This work investigates the historical and ideological origins of the academic discipline of Indology, questioning the validity of its foundational methodologies. Adluri and Bagchee, both scholars in the fields of philosophy and religious studies, analyze how nineteenth-century German scholarship constructed a specific, often reductive, image of Indian culture and religion. They argue that this 'Nay Science'—a critique of the discipline's own self-conception—reveals how colonial power structures and theological biases shaped the modern study of the Bhagavad Gita and other Vedic texts.

Scholars in the field of religious studies frequently note the high level of academic density and the provocative nature of the authors' arguments. Experts often categorize this as a challenging, polemical text that demands a significant background in both European philosophy and Sanskrit studies to fully engage with the critique.