BHAGAVAD GITA – The Divine Song of Hindu Spiritualism
One of the holy scriptures of Indian religion, Hinduism
The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the best known and one of the most important Hindu scriptures (along with the Vedas and Upanishads). Without any prior knowledge or experience in this field, I’ve decided to explore the basics of Eastern spiritualism.
In the article below I share impressions and summarise what it can offer to first-time readers. The lessons it teaches and what we can possibly learn, from the perspective of Western readers.
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is a sacred book of Hinduism, a religion that is about 4,000-year-old and has 900 million followers. The importance of this book for Hindu spiritualism cannot be underestimated. Bhagavad Gita, the name itself can be translated in several ways – the divine song, the song of God, the song by the lord, the word of God, the celestial song, etc.
The Bhagavad Gita is essentially a discourse, between prince Arjuna and his guru Krishna. It is a dialectic, in some ways similar to the Socratic method, where questions are asked and answered about how to live a life in a constantly changing world. This ancient classic book is astonishingly fresh and inspiring, even for the readers with no deep understanding of the Hindu terms used throughout the Gita.
The Gita is an impressive piece of philosophy and both faithful and atheists can find wisdom on its pages. It teaches us to see through the dualities in life, pleasure, and pain, successes and failures.
A Bit of History
Bhagavad Gita is a poem written in the Sanskrit language and is part of an ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is a story of the conflict between Kaurava and Pandava princes and their successors in the Kurukshetra war.
Mahabharata is the longest epic poem known, with about 1.8mln words (ten times the combined length of Iliad and Odyssey). The authorship is uncertain, but it’s commonly attributed to legendary sage Vyasa (Veda Vyasa, aka Krishna Dvaipayana). The Mahabharata is likely based on original events from 9 to 8 centuries BCE and probably was compiled from 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE.
Bhagavad Gita is part of the 6th book (from a total of 18) of Mahabharata, called Bhishma Parva. The Gita comprises chapters 23 to 40 of Bhishma Parva. There is no consensus on composition dates of the Bhagavad Gita, with various scholars dating it around the 2nd century BCE.
Is Bhagavad Gita inserted or a genuine part of the Mahabharata?
There is an opinion that Bhagavad Gita was not the original part of the Mahabharata epic, but was added to the poem later, at the specific place and moment of the story. There are many logical arguments to support this view. The Gita starts at the start of the massive Kurukshetra war, arguably at the climax of the Mahabharata epic, when one of the heroes of the poem, the top warrior suddenly diverges from the imminent reality, deep dives into soul-searching and starts questioning life.
Content and Themes
There are only four characters in the whole poem. Arjuna is the main character, one of the five Pandava princes. Krishna, also the main character and protagonist of the poem, Arjuna's charioteer, also is an incarnation of Vishnu (one of the principal deities of Hinduism). The charioteer, Krishna can be viewed as the symbol of Atman, Arjuna’s deepest self. Krishna is his guru, guide, and teacher.
Sanjaya is the secondary narrator and the council of the Kuru king Dhritarashtra. The fourth character is Dhritarashtra, the blind Kuru king, and father of the Kauravas, who has a much larger role in the Mahabharata epic than in Bhagavad Gita.
The Gita takes for granted that the reader is familiar with the basics of Hindu Spiritualism and uses respective vocabulary, including from Yoga. Many terms will be unknown for the first-time readers (as they were to me) and what makes it even more complicated, the original words have obscure etymology and can be translated in several ways from the Hindu language. It is not mandatory to research and study terms to read and appreciate Bhagavad Gita, but it does make it much easier to follow and capture the symbolic meanings in the poem. Here are some of the basic terms (out of many used in the poem):
Brahman – The supreme personality of the Godhead.
Atman – The divine core of personality.
Dharma – the law that expresses and maintains the unity of creation. Essential order of things, integrity, and harmony in the universe, rightness, justice, goodness, purpose rather than chance.
Karma – Web of cause and effect.
Samsara – The cycle of birth and death.
Moksha – Spiritual liberation that is life’s supreme goal.
Both the Mahabharata epic and the Bhagavad Gita are full of deep symbolism and allegory. Mahabharata epic can be read as the metaphor of the war between the light and dark forces in every human’s heart. The Gita on the other hand can be read as a dialogue between the human personality and the deepest self which is divine, and this dialogue takes place in the depths of consciousness.
Right at the start of the Kurukshetra war, when the fight is about to start between Kaurava and Pandava forces, Arjuna starts asking questions to his charioteer, Krishna, the incarnation of God. The dialectic that commences is the instruction on the nature of life, how to live it, and the levels of consciousness and reality.
In the opening chapters, the focus is on self-realization. Arjuna is interested in what practical effect does spiritual wisdom has in real life, direct knowledge of the immortal self, and how life is conducted with this knowledge and realization.
