2. STUDY
OF
GITA
Dr.
Shriniwas
Kashalikar

3. November5, 2009, 10:00 am
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 of 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; and
actually because Gita “swallowed” me as I have mentioned
earlier!
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 seemed to
understand how this was related to the day to day problems
in life of a common man and me; and why Gita was
acclaimed as the greatest exposition of philosophy!
Some said that the description of war was symbolic and
actually Gita relates to the higher self in an individual with
lower self.
This seemed impressive but could not explain the relevance
of Arjuna’s arguments about VARNA SANKAR i.e.

4. haphazard and lawless marriages amongst different strata
and groups in society and their ill effects.
At this juncture; it seems; that Gita actually deals with the
individual, existence, universe, the time and cosmic
consciousness. She also deals with different stages of
human development from SADHAKA i.e. seeker and
SIDDHA i.e. enlightened individual and 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 was because of
the repeated description of STHITAPRAJNA (a person
beyond the influence of painful and pleasurable influences
in life) and absence of the dream society! This could be
because of my ego (not necessarily unjustified or
condemnable, but not accurate either), which prevented me
from seeing my unity with the universe and how the
STHITAPRAJNA state was related to social welfare.
Hence I could not see how Gita could help in social
emancipation! My obsession and yearning that “I have to
change the world for better” could not get satisfactory
solution from Gita!
Moreover; I was expecting some kind of a 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

5. 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 finding any reflections of the
sketch in reality; nor was I 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. Study of Gita was thus a
kind inviting trouble!
However gradually; this turmoil began to subside; when I
started to realize that the role of Gita is not to provide any
blueprint; but to inspire the student to create a universal
blueprint conducive to blossoming (in a most democratic)
way of everyone in the world!
Sometimes I thought Gita was produced on battlefield,
sometimes I felt that it was not a creation of one individual.
Sometimes I felt that many people have added different
verses out of context and relevance. But these feelings did
not deter me from studying Gita because; these feelings had
nothing to do with what I was looking for in Gita! I was
really not concerned and bothered whether Gita was created
by one or many and whether 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. Although these views sometimes

6. disturbed me temporarily; while studying Gita; they could
not deter me from studying her!
I however felt that Gita was not very pleasant like a
romantic poetry and did not generate elation or ecstasy. She
seemed to ruthlessly remind unwanted, unnecessary and
unrelated questions and problems such as those of war and
death!
Arguments that Gita preaches violence and the opinion that
she promotes inequality and exploitation appeared too
superficial and based on casual reading with preformed
notions and prejudices; though I was not decided over these
issues.
Many people in the world alleged then and do so even
today; that; Hindu scriptures such as VEDAs, SMRUTIs
(Compilations of rules, regulations and practical techniques
for social stability, growth and harmony) advocate
inequality (and hence 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 as
such; exploitative, outdated and counterproductive. I began
to understand Gita philosophy (the cosmic dynamics)
reveals to us our position and role in the eternal orchestra
and guides us to live to our fullest satisfaction; while
simultaneously aiding the blossoming of the universe.

7. 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 “musical light” in the core of Gita.
The Gita begins with the description of legions of Kauravas
and Pandavas on the Kurukshetra. Thus Gita directly
begins with the most crucial dilemma or tricky situation
one can have in life viz. the question of life and death! All
conflicts in life are concentrated in this situation! This
makes Gita the ultimate counselor!
I now feel that; Gita deals with war of higher self with the
lower self in an individual, where the lower self is attached
to many likes and dislikes! 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 surrender of higher self to lower self,
or surrender of higher self of the society to the lower self of
the society, that is called MOHA of Arjuna, which I guess
is common to most people in the world (which is why Gita
is universal).

8. Gita simultaneously deals with the actual war also; because
she looks at the individual and society in a holistic way.
She conceives and teaches to appreciate that the condition
of war within and our response to that war; naturally
manifest in family and social life. If our response is of
surrender due to MOHA then it is detrimental to an
individual as well as the society.
I think, I can appreciate this (previously thought unwanted
and irrelevant and hence unpleasant but) unavoidable and
eternal war within and out! In fact knowledge of Gita
makes it clear that presence of this war and its
comprehension is a golden opportunity to live in
SWADHARMA and achieve individual and global
blossoming!
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 nor 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 a 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

9. and justification of such despondency in the form of
apparently sublime values and concerns; as advanced by
Arjuna.
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! Arjuna represents erudite but
erroneous arguments! Thus Gita creates a strong case for
individual and social mediocrity, individualism, pettiness,
gullibility, defeatism, and despondency with intellectual
explanations and justifications, which span from individual
and social life; to even life after death!
It is at this point that I realized that Gita is unique in NOT
providing an arbitrary blue print that upholds individualism
or socialism; but enlightens the root of our being and
provides freedom and blossoming of individuals and the
universe simultaneously. This understanding has wiped out
my previous reservations about Gita (of being
individualistic or addressing merely personal needs or
problems) and made me far more comfortable with Gita
than I used to be earlier. I now understand that Gita is more
personal and more social in true sense because she takes us
to the core of both! This makes her really and absolutely
accurate, just and totally democratic in true sense, which
the individualistic and socialistic philosophical frameworks
are not! I felt very happy for having persisted on the study

10. of Gita and having come out of the limitations and
inadequacies of individualistic and socialistic philosophies.
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 millennia to millennia and time
and again; from the very source of eternally provident
and rejuvenating cosmic consciousness!
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?
I however; kept on reading it, but without really
understanding, agreeing, believing and of course realizing!
In fact this discussion in 2nd chapter made me feel
miserably torn in two conceptual premises! Neither could I

11. agree with the claim of immortality, which was beyond my
comprehension and even imagination; nor could I felt that I
was a complete mortal with no traces of life after the death
of my body! I could never imagine myself discarding my
body like “old clothes” or in; living in absence of the body,
but I could not dismiss the claim of immortality also;
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!
Now I realize that such tearing off; of my conceptual
premises lead to dialectical process breaking down the
sectarian ideas and promoted evolution of the holistic
perspective.
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
conscientious individual would relate with the plight of
Arjuna; because it results from information processing

12. 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!