Gitabase Reader

Vedic scriptures, open to your curiosity

Read and browse with ease — search, follow cross-references, find the most famous verses. With illustrations throughout. Offline.

Download Android App

What is Gitabase?

Gitabase is a framework for offline study of Vedic scriptures — Sanskrit with transliteration and translation into your language, available on your device whenever you need it.

The system consists of the Gitabase Editor, which packs texts into Gitabase format, and the Gitabase Reader mobile app.

It was first inspired by Gaudiya Vaishnava texts translated into English by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. The same system can compile virtually any Sanskrit corpus into a Gitabase package with the Gitabase Editor.

Gitabase Reader is the Android app that opens those packages. Beyond reading, it gives you tools to search, mark, connect, and follow your curiosity — so you can find the passages and connections that matter to you.

You can also browse many of the same libraries here on the web when you want a quick look from a browser.

About Gitabase Editor

Study features

Tools built for searching, marking, and connecting verses across your libraries.

  • Search all books

    Find a word or phrase across all books, one book, or a chapter — filter by Sanskrit, verse, or purport.

  • Dictionary tab

    Enter a Sanskrit word and instantly see every verse where it appears.

  • Comparing translations

    Open the same verse in another translation or edition side by side.

  • Highlights & notes

    Select a fragment in a verse or purport, highlight it, add a question or comment, and keep it in your lists.

  • Topics & tags

    Group verses and fragments under your own topics — one text can carry many tags.

  • Chapters in Sanskrit

    Read a chapter in the original Sanskrit when you want to practice beyond the translation.

  • Cross-references

    Follow links between texts and open related verses mentioned in purports.

  • Night mode

    Switch to a dark reading palette for comfortable study in low light.

  • Nested tags

    Organize notes into folders and subtopics so your study structure can grow with you.

  • Page-by-page reading

    Scroll texts, chapters, and search results one page at a time.

  • General notes & questions

    Save a question or short note that is not tied to any particular verse.

  • Bookstore

    Beyond the canonical texts, download works by contemporary authors.

  • Reading aloud

    Have texts or chapters read aloud when you cannot look at the screen.

  • Memory cards

    Use associative flashcards to help memorize important verses.

  • Illustrations

    Browse every image in the book and jump to the place where that illustration appears.

  • Backup & restore notes

    The app automatically backs up your notes and lets you restore them when you need to — for example after changing phones.

  • Open a random verse

    Surprise yourself by opening a random verse.

  • Reading time estimator

    Estimate how long a book may take to read based on your reading speed.

  • Push notifications for key verses

    Brighten your notification shade with daily reminders of important verses from the books you choose.

  • AI Index

    Find the passage you need with a thematic index powered by artificial intelligence. (Will be released soon)

  • Offline mode

    All features work without an internet connection for up to three weeks. Speed comes from having everything on the device — nothing needs to be loaded from the network on demand.

Release History

Browse libraries online

Open compiled Gitabase packages in your browser, or download them for offline study in Gitabase Reader.

Currently the following packages have been compiled and are available for downloading and opening with Gitabase Reader:

To make Gitabase Reader see a package, unzip its .db file into the Gitabase folder on your device. You can also download packages from the app via Download MORE Books in the main menu.

Prefer offline study? Download

See Gitabase Reader

A focused reader for libraries, chapters, search, and notes.

Get Gitabase Reader

Free to download and use for reading. Unlock premium study tools inside the app when you need them.

Go to download page

Android

Premium features in the app

Gitabase Reader includes optional paid premium features. They help us learn which tools are most useful to readers and keep quality high.

Core reading features and the libraries themselves always remain free. Advanced tools unlock under Additional Features in the app on your device — there you can choose a plan and activate what you need.

If you wish, you can also support the project with a donation.

The project has been around for more than 10 years, regularly ships updates, and supports all current versions of Android.

Donate

“Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is declared to be the essence of all Vedānta philosophy. One who has felt satisfaction from its nectarean mellow will never be attracted to any other literature.”

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.13.15