Dr. Shriniwas Janardan Kashalikar discusses his study of the Bhagavad Gita in 4 sentences. Initially, he was put off by references to war in the first chapter but kept reading out of curiosity. Over time, he came to understand that the Gita deals with the individual existence and path to liberation. He realized the Gita's lessons could help rejuvenate society by guiding people to live according to their nature while aiding universal blossoming. His reservations about the Gita decreased as he grasped its holistic view of empowering both individuals and society simultaneously.

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NEW STUDY OF BHAGAVAD GITA
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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NEW STUDY OF BHAGAVAD GITA
STUDY
OF
GITA
Dr.
Shriniwas
Kashalikar
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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November5, 2009, 10:00 am
What were the first impressions of 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 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!
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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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. haphazard and lawless marriages amongst
different strata and groups in society and their ill effects.
What happened to the impressions of 1st chapter?
At this juncture; it is clear; 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 any reference to 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! In addition, the
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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obsession and yearning that “I have to change the world
for better” was the stumbling block in getting 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 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 of invited 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) of everyone in the world!
What were the hurdles in the process of studying
Gita?
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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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 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 they harmed
my enthusiasm to some extent.
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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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 somewhat arbitrary, coercive and at times absurd
traditions and conventions, but it does not render the
Hindu philosophy as such; exploitative, outdated and
counterproductive. These views create doubt and
suspension in one’s mind even before a Hindu like
begins to study books such as Gita.
Can Gita guide the world today?
I began to understand that 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.
I realized that by studying Gita superficially one can not
see her potential to rejuvenate, regenerate and even
revive the chaotic and turbulent human civilization all
over the world. I therefore felt greater and greater need to
explore the heart of Gita. I started getting as if haunted
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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by a beautiful and barely seen blurred “melodious light”
in the core of Gita.
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).
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
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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)
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 (To state the war as opportunity)
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! They do not have the golden opportunity to
live in SWADHARMA as there is o conflict.
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 and justification of such despondency in the
form of apparently sublime values and concerns; as
advanced by Arjuna.
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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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 of Gita and
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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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
How is MOHA a universal problem and the
resurrection from MOHA a universal solution?
After creating a strong case for the despondence; like a
devil’s advocate; in 1st chapter; the propounder of Gita
straight away proclaims in 2nd chapter; the aphorism that
you don’t die!
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?
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR

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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 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
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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 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!
DR. SHRINIWAS JANARDAN KASHALIKAR