Essays on the Gita, New U.S. Paperback Ed. Paperback – January 1, 1995

This is the best modern commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. The scripture itself is a synthesis of many of the most important Indian spiritual philosophies, and is, in my opinion, by far the most relevant to modern humanity and the most inspiring to westerners. It contains instruction in the highest forms of Yoga with an eye towards the needs of practical people involved in the often confusing and distressing activities of life in the world.Sri Aurobindo clearly states his intentions towards this text in the introduction: to put the teachings of the Gita in a modern context, that is, to see how they can be made relevant to readers in the present day.In addition, he asks for a more objective look at the text than certain other interpretations. While I found that he, in general, carried this out, it is not dry, nor is there any vacillation: the book is imbued with the author's ideas about evolution and the role of man in relation to the divine and the author is clear in his interpretive bent.Most important, however, is that his explinations of the meaning of the scripture are truly magical. He clarifies confusing points with such ease and lucidity, I often found myself thinking "Ah, but that's so clear! How'd I ever have a problem with it?"This is NOT, however, an easy text to read. Sri Aurobindo went to Cambridge during the 1890's and the language he uses is not what most people are used to. He is deliberately thorough and has no inhibitions about repeating himself with slight variation if there is an even slightly different context shedding light on the passage. He uses long sentences when expressing large, transcendent ideas (that is, most of the time) and it is easy to get lost in his paragraphs.In addition, the scope of the Gita when expressed in this way is tremendous. Not all of the text can possibly be relevant to someone's life, and at times it can seem as if he's belaboring the point. Often, however, such troubling passages become the ones that are most inspiring when reread in a different context.Therefore, I strongly recommend this book, but only to people who are interested in serious, deep study of the Gita and are willing to invest a lot of time and effort into it. The rewards can be truly fabulous.

If someone wants a microscopic view of the Bhagavad Gita these Essays are a must for everyone who studies Indian Philosophy. The author gives detailed analysis of the different schools of thought and their concepts and approach to this sacred text. What I like most is that Sri Aurobindo "levels off the playing field" by explaining the misconceptions of other commentators. This book was used for reference by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood for their concise poetic / prose version.

You can't ask for a more robust and accurate discourse on the profound truths of the Gita. Unlike the envious who seek to dethrone the Supreme Personality with their misreadings of the Gita's message, Sri Aurobindo maintains and magnifies the spirit of devotion throughout his writing. In his unique style, the Master-Sage brings the Gita to life for the modern, critical-thinking God-seeker; who blushes at sectarian stupidity and obtuse scholarship. If you are looking to understand the "Song of the Lord" in a way that brings you to the oceanic depths of Godhead, then click "add to cart."

I don't think I am in a position to analyze the works of this genius! I don't even want to do it. All I can say is that Sri Aurobindo is guiding me, helping me to find my own path and I am immensely grateful for that! I fill his presence every time I read his books and think about him!

Another Great book for the serious student .. ( the best of the best ) Most folks will need to be really into it or taking a class or in a study group.

All those who have an open mind and are looking for answers to life, they can find them all here.

Why would one read this book? Anyone who tries to read Bhagavad-Gita would realize that it is a poem very difficult to understand by itself. A lot of information is packed within a handful of verses and without knowing the context and background of the poem, the value of the lesson gets lost in ignorance of the reader. Without guided assistance, any attempt to read Bhagavad-Gita is a futile effort that either leads to oversimplification of its philosophical depth or surrender to its unfathomable complexity.Leaving aside the quality of Sanskrit translation, the texts available in the market can broadly be classified into three groups. There are books sold as religious treatise, there are books that are sold as a primer to understanding the struggle between inner self and the world and there are books that are a philosophical summary emphasizing disinterested effort. The common theme in these books is that they take a single aspect of Gita’s message and convey it as the one and only meaning of the text. Wherever Gita’s verses diverge from the one-sized interpretation of these books, these books go out of their way to fit Gita’s message into their interpretation. It often leaves the reader with incomplete or inaccurate understanding of the text.To avoid any such misinterpretation, the best way then to read Bhagavad-Gita is to read the verses and interpret it in the context of one’s life. However, that is too much to ask from a reader, primarily because it is not a new theory but a revivification of a collection of theories that already existed prior to Bhagavad-Gita. The philosophical background of Bhagavad-Gita is taken from Upanishads and some understanding of theory from Vedas, Buddhism, Patanjali’s Yoga and Samkhya philosophical system is necessary to interpret Gita’s verses. The reader trying to understand Gita then either then falls into a trap of reading someone’s interpretation of it or is left with with an ominous task of reading all the background texts prior to understanding the Gita itself.It is here that Essays in Gita bridges the gap. Essays in Gita is not a translation of verses - in fact it does not contain any verses from Gita. Instead, it is a collection of essays taking the reader through the essence of the text. Like all other books on Gita, this is an interpretation of the theory of Gita but perhaps one of the most expansive and unbiased one. This book is for anyone who is planning to understand the message of Gita. It takes the readers through the need and message of Gita. It talks about the similarities and differences between Gita and other philosophical texts such as Upanishads. The book emphasizes the importance of adapting the meaning of any philosophical text to the needs of the time and also the importance of understanding the context of the time the text was written in. It ensures that no single interpretation is forced on the reader and yet walks the reader through the meaning of the text. The author makes a painstaking effort to ensure that the message is presented in the right context and logical flaws are proactively handled. Part-1 of the book is entirely philosophical with emphasis on explaining the symbolic aspects of Gita such as avatarhood. Part-2 is further divided into two series - series-1 is a spiritual interpretation of the philosophical explanations in part-1 and series-2 is essentially a summary that further strengthens the message of Gita by repeating what’s been already said and filling the remaining logical gaps left in previous chapters. Each part or series is self-contained although reading the whole book only strengthens one’s understanding. The book in essence mimics the flow of Gita itself that starts with a philosophical message, traverses into spiritual realm and ends with a condensed summary of what’s already been said.

This book served me as a guide into the serious practice of integral yoga.After many years of "sloppy" practice, i started to take earnestly the guidance i found in this book, and results came quickly.My earlier copy was lost in a fire (a fire which turned out to be a blessing) so i ordered this copy via amazon and am happy to recommend it to anyone who seeks to understand the Bhagavat Gita.I read other interpretations , (hare Krsna version, Sai Baba, Osho interpretations), and this is most profound.

Essays have too long sentences and we need to pause and reread the sentences again and again. In spite of this drawback, coming from a great mind, this book gives very deep insights into the message of Gītā. A great book for anyone in the initial stages of studying Indian spirituality.