Book Review:
Maharishi's Bhagavad Gita Now on Tape

"The Bhagavad-Gita presents the science of life and the art of living.  It teaches how to be, how to think and how to do. . . . It surpasses any practical wisdom of life ever cherished by human society."— Maharishi

In 1961, during the first Teacher Training Course in Rishikesh, India, Maharishi was inspired to begin his commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita in response to questions from course participants about their experiences in meditation. After one meeting, Maharishi began reading the verses of the Bhagavad-Gita and quickly found it offered clear descriptions of ‘the central point of the whole wisdom of life’. That night, sitting with his students on the banks of the Ganges River, he began dictating his translation and commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita.

Dr. Vernon Katz, a Vedic scholar from Great Britain, worked closely with Maharishi for five years on the translation and editing of the commentary. "I think Maharishi wrote his commentary to emphasize the importance of direct experience," Vernon says. "In this modern age, when the experience of pure consciousness had been lost, that was what was needed. Maharishi responds to the need of the time, so he naturally responded to the experiences of those practicing Transcendental Meditation by giving them the knowledge that explained their experiences."

Maharishi’s translation and commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita’s first six chapters was published in 1965. This classic, which has delighted hundreds of thousands of readers during the past 33 years, has now been recorded on a set of 12 audio cassettes. Each verse is recited in Sanskrit by renowned Bhagavad-Gita pandits from India, followed by Vernon reading Maharishi’s translation of the verse and Dr. Mike Tompkins reading sections of the commentary. There is also a ‘wholeness tape’ in which Vernon reads just the verses of all six chapters.

Listening to the Vedic recitation, and to the language of both the verses and the commentary are a delight to the ear. "When we were doing the Gita," Vernon remembers, "I was astounded by the beauty of Maharishi’s words—it was pure poetry. It was just so lovely having the beauty of language put to the service of this great knowledge."

The Bhagavad-Gita 12-tape set can be ordered from MUM Press. Call 1-800-831-6523 or visit their Web site at www.mum.edu/press.