The Bhagavad Gita could be called the Hindu Bible. It contains a concise summary of the vast wisdom of the Vedic literature. The Gita’s influence has extended far beyond India, many people around the world have admired its spiritual message and progressive ideals.
It’s also part of a gripping narrative.
Bhagavad Gita originally appeared as a chapter within the Hindu epic the Mahabharata. The Gita is a conversation between Prince Arjuna and his chariot driver Lord Krishna. Arjuna and his brothers are preparing to fight their relatives in a war for sovereignty of their kingdom.
The Mahabharata describes the events leading to the battle…
Prince Arjuna is one of the five sons of King Pandu. Pandu’s elder brother, Dhrtarastra, was blind from birth so he was unable to take the throne. Consequently, his younger brother Pandu ruled the kingdom. When King Pandu died at an early age, his five sons came under the care of their uncle, Dhrtarastra.
Dhrtarastra however, considered his own sons were the rightful heirs to the throne. He didn’t intervene when his eldest son Duryodhana laid claim to the throne and made many unsuccessful attempts to kill the sons of Pandu.
Eventually Duryodhana unfairly defeated the sons of Pandu in a gambling match and banished them from the kingdom. They were forced into exile in the forest. When they returned and begged for their rightful share of the kingdom, Duryodhana refused to give them anything.
The Pandava brothers tried many times to reach a peaceful settlement, but they were unsuccessful. The sons of Pandu are monarchs, members of the kshatriya class by occupation. According to their dharma or duty, they must earn their livelihood by the administration of a kingdom. But with no land or kingdom and all avenues of peaceful settlement unsuccessful, they are left with no alternative. They must fight for sovereignty of the kingdom.
Krishna, who is the Supreme Lord himself, promises not to take sides in the war. It’s agreed that Krishna will drive Arjuna’s chariot, but not engage in battle. As the battle is about to begin, Arjuna asks Krishna to drive his chariot between the armies so he can see the warriors who are assembled.
When Arjuna sees his friends and relatives among the armies on both sides he becomes overwhelmed with grief and loses his composure. His eyes brimming with tears he says,
"I do not know which is worse, victory or defeat. Because if we kill our relatives and friends, we would no longer wish to live. Even if I win unchallenged sovereignty over the entire earth and dominion over the gods in heaven, I will not be able to overcome this debilitating grief."
After speaking in this way, Arjuna declares,
“Krishna, I will not fight”.
Lord Krishna was smiling as he said to the despondent Arjuna,
You are speaking with such wise words while mourning for things undeserving of sorrow….
The rest of the Gita contains Krishna’s instructions to Arjuna about his immediate duty on the battlefield, as well as his path to the ultimate spiritual goal.
When people first encounter the Gita, they’re often surprised to find a spiritual book with a battlefield setting. God himself is advising Arjuna to fight a terrible war and the aim of the battle is apparently to gain material wealth and power.
We expect spiritual activity to be peaceful and tolerant. The spiritual path is always presented as one which rejects violence, wealth and power and instead pursues higher ideals.
This apparent contradiction is our introduction to the concept of dharma. Dharma takes some time for a Western mind to fully understand and appreciate.
Arjuna is a member of the Kshatriya or ruling class, fighting for honorable principles and the protection of the citizens is the duty of the monarch. The administration of a society is a practically necessary task, someone must maintain order. This duty falls to the Kshatriya and sometimes that duty involves violence.
The spiritual advice of the Bhagavad Gita is very practical. Krishna doesn’t advise Arjuna to leave his present circumstances and travel to a mountaintop to meditate. Instead, he explains how everyone can combine their practical occupation with the goal of spiritual development.
A recurring theme in the Gita is how to act without attachment to the results. We’re advised to perform our duty, to do what is right, without considering personal profit or loss. By following our dharma in this way, our actions won’t bind us to this world, entangling us in our own schemes for exploitation.
Very few people can personally relate to the occupation of a warrior and the battleground setting, But the quintessential message of the Gita both includes, and transcends, how to live in this world.
From the spiritual or universal point of view we’re all standing on a battlefield, the material world of birth and death. Like Arjuna, we must face the knowledge of our own mortality, as well as the mortality of those we love, our friends and relatives. The Gita confronts our common and urgent problem of suffering and death and gives us inspiration and hope.
While the teachings of the Gita are profound and spiritually transforming one of the most charming features is the picture it paints of God’s personality. Lord Krishna isn’t an angry or domineering God waiting to punish you for your imperfections, but a God who is your dearest friend.
A God who is willing to serve you by driving your chariot, standing by your side, ready to help you. He gives you knowledge, not commands. Knowledge that will inspire you to rise up and bravely fight for what you decide is honorable and right.
At the end of the Gita, after Krishna has explained the nature of the material world; the soul; God; the various paths of yoga to achieve liberation from suffering; he says to Arjuna,
“Now that you know what you need to know, you can choose what you want to do.”
The Concept of Karma was first explained in Bhagavad Gita. It is an oral tradition with ver 3000 years of history, the current version is about 1700 years old.