Kurukshetra

Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges was removed from the origin of The Bhagavad-Gita by thousands of years and miles, yet his works bear remarkable similarities to The Gita’s teachings. Specifically, Borges’ short stories, “The Immortal” and “The Library of Babel,” reflect and parallel the teachings of the sacred Hindu text, The Bhagavad-Gita, namely, its assertion that desire creates suffering and inhibits the pursuit of knowledge, and its perspective that divinity and spirituality can be found through language. One of the core concepts of The Bhagavad-Gita is the belief that desire begets suffering. This is exemplified in The Gita, when Lord Krishna states, “since he knows that discipline / means unbinding the bonds of suffering, he should practice discipline resolutely, / … / He should entirely relinquish / desires aroused by willful intent” (6.23-24). Here, discipline is equated with the ability to “entirely relinquish / desires aroused by willful intent,” as demonstrated by the use of the two phrases in conjunction with each other. Discipline is also equated to “unbinding the bonds of suffering,” a phrase which heavily connotes freedom and liberation. Conversely, if one does not subscribe to discipline, but rather, gives into desire, one will be confined to suffering. This idea of desire as creating suffering is demonstrated in “The Immortal,” when the narrator states, “the impression of great antiquity was joined by others, the impression of endlessness, the sensation…

The problem that I have chosen to tackle is the fraudulent manipulation of religion and religious values among the illiterate population in India by self acclaimed “god men (and women)” and other “godly” people. These words usually represent people who either have godly powers or can talk to God. They are often referred to as ‘baba’, ‘maharaj’, ‘pandit’, etc. I have chosen Krishna and Dante to deal with this problem. Since the majority of the population in India follows the religion that is…

In many different religious texts, there are many similarities and difference; if you closely examine each of the texts. The same is true of both the Bhagavad Gita and The Raptures of St. Teresa. While examining these two texts, it is obvious that the experiences that were described were both religious and instructional. In the case of Teresa, she goes on and on about the vision that God grants her and how they have helped to shape her life. “These refer to all visions [of life].” The simple and…

1. Introduction A. Eusebius, the historian and bishop of Caesarea, tells a history in The Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine around 337-339 CE (MMW 5). The Bhagavad Gita indirectly refers to the sage Vayasa as the author of The Bhagavad Gita from the larger selection of the Mahabharata (The Bhagavad Gita. Introduction.5). 2. Question: A. Based on a comparison of “The Bhagavad Gita” by Veda Vayasa and “The Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine” by Eusebius of Caesarea, what do these texts…

The Bhagavad Gita recounts the story of a battle over control of a land known as Hastinapura. Arjuna, leader of the Pandavas, stands on a battlefield opposite his kin, the Kauravas, and turns to the Lord Krishna for courage. Just before the start of the battle, Arjuna has a conversation with Krishna, an avatar of Brahman, on whether or not battling his own family is the right thing to do, for it seems to be one of the greatest sins. In response, Krishna advises Arjuna not to question God’s will…

The physical world in Dante’s Alighieri coexists with the physical world of the Bhagavad Gita in the matters as actions affect the personal standing of the world to come afterwards. These two literary works are different in terms that those terms of cowardice or betrayal to one’s kingdom by surrendering the throne is punishable in the different levels of Dante’s hell. The levels of Dante’s Alighieri in which one is sent is determined by their internal, external conflicts and actions in the…

Having epiphanies alters a person’s course, becoming the reason or sole purpose for change. Notably, this can be highlighted in The Bhagavad Gita translated by Laurie Patton and Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur'an, Mi'raj, Poetic and Theological Writings translated and edited by Michael Sells. Patton depicts a dialogue, in which an envoy between two battling nations narrates the conversation between a warrior named Arjuna and his confidant called Krishna. Primarily, Arjuna does not like the…

inevitable Lord Krishna as per the wishes of Arjuna became his charioteer and as requested by Duryodhana He gave His entire army to Duryodhana for the battle at Kurukshetra. It is at the battle field at Kurukshetra the great Divine Song namely Bhagavad Geetha emerged from Him. After spending one hundred and twenty years on earth in human form Lord Krishna felt that it was time for him to leave the earth as his mission for which he took birth in this world in human form that is, to destroy the…

Venkatrarma’s painting of the Kurukshetra War serves as an artistic response to war, primarily because it portrays the battle between a group of cousins (Kauravs and Pandavs) for the throne of an Indian Kingdom known as Kuru. The account of the battle is from the epic Indian story, Mahabharata. The painting by the artist depicts the time when chakravyuh was formed as a defensive formation which appears like a blooming lotus by the commander in chief of Kauravs in the battle of Kurukshetra. As…

Yoga, known as the Raja Yoga. The Raja Yoga (Meditation), often known as the royal path to enlightenment, is for the people with determination, willing to experiment with their mind. Sivananada (2000) says, “One Yoga is as efficacious as the other.” It is often said that one must have the head of Shankaracharya, the heart of Lord Buddha and the hand of King Janaka. The Bhagavad Gita formulates the theories of the four paths of yoga, without creating any conflicts between them and blends them…