1. STUDY
OF
GITA
Dr.
Shriniwas
Kashalikar

2. November5, 2009
10:00 am
1st
chapter
Initially when I began to read Gita, I felt that I am
reading a story of war. I was rather put off by the list
if names and the description of conches they blew.
Later I read about the repulsion of Arjuna about the
idea of war and violence and his arguments about the
disastrous effects of war. I felt that there was nothing
intellectual and it all seemed to be too obvious to be
stated.
But I kept on by hearting it apparently; as a kind of
exercise of memory and probably also to fill the void
in me.
I did not quite understand the exact meaning MOHA
for long time.
Some said that Arjuna was afraid and some said that
it was his love for the family members. Some felt
Arjuna was right and some said he was wrong. But I
never seem to understand how this was related day to
day life of a common man and me.

3. Some said that the description of war was symbolic
and actually Gita relates to the higher self in an
individual with his lower self.
This seemed impressive but could not explain the
relevance of Arjuna’s arguments about VARNA
SANKAR i.e. haphazard and lawless marriages
amongst different strata and groups in society and
their ill effects.
It seems that Gita actually deals with the individual,
existence, universe, the time and cosmic
consciousness. It also deals with different stages of
human development from SADHAKA i.e. seeker and
SIDDHA i.e. enlightened individual. It also deals
with the various ways and techniques to attain the
ultimate state of liberation.
Initially I used to feel that Gita relates to individual
emancipation and hence felt that there was nothing in
terms of solution for the welfare of world. This could
be because ego; which prevented me from seeing my
unity with the universe (not necessarily unjustified or
condemnable, but not accurate either) and developed
the passion and mission born out of that ego that “I
have to change the world for better”!

4. Since I was expecting a kind blue print for the
universal welfare; and since I did not find it; I used to
feel that Gita is individualistic and hence of no
consequences for the global welfare. Naturally I was
not quite in love with Gita. In fact I read and studied
it with reluctance and as if because somebody was
pushing me from within to study it persistently.
Due to my honest (though subjective) concern; I was
obsessed by global welfare, of which I had faint
sketch in mind. But I was neither I was finding any
reflections of the sketch in reality; nor I was
completely convinced by it. I was probably looking
for clearer blueprint in Gita. But since Gita does not
give any such blueprint, I was rather getting
depressed by reading Gita. However in this turmoil
gradually began to subside when I started to realize
that the role of Gita is not to provide any blueprint
but to inspire a universal blueprint conducive to
blossoming of everyone in the world in a most
democratic way!
Some people thought Gita was produced on
battlefield, some felt that it was not a creation of one
individual. Some said that many people have added
different verses out of context and relevance.

5. I felt that such criticism had nothing to do what I was
looking for in Gita and hence did not bother. I was
not concerned whether it was created by one or many
and whether it was narrated on battlefield or
elsewhere!
Some people said that it was not proper to read Gita
at home as it leads to conflicts in home and some
people said that it was inauspicious to read it because
it was read after some one’s demise.
All these things disturbed me while studying Gita but
not enough to deter me from studying it!
I however felt that Gita was not very pleasant like a
romantic poetry and did not generate elation or
ecstasy. It seemed to ruthlessly remind unwanted,
unnecessary and unrelated questions and problems
such of war and death!
Arguments that Gita preaches violence and the
opinion that it promotes inequality and exploitation
appeared too superficial based on casual reading with
preformed notions.
Many people in the world alleged then and do so
even today; that; Hindu scriptures such as VEDAs,
SMRUTIs (Compilations of rules, regulations and

6. practical techniques for social stability, growth and
harmony) advocate inequality and exploitation. This
was because of the labor division that continued
through generations, in a structured form. It is true
that various influences such as military invasions and
religious persecutions tore apart the fabric of holistic
Hindu philosophy and way of life, into arbitrary,
coercive and at times absurd traditions and
conventions, but it does not render the Hindu
philosophy exploitative, outdated and
counterproductive. I began to understand the Hindu
philosophy and the revelations in the scriptures depict
the cosmic dynamics and how an individual be a part
of this eternal orchestra to his or her fullest
satisfaction; simultaneously aiding the blossoming of
the universe.
Those studying it superficially could not see this
potential in the Hindu scriptures, which could
rejuvenate, regenerate and even revive the chaotic
and turbulent human civilization all over the world. I
realized this sooner or latter and felt greater and
greater need to explore the heart of Gita. I started
getting as if haunted by a beautiful and barely seen
blurred picture of the core of Gita.
The Gita begins with the description of legions of
Kauravas and Pandavas on the Kurukshetra. Thus

