Introduction
3
Bhagavad-gītā  is also known as  Gītopaniṣad . It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the most important  Upaniṣads  in Vedic literature. Of course there are many commentaries in English on the  Bhagavad-gītā , and one may question the necessity for another one. This present edition can be explained in the following way. Recently an American lady asked me to recommend an English translation of  Bhagavad-gītā . Of course in America there are so many editions of  Bhagavad-gītā  available in English, but as far as I have seen, not only in America but also in India, none of them can be strictly said to be authoritative because in almost every one of them the commentator has expressed his own opinions without touching the spirit of  Bhagavad-gītā  as it is.
The spirit of  Bhagavad-gītā  is mentioned in  Bhagavad-gītā  itself. It is just like this: if we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the directions written on the label. We cannot take the medicine according to our own whim or the direction of a friend. It must be taken according to the directions on the label or the directions given by a physician. Similarly,  Bhagavad-gītā  should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker himself. The speaker of  Bhagavad-gītā  is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is mentioned on every page of  Bhagavad-gītā  as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. Of course the word “ bhagavān ” sometimes refers to any powerful person or any powerful demigod, and certainly here Bhagavān designates Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as a great personality, but at the same time we should know that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as is confirmed by all great  ācāryas  (spiritual masters) like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka Svāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and many other authorities of Vedic knowledge in India. The Lord Himself also establishes Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the  Bhagavad-gītā , and He is accepted as such in the  Brahmasaṁhitā  and all the  Purāṇas , especially the  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , known as the  Bhāgavata Purāṇa  ( Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam ). Therefore we should take  Bhagavad-gītā  as it is directed by the Personality of Godhead Himself.
In the Fourth Chapter of the  Gītā  the Lord says:
(1)  imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt   (2)  evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa   (3)  sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam