Why read the Gita?

An old farmer lived with his grandson. Each morning grandpa would red his Gita. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him. One day the grandson asked, 'Grandpa! I try to read the Gita just like you but I don't understand it and what I do understand I forget. What good does reading the Gita do?' The grandfather quietly replied, 'Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.' The boy did as he was told but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back. This time the boy ran faster but again the basket was empty. Out of breath, he told his grandfather, that it was impossible and went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible but he wanted to show that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath he said, 'See grandpa, it's uselless!' 'So you think it is useless?' the old man said, 'Look at the basket.' The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty coal basket and was now clean, inside and out. 'Son, that's what happens when you read the Gita. You might not understand or remember everything but slowly you will be changed inside and out.'

courtesy: Samvit, No. 57. March 2008. published by Sri Sarada Math, Dakshineswar, Kolkata

Read about the Bhagavad Gita here:
Swami Vivekananda about his Thoughts on the Gita
Bhagavad Gita, the divine song translated by Swami Tapasyananda