(130 pages)Wasn't familiar with this until Dharma sent us a link to a TED talk - in which a pretty engaging speaker sought to pull some lessons for current application - the talk was good enough to encourage me to read the entire work.
Which consists of 700 verses in the midst of a very long Hindu epic named Mahabharata.
Prince Arjuna is speaking to his charioteer Lord Krishna - though not recognizing him until later in the discussion. The conversation takes place just before what is certain to be a major battle - Arjuna recognizes family and friends on the other side - despairs whether fighting is the right thing to do. Lord Krishna explains why Arjuna should fight; speaks with compassion, insight, patience (and much much more); lets Arjuna make his own decision.
Useful thoughts throughout; many overlap, almost down to the word, with Bible passages. I liked Krishna's way of advising to focus on what one can control without being overly concerned with the outcome; with doing one's duties well, choosing responsibilities wisely, in part to reciprocate for what's been given.
"See a bit of yourself in everything around you, and a bit of everything in you" - nice.
Some discussion of castes; need to figure out better how this fits in.
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