The Bhagavad Gita is set in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where Prince Arjuna is faced with the dilemma of fighting against his own kin. Lord Krishna, as his charioteer and advisor, counsels him on the nature of reality, the purpose of life, and the path to liberation. The Gita's central message is that one should perform one's duties without attachment to the fruits of one's actions and instead offer all actions to the divine. This detachment frees one from the cycle of birth and death and leads to ultimate liberation. The Gita also presents various paths to attain this liberation, including the path of knowledge, the path of devotion, and the path of action.

The text is considered a timeless classic and continues to be widely read and studied for its insights on philosophy, spirituality, and ethics.