An Analysis of the Central Themes of the Bhagavad Gita and Its Influence on Significant Historical Figures and Literature.

The Bhagavad Gita uses the conversation between Pandava Prince Arjuna and his guide Lord Krishna to portray Hinduism world view and Krishna’s view on the different fundamental questions. When he’s facing a war, Arjuna is guided by Krishna to be a selfless leader, and dedication to the cause.

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Hinduism is known as the world's oldest religion. According to ISKCON Educational Services (2004), it is hard to construct a timeline because Hinduism has no identifiable human founder or specific origin in history. It is so old that its past goes into pre-history. It is extremely diverse with the Hindu people being more interested in the meaning of events than in providing first hand records. There is also no clear-cut divide between history and myth.

Harry Truman once said , “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” This quote is one of my favorite quotes because to me, it means that we should not be afraid to do anything. It explains that no matter how hard things get

It is how we use courage that matters. Courage according to Winston Churchill “ success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” This is important because if you don’t persevere you will never reach your true goal, even if it is success.

Nelson Mandela once said that “... courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. " Courage doesn’t mean that you are without fear, genuine courage is trying to achieve a goal, even though you’re afraid. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson is an innocent black man accused of rape.

In some ways Hinduism is the oldest living religion since some elements of it date back thousands of years; Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings despite many key figures and numerous holy books that might indicate otherwise. Hence why Hinduism is often referred to as a “way of life” and why it makes sense that the religion was informed by so many external conditions around its “birth” (BBC Religion Profile,

When it comes to the subject of love and desire, it would seem that The Symposium and The Bhagavad Gita disagree as to whether those qualities are beneficial to achieving spirituality or detrimental. In the Symposium, Plato states that desire is part of the pathway to achieving spirituality. By contrast, the unnamed author of the Bhagavad Gita seems to state that desire is an obstacle in the pathway to achieving divinity. Their perspectives can seen through their texts that connect of love to the divine, Plato’s way of reaching divinity and the way of reaching divinity that is mentioned in the Hindu scripture of The Bhagavad Gita. Through the readings of The Bhagavad Gita and The Symposium, it is clear that love and desire seems to be a asset to fulfilling one’s divinity rather than an obstacle.

A piece of literature that has surprised and challenged me is the Bhagavad Gita, a 700 verse Hindu scripture that has been set on a battlefield where a king receives guidance from his charioteer about the ethical and moral struggles of the human life. This book has inspired people such as Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, and Einstein. My father encouraged me to read the Bhagavad Gita when I kept asking him questions about why things are the way they are. After I read it, I was inspired me to practice selfless action, comprehend problems from a different perspective, understand people’s behaviors, control my emotions, and develop compassion for other beings. This book of literature surprised me with the answers to the various uncertainties while

Vedas are considered to be the oldest sacred texts which have been passed from generations to

The Bhagavad Gita, the term ´´sin´´ is still used to describe those who do not follow this path. Lord Krishna, the incarnation of the god Vishnu( the divine Preserver). He had become a major god in the Hindu pantheon by the fourth century. Lord Krishna believes that motivate behavior of one is more important for oneś happiness. Also, that decisions on actions must be based on the codes called Dharma (the principle of cosmic order). Krishna meaning the all-attractive one. He talks about himself through Bhagavad which anyone can reach him through Krishna Consciousness. For example , in the text book in page 74 it talks about how Krishna helps this man Arjuna. It states that Arjuna is a fearless warrior, but that he shrinks from entering his

The Bhagavad Gita focus on a conversation between Arjuna, Krishna and The Blessed one. During this conversation Arjuna is questioning whether he should fight against his own family. He knows that it is fate to do so, but he wants to avoid during. The battle is supposed to be physical Arjuna ends having an emotional battle within himself. To go against his faith or deal with the consequences of killing his own family. The Bhagavad Gita shows how religion influences a follower’s judgement on a situation. By comparing The Bhagavad Gita to Buddhism it is clear to see how the religions differ on influence.

The Bhagavad-Gita: The Song of God, translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, recounts a tale leading to a battle between the Pandavas and their relatives the Kauravas. Right before the battle begins one of the Pandavas, Arjuna, doubts the decision of fighting for a throne which would be won by the death of his men and relatives. Arjunas decision to surrender is contradicted by his charioteer, Krishna, who persuades Arjuna to fight to balance the events caused by the evil of the Kauravas. Krishna enlightens Arjuna through teachings and making Arjuna see beyond the momentary reaction of the decision to fight. Krishna as well reveals that belief in God through actions of both the mind and physical body lead to salvation, which is the most important duty a person can strive for.

This first step is that the student is ready to listen. Then the student ruminates on what the guru says. Then finally the student gets meaning from the gurus teachings based on his concentration and meditation on it. Upanishad means “to sit near” which represents the relationship between the guru and the student. In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the system was first associated with the Nath Yogis, but also connected to other yogis lineages of the time. The Naths recruited without the regard to caste or religion and took many muslims, sufi fakirs and dasnamyi into their fold. Here, yoga is meant for the good of all creatures, and a true Yogi was always desirous of benefitting as many men as possible He will find a true and earnest student who will not trifle with this knowledge. Each of these texts represent the importance of Upanishadic learning.

This ancient text attacks the question of the justifiability of war, particularly one that involves your loved ones. Could it ever be right? This is a question asked by Arjuna of the Pandavas, one of two groups who have conflicted over the supposedly shared kingdom for many years. The group opposite of the Pandavas are the Kauravas, and they do not believe the Pandavas should rule their land, though it is rightfully theirs. When no other forms of resolution succeed, war wages. On the side of the Pandavas, and a close friend of Arjuna, is Krishna; a human avatar of Visnu, the god of moral order. As they are riding into battle, Arjuna recognizes his enemies as his loved ones, and reconsiders the idea of having them slain. Arjuna becomes faced with a difficult choice: deny his duties as a warrior or slay his loved ones. So, he turns to Krishna, and asks if the war is the correct choice. The advice that Krishna gives Arjuna presents many points, from the responsibilities of a warrior, to the mind of the wise, and the interpretation of the Self.