A new translation of the great spiritual classic.

The Bhagavad Gita is undeniably one of the world's greatest spiritual and literary classics. A small section of the much larger epic Mahabharata, it takes the form of a dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and his charioteer, Krishna, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, on the meaning of life. It has often been understood as a key to understanding life by anyone, regardless of religious persuasion. This new translation emphasizes the universality of the text by drawing on mulitcutlural and multireligious sources for understanding it. Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist perspectives are included, as well as literary and mythological sources, and the Work of G. I. Gurdjieff. For this Shambhala Pocket Library edition, only the translated text is included; the commentary from the original edition is not included.

RAVI RAVINDRA, PhD, is an international speaker and the author of books on religion, science, and spirituality. A Canadian of Indian birth, he is Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University in Halifax, where he served for many years as a professor in comparative religion, philosophy, and physics. His spiritual search has immersed him in the teachings of Yoga, Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti, and Christianity, as well as interreligious dialogue and the relationship between science and spirituality. He is the author of numerous books, notably his translation Pata jali's Yoga Sutras with commentary, his writings on Krishnamurti and the Gurdjieff Work, and his comparisons of Indian and Christian mysticism.