Bhagavad Gita

“Your words are wise, Arjuna, but your sorrow is for nothing.” 

The dialogues between Arjuna and Krishna establish the structure of the text. The back-and-forth discussion of the morality of violence is a key example of the moral introspection that occupies most of the narrative. Arjuna feels immense pain and sorrow at the prospect of killing friends and family members on the battlefield, but Krishna provides a different perspective. Death on the battlefield allows for the natural process of reincarnation to occur, so there is no real need to mourn. The dialogue explores the morality of war and hopes to find the truth through the exchange of ideas.

“I call him illumined.”

Krishna repeats the phrase “I call him illumined” (43) to explain the broad scope of his theology. The idea of an illumined soul is a person who is at peace with their inner emotions. They have abandoned the desire for all worldly things and focus entirely on their relationship with spirituality. This abandonment of desire provides a sense of bliss and serenity for anyone who has learned to control their self. The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the broadness of the serenity that can be felt if Arjuna learns to properly control his emotions.

“Whatever a great man does, ordinary people will imitate; they follow his example.” 

Krishna frames the importance of Arjuna’s understanding of theology in the context of a leader. Arjuna needs to understand the finer details of spirituality because his example creates a model for others to follow. Arjuna struggles to lead on the battlefield, and this becomes a metaphor for the struggles he must overcome to lead his people. Arjuna must abandon his doubt about the battle and embrace his duty to act and understand. He is a leader, and he must provide both military and spiritual leadership for his people.

“I am the birthless, the deathless, / Lord of all that breathes.” 

Arjuna does not understand how Krishna can supposedly have influenced the world so long ago when his current form is so young. Krishna has the power to remember his past lives. Arjuna and most people do not have access to this knowledge. Krishna returns to the world when it needs him most, and because he retains this knowledge of his past lives he can neither die nor be born. He is caught in a constant cycle of reincarnation but retains his knowledge and his wisdom each time. Because of this retention of knowledge, he is the “lord of all that breathes” (50).

“His mind is dead / To the touch of the external: / It is alive / To the bliss of the Atman.” 

The “Atman” is the Hindu concept of the universal self. It is the innermost essence of a person which cannot die and which exists outside of time. It is the force that makes the body function. Krishna tells Arjuna that the path to self-awareness and enlightenment is found in coming to understand one’s Atman. A person who cuts themselves off from sensory desires and external touches will come to understand the Atman that is alive within them. This understanding will provide a sense of bliss.

“The mind is so very restless.” 

Arjuna struggles to imagine how he could possibly achieve enlightenment. The concept of meditating or attaining self-awareness does not seem possible for a person whose mind runs in every direction at once. Arjuna paused on a battlefield to have a philosophical discussion with a deity, so his restless mind evidently wanders. Krishna acknowledges the restlessness of Arjuna’s mind but encourages him to practice constantly. Arjuna’s lack of focus endangers his chances in the battle and his chances of enlightenment, but Krishna remains a constant guide.

“But no one knows me.” 

Krishna’s statements can seem confused and contradictory. He claims to value those who are dedicated to him and those who try to know him but then claims that “no one knows” him. This sets up an important insight. People cannot truly know Krishna. The totality of his existence is so far removed from the human experience that it cannot be comprehended by mere humans. But this does not mean that people should not try. Krishna values those people who dedicate themselves to him, and he brings them closer to knowing him. Even if they might not entirely succeed, the only path to enlightenment lays through trying to know Krishna.

“Shining sunlike, self-luminous.” 

Krishna compares the power of the “all-knowing God” to the sun. The metaphor is apt for a number of reasons. The sun is a powerful force that gives light and life to the world, just as god does. Additionally, the sun is “self-luminous” (75) in that the source of its power is not visible. The power is generated from within and it is self-sustaining. This self-sufficiency is like god, which does not have a source of power but generates everything from within. The dazzling, luminous power of god is self-evident, just like the power of the sun.

“There is the path of night and smoke.” 

The language surrounding reincarnation is negative and dark. The two paths available to those who die lead to either enlightenment or reincarnation. Those who are not sufficiently dedicated to Krishna will find that only the path of “night and smoke” is available. The words “night” and “smoke” (78) speak to the obscure and unknowable nature of reincarnation. Memories are not retained during reincarnation, so a person is lost amid the smoke and the darkness of rebirth. The brightness of the path of enlightenment allows a person to see everything, while reincarnation hides the truth and the nature of existence.

“I do not mean that they exist within me physically.” 

Krishna accepts the metaphorical nature of his words. He tells Arjuna that every creature exists within him, but he means this on a metaphysical level. There is no tangible, physical part of Krishna that exists inside every creature or any physical creatures that exist inside Krishna. Instead, Krishna is a formless, abstract idea that does not need a physical form. Krishna is an idea, an emotion, and a thought, and he exists in the same way that these abstract concepts exist.

“Even those who belong to the lower castes.”

Krishna’s is not denied to anyone. Arjuna is a prince and an important leader. The discussion between Arjuna and Krishna seems like a discussion between a god and a man of an important station, and like only this type of man is worthy enough to hear Krishna’s ideas. Krishna dismisses this. He tells Arjuna that enlightenment through the knowledge of Krishna is available to every living being as well as every person. The potential for enlightenment does not know any boundaries or restrictions, only the need to love and understand Krishna.

