By The Sampadak Express
In a moment of immense pride for India, two of its most revered ancient texts — the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra — have been officially inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. This prestigious recognition by UNESCO celebrates documentary heritage of outstanding global value and ensures their preservation for future generations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reacting to the announcement, hailed the recognition as a landmark for India’s cultural legacy. Taking to social media, he said,“A proud moment for every Indian across the world! The inclusion of the Gita and Natyashastra in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register is a global recognition of our timeless wisdom and rich culture. The Gita and Natyashastra have nurtured civilisation, and consciousness for centuries. Their insights continue to inspire the world.”
UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme was established in 1992 to safeguard and promote access to the world’s documentary heritage — texts, manuscripts, archives, and audiovisual material — that have had a lasting impact on global history, culture, and knowledge systems.
About the Bhagavad Gita
The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the spiritual and philosophical essence of India, comprises 700 verses across 18 chapters. It is embedded within the Bhīṣmaparva (chapters 23 to 40) of the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. The text takes the form of a profound dialogue between Lord Krishna and the warrior prince Arjuna, set on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, moments before the onset of a monumental war.
More than a religious scripture, the Gita synthesises multiple schools of Indian thought including Vedic, Sankhya, Yoga, Buddhist, Jain, and even materialist (Cārvāka) philosophies. It provides ethical and philosophical guidance on topics such as duty (dharma), action (karma), detachment, and devotion (bhakti). Over centuries, it has been translated into numerous languages and studied across cultures for its universal messages on the human condition, moral dilemmas, and self-realisation.
The Bhagavad Gita continues to influence leaders, scholars, philosophers, and spiritual seekers worldwide and remains a core text in the global intellectual landscape.
About the Natyashastra
The Natyashastra, attributed to the ancient sage Bharat Muni, is a monumental treatise on the performing arts, believed to have been codified around the 2nd century BCE. Preserved at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, this encyclopedic text is regarded as the foundational work on Indian drama, dance, music, and aesthetics.
The Natyashastra consists of 36,000 verses and is considered the essence of the Nāṭyaveda, also referred to as the Gāndharvaveda. It elaborates on critical concepts such as nāṭya (drama), abhinaya (performance techniques), rasa (emotive essence), bhāva (emotions), and saṅgīta (music and sound), offering a comprehensive framework for theatrical production and performance.
One of the Natyashastra’s most influential contributions is the theory of rasa, which asserts that the true purpose of artistic expression is to evoke an emotional experience in the audience. Bharat Muni’s declaration — “No meaning can blossom without rasa” — remains a timeless aesthetic principle that resonates deeply within global literature, film, and performing arts.
The Natyashastra not only laid the foundation for classical Indian arts such as Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Odissi, but it also shaped the trajectory of dramaturgy and aesthetics in Southeast and East Asia.
The inscription of the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra into UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register underscores their unmatched contribution to global knowledge and cultural heritage. These ancient Indian texts continue to serve as guiding lights for spiritual inquiry, artistic excellence, and philosophical exploration across the globe.
