Part of the Matheson Trust Sacred Audio Collection

The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit: Song of the Lord), also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse episode from the ancient Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. Since the Gita is drawn from the Mahabharata, it is classified as a Smriti (“inspired” rather than Shruti, “revealed”) text. However, some branches of Hinduism give it the status of an Upanishad considering it Shruti and even calling it “the Upanishad of the Upanishads.”

Bhagavad Gita, 1–3

The Gita is a conversation between Lord Krishna and the Pandava prince Arjuna, taking place in the middle of the battlefield of Kurukshetra before the start of a great war, with armies on both sides ready to battle. Taking the form of a recital by Sanjaya to blind King Dhritarashtra, the Gita and its sections start with the Sanskrit words “Sanjaya uvaca:” (“Sanjaya said:”).

Traditional recitation by Brahma Shri Narendra Kapre. The remaining chapters can be found following this link.