7. Gita directly begins with the most crucial situation
one can have in life viz. the question of life and
death.
All conflicts in life are concentrated in this situation.
Gita deals war of higher self with the lower self in an
individual, where there is too much attachment about
likes and dislikes of the lower self. This attachment is
depicted in terms of attachment (like that for suicidal
and destructive addiction) for the relatives even if
they were social psychopaths. This attachment leads
to despondent retreat to lower self and passive
acceptance of and involvement in degeneration and
decay of one’s own true self (and that of the
universe). This is MOHA of Arjuna, which I guess is
common to most people in the world (which is why
Gita is universal).
The Gita simultaneously deals with the actual war
also; because it looks at the individual and society in
a holistic way. It conceives and teaches to appreciate
that the condition of war within and our response to
that war; naturally manifest in family and social life.
I think, I can appreciate this previously unpleasant
but unavoidable and eternal war within and out!

8. Strange though it may appear, it is true that this
internal and external war is a product of evolution!
Animals have no choice! They neither can glorify
their instincts nor can they condemn it! Neither are
they endowed with the freedom to choose indulgence
or are they free to opt for abstinence!
Arjuna’s response of MOHA is a response to inner
war (that invariably manifests in the society)! Such
despondent response to the lower self of an
individual is invariably reflected in the form of
retreat to the lower self of the society i.e.
psychopathic and detrimental elements in the society.
Gita not only depicts the individual and global
despondency; but it also depicts an intellectual
explanation and justification of such despondency in
the form of apparently sublime values and concerns.
Thus Arjuna is dismissing the idea of killing teachers,
brothers and other loved ones by forecasting the
social holocaust in terms of the ruining of families
and the exploitation of widows and mutilation of
social discipline and harmony leading to ill effects on
the departed souls and the abyss thereof! Thus Gita
creates a strong case for individual and social
mediocrity, individualism, pettiness, gullibility,
defeatism, and despondency with intellectual

9. explanations and justifications, which span from
individual and social life and even life after death!
Through depicting the individual and social
despondence (represented by ARJUNA VISHADA)
Gita creates a ground for an eternal discourse to shun
the individual, social and universal tendencies to sink
and decay!
Gita enters into 2nd
chapter and then offers the
omnipotent and omniscient panacea (to such
despondence and decay that surfaces repeatedly in
the human civilization throughout history); from the
very source of eternally provident cosmic
consciousness that rejuvenates the mankind from
millennia to millennia and time and again!
November 5, 2009; 10:00 pm
After creating a strong case for the despondence; like
a devil’s advocate; in 1st
chapter; the propounder of
Gita straight a way proclaims the aphorism that you
don’t die; in 2nd
chapter!
This aphorism can cause a massive shock for any
serious reader and I was no exception. Isn’t it natural
that normally our mindset cannot understand, agree,
believe or realize the concept of immortality of soul?

10. I however; kept on reading it, but without really
understanding, agreeing, believing and of course
realizing! In fact this all discussion made me feel
miserably torn in two conceptual premises!
Neither could I agree with the claim, which was
beyond my comprehension and even imagination; as
I could never imagine myself discarding my body
like old clothes or in live in absence of the body, nor
could I dismiss the claim; because I “knew” (though I
had not personally realized) that a) nothing is
destroyed b) consciousness; thoughts, feelings, time,
space, energy etc do not have the same kind of
existence, birth or death and c) ‘beginning and end’
are human concepts; derived from the limitations of
physiological state, consciousness, perceptions,
thinking, feelings and the information processing in
the neurons and their network!
Arjuna has indicated his disgust for a war that
involves killing of near and dear ones. He is selfless
and has no interest in any gains from such a war that
involves shading of blood of his teachers, brothers
and other close ones. So Arjuna is NOT afraid of war
like a timid creature, but his conscience has paralyzed
him! Arjuna like any sensitive, honest, brave and
conscientious individual despised the killing of his
brothers. I am sure that any sensitive and

11. conscientious individual would relate with the plight
of Arjuna; because it results from information
processing through neuroendocrine, autonomic and
central nervous systems; and hence is universal!
But having said that; as I went on studying Gita, it
started becoming clearer, that human beings are not
merely physiological; they are potentially much more
than that!