The Bhagavad-Gita : Krishna's Counsel in Time of War (Bantam Classics)

This is probably the best version of the Gita to share with people, both Hindu and non-Hindu. Sure, it has some problems, as some other reviewers point out, but overall, this is my favorite version of the Gita. Sleek and slender, it is easy to carry around everyone and thankfully lacks the often biased and partisan commentary found in some other versions of the Gita. If you want to go deeper into the Gita and the philosophy of Hinduism, then there are other versions of the book which, as a student interested in religion and religious history, I have read, but those those versions are of a more academic nature. If you want a copy of the Gita to keep by your bedside or table, or to skim through when you're feeling contemplative, then this edition is the one for you. If you want a somewhat annotated but not fully academic version, then the Easwaran and Radhakrishan versions are what I would recommend to you. In any case, this version is excellent because it manages to keep the poetic consistency of the original Gita while doing away with jargon yet without doing away with the meaning, even in a subtle form, of the Gita.Ironically, the Gita is a text more rooted in Vedic Hinduism, Samkhya, and to an extent, Yoga than it is in later traditions such as Vedanta and Vaishnavism, of which it has become an essential text for the latter two. All of these are later debates in Hindu theology which ought to not have any effect on the core and fairly straightfoward meaning of the Gita itself. I often find it more enjoyable to read the Gita when I'm not under that shadow of these later commentaries which in my opinion, over-analyze the Gita. I would like to note that this version is not modified in any way or concepts changed to suit the modern or non-Indian reader. It is merely written in an elegant, simple, jargon free English. Excellent Gita: I highly recommend to both Hindus and non-Hindus.I have one problem with the translation: the Sanskrit word yoga, used extensively throughout the text is consistently translated as "discipline" in English. This can produce a significant distortion and misunderstanding of the meaning of the text.

The author packs the text into a scant 125 or so pages (and small ones at that. ) If you've been wanting to read the Gita without a big commentary, perhaps to get your first taste and to see what the heck it is, this is it. I've had a beautiful 3-inch thick copy of the Gita (by a different translator/commentator/interpreter) by my bed stand forever, putting off the reading till I had the time to take on a huge project, not realizing that the poem itself relatively short. This edition enables me to get started, reading the whole thing from a short little book. Then I can explore the various commentaries down the road when I'm ready.

I recently lost a loved one to pancreatic cancer. For 8+ months I was the primary care giver. My support group for care givers were discussing a particular topic and it was this particular translation by Barbara Miller the facilitator was using as reference.This transcendent story gave me the courage - just trust that Krishna/God/Universe/Creator - (whomever or whatever you want to call your higher being) - to trust that my 'chariot' is being driven by my higher self and relinquish my human self-talk/doubt and have some blind faith in knowing, much like Arjuna's teachings with Lord Krishna - it's predetermined and should our human self should not interfere - there is a master plan and our inner self/soul is the driver of that vehicle.In my case, I delivered care with unconditional love and compassion and now I mourn in the same fashion.This is apparently from all human perspectives, a significant event for my soul's journeyI will still keep this book handy for inspiration as I am left to find a 'new normal' without my loved one.

This translation gives us just the words of the Gita without commentary ... trusting the reader is wise enough to interpret and understand. I read through the night and couldn't put it down.I have picked it up many times throughout the years. It always offers something and has more to offer. I realize this because I recognize spiritual truths revealed I have both experienced and not yet experienced.In my opinion, God, via Krisha, wants to lead you himself. Buy this version that is not tainted my someone else's experience.Even though it is a spiritual treatise of Krishna guiding Arjuna ... it is also a treatise on war. It is a worthy companion to the Art of War by Sun Tzu and they sit side by side on my shelf.