Prince Arjuna faced a dilemma that many face sooner or later--whether to take action that is necessary yet morally ambiguous. The difference is that Arjuna's action was to wage war against his own family. With the armies arrayed, Arjuna loses his nerve. Krishna, his charioteer and incarnation of divine consciousness, begins to teach him the nature of God and of himself, that Arjuna can attain liberation through union with God, and that there are several available paths. And so the most famous and revered of all Hindu Scriptures goes on to teach the paths of knowledge, devotion, action, and meditation, becoming the seed for all the Hindu systems of philosophy and religion that followed. For all of its profundity, Eknath Easwaran manages to translate the Gita in easy prose that neither panders nor obscures. Coupled with his thorough introduction, Easwaran's version comes off on all the levels it should: as a guide to action, devotional Scripture, a philosophical text, and inspirational reading. So what does Arjuna finally do? He follows his dharma, of course, as we all must. --Brian Bruya
Streame
"The best translation."
Bhagavad Gita FROM THE PUBLISHER
Vivid literature, lofty philosophy -- the Bhagavad Gita distills the finest in India's vast and varied culture On the morning of battle, facing Armageddon, prince Arjuna loses his nerve and refuses to fight. Krishna knows better: "Your very nature will drive you to fight. Your only choice is what to fight against." His advice gives an inspiring model of the man or woman of action -- the person who aims at goodness in a world of conflict and change. In this translation, the Gita stands out as a book of choices -- direct, practical, universal. The introduction sketches the background of the poem and gives clear, contemporary explanations of the basic ideas of Indian philosophy: karma, reincarnation, yoga, freedom. Separate chapter introductions outline the drama as it unfolds.