The Bhagavad-Gita is the sixth book of the Mahabharata and a core book in Hindu scripture. Written sometime between the fifth and second centuries BC, it consists of 700 verses that recount a dialog between prince and warrior Arjuna and his charioteer and guide Lord Krishna. The dialog is framed by a conversation between blind ruler Dhritarashtra and his minister Sanjaya, a clairvoyant who can eavesdrop on the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. The central conflict is warfare between two families that threatens to destroy a great kingdom. Arjuna is torn between his duty to serve the family on one side of the conflict and the sense that the conflict itself violates the eternal laws of Dharma, which he is also sworn to uphold. Frozen in his dilemma, he refuses to fight. Krishna realizes that he must impart the mysteries of dharmic action to Arjuna.  In doing so, he reveals himself as a many-sided divine being, and instructs Arjuna in the structure of the universe, primordial nature, the concepts of prakriti, and the three gunas.  The core message is the importance of self-control, faith, equanimity, unselfishness, and devotion. Only by attending to his duty will Arjuna transcend the bonds of matter and human behavior and achieve immortality. The battle is generally seen as an allegory for the struggles of human life and has prompted many interpretations over time. The Bhagavad-Gita was cited by Gandhi as a major inspiration in his work for Indian independence, referring to it as his “spiritual dictionary.”

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