The Bhagavad Gita: A Transcreation of the song celestial

THE BHAGAVAD GITA

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the world's greatest scriptures, the key sacred text of Hinduism. It means the 'Song of God' and is often called the 'Song Celestial'. Alan Jacobs has succeeded in revitalising the ancient text into a form which reveals the full majesty of this magnificent scripture as well as its practical message for today's seekers. The outdated English of Sir Edwin Arnold's fine poetic translation in 1855 has been transformed and given clear meaning. It has also been expanded to reinforce the poetic imagery using contemporary free verse based on innovative metaphors. It is mandala poetry-each verse is a mandala for meditation. "It is like a great symphony. Each chapter relates to the last but leads on to the coda."

Alan Jacobs' incisive philosophic commentary dusts off the archaism of 1500 years and restores the text as a transforming instrument pointing the way to Self-Realisation.

ALAN JACOBS is Chairman of the Ramana Maharshi Foundation (UK). He is editor and compiler of Poetry for the Spirit, His poetry is published regularly in the magazines Reflections and Self Enquiry and in the collection The Pearl Fishers, published by the Broadfield Press, 1997.