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There are many different translations and commentaries on this classic work, where 'many' = tens if not hundreds. Some merely translate the Sanskrit, with varying degrees of accuracy and artistic licence. Others provide several pages of commentary on each verse. I have only 9 different versions so it is perfectly possible that many of those I have not seen are excellent.
The most authoritative versions are those
which include all of
Shankara's commentaries - this one is translated
by Alladi
Mahadeva Sastry. Unfortunately, though
undoubtedly authoritative, they are not
the most readable. (Buy US or UK)
This one also contains Shankara's commentary,
with the translation by Swami Gambhirananda.
I'm bound to say that I prefer this version
because each verse is translated phrase
by phrase and I find that particularly
useful. The paper and printing quality
is also better. For the serious student,
this is probably the one I would most recommend.
(Buy US or UK).
Swami Dayananda has written 'The teaching of the Bhagavad Gita'. This is really using the Gita to present an overview of Advaita and it gives verses as illustrations rather than covering the entire book, verse by verse. It is, nevertheless, a very good book and I can thoroughly recommend it. (Indeed, anything by Swami Dayananda can be recommended.) He also provides a study course on the Gita, using extensive notes, which are excellent (available from this site).
(Buy US or UK)
Winthrop Sargeant has a version without Commentary, which has both original and Romanised Sanskrit, together with the meaning and grammar for each word. A number of pages may be read at Amazon.com. (Buy US or UK)
Swami Chinmayananda has a voluminous edition published by Chinmaya Publications. Unfortunately, I have not yet read this so cannot make any positive statements. It looks likely to be very good, albeit possibly a little verbose. It does suffer from a slight drawback in not having the original Sanskrit presentation of each verse. This is also available for free download - see Free Books.
A supremely
readable commentary for the modern reader
is “The
Living Gita” by Sri Swami Satchidananda.
Strictly speaking, this is Yoga rather
than Advaita but that really does not matter
- it is full of clearly expressed wisdom.
If you want to discover the essential message
of the Gita and its relevance to modern
life (and enjoy the reading experience
too) this is definitely the book you should
get. (Buy US or UK)
For a modern treatment, I can recommend this version from Alan Jacobs. It is not a straight translation - the title is 'The Bhagavad Gita: A Poetic Transcreation' - and the verses themselves are updated into a modern, yet evocative free-verse form. Much more than this, however, Alan has biased the wording towards a clearer Advaitic expression. And he has provided a commentary which draws upon his extensive experience of Advaita and incorporates valuable quotations and observations from others, such as Ramana Maharshi and Ramesh Balsekar. Extremely readable, too!
(Buy US or UK)
Read an excerpt here on the subject of reincarnation.
If I had to choose just one version, I would probably pick the version with commentary by Swami Chidbhavananda. Each verse is given in Devanagari, followed by Romanised Sanskrit and then a word for word translation. A full commentary is then given, often using excellent metaphors. Frequently, relevant quotations from Sri Ramakrishna are then presented. This was reprinted in 2008 and is available from Amazon UK but not, apparently US. It is also available from Exotic India.
Live Happily: The Gita Way by V. Krishnamurthy
There are very many commentaries on and
interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita -
I myself already had 11 versions and this
is barely scratching the surface. So why,
you may ask, is there any need for another
one? Well, I can definitely say that I
haven't previously encountered one quite
like this. Its title declares its intention
and the content admirably realizes it.
This is not a verse by verse commentary
either. It is divided into 13 (+1) chapters,
with each addressing a different aspect
of the teaching. Yet, within each topic,
Professor Krishnamurthy seamlessly embeds
verses from throughout the Gita as naturally
as if he had written them himself. Only
someone with intimate knowledge of the
entire text and a deep understanding of
the meaning could possibly do this and
it is achieved effortlessly. The verses
themselves are given in footnotes (in Romanized
Sanskrit), where they have been used so
that there is no distraction from the flow
of the main text. Other quotations from
various Upanishads and other scriptures
are also included where appropriate to
add emphasis to the points.
Above all, this is a practical approach
and an excellent introduction to Vedanta.
But there is no attempt to 'dumb down'
any of the more difficult aspects either,
with correct Sanskrit terms being introduced
and explained when it is natural to do
so. At one point there is even an extended
footnote that explains who many of the
famous names in Vedanta are. This is a
very useful reference that I have not seen
anywhere else.
Key points are summarized in diagrammatic
form. This is also a unique departure,
as far as I am aware. I am not convinced
that it works very well as far as showing
meaningful links between concepts is concerned
but it is certainly useful as an aide memoir.
As a very significant bonus, the final
chapter presents a dialog between a teacher
and disciple, which explains the entire
philosophy of advaita in easily assimilable
form.
Overall, a very readable and informative
presentation of the invaluable message of
the Gita, highly recommended for newcomers
and experienced students alike.
This is not yet available for purchase from
Amazon but can be bought at abebooks in
the US or direct from Manohar
Publishers in India.
Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of Self-Help, Verses in Contemporary Idiom Sans Interpolations by B S Murthy is available from the Vedanta Spiritual Library. This beautiful rendition seeks to restore to the Gita its original character by ridding it of 110 interpolations, which tend to keep the skeptics away, and yet ironically these muddle the understanding as well. In the theatre of man, nothing surpasses the drama of war, and so the stage for unveiling the Gita's unrivalled philosophy was set on the battleground of Kurukshetra at the threshold of the battle of Mahabharata. Also available on youtube, read by the author.
Link to the Advaita Bookstore to read other reviews of these books, buy them from Amazon.com or generally browse.