The
Bhagavad Gita
(
The Song of God) is a book within a larger epic based on the conversation in the Hindu Epic
Mahabharata between
Warrior Prince Arjuna and his charioteer
Krishna during the
Kurushetra War. Arjuna had to fight his cousin
Evil Prince Big Bad Duryodhana, his
archnemesis Karna, his teacher and mentor
Drona and Kuru Patriach and beloved grandfather Bhishma after exhausting all other legal means in order to get back his Kingdom. Arjuna gets a
Hamlet moment and is unresolved on whether to take part in the battle and in consequence, kill his kinsmen and teachers on the other side of the war.
Krishna talks him into
fighting in the war and along the way, talks about subtle philosophy regarding the nature of the soul, the doctrines of yoga, the nature of man and the way to love God. The conversation ends as he shows his real form as God to Arjuna and convinces Arjuna to trust his judgement.
Like the
Mahabharata, it is a narrative poem written in Sanskrit and is one of the major books in
Hindu Mythology. Because of its complex subject matter, it is subject to countless
interpretations.
Tropes in Bhagavad Gita: