The Bhagavad Gita - Song of God Daily Readings
Swami Venkatesananda's publication of The Bhagavad Gita with verses
translated by his guru, Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, has been made
available to students worldwide by Chiltern Yoga Trust, Australia.
To view the PDF of the Bhagavad Gita, click here.
The Chiltern Yoga Austraila also publishes a paperback edition
of the Song of God. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of
Song of God, Daily Readings, please contact CYT by email.
To Listen to the Bhagavad Gita in Sanskrit, Click here.
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A Note From Our Webmasters
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In the western world two important yoga texts have come to share the spotlight: The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali and The Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God). There have been many translations and commentaries of these two texts published over the years. One of the oldest yoga organizations in the United States, The Vedanta Society, introduced them to readers through the efforts of the dynamic writing team of Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherswood. Despite the objections of some students of yoga that these translations were too lean and that the translations were clouded by attributing ‘Westernized thinking' to the quintessential non-dualistic philosophy of these texts, it is clear that the dynamic duo of Prabhavananda and Isherwood managed to turn heads within in some of the world's most respected academic circles. They also lent a certain ‘legitimacy' to the study of these works in the eyes of the public.
Of course, the scholarly community was never the intended audience for either the Bhagavad Gita or The Yoga Sutra. These texts were not created for the intellectually curious, nor for scholars attempting to place them into a framework of comparative East-West philosophy. The authors expounded them for a singular purpose: to assist serious students of yoga in their pursuit of truth and to give them access to a first hand experience of living yoga--thus, become yogis themselves. Therefore, while it may have been the scholarly community who beamed the spotlight on these two works, yoga practitioners were always the intended audience. It is for these aspirants that Swami Venkatesananda compiled the Chiltern Yoga Trust edition of The Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God in its accessible daily reading format.
In part, the West has embraced yoga because of its ecumenical nature-one can set foot on the yogic path without reference to religious belief or lack thereof. The purpose of yoga is to heal, to become whole-and this is similarly the focus of The Bhagavad Gita. While scholars may categorize The Bhagavad Gita as a religious dialogue between Arjuna and Sri Krishna, (the incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu) which was excised from, the Mahabharata, (a classic Hindu epic) or perhaps as the Hindu Gospel of Action (Karma), or the cream of the Vedas, (all irrefutably true) such descriptions do not credit one of its most significant aspects--its ecumenical appeal.
As Swami Venkatesananda points out on page one of his Introduction to The Song of God:
"Here, then is a unique gospel which does not tamper with your station in life, distract you from your duties, disturb your faith nor lure you away from the path you have chosen but illumines your path and strengthens your faith."
And so the intent of this edition is radically different from earlier ones. It is not meant to facilitate scholars who seek to characterize or analyze the singular aspects of Indian culture or Hindu philosophy. And most importantly, it is not intended to convert or persuade. Rather, Swami Venkatesananda offers the reader archetypal stories that provoke questions facilitating personal inquiry into the nature of reality.
The Bhagavad Gita is no doubt a book of great wisdom--and yes, we can agree that nothing is more practical than wisdom. Wisdom, however, cannot be spoon fed. Swami Venkatesananda avoids this pitfall by providing a commentary that avoids providing stereotypical answers. Rather, he seeks to provoke exploration into how the issues and polemics highlighted in The Bhagavad Gita relate to the struggles in the reader's own life. This jewel of enticement is encapsulated in each daily reading. For students of yoga intent on bringing yoga to life in their lives, what could be more valuable? |
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| Please note that this PDF edition may not be reproduced for commercial purposes, nor may it be posted online without permission from the Chiltern Yoga Trust Austrailia. |
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