Unlike other major religions that have one main book, Hinduism has many scriptures and the Gita is singled out. Christians have the Bible, Muslims have the Koran, etc. They have one messenger called the son of God or God.  Whatever they are called, they have taught the truth, just like the Buddha of Buddhism, and the Jesus of Christians.

Hindus have thousands of saints who taught us through their experiences. Their experiences are written down in the Vedas. The experiences of each saint are compiled in books, teaching in their own way. That is why we have so many books. The Vedas contain worldly knowledge, rituals, and the knowledge of freedom. From these Vedas the spiritual knowledge was extracted.

But it is necessary for a worldly or an average person not to be confused about which book to follow. Synopsis is necessary.  

The important principles from thousands of scriptures was compiled into the Srimad Bhagvad Gita by Lord Sri Krishna.  He advises Arjuna in the Gita about duties at every stage of life, whether we are student, married, widow, or of any profession.

By performing our duties selflessly and dedicatedly at every stage and circumstance, we should realize the supreme purpose of our life. The importance of performing your work or duty is of limited value.  No matter how well we do it, if we do not realize God, then the life is wasted. We should progress toward God realization, and the Srimad Bhagvad Gita helps us do this well.  It is practical and balanced and shows various ways to realize God through Yogas.

There are many things in life that we know and don't know. If we don't know the Gita, then we will live an imperfect life with more frustrations and misery at the end. Mahatma Gandhi and many other saints have mentioned that all Hindus must learn the Gita. The entire Hindu philosophy is incorporated in the Gita at its best. An average person doesn't have the time or the opportunity to learn the  Mahabharata, Ramayana, Upanishads, or other Puranas, which are also harder to digest. Thus the Gita is best for him. It should be understood and practiced accordingly, then it will serve its purpose.  Though it is written in Sanskrit, the language is not a barrier (of course it is a joy to know Sanskrit). It is the principles that matter.

The Gita is singled out as one of the best Universal scriptures because it correctly guides man to happiness and eternal joy at all the times and all the places. Spirituality is love and the Gita is a scripture of unconditional love, pure love, brotherhood, and unity. It doesn't distinguishing one nationally from another nor create divisions nor denominations. If ever there is such existence, then the Gita is not properly understood and the basic teachings missed out, doing injustice to the holy Granth and yourself. The Srimad Bhagvad Gita is a scripture of 700 sloaks with deep meanings, varying at different levels -- thus making it an eternal companion.  If one has studied, understood and practiced the Gita, then there is no need to know other scriptures.

Srimad Bhagvad Gita is the best and simplest advice for worldly people like Arjuna, who are in this world confused, depressed and unaware of the answers to endless problems. It helps them perform duties more successfully, making life more fruitful and less frustrating -- with less loss of time, money, and energy. Whether we admit it or not, problems are there and we can only solve them with the help of the Gita. We pay a heavy price for the mistakes we make and lost time is lost. Youth lost never comes back.

Many are mislead by the idea that the Gita is meant for sanyasis, sadhus or renouncers. Gita is a map that leads to self-realization with minimum detours. If followed properly, it takes us straight to the path of God. If children are capable of learning mathematics, then they are also capable of learning Spirituality. In fact, education and intellect become an obstacle when people have programmed notions, i.e. where humbleness is required they have acquired pride that hinders their progress.  Education is necessary for the living, but living is not the goal of life even if it is comfortable. Living in God is what matters.

--Swami Radhanandaji