"Sri, what is the essence of the Gita?", asked a devotee. Sri Ramakrishna replied, "Repeat the word 'Gita' ten times continuously and you get the essence". By this 'Gita' becomes 'Tyagi', i.e., the renunciation of "I" and "Mine". How beautifully Sri Ramakrishna condensed the essence of the Gita in two words Gita is a practical text and is not just meant for worship or Parrot-like narration. Unfortunately our modern youth has no knowledge of the great wisdom contained in the great text.

In order to make aware our children, youth, foreigners and others who are interested in our great culture and heritage, this Gita Darshan is taken up by the Math. Select 105 verses from all the 18 chapters of the Gita and a few Upanishadic verses are beautifully and correctly chanted and explained in beautiful and modern narration. Anyone going through this great museum will have the Darshan of the essence of the Gita.

I must acknowledge here the efforts of my brother monk, Swami Srikantananda who conceived the idea, selected the slokas, gave themes to the artiest and to the commentator and made it an invaluable institution of the Math. May the Lord bless him in every way.

Several others have done yeomen service in this project. Special mention may be made of Sri P. Purushottam Karanth, a renowned artist from Mangalore, Dr. K. Subrahmanyam, Sri M. Chittaranjan, Smt. Vedavati Prabhakar Rao, Sri J. Balakrishna and many other friends. My heart-felt prayers for the welfare of all these friends.

If this gita Darshan can inspire our youth to understand the message of the Gita in its true spirit, we feel that our efforts are successful.

Back of the Book

Breaking the bondages of all, the chains of all, declaring liberty to all to reach the highest goal, come the words of the Gita, rolls like thunder the mighty voice of Krishna: "Even in this life they have conquered relativity, whose minds are firmly fixed upon the sameness, for god is pure and the same to all, therefore such are said to be living in god." "Thus seeing the same Lord equally present everywhere, the sage does not injure the Self by the self, and thus reaches the highest goal."

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