by Thomas Berry

The Bhagavad-Gita is the jewel of all Hindu religious writing. This secret poem, which appears in the great Hindu epic The Mahabharat, is the quintessence of the Upanishadic teaching.

The chief doctrines of the Bhagavad-Gita are its theism, its devotionalism, its doctrine of the divine appearance in the human form as savior of man, and its teaching of salvation by divine grace. Some of these doctrines were foreshadowed in the later Upanishads, especially in the Isa, the Katha, and the Svetasvata. Thus there is a community of teaching; yet there is also a most significant discontinuity. There was a decisive moment when Hinduism turned away from ritualism and institutionalism and toward devotion as the supreme way of salvation. In the Bhagavad-Gita is found the first clear statement of beatitude as a mutual indwelling of God in man and man in God: "They who with devotion worship, they are in me and I in them" (IX, 29).

The intellectualism trend of the Upanishads was continued in the work of the later Vedanta theologians, but along with this there was henceforth in the Hindu tradition an ever-increasing emphasis on salvation by love of God. While technically the Bhagavad-Gita does not belong among the revealed literature of the Sruti, it has a special place of its own. Later commentators on the scriptures have generally felt it necessary to explain their teachings also by references to the Bhagavad-Gita and by commentaries written specifically on this work. It has its own place apart.

In this work God speaks to man more intimately and in more detail then any where else in the entire tradition. This is the highest moment of meeting of Hinduism with a personal deity after long centuries of effort to clarify and intensify their conscious awareness of the transcendent world beyond all appliances. As the Upanishads lifted up the Hindu mind to sustain awareness of the absolute realm beyond the world of changing phenomenon, so here mankind is lifted up to an effective union with this sublime reality in personal form. This new devotional experience was not a negation but rather and affirmation of the prior mystical insight of the Upanishads. It was an addition and expansion of the earlier tradition, not a reaction or a suppression. Neither the Upanishadic experience nor the Bhagavad-Gita experience have since faded from the Hindu mind. They constitute the two complementary aspects of Hindu traditions.

In structure the Bhagavad-Gita is a poem of some seven hundred versus in eighteen chapters. The setting is the great war described in the Mahabharat, the war took place prior to 1000 B.C. between the Kauravas and the Pandavas for succession to the throne. The theme of the poem is the dejection experienced by Arjuna, one of the son's of Pandu, just before the battle as he thinks over the disastrous consequences of war. Should he fight or not fight? In a dramatic mood he commands that his war chariot be drawn out between the two opposing forces. The questions then set forth by Arjuna are answered by Krishna, his charioteer, who is identified with the god Vishnu. Most of the dialog is carried on by Krishna, who explains to Arjuna just why he should fight.

The problem is immediately taken much deeper into human life than simply the specific problem of Arjuna. The deeper problem is that of the motivation, determination, and value of any human act. Is any deed worth doing? Man's deeds only serve to involve him more and more deeply in the confused phenomenon order. From this there seems no escape. The answers given by Krishna are spiritual analysis and resolution of the entire question of human deeds and how they should be performed to attain salvation, for the problem is ultimately itself, total release from the limitations and tensions of the human condition. The discussion involves all the most basic theological and spiritual problems of men ancient and contemporary.

Dharma: The first answer given to Arjuna is that he must fulfill his Dharma, that is basic obligations of his state in life. Only in this way can his salvation be achieved. He is a warrior. To abandon the field is to betray his fundamental duty: "Aware of the duties of your life status you should not be upset. For a warrior there is nothing better than a conflict required of him by duty...If you refused to carry out this battle demanded of you by life status, you abandon this obligation and its glory, then you obtain affliction for your self" (II, 31-33). The word "Dharma" to which appeal is made here is one of the most important words in the entire Hindu tradition. It signifies life status, duty, but beyond this it has larger implications of the spiritual and religious order. For duty and life status have here a spiritual and religious import.  All of life in Hinduism is controlled by Dharma. It is a social, legal, spiritual, religious absolute in Hindu life. It is the basic word used to translate the western word "religion", meaning a body or structure of religious belief and norms of conduct. This word is of special importance in the Bhagavad-Gita, for one of the basic objectives of the work seems to be to draw into full consciousness the importance of Dharma in dealing with any life problem.

