# Bhagavad-gītā As It Is - [[bg/0a|Dedication]] - [[bg/0b|Foreword]] - [[bg/0c|Preface]] - [[bg/0d|Introduction]] 1. [[bg/1|Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra]] 2. [[bg/2|Contents of the Gītā Summarized]] 3. [[bg/3|Karma-yoga]] 4. [[bg/4|Transcendental Knowledge]] 5. [[bg/5|Karma-yoga — Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness]] 6. [[bg/6|Dhyāna-yoga]] 7. [[bg/7|Knowledge of the Absolute]] 8. [[bg/8|Attaining the Supreme]] 9. [[bg/9|The Most Confidential Knowledge]] 10. [[bg/10|The Opulence of the Absolute]] 11. [[bg/11|The Universal Form]] 12. [[bg/12|Devotional Service]] 13. [[bg/13|Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness]] 14. [[bg/14|The Three Modes of Material Nature]] 15. [[bg/15|The Yoga of the Supreme Person]] 16. [[bg/16|The Divine and Demoniac Natures]] 17. [[bg/17|The Divisions of Faith]] 18. [[bg/18|Conclusion — The Perfection of Renunciation]] --- ![[bhagavad-gita.jpg]] **His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda** | | | |---|---| | **First Published** | 1968 (Macmillan, abridged) | | **Complete Edition** | 1972 (Macmillan) | | **Chapters** | 18 | | **Verses** | 700 | | **Language** | Sanskrit with English translation | **Download:** [Original 1972 Edition](https://krishna.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Bhagavad-gita-As-It-Is-Original-1972-Edition-scan.pdf) --- ## About This Book *From the back cover:* Bhagavad-gītā, the "Song of God," is a 700-verse dialogue between Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His friend and devotee Arjuna, spoken on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra just before the onset of the great Mahābhārata war. When Arjuna becomes overwhelmed with doubt about fighting against his own relatives, Kṛṣṇa enlightens him with the eternal science of the soul, duty, devotion, and the ultimate goal of life. Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation presents this ancient wisdom *as it is*—without the speculative interpretations that have obscured its meaning for centuries. With the original Sanskrit verses, word-for-word translations, and illuminating purports, this edition allows readers direct access to the timeless teachings of the Supreme Lord. > *When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-gītā and find a verse to comfort me.* > — Mahatma Gandhi --- ## From the Preface If personally I have any credit in this matter, it is only that I have tried to present *Bhagavad-gītā* as it is, without adulteration. Before my presentation of *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is,* almost all the English editions of *Bhagavad-gītā* were introduced to fulfill someone's personal ambition. But our attempt, in presenting *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is,* is to present the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Our business is to present the will of Kṛṣṇa, not that of any mundane speculator like the politician, philosopher or scientist, for they have very little knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, despite all their other knowledge. Our only purpose is to present this *Bhagavad-gītā As It Is* in order to guide the conditioned student to the same purpose for which Kṛṣṇa descends to this planet once in a day of Brahmā, or every 8,600,000,000 years. This purpose is stated in *Bhagavad-gītā,* and we have to accept it as it is; otherwise there is no point in trying to understand the *Bhagavad-gītā* and its speaker, Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential in human society, for it offers the highest perfection of life. How this is so is explained fully in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* Unfortunately, mundane wranglers have taken advantage of *Bhagavad-gītā* to push forward their demonic propensities and mislead people regarding right understanding of the simple principles of life. — *[[bg/0c|Preface]], Sydney, May 12, 1971* --- ## Praise for This Edition *From the original 1972 Macmillan edition:* > No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none is better loved, in the West, than the Bhagavad-gītā. Translation of such a work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit, but an inward sympathy with the theme and a verbal artistry. The Swami does a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian epic with fresh meaning. > — Dr. Geddes MacGregor, University of Southern California > There is little question that this edition is one of the best books available on the Gītā and devotion. Prabhupāda's translation is an ideal blend of literal accuracy and religious insight. > — Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins, Franklin and Marshall College