The Srimad Bhagavad Gita- advice of Lord Krishna gave Arjuna at the beginning of the Mahabharata war – is a compendium that contains the distilled essence of all the Vedas. The author, sage vyasa, sets the Gita right in the middle of Mahabharata battlefield. Arjuna who is duty bound to re-establish dharma by destroying his enemies, becomes unwilling to fight when he sees his own kith and kin among the ranks of the unrighteous. The Gita contains the advice Lord Krishna gave Arjuna on this occasion. More than just a chronicle of the various paths of spiritual practices such as bhakthi yoga, Karma yoga and njana yoga (the paths of devotion, dedicated action and meditation respectively), the Gita is a comprehensive scriptural text that discusses the principles of the self and God, as well as esoteric secrets of the universe, among other issues. That any religion within Hinduism has to produce its own commentary on the Gita in order to gain acceptance attests to the standing of this work.
