The Gita is set in a narrative framework of a dialogue between Pandava
prince Arjuna and his guide and charioteer Krishna. At the start of the
Dharma Yudhha (righteous war) between Pandavas and Kauravas, Arjuna is
filled with moral dilemma and despair about the violence and death the
war will cause. He wonders if he should renounce and seeks Krishna's
counsel, whose answers and discourse constitute the Bhagadvad Gita.
Krishna counsels Arjuna to "fulfill his Kshatriya (warrior) duty to
uphold the Dharma" through "selfless action". The Krishna-Arjuna
dialogue cover a broad range of spiritual topics, touching upon ethical
dilemmas and philosophical issues that go far beyond the war Arjuna
faces. The Bhagavad Gita presents a synthesis of Hindu ideas about
dharma, theistic bhakti, and the yogic paths to moksha. The synthesis
presents four paths to spirituality - jnana, bhakti, karma, and raja
yogas. These incorporate ideas from the Samkhya-Yoga and Vedanta
philosophies. Numerous commentaries have been written on the Bhagavad
Gita with widely differing views on the essentials.