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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
Even in the commentary (bhasya) written by Samkaracarya, we come across the expression " iti gitasu ' ' in the plural number with reference to this work. But in contracting the expression, the affixes or words used for indicating respect and also the common- noun " Upanisat " at the end, indicative of a class being dropped, the two first-case-ended singular words " Srimad Bhagavadgita " and " Upanisat " have at first been changed into " Bhagavadgita " and later on merely " Gita ", which is a feminine and extensively contracted form,— as has been the case with the names Kena, Katha, chandogya etc., If the word " Upanisat " had not occurred in the original name, then the name of this work would have been contracted into the neuter form " Bhagavadgitam " or merely " Gitam " as has been the case with " Bhagavatam " or " Bharatam " or " Gopigitam ", but as, instead of that, the word has remained in the feminine form as " Bhagavadgita, " or " Gita, " we must always take the word " Upanisat " as implied after it. The word " Anugita " has been interpreted in the same way in the commentary of Arjunamisra on the Anugita.
But we find that the word " Gita " is applied not only to the Bhagavadgita of 700 verses but also in an ordinary meaning to many other works dealing with Spiritual Knowledge. For instance, in certain sundry chapters of the Moksaparva, included in the Santiparva of the Mahabharata, we find that the names Pingalagita, Sampakagita, Mankigita, Bodhyagita^ Vicakkhyu-gita, Haritagita, Vrtragita, Parasaragita, and" Hamsagita have been used and one part of the Anuglta in the Asvamedhaparva has been called by the separate and special name of " Brahmana Gita ". Besides these, there are also- numerous other gitas which are well-known, such as the-
Avadhutagita, Astavakragita, Isvaragita, Uttaragita, Kapilagita, Ganesagita, Devigita, Pandavagita, Brahmagita, Bhiksugita, Yamagita, Ramagita, Vyasagita, Sivagita, Sutagita, Suryagita, etc. Some of these exist independently, whereas the others are to be found in different Puranas. For instance, the Ganesagita, is to be found at the end of the Ganesapurana in the Krida- khanda in the 138th to 148th chapters and one may say that it is a faithful copy of the Bhagavadgita, with slight verbal differences. The Isvaragita is to be found in the first eleven chapters in the Uttaravibhaga of the Kurmapurana, and the Vyasagita starts in the next chapter.
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