Thoreau and Emerson loved this poem. So did T.S. Eliot, a century later. And, now that I’ve read it, so do I. I first encountered it in my yoga teacher training, where study of the Bhagavad Gita was included in the curriculum alongside discussions of anatomy. Yoga Journal magazine goes so far as to call it the ‘first book of yoga.’ Yoga practitioners, whether casual exercisers or lifestyle aficionados: read it at your risk: this is indeed a work that changes lives.
The Gita is thought to have been written in the second century after the birth of Jesus, as a part of the longer epic Mahabharata, a seminal text in the Hindu canon. At a mythological level, this epic takes place the night before a decisive battle. Prince Arjuna, one of five Pandava princes, has long been exiled from his homeland and has taken up arms to rectify the situation. He is a trained warrior, skilled and merciless in the martial arts. However, on the eve of combat, he hesitates: this is a fight between relatives, a war that will almost certainly cause great pain and suffering throughout the family. As a devoted worshipper of his Higher Power, how can he move forward without knowing the extent of the consequences? How can he remain a moral being when his actions will only cause pain?
Like Hamlet, Arjuna is caught between action and inaction; however, the latter chooses to converse about the issues with the driver of his chariot, who is eventually revealed to be none other than Krishna, an incarnation of Vishna, one of the three facets of God in the Hindu tradition. Krishna’s council is indeed electrifying: he gives Arjuna a vision of his true nature, beautiful and terrifying. In addition, he counsels Arjuna that action is an inescapable part of being human. All choices will lead to consequences both positive and negative; however, one who is skilled in living will be able to work with both the good and the bad as part of one’s path to enlightenment. At the end, one uses one’s gifts as gifts in themselves; it’s not so much about ambition and recognition as it is about experience and joy.
Yoga practitioners who take the time to read the Gita will learn about the four main paths of classical yoga: jnana, or the path of study; bhakti, or the yoga of devotion; karma, or the journey of selfless service; and finally raja, or the yoga of meditation. In practicing asana, we involve ourselves with each of these to greater or lesser extent, and this text reminds us of how we should practice each, or all, of these paths. As Krishna teaches Arjuna, we should proceed with an emphasis on the activity rather than the outcome. We may be on our mats to improve our bodies, or to soothe our souls, but the wealth is to be found in the action itself rather than in what happens once we are finished.
At the same time, the Bhagavad-Gita teaches us that spirituality is there for the taking, no matter how involved we are with the outside world. Not all of us are willing to move to a cave in the mountains, and indeed we don’t need to do so. The Gita reassures us that we who aren’t called to monkhood can indeed live a mindful life, connect with our Higher Power, and find our days enriched by this connection.
There are many current translations of the poem available to the present-day reader, as well as quite a few analyses and commentaries. Four versions are listed here, two that are specific translations of the epic and two others that combine the ancient story with modern tales and explanations. Each of these imparts the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, with my personal favorite being Ram Dass’ version; eventually, you may find yourself called to read more than one, as I have.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of these writers. I have purchased my copies of these books with my own funds.
Cope, Stephen. The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling. Bantam, 2015. ISBN: 978-0553386073
Dass, Ram. Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad-Gita. Harmony Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 978-1400054039
Eswaran, Eknath. The Bhagavad-Gita, Second Edition.Nilgiri Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-1586380199
Mitchell, Stephen, Bhagavad-Gita: A New Translation. Harmony Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 978-0609810347
Yoga Cielo Stellato 