Wisdom From The Bhagavad Gita
- olivierbranford
- Nov 14, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 25
The Bhagavad Gita, which means 'God's Song', often referred to as the 'Gita' is a Hindu scripture, dated to the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the Epic Mahabharata. It is a synthesis of various strands of Indian religious thought, including the Vedic concept of dharma (duty, rightful action); samkhya-based yoga and jnana (insight, knowledge); and bhakti (devotion). It holds a unique pan-Hindu influence as the most prominent sacred text, and is a central text in Vedanta and the Vaishnava Hindu tradition.
While traditionally attributed to the sage Veda Vyasa, the Gita is probably a composite work composed by multiple authors. It is set in a narrative framework of dialogue between the Pandava prince Arjuna and his charioteer guide Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, at the onset of the Kurukshetra War, incorporating teachings from the Upanishads and samkhya yoga philosophy.
The Bhagavad Gita
A complete summary of the Bhagavad Gita
The Gita in 90 seconds
While praising the benefits of yoga to release man's inner essence from the bounds of desire and the cycle of rebirth, the Gita propagates the Brahmanic idea of living according to one's duty or dharma, in contrast to the ascetic ideal of liberation by avoiding all karma. Facing the perils of war, Arjuna hesitates to perform his duty (dharma) as a warrior. Krishna persuades him to commence in battle, arguing that while following one's dharma, one should not consider oneself to be the agent of action, but attribute all of one's actions to God (bhakti).
The Gita posits the existence of an individual self (jivatman) and the higher God Self (Krishna, Atman/Brahman) in every being; the Krishna-Arjuna dialogue has been interpreted as a metaphor for an everlasting dialogue between the two. Numerous classical and modern thinkers have written commentaries on the Gita with differing views on its essence and essentials, including on the relation between the individual self (jivatman) and God (Krishna) or the supreme Self (Atman/Brahman). The Gita famously mentions, in chapter XIII verse 24–25, the four ways to commune with the Self, interpreted as four yogas, namely through meditation (raja yoga), insight/intuition (jnana yoga), work/right action (karma yoga) and devotion/love (bhakti yoga), an influential division that was popularised by Swami Vivekananda in the 1890s.
The Bhagavad Gita is a poem written in the Sanskrit language, with 700 verses.
Aurobindo (1872–1950) saw the Bhagavad Gita as a "Scripture of... future religion."
Narrative
The Gita is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna right before the start of the climactic Kurukshetra War in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Two massive armies have gathered to destroy each other. The Pandava prince Arjuna asks his charioteer Krishna to drive to the centre of the battlefield so that he can get a good look at both the armies and all those "So eager for war". He sees that some among his enemies are his own relatives, beloved friends, and revered teachers. He does not want to fight to kill them and is thus filled with doubt and despair on the battlefield. He drops his bow, wonders if he should renounce and just leave the battlefield. He turns to his charioteer and guide Krishna, for advice on the rationale for war, his choices and the right thing to do. The Bhagavad Gita is the compilation of Arjuna's questions and moral dilemma and Krishna's answers and insights that elaborate on a variety of philosophical concepts.
The compiled dialogue goes far beyond the "Rationale for war"; it touches on many human ethical dilemmas, philosophical issues and life choices. According to Flood and Martin, although the Gita is set in the context of a wartime epic, the narrative is structured to apply to all situations; it wrestles with questions about "Who we are, how we should live our lives, how we relate to Self, and how should we act in the world".
According to Huston Smith, it delves into questions about the "Purpose of life, crisis of self-identity, human Self, human temperaments, and ways for spiritual quest".
The Gita posits the existence of two selfs in an individual (self and Higher Self), and its presentation of the Krishna-Arjuna dialogue has been interpreted as a metaphor for an eternal dialogue between the two.
The Gita emphasises the need for action, but letting go of outcomes, as the only way to find abundance, peace, and joy. This is not just a leadership philosophy, but also a personal one. One must do the right thing because one has determined that it is right, states the Gita, without craving for its fruits, without worrying about the results, loss, or gain. Desires, selfishness, and the craving for the fruits of your actions can distort one from spiritual living and create scarcity.
Other wisdom from the Gita and links to my articles on these
Right thinking is the ultimate solution to all of our problems.
Selflessness and service is the only way to prosperity and progress.
Renounce the ego of separateness and rejoice in the bliss of infinity and oneness.
Connect with your higher consciousness daily through prayer and meditation.
Never give up on your Self.
See divinity all around.
Absorb your heart in the divine.
Detach from Maya (cosmic illusion) and attach to the divine.
Let go, and move into union with God.
Summary
The Gita is a crucial work in carrying the message of life's journey being about the relation between the personal self and our Higher Self or Higher Power. This features much in the works of Carl Jung in terms of the psyche and its relation to divinity. Jnana yoga is the path of wisdom, and direct realisation of the Brahman, the concept of the transcendent. In the Bhagavad Gita, it is also referred to as buddhi yoga and its goal is discernment of the true Self. The Gita, states Fowler, "thoroughly accepts" atman as a foundational concept. In the Upanishads, this is the Brahmanical idea that all beings have a "permanent real Self", the true essence, the Self it refers to as Atman (Self). The Gita accepts Atman as the pure, unchanging, ultimate real essence.
The Gita also refers to the concept of "This too shall pass: The Gita considers the world to be transient, all bodies and matter as impermanent. Everything that constitutes prakriti (Nature, matter) is process driven and has a finite existence. It is born, grows, matures, decays, and dies. It considers this transient reality as Maya.
The importance of meditation as an essential regular daily spiritual practice features strongly in the Gita. In it, meditation, intuition, and insight cannot be separated.
The need to take action and let go of outcomes, featured so prominently in the Gita is true for an individual spiritual quest and in leadership circles. The Gita "Rejects the Buddhist and Jain path of non-action, emphasising instead renunciation of the fruits of action." According to Mahatma Gandhi, the object of the Gita is to show the way to attain self-realisation, and this "Can be achieved by selfless action, by desireless action; by renouncing fruits of action; by dedicating all activities to God, i.e., by surrendering oneself to Him, body and Self." Gandhi called the Gita "The Gospel of Selfless Action."
In relation to Dharma: This is related to a person's true purpose and is concerned with a person's duty and the actions the person takes. Each Hindu believes that they have their own personal dharma. Ultimately, this is about leading a righteous life. Few verses in the Bhagavad Gita deal with dharma, according to the Indologist Paul Hacker, but the theme of dharma is broadly important.
Namaste.
Olly
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