Rating: 
Summary: A great book to live by
Review: "A great book to live by" could be applied to 90% of Easwaran's work, but this was the first work of his that I was exposed to.. and it was one that had a profound effect. Easwaran has taken an ancient tale and translated it into more than just English; Rather, he's translated into our daily lives. For those who find religious traditions other than their own to be too foreign, this edition of the Gita, with commentary, opens up the tradition of Krishna to the West. This particular translation, however, doesn't focus heavily on Krishna, Arjuna, or the traditions of Hinduism. Instead, it paints a picture of a human being, like any of us, in a moral dilemna. Few of us have an advisor like Krishna to call upon, but we do have Easwaran.
Rating:
Summary: A great book to live by
Review: "A great book to live by" could be applied to 90% of Easwaran's work, but this was the first work of his that I was exposed to.. and it was one that had a profound effect. Easwaran has taken an ancient tale and translated it into more than just English; Rather, he's translated into our daily lives. For those who find religious traditions other than their own to be too foreign, this edition of the Gita, with commentary, opens up the tradition of Krishna to the West. This particular translation, however, doesn't focus heavily on Krishna, Arjuna, or the traditions of Hinduism. Instead, it paints a picture of a human being, like any of us, in a moral dilemna. Few of us have an advisor like Krishna to call upon, but we do have Easwaran.
Rating:
Summary: Look at me
Review: "Time I am, the great destroyer of worlds and I have come here to destroy all people."
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyed reading
Review: A Real good small book. Everything contained in its 200 odd pgs. Very easy to understand the concepts. Anyone who wants to know about Bhagvad Gita and have less time to spare, then this is the best choice. After having comptd reading this book, my thinking process has changed to some extent. For non-Indian readers - the characters of Mahabaratha are listed in Glossary making it more meaningful.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent description
Review: An awesome description on the essence of Gita and its explanation. Made simple to understand for anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: The Bhagavad Gita presented as a book of choices
Review: Eknath Easwaran presents the Gita as a book of choices - direct, practical, universal. Prince Arjuna asks the Lord, Sri Krishna, the perennial questions about life and death. Their dialogue distills the loftiest truths of India's ancient wisdom into simple, memorable poetry that haunts the mind and informs the affairs of everyday life. The translation by Eknath Easwaran is accessible, accurate, and inspired by his personal spiritual experience. His introduction gives a clear, contemporary explanation of the basic philosophy and historical setting of the Gita, while short introductions to each chapter further bring out the meaning of the text. Excerpt: Chapter Eighteen, verses 65-66 Be aware of me always, adore me, make every act an offering to me, and you shall come to me; this I promise; for you are dear to me. Abandon all supports and look to me for protection. I shall purify you from the sins of the past; do not grieve. Excerpt from the Introduction "If I could offer only one key to understanding this divine dialogue, it would be to remember that it takes place in the depths of consciousness and that Krishna is not some external being, human or superhuman, but the spark of divinity that lies at the core of the human personality. This is not literary or philosophical conjecture; Krishna says as much to Arjuna over and over: 'I am the Self in the heart of every creature, Arjuna, and the beginning, middle, and end of their existence.' (10:20)."
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, clear, and enlightening translation
Review: Eknath Easwaran's translation is poetic and beautiful making it readable and inspiring and managing at the same time to clearly state Krishna' spiritual message. Easwaran's translation manages to prove its merit for both spiritual and scholarly study. Many of the other translations are very dry coming from scholars who just know how to translate Sanskrit to English mechanically.Whereas Easwaran was a professor of English and now a spiritual guru; so he has a grasp on both worlds. They do not properly help explain the various yogas Krishna tells Arjuna; reading this translation has been the best explanation of yoga I have ever read before. Each chapter has an introduction to it and there is a glossary of terms in the back. The other translations I think fail also to understand and clearly explain the heart of Krishnia's message which is essentially that one's atman, soul, higher self etc. is one with brahman, the divine, the universe, the source of everything etc and that this liberation can be discovered through the path of yoga. There is not just one path of yoga but many like Karma Yoga(path of selfless service) and Raja Yoga(path of meditation.) The beauty of the Bhagavad Gita is that it explains a way to enter the path to liberation, no matter what stage of spiritual awareness you are it. The Bhagavad Gita manages to explain and apply esoteric and mystical practices to ones everyday life.This is why I think The Bhagavad Gita is the most popular text from India's spiritual texts. Also according to our karma and dharma, we will die and be born again and again until he are liberated. The Bhagavad Gita is a text that I believe should be read by anyone on the "spiritual" path. It is by far one of the greatest "spiritual" text ever written and we are fortunate to share this gift because of Easwaran's brilliant translation.
Rating:
Summary: The Lords Gita
Review: Folks, get the boxed set and save a little money. Easwaran's translation is so beautiful it can be read before going to sleep for a feeling of great peace. I've read a lot of these and this by far is as close as prose comes to enlightened poetry (OK, Stephen Mitchell's edition of the Tao te Ching comes close). You will not be sorry! Editor commentary between chapters is great also.
Rating:
Summary: Arguably the truest and most beautiful translation
Review: Folks, get the boxed set and save a little money. Easwaran's translation is so beautiful it can be read before going to sleep for a feeling of great peace. I've read a lot of these and this by far is as close as prose comes to enlightened poetry (OK, Stephen Mitchell's edition of the Tao te Ching comes close). You will not be sorry! Editor commentary between chapters is great also.
Rating:
Summary: Clear, focused, well structured
Review: For a Westerner who has had little training in the Hindu culture this is the version of the BG to read. Eknath Easwaran provides clear previews of each chapter summarizing the major concepts in advance, giving the uninitiated reader a pathway through the text. The extensive introduction helps prepare the reader to understand some of the more esoteric issues. This book will stay in my library for many readings.
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