The Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita, is a Hindu scripture, likely composed in the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the epic poem Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita is a synthesis of various strands of Indian religious thought, including the Vedic concept of dharma ; Sankhya-based yoga and jñana (knowledge); and bhakti (devotion). Among the Hindu traditions, the Bhagavad Gita holds a unique pan-Hindu influence as the most prominent sacred text and is a central text in the Vedanta and Vaishnava traditions.