The Gita is one of the most widely read books in India and the World. Hence, it comes as no surprise that there are numerous translations and interpretation of the Gita available. Many authors, academicians and scholars all over the world have attempted to translate, interpret and publish the Gita in their own words. Devdutt Pattanaik’s book 'My Gita’ is also a part of that tradition.
The Book
The unique feature about Pattanaik’s book is that it is written in such a way that it adheres to the background and surroundings of the modern time. The readers of 'My Gita’ will be able to connect with the book today because of the contemporary sense in which it has been written. The Gita originally has thousands of verses and the reader today has no time for reading all of them, so Devdutt Pattanaik’s takes care of this issue by going through the various themes of the Gita in his book. Krishna and Arjuna’s dialogue may seem alien in today’s world. But Pattanaik transverses that problem by connecting and adapting the teachings of Krishna to the present times. A world where the self is gaining more and more importance, needs to look towards the world that we live in, needs to understand that we do not live in this world alone, that love and care and meaning are very important for life.
