Descend onto the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where a warrior stands frozen between duty and despair, and a god reveals the nature of existence itself. Read the complete sacred text online for free.
Composed sometime between the fifth and second centuries BCE, the Bhagavad Gita is not merely a book; it is a universe. This seven-hundred-verse poem, embedded within the vast epic of the Mahabharata, is the most revered text in the Hindu tradition and one of the most profound spiritual dialogues ever recorded. It has been translated into every major language, studied by Tolstoy and Thoreau, quoted by Gandhi from the dock, and carried into battle by soldiers of every creed.
The setting is the threshold of annihilation. Two vast armies face each other on the plain of Kurukshetra. Arjuna, the greatest archer of his age, asks his charioteer to drive him between the hosts. He looks upon the faces of his cousins, his teachers, his uncles—men he has loved and must now kill. His bow slips from his hand. His courage fails. He turns to Krishna and says: “I will not fight.”
Krishna smiles. And the god begins to speak.
On this page, you can experience the dialogue that has guided seekers for two thousand years. We offer the complete Gita in a readable English translation for online reading.
Book Info
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Bhagavad Gita (The Song of the Lord) |
| Author | Attributed to Vyasa |
| Year of Composition | c. 500–200 BCE |
| Genre | Sacred Scripture, Philosophy, Epic Poetry |
| Language | English Translation (Original: Sanskrit) |
| Legal Status | Public Domain Worldwide |
| Format | Online Reading |
Read the Bhagavad Gita Online
Stand beside Arjuna in his chariot and hear the voice of the infinite. Begin this timeless dialogue by entering the field of Kurukshetra interactively below.
This preview introduces Arjuna’s despair and his refusal to fight. However, the full, transformative revelation—the nature of the immortal self, the paths of knowledge and devotion, the vision of the cosmic form, and the promise of liberation—is available in the complete text for our subscribers.
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About the Text: Bhagavad Gita
The Gita is not a systematic philosophy. It is a conversation, a living exchange between a confused human being and the divine. It does not offer a single answer; it offers multiple paths, multiple truths, multiple gods. Its genius lies in its refusal to simplify the complexity of existence.
The Crisis of Arjuna
Arjuna’s anguish is not cowardice; it is clarity. He sees the catastrophe of victory: “What is victory, what is the earth, what are the pleasures of sovereignty, if they are purchased with the blood of my own people?” He perceives that the categories of “enemy” and “ally” are human constructions, that the men across the field are not abstractions but fathers, brothers, sons. His refusal to fight is not a failure of nerve but a crisis of conscience. He is the first anti-war protester in world literature, and he is standing on a battlefield.
Krishna’s Response
Krishna does not dismiss Arjuna’s compassion. He does not say, “Kill them, they deserve it.” He says, “You are mistaken about the nature of killing.” The self is eternal, unborn, undying. Weapons do not cut it; fire does not burn it; water does not wet it; wind does not dry it. You cannot kill what has never been born. You cannot mourn what cannot die. This is not an evasion of the moral problem; it is a reframing of reality itself.
The Three Paths
The Gita describes three paths to liberation. Karma Yoga is the path of action, of duty performed without attachment to results. Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge, of discerning the real from the unreal, the eternal from the transient. Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, of love offered to the personal God. Krishna does not rank these paths; he affirms them all. Different temperaments require different disciplines. The goal is the same: freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
The Cosmic Form
In the eleventh chapter, Arjuna demands proof. He has known Krishna as his friend, his charioteer, his companion. Krishna has revealed himself as a teacher, a philosopher, a lord. But Arjuna wants to see. Krishna grants his wish and gives him “the divine eye.” Arjuna sees: not the smiling youth in the chariot but the infinite itself, containing all worlds, all gods, all creatures, all time. He sees the mouths of the god devouring the armies, the warriors streaming into the gaping jaws. He is terrified. He asks for mercy. This is the most radical moment in the text: the revelation that God is not only love but also destruction, not only shelter but also the sword.
Detachment and Action
The Gita is often misinterpreted as a doctrine of quietism, of withdrawal from the world. This is exactly wrong. Krishna commands Arjuna to fight. The teaching of detachment is not an escape from action but a purification of action. Act without clinging to the fruits of action. Do what must be done, not because you desire the outcome, but because it is your dharma. This is the Gita‘s revolutionary message: engagement without attachment, passion without possessiveness, work without worry.
The Gita in History
The Gita has been read as allegory, as metaphysics, as ethics, as political theology. The British colonial administrators studied it to understand the Hindu mind. The German Romantics discovered it and saw their own idealism reflected. Thoreau carried a copy to Walden Pond. Gandhi made it his “spiritual dictionary” and interpreted the battlefield as the human heart, the enemy as the passions. For the nationalist movement, Krishna’s call to Arjuna became India’s call to her children: arise, fight, do your duty. The Gita is not a fixed text; it is a mirror. Every age sees itself in its verses.
The Problem of War
The Gita‘s setting is a problem for modern readers. Why frame a spiritual teaching within a war narrative? Why command a man to kill his kin? There is no single answer. Perhaps the battlefield is literal: there are times when violence is unavoidable, and the question is not how to escape it but how to meet it with clarity and detachment. Perhaps the battlefield is symbolic: the struggle within the human soul, the war between higher and lower impulses. Perhaps both readings are true, and the tension between them is the point. The Gita does not resolve the problem of violence; it inhabits the problem and refuses to let the reader escape.
Why Read the Bhagavad Gita Today?
Because it addresses the question that every thinking person eventually asks: How shall I live? It does not answer with commandments or catechisms but with conversation. It acknowledges that life is conflict, that action is unavoidable, that we must act without knowing the ultimate consequences of our acts. It offers not certainty but discipline, not consolation but courage. It is a book for people who have looked at the armies arrayed against them—whatever form those armies take—and felt their bow slip from their hand.
FAQ
Is the Bhagavad Gita the Bible of Hinduism?
The analogy is imperfect. Hinduism has no single central text comparable to the Bible or the Quran. The Gita is the most widely studied and revered text, but it exists within a vast ocean of scriptures, commentaries, and regional traditions. It is less a constitution than a wellspring.
Do I need to know the Mahabharata to understand the Gita?
A basic familiarity with the epic context helps, but it is not essential. The Gita opens with Arjuna’s crisis, which the text itself explains. Most editions include a brief summary of the Mahabharata war. The poem is designed to be self-contained; it is a philosophical dialogue that happens to be nested within a larger narrative.
Which translation should I read?
There are dozens. The translations by Swami Prabhavananda, Eknath Easwaran, and Winthrop Sargeant are all excellent. Our edition uses the public domain translation by Sir Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial, which renders the Sanskrit into Victorian blank verse. It is dated in style but faithful in spirit.
Is the Gita compatible with atheism?
Many readers have found profound wisdom in the Gita while rejecting its theological framework. The teachings on detachment, duty, and equanimity do not require belief in a personal God. The Gita is patient; it will meet you where you stand.
Can I read it on my phone?
Yes. The Gita is divided into eighteen concise chapters, each a complete teaching. It is the ideal length for daily reading, a chapter a day, a verse to carry with you through the hours.