Ananta Press is pleased to announce Rajeev Kumar Dubey as an official Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for his thoughtful and spiritually enriching poetry book, Gita: Verses of Eternity. This recognition celebrates a work that brings the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita closer to contemporary readers through the beauty, simplicity, and emotional power of poetry.
For centuries, the Bhagavad Gita has remained one of the most influential philosophical and spiritual texts in the world. Its teachings have inspired saints, philosophers, reformers, scholars, scientists, leaders, and ordinary individuals searching for direction in difficult moments. Yet, for many modern readers, the original Sanskrit verses and their philosophical depth can sometimes appear distant or challenging. Gita: Verses of Eternity attempts to bridge this distance by presenting the spirit of the Gita in an accessible poetic form.
What makes Rajeev Kumar Dubey’s work worthy of this recognition is the intention behind the poetry. The book does not treat the Gita merely as an ancient religious text. Instead, it presents its wisdom as something that continues to speak to human beings facing uncertainty, responsibility, ethical choices, questions of purpose, and inner conflict today.
The work is particularly meaningful because it welcomes different kinds of readers. It can serve someone approaching the Gita for the first time, a young person searching for direction, a professional struggling with an ethical decision, a spiritual seeker, or simply a thoughtful reader interested in understanding life more deeply.
The central idea that we should engage with life rather than escape from it gives the book particular relevance. The Gita was itself delivered at a moment of intense conflict, when Arjuna had to decide how to respond to duty, emotion, morality, and uncertainty. By carrying this conversation into poetry for today’s audience, Rajeev Kumar Dubey allows an ancient dialogue to continue in a language and form that can connect with new generations.
Rajeev Kumar Dubey brings an interesting intellectual and creative background to this literary work. He serves as a Professor of Anaesthesiology at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, with an academic background that includes Anaesthesiology, Critical Care, and Hospital Administration. Alongside his work as a physician and teacher, he has developed a deep interest in Indian culture, literature, history, poetry, and philosophical thought. This combination of scientific discipline, academic experience, cultural curiosity, and poetic sensitivity gives his literary voice a distinctive character.
The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award recognizes literary works that demonstrate meaningful thought, originality, reader value, cultural importance, and the ability to contribute positively to literature. The award committee considered Gita: Verses of Eternity significant because it does more than repeat familiar philosophical ideas. It attempts to make enduring wisdom approachable through a literary form that encourages reflection without creating unnecessary complexity.
The book’s selection also reflects its potential impact. Literature becomes especially valuable when it helps readers understand themselves and their responsibilities more clearly. Through poetic engagement with the teachings of the Gita, this work encourages readers to think about purpose, action, duty, understanding, inner balance, and the way they respond to life’s challenges.
The Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award committee congratulates Rajeev Kumar Dubey on this achievement. Gita: Verses of Eternity represents a sincere effort to connect an ancient philosophical conversation with the concerns of today’s reader. We extend our best wishes to the author and hope that his work continues to reach readers searching for wisdom, clarity, purpose, and meaningful engagement with life.
Jury Feedback
Glenville Ashby
Gita: Verses of Eternity impressed me because it approaches an ancient spiritual text with respect while still making an effort to communicate with modern readers. The Bhagavad Gita has been explained and interpreted many times, so any writer working with it faces the challenge of finding a meaningful way to present its ideas again. Rajeev Kumar Dubey chooses poetry, and this allows the teachings to feel more personal and reflective. I especially appreciated the idea that the Gita does not ask people to escape life but teaches them how to participate in it with greater understanding. That message has value far beyond a particular religious or cultural background. Readers dealing with difficult decisions, uncertainty, responsibility, or questions about their purpose can find something relevant here. The author’s intention to make profound philosophical ideas approachable without removing their seriousness gives this book literary and spiritual value. It is a thoughtful work that encourages the reader to reflect rather than simply accept.
Kavya Pandey
While reading Gita: Verses of Eternity, I felt that one of its strongest qualities was its accessibility. Many people are curious about the Bhagavad Gita but hesitate to begin because they believe the language, philosophy, or traditional commentaries may be difficult to understand. This book creates a gentler entry point through poetry. Rajeev Kumar Dubey has tried to preserve the larger spirit of the teachings while presenting them in a form that today’s readers can approach comfortably. I also liked that the book is not written only for people who already follow a spiritual practice. Its ideas can speak to students, professionals, young readers, and anyone trying to understand responsibility, purpose, and personal choices. The poetry encourages quiet thinking rather than forcing conclusions on the reader. There is sincerity in the way the author approaches the subject. For me, this combination of simplicity, relevance, philosophical depth, and literary expression makes the book deserving of recognition.
