The Bhagavad Gita

This short course sets out a detailed study of the text, philosophy, and contemporary significance of the teachings found within this ancient sacred book.

The Bhagavad Gita, which was spoken perhaps five thousand years ago and whose written form has been extant for over two thousand years, continues to inspire new generations of seekers in the East and West. Gandhi in the East and Thoreau, Emerson, Einstein, and others in the West found within its pages deep wisdom, comfort, and contemporary applications to their lives and times.

The Gita ranks with the Bible, Dhammapada, Dao De Jing, Qu’ran, and other significant sacred books as a universal source teaching that transcends sectarian religions. In addition, the Bhagavad Gita—along with the Yoga sutras—is one of the two primary foundational books on the yoga path, aspects of which have become wildly popular in the West in recent decades.

This new translation and commentary on the Gita is the first in a series produced by the Oxford Centre of Hindu Studies (OCHS), a Recognised Independent Centre of the University of Oxford. The OCHS Gita is simultaneously authoritative, academically sound, and accessible for inquiring students and seekers. Each chapter has an English translation of the verses, explores main themes, and explains how the knowledge is relevant and applicable to our twenty-first-century world.