2nd Edition
The Bhagavad-Gita for the Modern Reader History, Interpretations and Philosophy
What is the Bhagavad-Gita? Is it just a religious text? When was it composed? How relevant is it to the modern world?
This book answers these foundational questions and more. It critically examines the Bhagavad-Gita in terms of its liberal, humanist and inclusive appeal, bringing out its significance for both present times and novel applications. The author elaborates the philosophy underlying the text as well as its ethical and spiritual implications. He also responds to criticisms that have been levelled against the text by Ambedkar, D. D. Kosambi and, more recently, Amartya Sen.
With additional material including chapter summaries of the Bhagavad-Gita, the second edition of the volume proposes new ways of utilising the text in diverse fields, such as business and management and scientific research. Eclectic and accessible, this work will be of interest to scholars of philosophy, religion, history, business and management studies, as well as the general reader.
Foreword. Preface to the second edition. Preface to the first edition. Key to Transliteration. 1. Significance of the Gita, its Date and Authorship 2. Classical Commentators of the Gita 3. The Gita Goes Global 4. Makers of Modern India and their Interpretations of the Gita 5. Contemporary Interpretations 6. Philosophy of the Gita 7. Criticisms of the Gita and Response 8. Novel Applications Appendix: Bhagavad- Gita: Chapter Summaries. Bibliography. Glossary.
Biography
M. V. Nadkarni is presently Honorary Visiting Professor at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru, and a Member of the Governing Body at the Centre for Multi-disciplinary Development Research (CMDR), Dharwad, Karnataka, India. An economist by professional training, with specialisation in agricultural and ecological/environmental economics, he is actively interested in development economics, political economy, history, sociology, philosophy, ethics, religion and Gandhian Studies. He was the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) National Fellow for two years (2002–04) and Vice Chancellor of Gulbarga University, Karnataka, India, from 1999 to 2002.
