THE BHAGAVAD GITA-

                                            "AS IS"

      His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
                        
                               PREFACE

The French public has mostly heard so far from the path of yoga and the path of jnana (knowledge liberating) as representative of the doctrines and spiritual methods of Brahmanic India.

Or here for some time as his attention is drawn in various ways on the road
bhakti, by the followers of the "Krishna Consciousness". It is a fact that the modern Hindu intelligentsia and
in its wake, this part of Western opinion has pronounced neo-Hinduism, have not done full
justice to the path of bhakti, popular and held minor, or at best subordinate.

It should certainly appeal this judgment. The tradition has generated a devotee of monuments
-more grandiose in scale and value-of Indianness.

Some of its manifestations may appear daunting, especially when they are
outside of India. But we should look beyond.


What is it that bhakti? The term is related to a Sanskrit verbal root-mean-Bhaj,
in assets: give sharing, and using: Receive sharing. Hence the noun: bhaga, good hand
happiness, which was formed from one of the Divine Names: Bhaga-van, one who has good hand,
Blessed. The verbal adjective Bhakta, among other meanings, applies to persons who are
by using a part of the divine life, are fully committed to the cause of Blessed devote themselves
unreservedly to His service. And bhakti is the way of the devotee to be erected in spiritual discipline
and autonomous way of salvation.

Multifaceted and back to antiquity, the strong current of thought and religious practice
is variously organized, throughout the centuries, depending on a particular figure or name
divine. It is dedicated to Krishna bhakti Himself worshiped as the supreme Deity, which we
interest here. It is based on the sacred document called Bhagavad-gita (song of the Blessed)
reproduced in this book with translation and commentary. Often considered a
Upanisad, this song has Brahmanism in the highest doctrinal authority, as inserted
in the great epic Mahabharata, (1) it is not only the source but also the wider
River of Tradition. The Harivarnsa (Appendix Mahabharata), the Visnu-Bhagavata and
Puranas recount the deeds of Krsna directs the Bhagavata bhakti Krsnaïte strongly in one direction
emotional and ecstatic, while developing its appearance Vedantic metaphysics.

Among the many personalities who have shown Krsnaïsme history, it must Caitanya
remember our special attention. He was born in 1486 in Navadvipa, important intellectual center of
Bengal at that time. He belonged to the Brahmin caste. His name was Visvambhara-misra. It