I read Bhagavad Gita the first time when I was around 12 years old. I was trying to read from the Gitapress publication Bhagavad Gita book in brown color wide book style. I reached chapter 4 and then i stopped. But I was enjoying the book then. I was always interested in knowing what are the duties of a businessman, probably since 12 years of age. And that was one reason I picked it up at a young age.

When I started my career I bought ISKCON’S ‘Gita as it is’ book and tried to read a little.

Few years later I again visited it the third time. I had faith in Hindu scriptures so I remembered that I have a copy of ‘Gita as it Is’ and tried to read it. Actually before this I saw B R Chopra’s Mahabharata TV show from 1988 and totally loved it, and since then I was always contemplating on the good and bad actions of people, how Karma works etc. I probably bought Gurcharan Das’s book ‘The Difficulty of being Good’ in 2010 or 2011. But I picked up ‘ Gita as it is’ to read again in Oct 2010 during a crisis. I might have read only 2-3 chapters then from it.

After reading Gurcharan Das’s book, I read it’s Bibliography in which he gave an elaborate listing of all Bhagavad Gitas’ that he read. And he didn’t suggest ISKCON’s Bhagavad Gita as it is to sectarian and I agree with it to some extent. But he suggested Barbara Store Miller’s Bhagavad Gita and I found it at Crossword while roaming the religious section. I immediately bought it then and read that book completely. I liked it but not sure if I understood it properly. When I say understood I mean it didn’t have the profound effect on me of who Lord Vishnu is, where he is, who am I etc. I just read it and liked it.

But The first time I understood Bhagavad Gita was when I was reading the book ‘Talks on the Gita’ by Vinoba Bhave in 2013. In the second chapter of the book, Vinoba Bhave lists the Atma, Body and Swadharma in bullet points and says this is the summary of the Gita. Immediately I understood ‘who am I’, it gave a whole new way of perceiving my self. Then I read Bhave’s book till the end and liked all the chapters. Then I might have picked up the Bhagavad Gita book from Gita press publication again or I might have read Miller’s book again but I don’t remember how I felt then. But since Oct 2013, I have been a devoted reader and believer of Gita. I have read lot of Bhagavad Gita since then from different authors. But since Nov 2013 till now, whenever i read Bhagavad Gita I feel my soul in the second chapter, I feel what action I need to do from third chapter, I feel Narayan’s might in 4th chapter, I realize what a sannyasi is like in 5th chapter, I see how to become a yogi in 6th chapter, I see Krishna in all beings from 7th chapter onwards. When He shows his Vishwaroop to Arjuna, I feel like I am seeing it through the words. When He says Nimmitta Matra Bhava I feel I should pick up the bow and arrow and fight.

I would pick up the book initially when I was in distress or wanted to know answers from the past. But later I became devoted to it and read it regularly for half an hour daily in the morning.