The Bhagavad Gita (Song of The Lord)
The Bhagavad Gita (Song of The Lord)
The Bhagavad Gita (Song of The Lord)
The Bhagavad Gita is the highest expression of philosophical Hinduism. It is a story of the
immense Indian epic, the Mahabharata, the saga of the war between the Pandavas and the
Kauravas.
Arjuna, hero of the Pandavas, is about to confront the army of the Kauravas on the
battlefield. Among the opposing army are his friends and relatives. Convinced that it
would be wrong to kill his own kinsmen, Arjuna is overcome by despair. He lays down his
bow and declares that he will not fight. The God Vishnu, incarnated as the charioteer
Krishna, explains that Arjuna should do his duty and do battle. The human soul, which is
part of the universal soul, is immortal - therefore no-one is actually slain. If people perform
the duties appropriate to their station, without attachment to success or failure, then they
cannot be stained by action.
The Bhagavad Gita is an expression of the Hindu philosophy that God is in all things, and
all things are in God. The one God is the pinnacle of all things - the radiant sun of lights,
the guiding light of sensory organs, the intellect of beings, the ocean of waters, the
Himalayas of mountain ranges, the Ganges of rivers. He is also the inherent essence of
everything - including evil. He is the gambling of rogues, the courage of the courageous,
the rod of disciplinarians, the statecraft of politicians, the Knowledge of the knowing.
Nirguna Brahman
("without attributes")
Monotheistic view Ishvara is the
personified form of Brahman; that is,
Saguna Brahman has particular traits.
These traits are expressed through the
Trimurti (three manifestations).
Brahma
"The Creator"
Saguna Brahman
("with attributes")
Ishvara
Vishnu
"The Preserver"
Siva
"The Destroyer"
Polytheistic View the ten incarnations, or avatars, are the original gods of Hinduism; it is
estimated that there are now some 300 million gods in the Hindu religion. Each god is said to
provide focus on an aspect/attribute of Ishvara a path to understanding.
Ten Incarnations
According to Hindu tradition, Brahman became personal in the form of Ishvara Ishvara became
known to humanity in three manifestations. Ishvara then became known further through the ten
mythical incarnations of Vishnu, called avatars (animals: a fish, a boar, a tortoise and humans:
Krishna, Rama, Buddha). The stories of these avatars are told in the Bhagavad Gita.