Bhagavad-Gīta. Title of a philosophical poem in Book VI of the Mahābharata, which may date from the 6th c. BCE. The main theme of the poem is that salvation is achieved through the love of God, however it may be expressed. The ethical path of adherence to duty, although the highest of such expressions, is not the only one. All paths can lead to salvation. The poem is in the Bhakti tradition of Hinduism and has had considerable influence on many within the Christian tradition. The divine appears in two forms: Brahman (impersonal deity) and Krishna (personal incarnation of deity).

Geddes MacGregor, Dictionary of Religion and Philosophy, New York: Paragon House, 1989