Bhagavad Gita, Natyashastra Receive UNESCO Honour for Cultural Significance

In a moment of national pride, two of India’s most revered ancient texts — the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra — have been added to UNESCO’s prestigious Memory of the World Register. The inclusion recognizes these works as part of the world's documentary heritage of exceptional value.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the global recognition, calling it a “proud moment for every Indian.” Taking to social media, he wrote: “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 aims to safeguard and promote access to important historical manuscripts, texts, and documents that have shaped human history.

The Bhagavad Gita, comprising 700 verses across 18 chapters, is part of the Mahabharata’s Bhīṣmaparva and presents a profound dialogue between Lord Krishna and warrior prince Arjuna on the eve of battle. This philosophical treatise not only integrates diverse Indian thought systems including Vedic, Buddhist, Jain, and Cārvāka traditions, but has also been widely translated and read globally for centuries.

It is celebrated as a foundational spiritual and philosophical guide that addresses ethics, duty, and the nature of reality.

Believed to have been codified around the 2nd century B.C., the Natyashastra by sage Bharat Muni is preserved at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. This ancient Sanskrit treatise, also known as Nāṭyaveda or Gāndharvaveda, comprises nearly 36,000 verses and serves as the cornerstone of Indian classical dance, theatre, and music.

The Natyashastra introduces critical concepts like nāṭya (drama), abhinaya (performance), rasa (aesthetic essence), and bhāva (emotion), many of which continue to influence global art and literature. One of its most enduring declarations—“no meaning can blossom forth without rasa”—remains a guiding principle in the performing arts.

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