Why is the Gītā read near a dying person or after a death?

it turns the mind to God and reminds everyone that the self does not die.

The Gītā teaches that whoever remembers God at the time of leaving the body goes to Him (8.5), and that one's last thoughts shape what follows (8.6). So families gently read or play the Gītā, or chant God's name, beside someone who is dying, to help their mind rest on the highest.

For those left behind, the Gītā is a comfort. Chapter 2 says the self is never born and never dies (2.20) and that, as we change worn-out clothes, the self takes new bodies (2.22). Many families read chapter 2, chapter 15, or the whole book over the days of mourning. Others read the Garuḍa Purāṇa in that period; both customs are common.

If the dying person cannot hear well, a soft name — “Rāma”, “Kṛṣṇa”, “Śiva” — is enough. Love and calm in the room matter as much as any text.

Source: Bhagavad Gītā 8.5–8.6, 2.20, 2.22

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