The Bhagavad-Gita's Philosophy

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the Bhagavad-Gita's philosophy of reconciliation of divinity with earthly responsibility. It discusses how the Bhagavad-Gita, the first-century B.C. Hindu Sanskrit poem describes salvation in the afterlife as described by Krishna (God) to the Pandava warrior Arjuna on the eve of an important battle. The paper describes the lessons learned from the poem.

From the Paper:

"Arjuna's fighting in this battle then, which he wishes, rationally, not to do but which Krishna illustrates that he must, is but a part of the multiple cycles of life and death that the warrior prince has yet to complete on the way, ultimately, to his final state of nirvana. While Krishna does not deny to Arjuna the importance of earthly rationality, Krishna nevertheless shows Arjuna how Arjuna's current resistance to fighting on this battlefield, based on earthly attachment, must be overcome in order to eventually reach nirvana, the ultimate spiritual state of mind within which all further reincarnations cease."

Sample of Sources Used:

• The Bhagavad-Gita. The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Vol. A. Sarah Lawall et al. (Eds.). New York, Norton: 2002. 1011-1028.
• "The Bhagavad-Gita first century B.C." In The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Vol. A. Sarah Lawall et al. (Eds.). New York, Norton: 2002. 1010.
• The EAWC Anthology: The Bhagavad-Gita. Trans. Ramanand Prasad. The American Gita Society. Retrieved June 19, 2005, from: <http: www.eawc. evansville.edu/anthology/gita.htm>.
• Flood, Gavin. An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
• Holden, Nigel J.A. "On the meaning of Krisna's [sic] statement to Arjuna: "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be". Athenaeum Reading Room. 12 Nov 2007 <http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/holden06.htm>

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