Veda Vyasa, Bhagavad-Gita [The Song of God]

Sudeshna Kar Barua (Independent Scholar - Asia)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 10.3.1.01: Indian Writing and Culture: Ancient and Classical, -600-1750.
Vol. editors: Claire Gallien (Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3), Pavan Kumar Malreddy (J W Goethe University of Frankfurt), Delphine Munos (Université de Liège), Mali Skotheim (Ashoka University)

Dates

First circulation or publication -500 - -200

Places

India (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Epic
Religion and Spirituality (any)
- Religious writing

Resources

1. Introduction

The two books that one expects to find beside idols of deities in the Puja (worship) room of a Hindu home are the epic Ramayana and the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (henceforth Gita), a segment of the second Indian epic, the Mahabharata. Notwithstanding controversies regarding its date and authorship, the Bhagavad Gita or the Celestial Song is considered an excellent example of a Smriti (a venerable work related from memory) and is highly esteemed for its religious and philosophical content. The verses of this text, divided into eighteen units, are moral lessons that transcend barriers of caste, creed, colour and religion as they aim at …

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8479 words

Citation: Kar Barua, Sudeshna. "Bhagavad-Gita". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 July 2018 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38854, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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