Like many other writings of this period such as the Upanishads and the Dhammapada, the Bhagavad Gita or ‘Song of The Lord’ seems timeless. The text itself focuses on a conversation between two characters: Krishna and Arjuna. The whole story of the Bhagavad Gita takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, upon which two sides of a family – the Pandavas and the Kauravas – are preparing for battle. ~ Eknath Easwaran – The Upanishads Introduction The story – relevance and symbolism Q uestions not about philosophy or mysticism, but about how to live life effectively in a world of challenge and change. It asks and answers the questions that you or I might ask.

More than either of the others (the Upanishads and the Dhammapada), it gives the sense of a personal guide. It gives us a systematic overview of the territory, shows various approaches to the summit with their benefits and pitfalls, offers recommendations, tells us what to pack and what to leave behind. The Bhagavad Gita is a map and a guidebook. But it’s the Bhagavad Gita that’s often cited as holding the key to personal transformation: Texts like The Upanishads and the Dhammapada are also part of this poem. Though only a part of The Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita is perhaps one of the most important and highly revered yogic texts ever to have been written.

This still stands as the longest poem ever written, with over 100,000 shlokas or over 200,000 verses. The Bhagavad Gita is one of India’s ancient texts and is derived from the epic poem, The Mahabharata. The days we decide to listen to the ego are usually the ones where we face the most difficulty, and life can seem a little like a battlefield. Which will we decide to listen to today: our true and higher self, or our ego? The days we decide to listen to the true Self are usually the ones where we feel that we’re living our purpose and honouring our true nature.

Krishna and his philosophy