Many a Hindu has said that the most succinct and powerful abbreviation of the
overwhelmingly diverse realm of Hindu thought is to be found in the Bhagavad Gita.
Essentially, it is a microcosm of Vedic, Yogic, Vedantic and even Tantric thought of the
Hindu fold. Bhagavad Gita (literally: Song of the God) is a part of the epic poem
Mahabharata and is revered in Hinduism. It speaks not only to Vaishnavas but to all
people, and it is accepted by the members of all Hindu streams as a seminal text.
Indeed, the "tag line" of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita refers to the book as the
"Gita Upanishad" and as a "scripture of yoga," thereby establishing that in this text,
Lord Krishna speaks the truths of yoga and the Upanishads for all.
The Gita speaks of cultivating the intellect, properly using the body, and always
remaining equipoised in relation to the greater Self. The Bhagavad Gita truly presents
itself as a liberation scripture universal in its message.
