The Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God Retold in Simplified English

by Edward Viljoen

The Bhagavad The Song of God Retold in Simplified English is the latest title in the Essential Wisdom Library. This unique edition of the timeless epic is designed to be accessible for readers without any prior experience of Hinduism. Not simply a translation of the original, Viljoen has simplified and restated the Gita’s complex ideas, so that a first-time reader can fully appreciate the scope and beauty of this magnificent Indian classic. Written in concise, modern language the retelling vividly captures the power and depth of the original work.Part of the Mahabharata, the Gita is a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna. Its verses contain some of the key ideas of Hindu philosophy—Dharma, Moksha, and various yogic practices. Originally written well over a thousand years ago, the Gita has proven to be a timeless source of wisdom, inspiring philosophers and revolutionaries alike in the millennia since it was written. In addition to the retelling of the text, this edition includes a character list, a glossary of important terms, and chapters exploring the back-story from the Mahabharata and the impact and meaning of the Bhagavad Gita itself. The Bhagavad Gita is an approachable way for today’s readers to engage with one of history's richest spiritual epics.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality, Classics, Nonfiction, Cultural, Hinduism

117 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 11, 2019

Reviews

[Damini Singal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very wholesome read. This book is an amazing introduction to the Bhagvad Gita.
Some of my key takes from this book - This book is said to be ultimate guide to living the life you'd love and rightly so. Although the Gita is set before one of the biggest mythological battle of Mahabharata, it acts as a guidebook to help one navigate through the doubts of their mind. Lord Krishna suggests a lot of ways to achieve that - for almost all wakes up of people. The best being renunciation and meditating spiritually. As for a lot of us it will not be a path that we'd likely choose - he suggests that we keep the love alive for the higher self and fulfill our duties and act without worrying about the outcome of that act.

[Nat Baca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I regret that was the only copy of the “Bhagavad Gita” available to me at my local library.

Shortly after starting, I realized this was not the Gita at all, but rather an amateur interpretation. Worse, delivered by someone who was not raised in this tradition, and worst of all, someone who admitted in the course of his “retelling” that his California-based “spiritual center” at one point had put up a statue they believed was Krishna only to realize, shortly after putting it up, that no one knew whether it was actually Krishna or not!

Naively, I initially suspended my disbelief at the gall of this entitled, uninformed man to retell this millennia-old, sacred classic. But over the course of this rambling, incoherent tract I realized the situation was even more dire than I had originally thought.

What followed was a series of off-topic digressions, unwanted comparisons to arguably inaccurately summarized Judeo-Christian traditions, and unwelcome personal anecdotes. Krishna may display universal love, but I’m a bit more discriminating…if I’m reading your book, I hope you’ve got some reason I should pay attention. And if you’re attaching your name to another text, particularly one as revered and storied as this, you had better take a back seat and let the text do the talking!

One of the guiding principles empowering this hack is the idea that if delivered sincerely, Krishna will forgive all inaccuracies. I can’t speak to the spiritual truth of this statement (though maybe Krishna wouldn’t mind if I did…), but I can speak to my own judgment, which is that I won’t!

Thankfully it didn’t take long to get through this, but even this time felt wasted. Save yourself some trouble, consult actual experts, and go back to the original source text.

[Katra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the actual "Song of God." There's a lot to contemplate. There were many pages of introduction and commentary. Some of it helped to understand what I was going into. Much of it was unnecessary and there was a great deal of redundancy.

[Afref Fetter Fetter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good: The concise summary of the Mahabharata. May also be useful for anyone new to Hinduism and wanting to learn about it. It is quite a short book.

The bad: I assume it's an accurate summary of the Gita, but it's quite boring. Like an ancient self-help book.

[Catie Markesich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction and background to the Bhagavad Gita. I love that Viljoen includes some Hindu history and terms as well. I’m looking forward to tackling the Bhagavad Gita now that I’ve gotten some background under my belt!

