The Bhagavad-gītā

A Critical Introduction

Author: Ithamar Theodor

This volume is a systematic and comprehensive introduction to one of the most read texts in South Asia, the Bhagavad-gita. It brings together themes such as the Gita’s structure, the history of its exegesis, its acceptance by different traditions within Hinduism, and its global relevance.

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This volume is a systematic and comprehensive introduction to one of the most read texts in South Asia, the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is at its core a religious text, a philosophical treatise and a literary work, which has occupied an authoritative position within Hinduism for the past millennium.

This book brings together themes central to the study of the Gītā, as it is popularly known – such as the Bhagavad-gītā’s structure, the history of its exegesis, its acceptance by different traditions within Hinduism and its national and global relevance. It highlights the richness of the Gītā’s interpretations, examines its great interpretive flexibility and at the same time offers a conceptual structure based on a traditional commentarial tradition.

With contributions from major scholars across the world, this book will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of religious studies, especially Hinduism, Indian philosophy, Asian philosophy, Indian history, literature and South Asian studies.

About the Author

Ithamar Theodor is an associate professor of Hindu studies at Zefat Academic College, Safed, Israel, and the director of the Hindu-Jewish studies programme at Bar-Ilan University, Israel. His publications include Exploring the Bhagavadgītā: Philosophy, Structure and Meaning (2010), The Fifth Veda in Hinduism: Philosophy, Poetry and Devotion in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (2016) and Dharma and Halacha: Comparative Studies in Hindu-Jewish Philosophy and Religion (2018).