Bhagavad-Gita [Hardcover]

Sankaracharya (Author), Swami Gambhirananda (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2000

The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit , Bhagavad G t , "Song of God"), also more simply known as Gita, is a sacred Hindu scripture,considered among the most important texts in the history of literature and philosophy.The Bhagavad Gita comprises roughly 700 verses, and is a part of the Mahabharata. The teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna, who is revered by Hindus as a manifestation of God (Parabrahman) himself,and is referred to within as Bhagavan, the Divine One. The content of the Gita is the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma about fighting his own cousins, Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita often being described as a concise guide to Hindu theology and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life. During the discourse, Lord Krishna reveals His identity as the Supreme Being Himself (Svayam Bhagavan), blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring vision of His divine universal form. The Bhagavad Gita is also called G topanisad, implying its having the status of an Upanishad, i.e. a Vedantic scripture.Since the Gita is drawn from the Mahabharata, it is classified as a Smriti text. However, those branches of Hinduism that give it the status of an Upanishad also consider it a ruti or "revealed" text. As it is taken to represent a summary of the Upanishadic teachings, it is also called "the Upanishad of the Upanishads". Another title is moksa stra, or "Scripture of Liberation".

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Swami Gambhirananda is famous for his publication Eight Upanishads.He is the vice-president of the Ramakrishna Math

Product Details

• Hardcover: 826 pages
• Publisher: Nesma Books (January 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8175050411
• ISBN-13: 978-8175050419
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Bhagavad Gita

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-produced scholarly edition for the serious student, February 23, 2010

By 

tepi "tepi" - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Bhagavad-Gita (Hardcover)

BHAGAVADGITA - With the Commentary of SANKARACARYA. Translated by Swami Gambhirananda. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, Seventh Impression 2006. Hardback, xxi + 826 pages. ISBN 8175050411.

An earlier reviewer, who apparently loathes Sankara, complained that the present edition isn't 'devotional' enough for his taste. Personally I find Swami Gambhirananda's to be a superb edition and it has long been one of my favorites. Of course, I didn't go to it expecting it to be something it isn't supposed to be.

Sankara has been described as being "without doubt, one of the greatest minds India has ever produced." I think that, in setting out to give us a clear and readable translation of Sankara's important commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, Swami Gambhirananda has succeeded admirably.

Those who would prefer a commentary with a more devotional flavor should perhaps be reading the Ramanuja Gita Bhasya or, as recommended by the aforementioned reviewer, the Srimad Bhagavadgita Sadhaka-Sanjivani. They might also find Swami Sivananda's excellent commentary in his edition of the Bhagavad Gita more suited to their taste.

As for the physical makeup of the present edition (published in 2006), my own copy is well-printed on good paper, stitched in the traditional manner so that it opens flat for reading without any danger of pages coming loose and falling out, and bound in cloth with paper-covered boards. A plastic wrapper has even been placed over the dust-wrapper to prevent it from being worn or torn. How nice it would be if all books were as well-produced as this.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for the serious student, November 7, 2008

By 

D. Waite (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bhagavad-Gita (Hardcover)

Contains Shankara's commentary, with the translation by Swami Gambhirananda. I'm bound to say that I prefer this version to the Sastry one because each verse is translated phrase by phrase and I find that particularly useful. The paper and printing quality is also better. For the serious student, this is probably the one I would most recommend.

Dennis Waite, author of Back to the Truth: 5000 years of Advaita

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Commentary!, September 26, 2009

By 

Ravichandra Debie "Mr Debie" (Trinidad) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bhagavad Gita (With Commentary of Sankaracharya) (Paperback)

Brilliant, a clear and beautiful exposition on the Geeta. For those who are truly interested on penetrating the deeper meaning contained in the story. It is most useful to dedicate time everyday to study the commentary. I fully recommend this copy for your study.