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The Bhagavad Gita

     The Bhagavad Gita (also referred to as the Gita) is an incredible piece of Hindu scripture. Consisting of 700 verses, the Gita is a small piece of a the much larger, 200,000 verse epic, Mahabharata. There is no consensus as to the authorship of the Gita, some attribute the piece to the sage Vyasa (also Veda Vyasa) who is a key character in the Mahabharata. The dating is estimated anywhere between the 5th and 2nd century CE, depending if one believes the Gita was written at the same time as the Mahabharata or written after and inserted into the larger text. In this post I'll be focusing on the Gita, providing a brief synopsis, my reactions, and a case for why you should consider reading it, if you haven't already. For those of you interested in the Mahabharata, here's a video (the first in a series) to help introduce you to the massive epic.


    The Bhagavad Gita presents itself as a conversation between Arjuna and his charioteer/friend Krishna (who is actually the mortal avatar of Vishnu, one of the principle deities of Hinduism). Arjuna is the leader of the Pandavas who, for reasons explained in the Mahabharata, are on a battlefield ready to go to war with their cousins, the Kauravas.  Arjuna has Krishna take him out to the center of the battlefield to get a good look at the other side. Once there, Arjuna sees family, friends, and teachers on the opposite side and he breaks down at the thought of killing them. Seeking guidance, he beseeches Krishna "I beg you to tell me what I should do. I am your pupil; be my teacher, my guru. I take refuge in you and surrender to you. Please instruct me, beloved Krishna, show me the way." (Hawley 12)

Arjuna seeking guidance from Krishna
Mahavir Prasad Mishra, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    The bulk of the Gita is Krishna guiding Arjuna. Krishna instructs Arjuna on recognizing the Divinity within all, separating that True Self from our physical manifestation, paths to unifying oneself with the greater Cosmic Consciousness, and the concept of doing one's duty (dharma). All of this is done with a singular focus and love for the Supreme Being with the goal of becoming one, once again, with the Divine thus liberating oneself from the woes of the material world and the cycle of death and rebirth.

    

Krishna reveals his cosmic form to Arjuna
Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

    I had a largely positive emotional reaction to the Gita. My favorite concept in the scripture was the concept of connectedness between all beings. Krishna instructs Arjuna "All creatures, although appearing separate, are truly only one; all beings emanate from the Godhead and are united in the Godhead." (Hawley 124) I think that's a beautiful idea and I was fully expecting that connection to mean that we should respect and love each other. However, Krishna goes on to explain that this spark of Divinity within all means that Arjuna shouldn't lament the upcoming battle. Arjuna would just be killing the physical bodies of his foes, not the True Self within. While I like that we are not defined by our physical presence, I struggle with the concept of absolution for believers in any religion. But, this may just be a misinterpretation on my part. 

    The imagery in the Gita is incredible, especially when Krishna reveals his true form to Arjuna and I found the scenario of breaking down and seeking guidance in a time of despair completely relatable.  I look forward to continuing my study of the Mahabharata as a whole.

Pandavas and Kauravas meet on the battlefield.
Artist/maker unknown, India, Himachal Pradesh or Jammu and Kashmir, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

    If you haven't already, I recommend reading The Bhagavad Gita. For those historians out there, the Gita is an incredible piece of history. This scripture outlines a belief system that's been around for thousands of years, followed by over 1.16 billion people around the world. For those of us that aren't religious, the Gita provides sound advice on living a balanced life, the need to seek out knowledge, the importance of action, meditation, and transcending emotion. Finally, for those looking for God, the Gita outlines different paths that can be used to seek unity with God, giving one the ability to choose which path to God is right for the individual. "All paths lead to me, Divinity." (Hawley 41) 


Works Cited

Wikipedia contributors. "Mahabharata." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 30 Sep. 2021. Web. 5 Oct. 2021.

Wikipedia contributors. "Bhagavad Gita." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 4 Oct. 2021. Web. 5 Oct. 2021.

Mark, Joshua J.. "Bhagavad Gita." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 15 Jun 2020. Web. 03 Oct 2021.

"Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050." Pew Research Center.   https://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projection-table/2020/number/all/, 2 Apr 2015. Web. 04 Oct 2021.


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