The Mahābhārata is the longest known epic poem, quite accurately described as “the longest poem ever written.” At about 1.8 million total words, the Mahābhārata is roughly 10 times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. As the sixth book of the Mahābhārata, the Bhagavad Gita makes up just a fraction of this, and I spent seven days toiling over its lessons during a recent yoga teacher training module (virtually, of course).

Here’s a quick history of the illustrious script from a 30,000-foot level: Bhagavad Gita translates to Song of God.

The storyline is a conversation between protagonist Arjuna and the god Krishna on a battlefield. Krishna represents The Divine, or God, and Arjuna, as a warrior, represents mankind.

Despite the generational gap between its date of composition (approximately 500-200 BCE) and now, the Bhagavad Gita is intertwined deeply with modern yoga. Perhaps it’s maintained its significance because the subject matter is still relevant today. A human experiencing a deep, existential crisis? Something I experience daily, to my chagrin.