INTRODUCTION. धीनाम् अवित्री अवतु The Srimad Bhagavadgita (BG) is well known to the world of scholars. It is the core-part of the Mahabharata (MB) and is the most popular Indian philosophical work. For, it provides the aspirant with a practical manual in a simple language, show- ing him the way how to live a calm life in the midst of the stresses and pulls of the extreme opposites of desire and hatred, pleasure and pain, joy and grief etc. etc. I This BG has been therefore commented upon down the ages. Even Sankara's bhasya, the earliest of the available commentaries on the BG, speaks of many commentaries of still earlier authors, available This bhasya at that time, striking different notes.' of Sankara seems to have attracted the attention of all the Indian scholars of the subsequent ages. For, there has been no important Indian philosopher of the post-Sankara period, who has not commented upon the BG, according to his own thought. school of In modern times the BG crossed the frontiers of India. An edition of its English translation by in Charles Wilkins appeared two hundred years ago 1. Cf. Sankara's bhasya, intro.
