About Song of God: Bagavad Gita
Song of God: Bhagavad Gita is a 1967 studio album featuring sitarist Ravi Shankar and sarod player Aashish Khan. The duo interpreted selected stanzas from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita through instrumental raga-based compositions. World Pacific Records released the album on vinyl in 1967.
The album comprises two extended tracks. The first track, \"Introduction and Prayer Stanzas 1 through 10,\" opens with a vocal invocation followed by instrumental renditions of the initial verses. The second track, \"Stanzas 11 through 21,\" continues the musical interpretation of the text. Both compositions blend North Indian classical traditions with Shankar’s signature sitar phrasing and Khan’s sarod accompaniment.
Ravi Shankar composed the music and arranged the performances. Aashish Khan contributed sarod passages and collaborative improvisations. The recording session details remain partially undocumented, but the album reflects the era’s cross-cultural interest in Indian classical music. World Pacific Records, a subsidiary of Liberty Records, distributed the vinyl in Western markets, targeting audiences engaged with spiritual and meditative music.
The album’s structure adheres to the Bhagavad Gita’s philosophical themes, using raga scales to evoke emotional and contemplative responses. Shankar employed the sitar as the lead instrument, while Khan’s sarod provided rhythmic and melodic counterpoint. The liner notes included translations of the stanzas, though the exact contributors to the textual annotations are uncredited in available sources.
Song of God: Bhagavad Gita emerged during a period when Shankar’s collaborations with Western artists and labels expanded the global reach of Indian classical music. The album’s fusion of devotional content and instrumental virtuosity distinguished it from his contemporaneous works. No reissues or digital remasters have been officially confirmed, and the original vinyl remains the primary format for collectors.