Categories
Gita Hindu Texts Hinduism

A List of different Gītās

Bhagvad Gītā is just one of the many Gītās that are there in the Hindu/Indian literature. There are around 60 more Gītās other than the BhagvadGītā, 14 of them being from the Mahābhārata alone, the text which the BhagvadGītā is a part of.

Many people ignorantly say that BhagvadGītā is the Holy Scripture of Hinduism, and some even compare it to Bible & Quran. But that is the most erroneous proposition ever. Neither BhagvadGītā is the holy scripture of Hinduism, nor does it represent the exclusive view of Hindu. A hindu is free to reject and discard Bhagvad Gītā outright if he wants.
Bhagvad Gītā is just one of the many Gītās that are there in the Hindu/Indian literature. There are around 60+ more Gītās other than the BhagvadGītā, 14 of them being from the Mahābhārata only, the text which the BhagvadGītā is a part of.

  • Anugītā (अनुगीता) : From the Mahābhārata, Aśvamedha-Parva chapter 16. Conversation between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa after the coronation of Yudhiṣṭhira. Considered a sequel to the prior conversation between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa , before the war in the Bhīṣma Parva, which forms the Bhagvadgītā, and also gives the complete understanding and full context of the Bhagvadgītā.
  • Avadhūta Gītā (अवधूत गीताAttributed to Dattātreya. A key text of ascetic traditions.
  • Aṣṭāvakragītā (अष्टावक्रगीता): Conversation between King Janaka and Aṣṭāvakra. Emphasis is on renunciation (Saṃnyāsa)
  • Vaśiṣṭha Gītā(वशिष्ठ गीता): A discourse given by Vaśiṣṭha to a dejected Prince Rāma. Popularly known as ‘YogaVaśiṣṭha’.
  • Īśvara Gītā (ईश्वर गीता): From KūrmaPurāṇa, first eleven chapters of UttaraVibhāga
  • Gaṇeśa Gītā (गणेश गीता): From GaṇeśaPurāṇa, Krīḍākhaṇḍa chapters 138-148
  • Devī Gītā (देवीगीता): From chapters 31 to 40 of seventh canto of Devī Bhāgavata
  • Parāśara Gītā (पराशरगीता): From the MokṣaDharma Upa-Parva of the Śānti-Parva of the Mahābhārata
  • Pāṇḍava Gītā (पाण्डव गीता) : From the Mahābhārata
  • Piṅgala Gītā (पिङ्गल गीता) : From the MokṣaDharma Upa-Parva of the Śānti-Parva of the Mahābhārata
  • Brahma Gītā (ब्रह्मगीता): From the first twelve chapters of the latter portion of the fourth i.e., Yajña-Vaibhavakhaṇḍa of the Sūta Saṁhitā of the Skanda Purāṇ. Another text with the same name is there in sarga 173 – 181 in Uttarārdha of the Nirvāṇa Prakaraṇa of the Yogavāsiṣṭha. An other text with the same name is there, which was authored by Acyutānanda.
  • Brāhmaṇa Gītā (ब्राह्मण गीता): Part of AnuGītā.
  • Bhagvadgītā (भगवद्गीता): From the Bhīṣma Parva of the Mahābhārata.
  • Bodhya Gītā (बोध्यगीता): From the MokṣaDharma Upa-Parva of the Śānti-Parva of the Mahābhārata
  • Bhikṣu Gītā (भिक्षुगीता) : From the 23rd chapter of canto 11 of Bhāgavata Purāṇ
  • Maṃkī Gītā (मंकीगीता) : From the MokṣaDharma Upa-Parva of the Śānti-Parva of the Mahābhārata
  • YamaGītā (यमगीता): Three texts exists with this name:
    • In the 7th chapter of the 3rd aṃśa of Viṣṇu Purāṇa
    • In the chapter 381 of the third khaṇḍa of Agni Purāṇa
    • Eighth chapter of Narasiṃha Purāṇa
  • Rāma Gītā (रामगीता) : There are two texts with this name. One is there in the 5th sarga of Uttarakāṇḍa of the Adhyātma Rāmāyaṇa, which is part of the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇ. Another one is in the first 18 chapters of the 2nd pāda of the Upāsnākāṇḍa of GuruJñānavāsiṣṭha-Tattvasārāyaṇa,
