The Bhagavad Gita or 'Song of God' probably needs no introduction to many. It is thought of as the crowning jewel of Hindu scriptures. It is part of the epic 'Mahabharata' and it relates the conversation between Sri Krishna and his faltering disciple Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It is like a compendium of spiritual knowledge.
Unlike the major western scriptures such as the Bible and the Koran, the Gita points to a pluralistic approach to spirituality. Krishna tells Arjuna about many different paths and ways to the Divine. These range from works, rituals, through knowledge, to devotion and realization of the Divine Consciousness.
There are many translations of the Gita available - Three I would recommend are the versions of Prabhavananda/Isherwood - a poetic translation that is very easy to read, and has an excellent intro by Aldous Huxley.
'Bhagavad Gita as it is' by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is another popular version - the 'in house' translation used by ISKCON. Gives the traditional interpretation of the Vaishnava school - this is a bit slanted, but the translation is good.
For a more in depth and philosophical view, Sri Aurobindo's version and commentary is IMO unsurpassed.
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BG Chapter 11.
