Book excerpt: Two friends have a conversation at the outset of an epic war. One of them, Arjuna, is sad and confused in the face of imminent doom; the other, K???a, decides to cheer him up and clear his doubts. Through the course of their battlefield dialogue K???a assumes the role of a mentor and inspires Arjuna, teaching him the timeless wisdom of the 'Bhagavad-g?t?.' If one wants to know about India's grand heritage, religious traditions, philosophy, and spirituality, the Bhagavad-g?t? is a good place to start. "Simple, articulate and accessible, The New Bhagavad-Gita takes a unique approach to present a modern translation of this ancient text."N R Narayana MurthyFounder-Chairman, Infosys Technologies Ltd."The New Bhagavad-Gita is indeed new, because it presents the eternal truth in modern language, so everyone can understand and learn from it."Dr. L Subramaniam, PhDViolin Maestro and Composer"The New Bhagavad-Gita can be read through or opened to any page to receive your enlightening message for the day."Patricia SmithFounder, Peace X Peace and Editor, Sixty Years, Sixty Voices"...a welcome addition to the literature on Bhagavad-Gita."M G Prasad, PhDFormer Board Member, Hindu University of America Illustration: Ashok U et al.Editing: Aditya JDesign: Hari Ravikumar