[Harry Palacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

A paraphrase taken from the song of god, Bhagavad Gita… also the important backstory of the Mahabharata… along with a compendium of phrases popular and pertinent in the Hindu tradition

[Ken Mattes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author wrote this book as an introduction to the Hindu story about the need for seeking Gods love and draws relationships the other religions and similar themes..

[Antonio Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bhagavad Gita (Song or God, or Celestial Song) is one of the key scriptures of Hinduism and one of the most beautiful pieces of literature ever written. Without sufficient background knowledge of Hinduism, this book offered an amazing background into the key plot and characters of the Gita, as well as how it fit into the greater piece of Mahabharata (longer than the Illiad and Odyssey combined). I've always been fascinated and amazed by the Hindu religion and it's teachings yet it's cross-reference of deities and their multiple avatars was always elusive to me. This book was a wonderful introduction to my better understanding of Hinduism, and how it influenced world history through the likes of Gandhi and Oppenheimer

[Zachariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good way to understand the Gita for outsiders. I only wish the author had left out his own personal religious Christian views, because they had no point in the book.

[Andrew Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward Viljoen’s Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God Retold in Simplified English is sort of a CliffsNotes retelling of the Hindu classic. Viljoen paraphrases the story’s eighteen chapters in twenty-six pages of simple, straightforward English. The remaining seventy or so pages of the book are devoted to backstory about the main characters and definitions of some of Hinduism’s core concepts.

Viljoen understands that no simplified paraphrasing can do justice to the poetry of the original work. His purpose in writing this book, as he says in the introduction, is to provide an accessible introduction to the work for those who might wish to study it in more detail later.

The author cites his own difficulty in his first attempts to understand the bible. The unfamiliar language of the ancient text and the thicket of cultural allusions prevented him from grasping the main stories until he came across some simplified versions that helped him get the gist of what was going on. Once he had that, he was able to approach the bible itself with some understanding, and could dig into its deeper truths.

The meat of this book is the paraphrasing of the conversation between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna on the battlefield, just before the Kauravas and Pandavas–two sides of a single family–begin their destructive war. Price Arjuna is in a quandary, knowing as he surveys the battlefield that there can be no good outcome for either side. To participate in the war means to actively destroy one side of his family. To not participate means to let another side of his family be destroyed. How should he proceed, he wonders, when all options seem equally bad?

As Prince Arjuna’s charioteer, Lord Krishna, offers advice, Arjuna begins to understand that Krishna is in fact an avatar, a god descended to earth to advise him. Krishna tells Prince Arjuna that, as bad as his options are, his duty in this life is to act, and to act in accordance with his nature. There is no shirking responsibility. Choosing not to act has consequences of its own. The best action is undertaken selflessly, not for one’s own gain, but to further what one perceives as right and good.

The conversation touches on duty, devotion, the many paths that lead to good, and the many things in this life that lead us off that path.

Since the paraphrased Bhagavad Gita is only twenty-six pages, most people can read it in an hour. The additional chapters provide information about the context in which the story takes place, some background on the key characters, chapters on devotion and acceptance, and a general summary of the Hindu spiritual worldview.

All of this is introductory material, intended to help the reader approach the complex literature of a rich and multifaceted religion that is thousands of years old. The back matter includes a list of further reading, including recommended English translations of the Bhagavad Gita and additional introductory texts on The Mahabharata (the larger story of which the Bhagavad is a part), Ramayana, and Hinduism in general.

If you’re looking for an introduction to Hinduism, this is a good place to start.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this because The Bhagavad Gita was mentioned in the Power of Now. This book is a great primer not just for the Bhagavad Gita but for Hinduism. I knew zero about Hinduism, but now I have some framework to learn more from.

I very much appreciated the fact that Viljoen delivered the words as promised: in simplified English--not in the poetical verses that I saw in other translations. It was so much easier to understand and absorb in prose.

An example of the detailed and straightforward advice from Lord Krishna, and one of my favorite parts in the book:
"Let me tell you how, by devotion to your duty, you can attain spiritual perfection. It is better to perform one's duties imperfectly than to master the duties of another. Perform your natural duty to the best of your ability, as a service to the Divine, without the tendency to abandon duties because they are imperfect. Every action, every activity is surrounded by defects."

