Sacred Songs : the Mahabharata’s Many Gitas

What is a Gita?

Our usual understanding of the word revolves around the Bhagavat Gita, which is embedded in
the Mahabharata. Among Sanskrit texts that capture the essence of Hinduism, it is probably one
that has been translated the most. The qualifier ‘Bhagavat’ indicates that it was taught by Bhagavan
Krishna to Arjuna.

However, there are other Gitas too. The term ‘Gita’ indicates anything that can be sung and chanted.
For example, there are more than 20 Gitas in the Mahabharata and many more in the Puranas;
yet others exist as independent texts. Most of us are not that familiar with these other Gitas. For
example, the Anu Gita was also taught by Bhagavan Krishna to Arjuna. The Dharma Vyadha Gita
cogently states dharma for householders. The Yaksha Prashna and the Sanatsujata, fundamental to understanding the overall dharma of the Bhagavat Gita, are not explicitly described as Gitas but
definitely hold the wisdom and relevance of a Gita.
This volume brings together the unabridged English translations of 24 such Gitas from the Mahabharata, along with that of the Pandava Gita (which is not part of the Mahabharata). It includes the original Sanskrit text for easy reference and avoids interpretations of the text, focussing on translation alone.

This collection reveals the wealth of wisdom in the epic that remainsargely unexplored.