HOW THE
BHAGAVAD GITA HAS CAPTURED THE LITERARY IMAGINATION OF THE NATIONS
The Bhagavad Gita or the “ Song of God” is one of the most important religious texts in Hinduism. It is oft-quoted and looked upon for guidance and preservation of ethical conduct. It is for this reason that for centuries, the Book has acted as an introductory text to Hinduism for Western audiences.
Originally
part of the great Indian epic Mahabharata, it is commonly referred to as Gita.
Its date of composition is thus associated with that of the epic around 5th-3rd century BCE, but some date it later to the 2nd century BCE. The Gita is a dialogue between the
warrior-prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna who is serving as his charioteer. The
Book constitutes right action, right thought, the meaning of life and the
nature of the Divine.
Combining
all the concepts of the Vedas and the Upanishads, the Gita presents a coherent
vision of belief in one God. The Gita inspired the Bhakti Movement and later
influenced the development of Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. The Hare Krishna
Movement of the present day is an embodiment of Bhakti with Gita as its
principal text.
In the
pre-colonial times, the Bhagavad Gita was not global. It was confined to
academic theologians and philosophers. It became popular only after its first
foreign language translation by Charles Wilkins in 1785 under the patronage of
Governor-General Warren Hastings. August Schlegel translated it into German in
1823 and his brother, the famous German romantic poet Friedrich Schlegel
commented on it. It was an early inspiration for Karl Marx, Hegel and followed
by many American and German intellectuals like Arthur Schopenhauer and Aldous
Huxley.
Owing to
Western interpretations and global popularity, Indian nationalists like M.K
Gandhi, Aurobindo Ghosh and Lokmanya Tilak took up the Gita and made it into
India’s national text. The Gita shaped the Indian National Movement. Relentlessly
printed, it became common reading in literate households. Even Gandhi, by his
own admission, was introduced through Edwin Arnold’s 1855 translation, The Song
Celestial when in London. The influence of the Gita is massive. Thoreau in
‘Walden’ has made reference to the Gita numerous times.
Oppenheimer, the father of nuclear bombs and
who was associated with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was
particularly influenced by the lesson where Krishna convinces Arjuna to perform
his duty. The Gita has been criticized for justifying violence. V.R. Narla says
in his critique titled, The Truth About the Gita, that the ethics in Gita are
so ambiguous, that one can justify any ethical position.
In the end, Gita has inspired many to salvation. Also, it proved to be a justification for causing tragic loss and death. The many aspects of Gita, in turn, apparently is subjected to multitudinous interpretation each with its understanding and the aim they are trying to achieve.