I like the contrast between "spiritual perfection" and "imperfect actions".

Another example of straightforward instruction:
"Take pleasure in solitude; eat lightly; and take command of your mind, speech, and actions. Make every act an offering to me."

In Chapter 9, I appreciated how Hinduism makes room for other religions and gods:
"Actually, no matter whom they worship, without realizing it they worship me still. If their worship is full of love and faith, I accept it as intended for me."

The Bhagavad Gita portion of this book was very short. The rest of the book is devoted to explaining the concepts and giving greater context about the characters and the family members in the larger story of Mahabharata. I also like how he included the thoughts of Gandhi and also how Hinduism interacted with Christianity when the missionaries tried to bring Christianity into India.

I liked Viljoen's deeper explanation of the concept of detachment from outcome of action:
"...Freedom comes from giving up trying to manipulate the outcome of duties you perform in life, not in the sense of being indifferent to what happens but in the sense of putting your trust squarely on the inherent holiness at your center and having faith that serving it/it will produce peace and right results."

"Doing everything in life, without attachment to outcomes, with sincerity of heart, and as an offering to God, Lord Krishna says, is the path to take when all others seem difficult to navigate. In chapter eight, Lord Krishna advises us to make a habit of practicing meditation and avoid becoming distracted, especially in the hour of our death, so that we pass from this world, we may be united with the focus of our meditation: Brahman."

He also talked about Atman (spiritual self) and explained how the concept of Atman is the difference between Hinduism and Buddhism. I did not realize that in Buddhism, there is no concept of an individual soul.

[Juan Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Really related to it since i read the series called a conversation with God. Alot of the same principles. I feel the author of Conversations with God was influenced by this book and the teaching around yoga.
In short, we are all part of the creator. It is all the same energy. When we realize this we cannot cause harm to one another. We live as enlighten beings and are not part of this world.

Gold:
“You have the right to work, but for the work's sake only. You have no right to the fruits of work. Desire for the fruits of work must never be your motive in working. Never give way to laziness, either.

Perform every action with you heart fixed on the Supreme Lord. Renounce attachment to the fruits. Be even-tempered in success and failure: for it is this evenness of temper which is meant by yoga.

Work done with anxiety about results is far inferior to work done without such anxiety, in the calm of self-surrender. Seek refuge in the knowledge of Brahma. They who work selfishly for results are miserable.”

“You are what you believe in. You become that which you believe you can become”

“When meditation is mastered,
The mind is unwavering like the
Flame of a lamp in a windless place.
In the still mind,
In the depths of meditation,
The Self reveals itself.
Beholding the Self
By means of the Self,
An aspirant knows the
Joy and peace of complete fulfillment.
Having attained that
Abiding joy beyond the senses,
Revealed in the stilled mind,
He never swerves from the eternal truth.”

“Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is”

“When a man dwells on the pleasure of sense, attraction for them arises in him. From attraction arises desire, the lust of possession, and this leads to passion, to anger.

"From passion comes confusion of mind, then loss of remembrance, the forgetting of duty. From this loss comes the ruin of reason, and the ruin of reason leads man to destruction.”

“Through selfless service, you will always be fruitful and find the fulfillment of your desires”

[Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars
The Bhagavad Gita was a lot shorter than I expected. I thought the text was going to cover the entire battle instead of just a short conversation between Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna, oh well. When reading this religious text, I felt like it contradicted itself. Krishna argues that Arjuna should fight in the battle because it is part of his dharma, selfless service, and because he is going to die regardless. However, Krishna also says that it is better to understand one's actions rather than doing something for the sake of doing it and that people should be detached by the material world including their family. Another critic I have is that Krishna said that when a person was reincarnated, the conditions of their life would make it easier for them to being more spiritually enlightened. I would argue, however, that the existence of poor people poses a threat to that defense for several reasons. 1) Not having enough to eat or drink which makes it difficult to meditate 2) Harder to travel to the temples 3) More likely the individuals cannot read holy text 4) Harder to do selfless acts when the person is struggling to take care of themselves. I would also like to think that Krishna would argue that instead of fighting for control, both families should be striving for enlightenment or it shouldn't matter who the king is. There should have been a battle between the two heirs to decide who becomes king or have their fathers settle the disagreement. The parts I did like about the story was that it mentions that Lord Krishna loves people regardless of their gender, race, or class. The second thing I like was the idea that by reading the text you are worshiping him, even if you aren't Hindu. I feel like the latter sentiment conveys a more tolerant view of non-Hindus versus the Christian ideology that if you don't worship God, you're going to Hell.

