59 pages • 1 hour read
Swami Prabhavananda, Transl. Christopher IsherwoodBhagavad Gita
Nonfiction | Scripture | Adult | Published in 1972A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
Battle and War
The Bhagavad Gita begins amid war. Two sides of a large family are set to fight for control of a kingdom. Arjuna patrols the battlefield and is struck by a sudden moral crisis. He asks his charioteer and counselor Krishna about the morality of war. This conversation forms the rest of the text. The discussions between Arjuna (the leader of an army) and Krishna (a deity in human form) are far reaching and complex, but they often return to the theme of battle and war. This theme is the catalyst for their discussion; militaristic language and metaphors are also used in their conversation, with the idea of battle becoming an analogy for the battle for the soul.
The loose framing device in the text is also predicated on the theme of war. Dhritarashtra and Sanjaya discuss the battle which will dictate the future of the kingdom. Sanjaya explains events to his blind king, but rather than explain the details of the battle, he talks about the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna. This focus on the conversation equivocates the battle and the discussions, suggesting that they are equally important. The conversation is framed in the same terms as the battle, and so it becomes as important. To truly believe the outcome of the battle, Sanjaya knows that Dhritarashtra must understand the conversation. The theme of battle and war suggests that the conversation is an important element of the battle even if this does not appear to be the case. Though the conversation might seem like an aside, Sanjaya’s focus illustrates the extent to which the conversation is the true battle in the narrative. The discussion between Krishna and Arjuna is a battle for the soul of humanity, and the victory won by Krishna is just as important as any victory that Arjuna could win on the battlefield.
This conversational battle between Krishna and Arjuna begins when Arjuna questions whether it is morally justified to kill people in the name of war. Krishna helps him resolve this issue and assures him that killing for a good cause is acceptable. Lessons such as this provide military doctrine for the Hindu religion. Krishna is winning a battle against Arjuna’s doubts and providing him with justification for what lays ahead. The theme is evident even though no characters come to blows, and this metaphysical conflict is more important than any dispute between men. While Arjuna’s win on the earthly battlefield will restore his kingdom, Krishna’s success in transforming Arjuna’s conscience and worldview ensure his teachings will spread through generations, enabling all humanity to know Krishna and attain enlightenment.
The Search for Enlightenment
Krishna’s lessons help Arjuna and the reader better understand the search for enlightenment. This search becomes a key theme throughout the text as Krishna suggests that it should be the focus for every person. People should search throughout their lives for enlightenment and a better understanding of Krishna. They may not achieve enlightenment in this life or the next life, but the search will better position them for an improved life during the next cycle of reincarnation, when they will be able to continue this search. The search for enlightenment transcends a single lifetime and provides purpose and structure to a person’s existence. Krishna frames the search for enlightenment as the most important theme not just in the text but in life.
Krishna addresses this theme by providing practical advice. He discusses the benefits of enlightenment, which he portrays as a true understanding of the divine world. People who truly know Krishna are enlightened, and they can break free from the endless cycle of reincarnation and join him in a blissful realm. To achieve this, a person should dedicate their actions to Krishna. The advice that Krishna provides varies from the practical (such as how and when to meditate) to the more esoteric (such as the discussions of the gunas). This mix of practicality and esotericism signals the extent to which the search for enlightenment is a holistic issue. Every action and every thought should be dedicated to the search. The body and the mind should work in tandem to move a person forward in their quest for enlightenment. There are limits to this. Krishna warns Arjuna against self-aggrandizing displays of piety, such as self-harm or extreme fasting. Such displays of faith can be effective in good measure, but they should not become a narcissistic pursuit for the person. Krishna strives toward balance in all things, even when discussing the key theme in the text.
The search for enlightenment is not only discussed in the positive sense. Krishna teaches Arjuna about the rewards of enlightenment and the benefits which are to be gained, but he also discusses people who abandon this theme, namely the idle and ignorant people who receive Krishna’s criticism in the text’s latter stages. Krishna excoriates the ignorant and the lazy, and describes how they move ever further from enlightenment. This reframes the theme as a punishment for ignorant behavior. The search for enlightenment does not only move forward. For the sinful and the ignorant, the search can also work in reverse.
The Binary Nature of Existence
Krishna reveals the nature of existence to Arjuna. In doing so, he tends to divide objects, subjects, and ideas into two distinct categories. This division becomes a repeated theme throughout the text, as Krishna explores the binary nature of existence. These divisions can be very broad and vague, such as good and bad, or they can be very specific, such as when he describes the branches of the fig tree reaching in two directions. Even the armies are split into two factions. The Kauravas and the Pandavas are the first expression of the binary theme but not the last. The concept of opposing forces that must be resolved is one of Krishna’s most potent themes.
The binary nature of existence helps guide Arjuna along a path toward enlightenment. Krishna’s instructions are often very simple. He instructs Arjuna to work toward positive goals while casting aside ignorance and ego. All positive attributes are placed on one side, and all negative attributes are placed on the other. Arjuna must learn to balance the positive against the negative; in doing so, he will eventually achieve enlightenment. This approach means that Krishna’s instructions are not overly prescriptive. Arjuna does not have an exact checklist of instructions and orders that he must follow to the letter. The binary nature of existence means that he has a simple rubric through which he can better himself. Krishna simplifies existence by dividing morality in two: With only two sides to the divide, it becomes clear that he should try to incorporate as many positive traits into his life as he can.
Krishna’s exploration of the binary nature of existence also applies to his metaphors. The giant Aswattha is a fig tree with branches that stretch to heaven and roots that reach down to earth. The two realms are binary opposites. Earth is a place where people must better themselves as they search for enlightenment, while heaven is the place for people who have a true understanding of god. A person cannot occupy both places at once, but the tree reveals that these binary tendencies are all part of the same wider existence. The roots and the branches seem like binary opposites: The roots are hidden beneath the earth, while the branches stretch up into the empty air. However, both the branches and the roots are part of the same core being. Krishna’s metaphor divides existence in two but retains the notion that they are not mutually exclusive. The oneness of existence is a key lesson taught by Krishna. Even when concepts seem immutable, there is a unity between them that cannot be dismissed.
