The Bhagavad-Gita is one of the most important holy books of the Hindu religion. It is a conversation, set on a battlefield: a prince called Arjuna does not want to fight, and the god Krishna — who is driving his chariot — talks with him about duty, the soul, and how to live. Hindus read it for wisdom, not only as a story. It sits inside a much longer poem called the Mahabharata, but people often meet it on its own. Though actually, many students first hear a line from it in a yoga class, not in a temple. You will see the name with or without a hyphen (Bhagavad Gita). It is treated with respect, like other holy books: it is a text people live with, not just a plot to finish.