Gita Mahatmya

Gītā-māhātmya 4

These verses glorify the Bhagavad-gītā. They come from other scriptures and are not verses of the Bhagavad-gītā itself. Each one carries its own source.

1. Gītā-māhātmya

   गीता सुगीता कर्तव्या किमन्यैः शास्त्रविस्तरैः ।
   या स्वयं पद्मनाभस्य मुखपद्माद्विनिःसृता ॥

   gītā su-gītā kartavyā
   kim anyaiḥ śāstra-vistaraiḥ
   yā svayaṁ padmanābhasya
   mukha-padmād viniḥsṛtā

   Because Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gītā. In the present age, mankind is so absorbed with mundane activities that it is not possible to read all of the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gītā, will suffice because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

   Explanation

   This same verse comes at the start of chapter 43 of the Bhīṣma-parva of the Mahābhārata. There it has the word शास्त्रसंग्रहैः (“collections of scriptures”).

   Source: Gītā-māhātmya 4