Duality In The Bhagavad Gita

Much of the world can be seen through the lenses of dualities. Phenomena such as dark and light, life and death, and day and night are important to understanding the world. Both parts exist in the same whole, and both are important for sustaining the world we live in. In the sacred Hindu text The Bhagavad-Gita, dualities are put on a unique pedestal, where they are both praised for being how the cosmos function and criticized for their tendency to lead to worldly obsession. A reflection of both of these views can be seen in the duality of the self, where it can be both a man’s savior and a man’s downfall. This essential duality is touched upon throughout the entire work, however, the ninth and tenth versus of the 6th teaching illuminate the duality of the self to the …show more content…
Krishna, at points in the text, states that dualities are “delusions” and at the same time states that they are necessary and everywhere (7, 28). Dualities take on this confusing role in the Bhagavad-Gita to ultimately show that they are neither good nor bad, and furthermore, within these dualities an equality of part must exist. Such as the whole of the duality is neutral, one part of the duality is neither good nor bad. They must exist in harmony to each other in order for anything to function. The ninth and tenth verses of the 6th teaching show that the infinite spirit, as the inner self, is necessary and important as it serves as the guide to achieve one’s Dharma. However, the physical and bodily self is equally as important as it serves to act upon the spirits guide. The self is not whole if it lacks either the outside self or the inside, and subsequently, it cannot be whole if either stands in the way of the other performing their necessary tasks. In the end, the duality and parts of the self act just like people within their society: each has their set Dharma they must fulfill in order for the whole to function