Vāṇi← Gītā
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Reading the Gītā for the first time

The Gītā is short enough to read and deep enough to return to. Here is its shape, and three ways in.

The shape of it

The Bhagavad Gītā has 18 chapters and 700 verses. It is a conversation. On the field of Kurukṣetra, between two armies, Arjuna turns to Kṛṣṇa and does not know what to do. Kṛṣṇa answers him. Sanjaya, the narrator, carries the scene to the end.

Liberation Through Renunciation (Chapter 18) is the longest chapter, with 78 verses. Chapter 12 and Chapter 15 are the shortest, with 20 verses each.

Every verse page shows the Sanskrit, the transliteration, a translation and Vāṇi's rendering. How Vāṇi renders the Gītā says what each part is.

A short path: three chapters

Read Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 18, in that order. Chapter 1 is where the conversation begins and Chapter 18 is where it ends. Under each chapter are its key verses, with the reason given for each.

A path by question

If you came with something particular on your mind, begin with a topic. Each topic page opens with a short introduction and lists the verses it cites, each linked to its own page.

The whole book, in order

Read straight through, one chapter at a time. Each line below opens the chapter and its first verse.

One verse a day

If a whole chapter is too much, Today's verse gives you one.