Srimad Bhagavad Gita is considered to
be the key scripture in Hindu tradition at a status equivalent
to that of the Bible for Christianity and the Koran for
Islam. For centuries, millions of Hindus have found solace
and comfort in the words of wisdom in Gita’s verses.
The first English translation of Gita appeared in 1785
with introduction by the first British Governor General
Warren Hastings and that publication has been recognized
as one of the "striking events in the universal history of
philosophy".
Ever increasing popularity of Gita can be assessed from
the fact that an international bibliography of Gita (for
the period 1785-1979) contains 2795 entries in 50 different
languages selected out of some 6000 citations collected
by the author. Today the Gita is considered by
Eastern and Western scholars alike to be among the
greatest spiritual texts the world has ever known.
In the words of Aldous Huxley, “Bhagavad Gita is the
most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing
value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive
summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence
its enduring value… to all of humanity.” According
to Albert Einstein, “When I read the Bhagavad Gita
and reflect on how God created this universe, everything
else seems so superfluous.” Undoubtedly understanding
of the message of Gita is a must for every student of
Hindu thought.