used for multiple meaning. That gave me the curiosity to go back and to read one of the holiest books of Hindus. But the confusion was which edition to take. Just like the Bible or the Qoran, there are thousands of editions starting from pocket edition to thick-detailed one. Another challenge was what should be the content type of the book. Some were plain translations from Sanskrit to some were so detailed in explanation that each shloka covered one chapter. I wanted the later type of work but again time was the constraint. I didn't have that much time (as at any given time I keep 40-50 review copies in the review pipeline). So the idea to read a detailed book was put on hold until I saw "The Essence of Bhagwad Gita - 70 Verses at Its Core" by Atul Sehgal.

Originally written in 700 verses with each verse having its own deep meaning, it is really difficult for normal people to follow and understand each verse. Atul has done a commendable job of selecting 70 most suitable verses which can cover the essence of the whole Gita. Each verse starts with actual Sanskrit shloka and its plain English translation. Then after starts the basic explanation of the concept. Atul has a deep connection with Arya Samaj which has made him rich in understanding of Vedic scripture. It can be seen while reading his messages/elaboration in as normal language as possible.

Things I liked about book
- Cover. Yes I am giving full marks for it
- Simple language. As the topic is serious, making it more complex with high vocabulary words will make it difficult to follow for readers.
- Controlled explanation. As I already mentioned one can write the whole section with just one verse but you need to know when to stop. And Atul has done his job wonderfully

I know its more of a spiritual read than self-help, but I suggest Atul think about introducing examples/similar context which will maintain the tempo of reading speed.

Detailed Review Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.com/2018/0...

[Abhilash Ruhela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been an ardent follower of Bhagawad Gita since a long time after knowing that it contains answer of all the questions that a human mind can think of. I had read Gita for the first time when I was just 22 years old and could not understand a single word because I was not enough mature to comprehend the logic of division among body, mind, soul and energy. But after that, I started going through the simplified versions of Gita to understand the basis of human existence and I must tell you, it added a lot of value in my life which led me towards my spiritual journey. The latest book that I have read in the same genre is “The Essence of Bhagwad Gita” written by Atul Sehgal. The best part about this book is that author has picked up only 70 verses from original Gita which are enough for a human being to understand the basis of the Holy book and perform his duties morally.

Each verse is explained in a new chapter dedicatedly which makes it easy for the reader to go through chapters as per his interest and read the book in bits on daily basis. The book has helped me to understand many perspective and read in between lines to understand the verses in depth. Each chapter first mentions the verse it is about to discuss and also provides its direct translation in English. The best part about the book is that it not only explains the concept but also helps with example about how it can be applied too. The explanations are provided in very simple language which can be read and grasped even by teenagers and college going students. Rather than discussing the tales of Mahabharata, author has only talked about the conceptual theories and its respective applications in human life rather than going through the whole detailed version of the verse. This also helps in keeping the book short with only 235 pages.

Talking about the drawbacks of the book, I believe that some concepts are not very well explained and left with utilization of few Sanskrit words etc. assuming that the reader must be knowing at least this much part of the theory. Except this one drawback, there is nothing that this book does not have to not be there in your favorite rack of the bookshelf. I give this book 4.25* out of 5. Please do read it if you want to begin knowing about the concept Bhagwad Gita introduces.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!!