The Bhagavad Gita, or Song of God, is one of the most revered of Hindu manuscripts. While. many believers date the text to over 5,000 years ago; some debate exists concerning its actual age. Originally written in Sanskrit, the earliest English translation was written in 1785, with the oral version of the manuscript believed by some to have been composed around 3100 B.C.E. The Western view is that the manuscript is much newer; nevertheless, it is considered by all to be an ancient text, and one with a powerful influence on Hindus and others.