[Amber Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by Buddhism, but recently realized I knew next to nothing about Hinduism. I happened to have this copy of the Bhagavad Gita on my shelf (rescued from the giveaway pile of books sent to my work for review), and so I read through it. I enjoyed it and found the actual story of the Gita interesting for its structure, more so than for the rather unsurprising (to me) lessons about living a dutiful and devotional life, delivered by Lord Krishna to Prince Arjuna. -- Unsurprising because they are more or less timeless and have been so often echoed by other religions and philosophies, I should say. I appreciate the recommendations of further reading for beginners and plan to follow up on them.

In fact, this "simplified" version is actually more explanatory chapters and footnotes and such, than Bhgavad Gita itself - I assume a less simplified translation would be quite a bit longer - but personally I enjoyed reading Viljoen's perspectives on the meanings of the Gita and on Hinduism more broadly. Yes, it's very basic and there is repetition, as other reviewers have noted. But I feel for total newbs (and, like me, those whose attention span is basically dead, thanks 2021) it's very clear in its message and that's what I was looking for.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward Viljoen has done a great job with this volume. He makes the Gita easily digestible; read it as a stand-alone or as a stepping stone to deeper versions, he even recommends various others you might like to try. His follow-up chapters on language, the Hindu religion and other aspects related to the Bhagavad-Gita are really excellent and concisely written. Ancient Indian philosophy feeds into virtually every other philosophy which Westerners are familiar with (either wittingly or otherwise) If you don't realise that, Edward's book would be a great place to start the adventure - and there are few bigger adventures than those of the Hindu literary canon.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've actually read translations of the Bhagavad Gita before, so this introduction was a little light for me, but I can see how it might be useful for readers without a comparative religions background and no familiarity with Hinduism.

The text of the Gita is book-ended by explanations of the text, commentary, and a glossary of terms, all of which are very useful.

The book is LGBTQ-friendly and culturally sensitive in that way. However, it does read the Gita as religious text, not literature. This might make for uncomfortable reading for an atheist at times.

Overall, good starting point for someone who feels like reading a deeper translation would be too difficult or time-consuming.

[Tawnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended as a precursor to reading the actual Bhagavad Gita in its full form. The chapters "A Paraphrase" and "The Backstory from the Mahabharata" were my personal favorites and to me were 5-star worthy. Some of the other chapters felt unnecessary or had info that I felt could have been omitted, such as including others' interpretations of aspects of the Gita, etc. However, I would recommend reading it in its entirety regardless. I also found the chapter "A Hindu Spiritual Worldview" helpful as it gave digestible explanations for some terms that will supposedly be helpful in reading the Gita, and gaining a better understanding of Hindu culture.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful introduction to this amazing sacred text of the Hindus. I is not dumbed down or written for children, it’s simply paraphrased in more accessible language, and shortened considerably. It’s great for Westerners having their very first exposure to this text. I found it interesting and moving, and I have thought about it lots isince I read it, finding application for it throughout my life. I was also struck by how similar Lord Krishna’s teachers are to Jesus Christ teachings. I want to re-read it again, because I’m sure I missed a lot, and then I want to perhaps read the entire Gita, unabridged.

[Zach]

A book of war for times of peace.. set on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where Prince Arjuna hesitates to fight in a war against his own relatives. In a dialogue with Krishna, Arjuna is taught about duty, selflessness, and staying true to one’s role without attachment to results. It offers timeless guidance for navigating inner and outer conflict.

This was a great introduction for someone completely new. It was easy to follow due to the translation. I felt a lot of similar religious themes to other texts I have read. It is enlightening to see the radiation through culture, and continues to interest me.

