BHAGAVAD GITA : GOD’S SONG
(HarperCollins India, 2023)
‘Mani Rao’s courageous approach to the Gita not only revitalizes an
ancient philosophy but also restores power and majesty to the text’s poetry.’
– Arshia Sattar
‘My life is so much easier as I don’t have to go through maddening archaic prose thanks to Mani Rao’s uncluttered, refined poetry.’
– Devdutt Pattanaik
The Bhagavad Gita is by far the most revered text of ancient Indian thought. In the form of a dialogue between Arjuna and Lord Krishna, it explains the nature of the self and the universe.
However, the sheer number of translations, dense commentaries and complex interpretations has created distance between it and readers. With this volume – which includes the Sanskrit original, and a guide to reading and interpretation – poet, translator and religious studies scholar Mani Rao helps readers return to the source text and appreciate its nuances for themselves.
Critically acclaimed for its accuracy and freshness, Rao’s translation in free verse draws from modern poetics to redirect attention to the literary qualities of the Gita and sets a new standard for the translation of canonical spiritual texts.
Essay: “Repetitiveness in Gita Translations.” eXchanges, winter 2009 →
Essay: “A Brief History of the Bhagavad Gita’s Modern Canonization.” Religion Compass, 2013 →
Essay: “Reading the Bhagavad Gita as a text of dissent.” Open Magazine, 19 Jan 2024 →
Essay: "Truth and lies in Oppenheimer’s Gita moment." Scroll, 5 Aug 2023 →
Excerpt: “Modern poetic techniques to translate the Gita” Scroll, 22 Nov 2023 →
Essay: “The Conjuring of Ātman in Gita translations.” Osmania Journal of English Studies 2019 →
Review: by Eric Gurevitch in Asymptote →
Discussion: at Kerala Literature Festival with Dr Poornima Mohan →