Is Bhagavad Gita a Hindu religious book?

Podcast:

Excerpt from the video: Is Bhagvad Gita Hindu ? Ft. Chaitanya Charan Prabhu | DigiKarma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5K-UZZwXAg&t=0s

Video:

Recently, I had a podcast with Pushpendra Kulshrestha, where he spoke about the Allahabad High Court verdict declaring the Bhagavad Gita as a national book, not a religious one—stating that religion has nothing to do with the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

I’ve also heard several ISKCON speakers say that we shouldn’t associate the Bhagavad Gita strictly with religion, that it’s not a “religious book,” and so on. In line with this view, the state of Madhya Pradesh has also declared the Gita as a national book, rather than a religious one.

So, my question is:
According to you, is the Bhagavad Gita a religious book or a national book? And if it is a religious book, then is the religion Hinduism?

Well, I don’t see this as an either-or, binary choice. It’s not necessary that the Bhagavad Gita has to be either a religious text or a national book. It can be both. The Gita can offer inspiration for religious practice, and it can also serve as a source of spiritually elevated patriotism—not a narrow or chauvinistic kind of nationalism, but a broad, spiritually informed love for one’s country.

So, the two roles are not necessarily exclusive or contradictory.

That said, we need to understand the Gita’s purpose. The Bhagavad Gita teaches that each of us, at our core, is a spiritual being with a temporary material body. Our existence is bi-dimensional—both material and spiritual. Spiritually, we transcend all bodily and social labels. We are not Indians or Americans, male or female, young or old, Hindu or Christian or atheist. These are all temporary bodily designations. At the core, we are pure souls.

In Vedic terminology, we can understand this through the two levels of reality:

• Paramarthik (transcendental)
• Vyavaharik (practical or functional)

At the Paramarthik level, the soul has nothing to do with any material identity. Similarly, the Gita, in its essence, has nothing to do with any particular religion or nationality—it offers universal spiritual wisdom.

However, at the Vyavaharik level, we do function with certain identities. We have a nationality, a gender, a cultural background, a religion. These are practical identities, and while they shouldn’t be made central, they do matter in day-to-day functioning.

For example, in a population census, we state our nationality or religion. Similarly, from a historical and cultural perspective, the Bhagavad Gita originated in India, and it emerged from the traditions that were later labeled as Hinduism. These traditions existed long before the term “Hinduism” was coined.

So at the Vyavaharik level, it is accurate to say that the Gita is both a religious text and a national treasure.

Now, why do some people emphasize that the Gita is not a religious book but a national one? This is largely due to strategic positioning. In a secular country—and in an increasingly secular world—labeling the Gita as a “religious text” might make it harder to adopt at an official or educational level. By emphasizing its universal wisdom, people aim to make it more accessible and acceptable in public discourse.

So ultimately, the Bhagavad Gita is a timeless text that speaks at many levels. It can offer:

• Religious inspiration to those on a devotional path
• Philosophical and ethical guidance to seekers of truth
• Spiritualized national inspiration to those who wish to elevate their patriotism with a sense of higher purpose

Thus, the Bhagavad Gita transcends categories, and its value need not be diminished by calling it “religious” or “national.” It is a gift to all of humanity.