[Sara Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second simplified version of the Bhagavad Gita I've read and I wish it had been the first. While the story is inherently beautiful, the author doesn't attempt to recreate the poetry of the original or of other translated/simplified versions. Rather he provides a primer with the context one needs to better understand the non-abridged versions.
This book really helped me understand a lot better and now I'm going to reread Stephen Mitchell's translation with the expectation that I'll be equipped to understand better.

[Georgia McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Since I am yet to read The Bhagavad Gita, I cannot comment on this books interpretation of the scripture. What I can say, is as someone who wants to learn about Hinduism and was lost as to where to start, I feel Edward Viljoen did a superb job of introducing me to the tale and explaining some key points within Hindu teachings in a very simple yet respectful way. There's parts of this book that are written so beautifully I can't wait to read The Bhagavad Gita. If the thought of jumping into the scripture is daunting I really would recommend this little book first.

[Abby Neer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I’ve been studying eastern philosophies I became pretty curious about Hinduism. Now I am very curious!! I had very little knowledge and this book was a good place to start to get understanding of the Bhagavad Gita which is a holy scripture in Hinduism. I also very much appreciated the description of Bhakti Yoga in this book, and the emphasis on how becoming detached from the outcomes of our actions leads to sincerity and love. Hope this is helpful to the I’m sure zero people who will read this. Hope your day is awesome ✌️

[Shaun Moriarty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve had some interest in exploring the Bhagavad Gita for a while now, so I grabbed Edward Viljoen’s simplified English translation. Unfortunately, it amounts largely to a primer with a brief overview rather than the actual text.

Ignorant to the broader context, I was unaware going in that the Bhagavad Gita is just one part of a lengthy Hindu epic poem. Perhaps it’s my own impatience, but ultimately Viljoen’s primer does do a good job of providing some context to the story of Lord Krishna and the prince Arjuna, it left me feeling short on having learned from the story itself.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this primer for the Bhagavad Gita. I have tried to get through various translations of the Gita and have been stumped by the references to Hindu culture and religion that are not familiar to me. This "paraphrase" (not a translation), explains the basic plot of the Gita in easy to understand language. Now, I feel like I can tackle a translation of the Gita, having read this excellent introduction.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice introduction to a text that sounds incredibly complex. As with many sources of ancient wisdom, the teachings have to be drawn from the material in order for them to have real value. I am not good at drawing those kinds of connections and thoughts on my own, so i appreciate this author telling me what the text says and what it means. This book probably contains all i need to know of the Bhagavad Gita for this time in my life.

[Shari Dub · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. I really appreciate the author and I’m going to read more of his stuff. Gave a lot of background before getting into the paraphrase so you would understand what was going on and who it was about. And then a lot more information after! All with humility and I listen to the audiobook and it was read by the author in his own soothing voice. I really found this paraphrase mind blowing and beautiful. I will read it again!

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good introduction to Hinduism/The Bhagavad Gita but also a bit redundant. I’ll definitely be looking into a more full translation sometime soon though as i did identify with some of the themes and ideas presented here. just wish it was a bit more in depth (yes i know it’s meant to be an intro/simplified but i felt it was a little too simple also)

[Carrie-Anne Hutchins · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a complete beginner to Hinduism I found this an excellent insight into one of their most famous texts. It was really easy to understand and made some good recommendations for further books to extend my understanding. There are some beautiful concepts and life lessons that I will cherish and incorporate into my own modern day life.

[Ann-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the Bhagavad Gita a few years ago and it didn’t stick with me at all. This is not a translation or a complete paraphrase of the Gita, but gives an introduction and context as well as some paraphrased passages. This was just what I wanted to set me up to read a full translation again and get more out of it.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Served a purpose.
It’s impossible to grow up in the western world without learning the basic “shape” of the Old Testament; Noah’s ark, the garden of Eden etc. This is an admittedly simple book intended to serve a similar purpose for westerners who aren’t a provided a similar road map in childhood for the Hindu tradition.