The Vedic Scriptures
The following important vedic literature shall be shortly presented here.
Bhagavad-Gītā
Bhagavad-Gita, translated and annotated by Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami.
.Bhagavad-Gītā – also called Gītopaniṣad (Gita-Upanisad) – consists of chapters 25-42 of the Bhīṣma-Parva section in the Mahābhārata. It is a conversation between Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, and Arjuna, His friend and devotee. In this conversation, the Lord instructs us in spiritual knowledge. The conversation took place about 5000 years ago on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, just before the great battle began. We do not need to go into the details here; they are recounted in the Mahābhārata.
Bhagavad-Gita, translated and annotated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Bhagavad-Gītā (“the song of the Exalted One") contains the essence of Vedic knowledge. In 700 verses divided into 18 chapters, we learn everything we need to know to cross the ocean of suffering, the material world, and enter the transcendental kingdom.
There are many translations of the Bhagavad-Gītā in different languages. The least of them are genuine. By this I mean they have not been translated by authorised teachers of Vedic knowledge and not according to the original meaning, and are therefore useless or less useful for spiritual development.
Translations of the Bhagavad-Gita and other Vedic scriptures containing spiritual knowledge are authentic if the translator is in the disciplic succession of spiritual teachers (Guru-parampara) emanating from the Supreme Lord Krishna. Sri Krishna first instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge. Brahma instructed Narada, Narada instructed Vyasa, etc. There is an unbroken chain of masters of Vedic knowledge down to the present time.
To point out this fact, the Sanskrit scholar and great teacher of spiritual knowledge, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, gave his translation of the Bhagavad-gītā the title “Bhagavad-gītā as it is". This translation, like that of Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami, also contains the original Sanskrit verses, a word-for-word translation of the verses and explanations of the verses.