  • Vicikhyu Gītā (विचिख्युगीता) : From the MokṣaDharma Upa-Parva of the Śānti-Parva of the Mahābhārata
  • Vyāsa Gītā (व्यासगीता) : From the UttaraVibhāga of the Kūrma Purāṇa
  • Vṛtra Gītā (वृत्रगीता) : From the MokṣaDharma Upa-Parva of the Śānti-Parva of the Mahābhārata.
  • Śiva Gītā (शिव गीता) : From the Pātāla khaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇ
  • Śivaśaṃpāka Gītā (शिवशंपाकगीता) : From the MokṣaDharma Upa-Parva of the Śānti-Parva of the Mahābhārata.
  • Sūta Gītā (सूतगीता) : From chapters of 13-20 of the Yajña-Vaibhavakhaṇḍa of the Sūta Saṁhitā of the Skanda Purāṇ
  • Sūrya Gītā (सूर्यगीता) : From the first five chapters of the 3rd pāda of the Karmakāṇḍa of GuruJñānavāsiṣṭha-Tattvasārāyaṇ
  • Vyādha Gītā (व्याधगीता) : From the Mārkaṇḍeya-Samasyā Upa-Parva of the Vana Parva of the Mahābhārata.
  • Uddhava Gītā (उद्धव गीता) : From the chapters 6-29 of canto 11 of the Bhāgavata Purāṇ
  • Haṃsa Gītā (हंसगीता) : a subset of Uddhava Gītā, from chapters 13-16 of the canto 11 of the Bhāgavata Purāṇ
  • Hārīta Gītā (हारीतगीता) : From the MokṣaDharma Upa-Parva of the Śānti-Parva of the Mahābhārata.
  • Buddha Gītā (बुद्ध गीता) : Normally Dhammapada is treated as the Buddha Gītā.
  • Jayanteya Gītā (जयन्तेय गीता) : From chapters 2-5 of the canto 11 of the Bhāgavata Purāṇ
  • Śruti Gītā (श्रुति गीता) : From chapter 87 of the Canto 10 of the Bhāgavata Purāṇ
  • Ramaṇa Gītā (रमणगीता) : Based on the teachings and sermons of Ramaṇa Mahāṛṣi
  • Gorakṣa Gītā (गोरक्षगीता) : Teachings of Gorakṣanātha .
  • Ṛṣabha Gītā (ऋषभ गीता).: From chapters 4,5,6 of canto 5 of Bhāgavata Purāṇ
  • Ṛbhu Gītā (ऋभुगीता) : From the Śiva-rahasya Purāṇ
  • Rudra Gītā (रुद्र गीता) : From canto 4 of the Bhāgavata Purāṇ
  • KapilaGītā(कपिलगीता) : From chapters 23 to 33 of canto 3 of Bhāgavata Purāṇa
  • Uttara-gītā(उत्तरगीता) : said to be from the Aśvamedha-Parva of the Mahābhārata
  • Guru Gītā (गुरुगीता) : It is believed to be part of the larger Skanda Purāṇa. There are several versions of the Guru Gītā, varying from around 100 to over 400 verses. Another view is that Guru Gītā is part of Viśvasāra Tantra.
  • Guru bhakti Gītā (गुरुभक्ति गीता): Authored by Acyutānanda, one of the Panchasakhas.

And there are several other also like Jaina Mahāvīra Gītā(जैन महावीर गीता), Vāmadeva Gītā(वामदेव गीता), Adhyātma Gītā(अध्यात्म गीता), ArhadGītā or Tattva Gītā(अर्हद्गीता or तत्त्वगीता), Prema Gītā(प्रेमगीता), Utathya Gītā(उतथ्य गीता), Bhaktimuktipradāyaka Gītā(भक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायक गीता), PremaBhakti Brahma Gītā(प्रेमभक्ति ब्रह्म गीता), Bhramara Gītā(भ्रमर गीता), HanumadGītā(हनुमदगीता), JanakaGītā(जनकगीता), Gopika Gita, etc.

2 replies on “A List of different Gītās”

[…] Bhagwad Gita is not even the only Gita that exists in the Hindu literature. Bhagvad Gītā is just one of the many Gītās that are there in the Hindu/Indian literature. There are around 50 more Gītās other than the BhagvadGītā, 14 of them being from the Mahābhārata only, the text which the BhagvadGītā is a part of. See here I have compiled the list of different Gitas that exist in the Hindu Literature:- List of Different Gitas. […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *