Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita has been chanted and read in homes and workplaces. Children and families love to recite it during festivals and gatherings. It is the discourse that instructs man to realign himself to his duty and responsibility. It is the scripture that creates a strong foundation for implicit faith and concordant action in day to day life.

How to Read the Gita

How may we read the Gita? Its verses are written in a meter known as Anushtup Chhanda consisting of 32 syllables each. The traditional way to recite is to pause after 8 syllables. However the commonly available editions of the Bhagavad Gita do not give any such pause.

Features of the Reader

This is a Reader that lists all the 700 verses of the Gita with pauses at 8 syllables i.e. at each quarter. A complete Devanagari Latin Transliteration is provided using the iso15919 standard. This makes it very easy for the English reader to quickly learn the proper chanting procedure. The original Sanskrit text is also present with pauses at each pada.

Verse Splitting and Pronunciation

The split of the verses is done using Grammar rules of Sandhi as given in the Ashtadhyayi of Panini, a timeless masterpiece on language, word formation and syntax.

The correct method to read the Visarga, the Anusvara and the Avagraha is clearly explained. The complete Devanagari Alphabet with pronunciation key is also supplied.

Academic and Educational Use

Thus it fulfills a basic academic need of individuals, schools or colleges using the Bhagavad Gita in any manner. Most institutes imparting Sanskrit teaching also use the Gita and this book is an apt textbook for the same.