Book excerpt: The traditional number of verses of the Gita is defined by the teacher Sankara (788-820 CE) as being 700. However, a number of 745 verses results from the Gitamana, an inserted stanza that gives the number of verses spoken by each speaker in the Gita. The Gitamana is found mostly in Kashmirian versions of the Mahabharata, inserted directly after the Bhagavadgita, and is not found in Bengali and southern recensions. The Gitamana is placed just before the 51 verses of the Gitasara, which is the summary of the Gita. Adding the Gitasara to the Bhagavadgita extends the Bhagavadgita, and can be made to comply with the specifications given in the Gitamana. Perhaps this is the first translation into English of the Gitasara, revealing thoughts not found in the Gita and worth meditating on, even the passages that are difficult.