The Gita: For Children Paperback – January 1, 2050

This is my first reading of any version of this story, and as an adult, I greatly enjoyed it. The author has a wonderful sense of humor, Tom which has helped the lessons stick for me!

Gita is a complex topic and this book helped kids understand the deep philosophy.

I love the Bhagavad Gita, especially the translation by Eknath Easwaran. However, if you are completely new to it and want a mind-blowing primer you can digest quickly, I highly recommend "The Gita For Children" Kindle Edition by Roopa Pai. She is a software engineer and I can tell from just reading this, a wonderful human being. She even provides secular explanations where appropriate. One caveat is that this is not a little children's book by any stretch of the imagination. Perhaps you could say it is for youth but more for beginners like me. :)

Great for adults and kids alike. The book was easy to understand but did diminish the impact of the scripture. Some of her examples were refreshing as were her Britishisms.

easily the best way to understand the text, yet so dense and relevant, such a positive read to get back to every once in a while

I have read different Gitas from different Authors world renowned Swamis and Gurus and none have ever possessed the clarity of Roopa Pie. She has explained the Gita in a very natural logical easy way that allows the volume to expand naturally so everything is very clear and easy to understand.I purchased the Audio book first it is superb. Later I purchased the Kindle. Considering the paper copy for my niece even now.I may never meet you Roopa Pie but I call you teacher for from you I have learned many precious things now.

I wish this book was there I when I was a kid. Great book for young minds.. I would definitely read again and again

This book is awesome. It's one of my favorite Gitas, right up there with the one at gita4free.com (check it out... It's also awesome). Sivananda's Gita for Busy People is also great.Seriously, this book is not only down to earth and super readable, but it's also very elucidating. You can learn A LOT about the Gita, related scripture, and your self, and your Self!

I have not yet completed the book but the information is very accurate and can be used in bal vihar

Radhika said to me few days after she returned from WCF event, “Hey, I got a good book for you, which I bumped into at the Delhi Airport. It is completely in ‘dude’ (youth) language, and you will like it. It is about Gita, and I just read few chapters”. I said, “Cool, what is so cool about it”. She immediately, “Never mind. You will not read any book that I would suggest or bring”. With a partly faking hurtful tone, I said, “Fine. If you believe it so, don’t show it to me”.However, like any desi wife who wants to do best for her spouse, she walked to me, and gave the book “The Gita – FOR CHILDREN”. I quickly read what’s on the back page, and browsed, few random pages. The book struck my chord somewhere, I have read first 3 chapters until midnight. I told Radhika, I will return it back to her only after I read it completely. Every 10 minutes, I was profusely thanking Radhika for recommending the book to me.For next 4 evenings / nights (during ‘Holi’ / ‘Good Friday” weekend), I have read through the book, as If a kid was reading Harry Potter. Yes, I never forget the eagerness with which Revanth used to wait and complete Harry Potter books on a single night. Last time (in this decade), I read a book over a single night, was a book by John Grisham and/or a book by Dan Brown. I haven’t really read any book other than thatRoopa Rai’s rendition of Gita, gave me solid clarity on purpose of life, definition of happiness, definition of god, definition of a prayer, and definition of good living, good human being, and more. She used day-to-day examples and events, to explain abstract topics such as “You are not the doer” or “You are it” or “You are the God”. It connected random dots in my head, which were representations of various ideas and beliefs planted by various books, literature, conversations, that I have read over the decades.I have immediately ordered few additional copies, to give them as a gift to folks around me, and evangelize the need for reading such a lovely / clear presentation of Gita. Though the title of the book says, “The Gita, FOR CHILDREN”, this book is thoroughly enjoyable by almost everyone out there (and specially you)Structure / Few Highlights of the book:Starts with story of Mahabharata and the lead characters. It gives the context of the events that lead to the deadliest war in the human history. I have actually learned few interesting data points, which I haven’t learned despite having watched several dozens of movies, sitcoms, reading zillion comic books on Mahabharata (which I am sure most of you did too)Then it leads us to the confusion of Arjuna on why he needs to go through the pain of killing his friends, uncles, gurus / teachers, and extended family members, to earn back his lost empire. He just wants to give it up as he does not see the need for losing everything and not sure if he will be happy at the end. That’s when the Krishna begins his conversation which is the basis of Gita, and which is considered as holiest conversations in the human historyI have recently read that, our Union culture minister might soon recommend the inclusion of Gita, Mahabharata and the Ramayana in school curriculum. Now, I feel that it is a great move. Given that the book is religion agnostic, it should be adaptable and likeable by everyone.If you take a look at these lesson that she documents, for each of the 18 chapters from the Gita, you will understand the ease with she explains Gita.I loved the concept of “Multi Thinking”. Krishna says to Arjuna, “Those who are thinking about me, at the time of the death, will join me”. Then Arjuna says, “That is so difficult. I do not know when I am going to die. How will I know or ensure that I am thinking about you, at the time of the death? Author explains in the simple words, using the concept of “Multi Thinking”, similar to the lines of Multi Processing. She says, simple acts of being in content / gratitude is also same as act of prayer. We just need to practice the art of being content, all the time.Author does mix a healthy dose of western examples to convey the essence of spirituality. Book is peppered with fun trivia and anecdotes, and interesting parallels, events, and nuggets that actually relate to teaching of the Gita and it’s 700-verse spiritual guideIn one of the examples, author quotes words of physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, who headed the team which created the world’s first nuclear weapon during World War II. After the first atom bomb, The Gadget, was tested in the desert of New Mexico, Oppenheimer had explained the mixed feelings of the team in the following words: “We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people remained silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form”, and says, ‘Now I am become Death, destroyer of worlds.’ I suppose, we all felt that, one way or another.” You can hear him on this youtube link[...]In another example, Pai talks of the importance of endurance by citing JK Rowling’s example, whose Harry Potter was rejected 17 times before it was accepted and went on to become a phenomenon. Coincidentally, JK Rowling had recently published some of the rejection letters on the web. Just google for them. She also uses analogies of The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Rudyard Kipling, tooShe uses simple description and explanation to convey the message of Karma Yoga. Example: For instance, don’t expect to top the class just because you studied really hard, or get disappointed when you don’t. In fact, according to the Gita, performing an action (studying) because you want a certain result (to come first) is completely flawed action; the right way is to study simply because that is your work, your duty as a student.Gita is supposed to be a guide book for enlightenment. To be able to convey its essence for the teens is not an easy task. Roopa Pai had significantly succeeded in this effort. Many techniques are used here to make the style reader friendly. The chapter titles by themselves attract attention. She summarises essence of 18 chapters using simple titles (see below) and super clear explanation. You cannot go wrong with the Gita! A lifetime may not be enough to appreciate fully the Gita, but the sooner one starts, the better. I would consider you as one heck of lucky dude, if you end up reading Gita, and actually persuade, compel, and motivate loved ones (starting with your kids) around you to read it too.

I’ve loved this book from the word “go”. A simple, easy to read book for both adults and children. I read this book to my girls at bed time, and they hate it when I say that’s it for the night

I am not a kid but read it because of an essay I have to write for the Bhagavad Gita. I will admit that I really enjoy it's simplicity! Great idea and attempt.

It’s easy to read , informative and adults will love the explanation of the basis of this great book