Apeksha Gupta
What stayed with me after reading Gita: Verses of Eternity was the connection it creates between ancient wisdom and everyday life. The book reminds us that the questions faced by Arjuna are not completely different from the questions faced by people today. We may not stand on a battlefield, but we regularly face situations involving fear, uncertainty, responsibility, relationships, ambition, morality, and difficult choices. Rajeev Kumar Dubey uses poetry to make this connection easier to understand. His approach gives readers space to consider the teachings personally instead of seeing them only as philosophical statements from the past. I also found the intended audience of the book very meaningful. A first-time reader of the Gita can enter the subject without feeling intimidated, while someone already familiar with its teachings may discover a fresh literary way of engaging with them. The book’s contribution lies in creating a bridge between tradition and modern understanding. That makes it both relevant and valuable.
Kavita Kaushik
Gita: Verses of Eternity has a calm and thoughtful quality that suits its subject beautifully. What I appreciate most is the author’s attempt to communicate serious ideas in a simple poetic manner. Spiritual and philosophical writing can sometimes become very complicated, which may distance readers from the message. Rajeev Kumar Dubey moves in the opposite direction. He tries to bring readers closer to the wisdom of the Gita by making the experience reflective and approachable. The message about remaining engaged with life is particularly important. The book does not present spirituality as withdrawal from responsibilities. Instead, it encourages greater awareness while performing those responsibilities. This can be especially helpful for younger readers and professionals who are trying to balance ambition, pressure, duty, and personal values. I also appreciate that the author comes from an academic and medical background while maintaining a strong connection with poetry, culture, and philosophy. That combination adds an interesting dimension to the work and makes his contribution distinctive.
Neel Preet
For me, Gita: Verses of Eternity succeeds because it understands that timeless wisdom must continue to speak in forms that new generations can receive. The Bhagavad Gita belongs to a very old philosophical tradition, but the human emotions within it remain completely recognizable. Confusion, fear, duty, courage, purpose, attachment, and the desire to understand what is right are still part of human life. Rajeev Kumar Dubey brings these concerns into a poetic presentation that invites readers to slow down and think. The book does not seem interested in displaying complexity for its own sake. Its purpose is communication, and that simplicity is one of its strengths. I believe many younger readers who may otherwise feel distant from classical spiritual literature could find this work welcoming. At the same time, readers familiar with the Gita may appreciate seeing its ideas expressed through another literary lens. The work carries cultural value while also addressing universal questions, which strengthens its case for this award.
Deepak Seth
Gita: Verses of Eternity is a meaningful example of how literature can preserve tradition while making it approachable for a changing readership. I found the author’s purpose very clear throughout the work. He wants the wisdom associated with the Bhagavad Gita to remain part of an active conversation rather than something respected only because it belongs to the past. That is an important literary objective. The poetic form helps readers encounter familiar philosophical themes with a different emotional rhythm. I particularly valued the focus on purpose and responsible action. In today’s environment, where people often face professional pressure, personal confusion, and competing expectations, a book that encourages understanding before action has genuine relevance. Rajeev Kumar Dubey’s background as a physician, professor, teacher, poet, and student of Indian culture also contributes to the seriousness of his approach. The book reflects both intellectual curiosity and sensitivity. I believe its accessibility, cultural significance, positive message, and potential to inspire thoughtful reading make it a deserving selection for the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award.
Closing Note
The entire Ananta Press team extends heartfelt congratulations to Rajeev Kumar Dubey on becoming a Winner of the Ananta Press Sahitya Ratna Award for Gita: Verses of Eternity.
Through this work, the author has demonstrated how poetry can become a bridge between classical wisdom and contemporary experience. By inviting readers to revisit questions of duty, purpose, action, understanding, and inner awareness, he contributes meaningfully to both spiritual literature and modern poetry.
We wish Rajeev Kumar Dubey continued success in his literary journey and hope Gita: Verses of Eternity reaches readers across generations and backgrounds. May his words encourage many more people to discover that the conversation begun centuries ago on the battlefield of the Gita can still offer understanding, direction, and inspiration to life today.
