The document discusses misconceptions around violence in the Bhagavad Gita. It argues that the Gita does not advocate violence, but rather advocates remembering one's true self and fighting against forgetting oneself, which is considered the true violence. Fighting against forces that cause one to forget their true self is termed "dharmic war" in the Gita, not a call for physical violence. The key teaching of the Gita is focusing on one's true self through yoga and meditation, in order to behave in a self-realized manner that benefits both oneself and society.

1. VIOLENCE
AND
GITA
DR.
SHRINIWAS

2. KASHALIKAR
The use of the word “UDDHA” i.e. war has lead
to many misconceptions about Gita. One of them
is that; She advocates violence.
It is because of our intellectual, conceptual and
emotional bankruptcy that we are unable to
understand the meaning of “death” is forgetting
one’s self; and any activity in personal and social
life conducive to such forgetting of one’s true
self, is violence and ADHARMA.
The word “PRANASHYATI” is used in 6th
chapter, 9th chapter and also 18th chapter to clearly
indicate that forgetting one’s self is death.
True violence is intellectual, emotional,
instinctual and physical action conducive to

3. forgetting oneself, (which involves “forgetting”
one’s father, mother, brother, sister, teacher,
friend, society and so on. This; as every one
knows is associated with overtly mean,
individualistic and ungrateful behavior which is
violence!
Gita asks us to remember and focus on our true
self so that our behavior remains oriented to self
realization. This is called YOGA in Gita and is
called ANUSANDHAN in other spiritual
parlance.
This focusing and remaining oriented is not easy.
There are many detractors within and outside
forcing oneself and the others to forget the true
self (violence and ADHARMA), which come in
the way of self realization; and consequent
socially beneficial behavior!

4. Gita advocates participating in the war against
such violence and ADHARMA.
Namasmaran reorients us to our true selves and
empowers us to fulfill our role in any given
situation in an accurate and satisfactory manner
i.e. to defeat violence and ADHARMA and
promote DHARMA. This is called DHARMYA
YUDDHA (not DHARMA UDDHA) in Gita.
This reorientation, focus and bond with the true
self is called YOGA in Gita and ANUSNDHAN
in other spiritual parlance as mentioned earlier,
and which is what teaches and guides us to
realize!