Bhagavad Gita

"I have become Death, the destroyer of Worlds"

- Oppenheimer, (mis)quoting the Gita.

The Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God) is a book within a larger epic based on the conversation in the Hindu Epic Mahabharata between Warrior Prince Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna during the Kurushetra War. Arjuna had to fight his cousin Evil Prince Big Bad Duryodhana, his archnemesis Karna, his teacher and mentor Drona and Kuru Patriach and beloved grandfather Bhishma after exhausting all other legal means in order to get back his Kingdom. Arjuna gets a Hamlet moment and is unresolved on whether to take part in the battle and in consequence, kill his kinsmen and teachers on the other side of the war. Krishna talks him into fighting in the war and along the way, talks about subtle philosophy regarding the nature of the soul, the doctrines of yoga, the nature of man and the way to love God. The conversation ends as he shows his real form as God to Arjuna and convinces Arjuna to trust his judgement.

Like the Mahabharata, it is a narrative poem written in Sanskrit and is one of the major books in Hindu Mythology. Because of its complex subject matter, it is subject to countless interpretations.


 * Adaptation Distillation: A lot of people are more influenced by the Bhagavatam's take on the Gita than the Gita.
 * The Archer: Arjuna, though this occurs more in the Mahabharata.
 * Avatar: Hindu mythology is the Trope Maker and Trope Namer.
 * Badass: If the description of God in the book is to be believed.
 * A God Am I: Krishna reveals to Arjuna that he is an avatar, and shows him the true form of God, which scares Arjuna shitless.
 * God in Human Form: Though God can reincarnate in nonhumanform as well, according to the Gita.
 * God Was My Co-Pilot: More exactly, Krishna was my charioteer.
 * Messianic Archetype: The most famous verse of the Gita states that God reincarnates on earth to preserve dharma or righteousness.
 * Physical God
 * Reincarnation: See Messanic Archetype.