This Urdu manuscript of an illustrated Bhagavad Gita, is a 19th century copy of the original 16th century manuscript. The opening page bears an image of Ganesha. The Bhagavad Gita is a section of the renowned Hindu epic Mahabharata, a group of 701 verses, studied as the Song of the Divine One, referring to Krishna. The Bhagavad Gita was narrated to Arjuna by Krishna just before going into battle to boost his morale, to make Arjuna realise his duty in the right perspective of the battle, and to reveal his own omnipresence to Arjuna and other devotees. This present manuscript is translated by Abul Fazl and Faizi, sons of Shaikh Mubarak, who influenced Akbar’s (1556-1605, one of the three great Mughal emperors), literary and philosophical taste.
