When was the Bhagavad Gita composed?
The Bhagavad Gita was composed in the second or first century BCE. Modern scholarship suggests the earliest surviving components date back to the 2nd or 3rd century CE.
Common questions about Bhagavad Gita
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who wrote the Bhagavad Gita?
The text is attributed to the sage Vyasa but is likely a composite work written by multiple authors over several centuries. The language contains pre-classical elements suggesting composition after the era of the grammarian Panini.
What are the four yogas described in the Bhagavad Gita?
The text describes four pathways to self-realization known as raja yoga, jnana yoga, karma yoga, and bhakti yoga. These paths include meditation, insight and intuition, righteous action, and loving devotion respectively.
What happens in Chapter XI of the Bhagavad Gita?
In Chapter XI, Krishna displays his universal form known as the Vishvarupa to Arjuna. Arjuna sees the divine form with the light of a thousand suns and realizes that the Lord of time devours all creatures.
When was the Bhagavad Gita added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register?
The Bhagavad Gita was added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in April 2025. This recognition highlights the text's extraordinary prominence in modernity.
Who wrote the oldest surviving commentary on the Bhagavad Gita?
The oldest and most influential surviving commentary was published by Adi Shankara in the 8th century CE. Shankara interprets the Gita in a monist, nondualistic tradition known as Advaita Vedanta.