Quote (2:62-65), Krishna:
When you keep thinking about sense objects, attachment comes.
Attachment breeds desire, the lust of possession that burns to anger.
Anger clouds the judgement; you can no longer learn from past mistakes,
Lost is the power to choose between what is wise and what is unwise,
and your life is utter wastes. But when you move amidst the world of sense,
free from attachment and aversion alike,
there comes the peace in which all sorrows end,
and you live in the wisdom of the self.
Those who have established self-realization are in control of all their senses, instead of letting senses control them. Without this control, the mind will follow senses everywhere. Krishna teaches and guides Arjuna to be compassionate to friends and enemies, see himself in every person, suffer others’ sorrows as his own.
Faith, freedom, and renunciation are explored at depths. Arjuna asks Krishna to explain in detail the available “Gunas”- key concepts of Hindu spiritualism and philosophy.
The three main Gunas discussed are Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Here Sattvic faith is depicted as the most evolved and pure one, the true spiritual goal. Rajas quality is explained as dynamic and evolving, but tainted with selfish motives, practiced by servants of wealth, driven by power and pleasure. It isn’t labeled as good or bad. While Tamas is a quality of anxiety, delusion, negativity, and the spirit of death and ghosts.
Krishna teaches prince Arjuna that it is not possible to pursue a spiritual path without self-discipline. No act can add to spiritual growth if it is faithless. Krishna advises that Tyaga (giving up in generosity, forsaking anything of value) is the correct way of renunciation. He urges his student to fulfill his responsibilities in life, but without selfish motives, not to give up three virtuous works of life: sacrifice, giving, and spiritual disciplines.
In the Gita teachings, the renunciation of the fruits of work is an essential detail. We can control our work and actions, but most of the time have no command of the results. One can never be sure that things will turn out as planned, so the focus should never be on the result. The devotion to one’s own duty is the best path in life.
While the caste system (social hierarchy of Hindu society) is mentioned in Gita (chapter 18), it didn’t seem that it has the vital importance in the book, nor did I read it as a big support statement of the caste system (the caste factor is one of the major sources of criticisms of Bhagavad Gita by selected scholars).
With numerous questions asked and answered, the poem ends with Arjuna’s acceptance of teachings and his willingness to pursue his duties.
Quote, Arjuna:
“You have dispelled my doubts and delusions,
And I understand through your grace.
My Faith is firm now, and I will do your will”
What happened next in the Mahabharata?
Strikingly, once the Gita is over in the Mahabharata epic, the war commences with rage and slaughter. Almost all fighters will be dead on both sides in 18 days of the bloody war of Kurukshetra.
Thoughts and Conclusions
Even with some preparedness with Hindu terms, at times the book does seem a bit repetitive, but the messages it tries to convey are thought-provoking and diverse, to say the least. It offers timeless knowledge of human nature and even non-spiritual, secular readers will benefit greatly from reading the Gita.
The Bhagavad Gita provides lessons to all kinds of spiritual students. It embraces the simplicity in life, detachment from, but not necessarily giving up all material things. It promotes selfless action and living life without selfish motives, guiding the way to clean your consciousness that leads to freedom and peace of mind. It is a guide to mental discipline as well.
Here are some of the important lessons and messages from the book:
Be aware of the temporary nature of the world you live in. Find out who you really are and neither your body nor your mind alone can define it. Your consciousness defines your life.
The self-realized person is not motivated by his / her own desires or satisfaction. In addition to controlling selfish desires, it is also mandatory to master and restrain own possessiveness. Only with practicing and mastering all the above, one will truly know his or her nature.
The Gita does not recommend asceticism per se, but rather focuses on simplicity in life.
The importance of practicing and preparing the body, mind, and senses.
Dedicate yourself to your work, but without focus and attachment to the outcomes. Means do not justify ends. If means are good and motives are pure, things will end in the right way.
Quote, Krishna:
” You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work.
You should never engage in action for the sake of reward,
Nor should you long for inaction. Perform work in this world,
Arjuna, as a man established within himself
Without selfish attachments, and alike in success and defeat.
For yoga is perfect evenness of mind. “
We should give our best and never give up on our courage for action. Detachment does not mean indifference to the result. The only person who is detached and dedicated is free to enjoy life.
Overall, the book left a lasting impression and I’ll certainly be back to reread it. From the perspective of practical philosophy, I’d group it with the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - both books offer timeless lessons on life and show the ways how to navigate our complex daily lives.
For the readers who will be interested to dive more into Hindu spiritualism, the next books to consider are Upanishads, Veda books, Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Dharmasutras.
Peace,
Notes:
The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Swami Nikhilananda, 1944
The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Eknath Easwaran, 1985
The Perennial Philosophy, Aldous Huxley, 1945