Non-attachment: Yet if Dharma is to be fulfilled, it must be done with total self detachment. There must be no seeking after success in life, for the fruit of action (karm-phal). Actions are to be done because they are correct, because they are required by Dharma, not for personal gain. Quest for personal gain involves a person temporal order. Eventually it draws all things down to  destruction. "Be concerned with the deed alone, not on its profit;  let  not  the  consequences  of  the  deed  be your motive, nor be you attached to non action. Perform your deeds in disciplined way. To be yourself, the same in success and failure; this discipline is defined as equanimity" (II, 47-48). Through out chapters two and three there is a thorough inquiry into the reasons for man's attachment to the sense world and the manner in which release is obtained by turning mentally to the highest reality and most sublime truth. This shows a profound inner awareness that even the doings of good deeds bind man within the phenomenal order if there is any attachment what so ever, any individual self-aggrandizement within time. This is what is known in the west as purity of intention; to do things which should be done.

Divine appearance in human form: One of the central features of later Hinduism appears first in its full presentation in the Bhagavad-Gita, the doctrine of the divine appearance upon earth in human form to communicate divine truth to man, to rescue man from destruction by threatening the tide of evil, to bring man to salvation by union with the Supreme deity. In the poem a supreme divine secret is revealed; God considers man his devotee and friend. Of this secret Krishna tells  Arjuna: "Communicated to them through successive generations the royal seers knew it. Afterwards in later centuries this discipline was lost. Now finally it is proclaimed once again to you by myself. You are my devoted one, my friend; this is a supreme mystery" (IV, 2-3). This earthly appearance is also for the repression of the evil: "Though I am unborn, eternal, the lord of all things, depending on my own primal nature I come into being by my mysterious power. For whenever a dissolution of the right order appears then I send myself forth. For protection of the good and for the destruction of the evil, to establish a firm basis of righteousness, I bring my self forth upon earth in age after age" (IV, 6-8).

Multiple ways of salvation: Diverse ways of salvation are recognized in the poem: the way of inner recollection, performance of good deeds, faithful ritual practice, and living without attachment to earthly things. To the questions concerning the best way, the reply is given: " Direct your mind to me alone; cause inner consciousness to enter me and you will dwell in me thence forth; of this there is no doubt. Even if you cannot concentrate your thought on me, then seek to gain me by detached deeds. If you are without capacity even for this then be entirely devoted to work for me; performing deeds for my sake you will win perfection. But if even this you cannot accomplish, then controlling yourself, give up all attachment to fruit of action" (XII, 8-11).  Put simply the pattern is: "to whom ever blame and praise are the same, who has discipline in speech, is satisfied with whatever happens, is without a dwelling place, is firm in mind, is with a devote attitude, that person is dear to me" (XII, 19).

Vision of God: The climax of the poem is reached in chapter eleven when the vision of God is granted to Arjuna at his own request: "I long to see your form as God, oh supreme spirit! If you judge that it can be seen by me, oh Lord, ruler of the unique power, then reveal to me your immortal self" (XI, 3-4). Before the vision is granted it is made clear that especial divine power must be conferred upon Arjuna: "Because you cannot see me with you own eye, I give you a divine eye; behold my unique power as God" (XI, 8). Arjuna describes the vision granted: "If the light of a  thousand suns in the skies should suddenly burst forth, it would be as the light of that supreme being. The son of Pandu saw the whole world there, united and diversified in the body of the god of the gods" (XI, 12-13). A further description is given by Arjuna: "Without beginning, middle, or end of limitless power, of numerous arms, I see you with the sun and the moon as your eyes, your face is blaze of fire that illumines this universe with its radiance" (XI, 19). One of the most sublime and comprehensive expressions of praise of God in the Hindu tradition is found in the words of Arjuna concerning the praise given to God by the perfected ones: "Why should they not worship you, exalted as you are? You are even greater than Brahma; your are the predominant Creator; oh Infinite Lord of Gods, in you the entire universe dwells. You the imperishable one, the existent, non-existent, and beyond both! You are the Primal God, the Ancient Spirit, the Supreme aboard this universe; you are the knower, the object known, and the highest dwelling placed. This universe is pervaded by you of infinite form" (XI, 37-38).