Publisher's Note
The Bhagavad Gita has eighteen chapters, each with multiple verses. For every verse, H.H. Swami Mukundananda ji has organized the content in the following manner:
Sanskrit Verse. First, the original Sanskrit verse is presented in Devanagari script.
Transliteration. A transliteration of the verse in English script is given, with diacritical marks denoting the exact pronunciation.
Word Meanings. The English meanings of individual Sanskrit words and phrases are given.
Translation. Next comes the English meaning of the Sanskrit verse.
Commentary. Finally, an explanation of the verse follows.
Link. Occasionally, at the end of the explanation, a sentence or two has been italicized. The italicized sentences, wherever they occur, help the reader establish the link to the subject matter of the subsequent verses.
Diacritical marks have been used with Sanskrit words to depict their exact pronunciation. In the appendices, you will find a Pronunciation Guide for the English transliteration. Diacriticals have not been used with Sanskrit words that are now a part of English language, such as samsara. For the sake of elegance of presentation and ease of reading, diacritical marks have not been used for many proper nouns as well, such as Shree Krishna.
Where Sanskrit words do not have equivalent English phrases that convey the meaning accurately, Respected Swami ji has retained the original Sanskrit terms. Such words and phrases have been italicized for identification and included in the Glossary of Sanskrit Words, at the back of the book, with detailed explanations. Sometimes for ease of reading, directly after the word, its meaning is presented in brackets.
Since various appellations have been used for Shree Krishna and Arjun in the Bhagavad Gita, a List of Appellations and their meanings is given for easy reference.
The Chapter Headings for the eighteen chapters reveal the content of the chapter and are self-explanatory.
If you wish to locate a particular subject in the book, you can look up the Subject Index in the appendices.
To help you find specific verses of the Bhagavad Gita, an Index of the First Lines of all seven hundred verses is provided in the appendices. A similar Index of the Verses Quoted by Swami Mukundananda ji in his explanations is also presented.