“Know only that I exist, and that one atom of myself sustains the universe.” 

Krishna spends the chapter describing his various forms but cannot come close to listing all of his different existences. He uses an analogy to try to describe the totality of himself to Arjuna. One of the smallest possible units of Krishna (an atom) can sustain everything in known existence (the universe). Arjuna cannot possibly comprehend the nature of Krishna, and the analogy does not provide clarity. Instead, it only reveals the impossibility of the prospect of knowing Krishna in his true form.

“Suppose a thousand suns should rise together into the sky: such is the glory of the Shape of the Infinite God.” 

The narrative switches back to Sanjaya when Arjuna is given the power of divine sight. The power of Krishna is so much that the narrative needs a buffer through which to convey the complexity and the majesty of what Arjuna sees. Sanjaya translates the complexities of the vision into words digestible by Dhritarashtra and, in turn, the audience. The audience is like Dhritarashtra in that they have not been given the power of divine sight and so need a lens through which to understand Arjuna’s vision. Sanjaya acts as this lens, making the complexity of Krishna’s true being and palpable for a normal person.

“Therefore, strike. Win kingdom, wealth and glory.” 

Krishna returns to the subject at hand for the first time in many chapters. The discussion between Arjuna and Krishna began when, on the field before a big battle, Arjuna found himself struck by a moral quandary. The two characters have discussed many aspects of theology and morality, but Krishna brings their discussion back to the battle. He encourages Arjuna to fight and to win. The esoteric discussions of the previous chapters are rooted in Arjuna’s real-world experience, which provides a context through which Arjuna can understand Krishna’s teachings.

“Prakriti, the womb of all wombs / And I the seed-giving father.” 

Krishna explains his relationship to Prakriti and the three gunas. Prakriti provides a vessel into which Krishna places the seed of life. From this vessel come the gunas, and those who transcend the gunas are able to understand Krishna and reach enlightenment. The complex, circular relationship catches people in a loop of reincarnation until they can understand and comprehend the gunas and then transcend them. Krishna fuels this cycle each time, just as a seed falls from a tree and gives birth to another tree.

“Downward and upwards / Its branches bending / Are fed by the gunas.” 

Krishna explains his philosophy using the fig tree as a metaphor. The way the branches and roots stretch between the worlds explains how life is interconnected while even minor details are incorporated into the meaning of the image. The gunas serve as sustenance for the tree and help it to stretch into every facet of life. The gunas feed the tree in the same way that they feed all living things.

“I am in all hearts, / I give and take away / Knowledge and memory.” 

Krishna is an all-powerful being, but he does not only provide knowledge to the people of the world. He explains to Arjuna that he takes just as much as he gives. Krishna exists as a form of balance between two different aspects. The taking and the giving is an expression of this balance. Krishna as a deity is not unilateral or one-sided. He is capable of everything, which includes good, bad, positive, and negative actions.

“They are the enemies of mankind.” 

Krishna spends much time explaining how to lead a good and benevolent life, but Chapter 16 allows him to focus on the people who do not do so. He excoriates greedy, ignorant, and prideful people. These people are not just self-destructive, they are labelled the “enemies of mankind” (115). This positions such people as a clear and present danger to the rest of the world.

“Hell has three doors: lust, rage and greed.” 

Hell is reached through the three sinful doors. Lust, rage, and greed can turn people away from god and will hinder the search for enlightenment. The use of the door as a metaphor illustrates that hell is a separate space, and that those who are consumed by lust, rage, or greed make an active passage through the door. Krishna advises Arjuna to ensure that these doors are closed.

“Whatever his faith is, he is.”

Krishna defines people in terms of their faith. Faith is expressed along the lines of sattwa, rajas, and tamas. The people defined by their faith act accordingly to the nature of their guna, so those who are dominated by sattwa are pious and faithful people. They are to be admired. The way Krishna defines people in terms of their faith illustrates the importance of faith as well as the importance of practicing faith in the right manner. People must strive toward a sattwa style of faith to lead the best possible life.

“It cannot produce any good result, either in this world or the next.” 

Failure to adhere to Krishna’s advice is an issue that affects a person beyond their current life. The ramifications follow a person from one life to the next. The process of reincarnation means that those who do not worship Krishna correctly find themselves reincarnated in a worse place. This downward spiral continues indefinitely. Krishna’s warning encourages people to look beyond the confines of their life and understand the far-reaching implications of their failures.

“Though he slay these thousands / He is no slayer.”

Krishna occasionally returns to militaristic language to explain the finer points of his theology. The conversation with Arjuna takes place before a large-scale battle, so this occasional return to military-infused language reminds the audience of the conversation’s setting. It is also a way for Krishna to tie his thoughts and explanations to the situation in which Arjuna finds himself. Arjuna struggles with the necessity of war, so the thought of an enlightened person who slays “thousands” is particularly relevant to him.

“The idle lover of delay.” 

Krishna criticizes indifferent, lazy, and stubborn people. Their idleness is presented as a sin, one he believes should be roundly condemned. The “idle lover of delay” (124) is not only delaying the actions of their life but also the search for enlightenment. Laziness moves a person further from Krishna so that person must spend more lifetimes moving back closer to him. This time is wasted by the lazy person, and it stretches far beyond the seconds, minutes, and hours of a wasted day.