WAS THE WAR DESCRIBED IN BHAGAVAD GITA VIOLENT OR NON-VIOLENT?
The Kurukshetra war described in the Mahabharata is one of the best known episodes in Indian mythology, involving fighting between vast armies drawn from all over the subcontinent, with the individual battles of many great warriors adding colour to the narrative.
Description of the war forms more than a quarter of the epic, and is such that it makes the war look like an actual event.
Is that war a historical fact or an allegory of the struggle between good and evil?
Many people believe the war to be a historical fact, while others have called it a symbol of the struggle that takes place in the minds of humans between their higher and lower tendencies.
The Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita contain references that make it clear that the conflict symbolizes the struggle between good and evil, with God giving hope and encouragement to Arjuna, who represents the human soul, and advising him to give up worldly attachments and perform righteous actions.
In the Mahabharata, of which the Gita is a part, non-violence has been extolled as the highest duty of an individual. That makes it clear that the war God counsels Arjuna to fight is not physical but spiritual.
According to one account, about 3.94 million men fought in the Kurukshetra war and only 12 survived. But that is only an illustration of a few righteous persons ultimately prevailing over far more numerous evil enemies.
Mahatma Gandhi , in his commentary on Gita , said the battle was "an allegory in which the battlefield is the soul , and Arjuna man's higher impulses struggling against evil".
When Arjuna puts down his bow and refuses to fight his kin, God proceeds to instruct him on the true nature of the self and the Almighty, one's duties in this world and the way one should conduct one's life.
The teachings He imparts over the 18 chapters of the Gita are universal, meant to help every human lead a righteous life.
Desire, God tells Arjuna, is the enemy that leads to delusion and sorrow.
"Controlling the senses first, do thou kill this sinful thing (desire), the destroyer of knowledge and realization", He tells Arjuna.
Arjuna's chariot is seen by scholars as a symbol of the human body, which has been called 'vivek rath' (chariot of the intellect) in the Mandukyopanishad.
Similarly, Sri Krishna's 'sudarshan chakra' was really about 'swadarshan' or looking at the self. When the soul is aware of its own identity, it is free of body consciousness i.e, it does not identify itself with the body, which gives rise to all vices. For looking within, the Gita mentions three eyes: physical eyes, the eyes of knowledge and divine insight. The soul's contemplation of itself is the weapon that destroys evil at its root.
God, who does not have a physical form, uses no physical weapon. Nor does He, the Ocean of Peace, Ocean of Love and Ocean of Mercy encourage or indulge in violence of any kind, be it physical verbal or emotional.
In telling Arjuna what one must possess in order to attain victory, God does not dwell on weapons of war of physical attributes.
He tells Arjuna that one who is virtuous, possesses inner strength, has enlightened companions and God as his guide and guardian, ultimately attains victory.
Such a one is fearless, pure of heart, steadfast in yoga and knowledge controls the senses , is generous, humble, honest, free from anger compassionate, gentle, modest, and forgiving.
These are all qualities one must possess in order to progress spiritually and overcome one's negativities. These traits are not associated with fighting a war.
As Swami Vivekananda said, "This Kurukshetra War is only an allegory. When we sum up its esoteric significance, it means the war which is constantly going on within man between the tendencies of good and evil".
The Gita teaches us how to merge victorious in this war, and it should be studied with this objective in mind. To simply see this philosophical work as a part of a story about a dynastic struggle is to be ignorant of its importance. It is a treatise on how one can become free of vices and attain liberation, which is the highest goal for a human being.
Your Divine Friend
DR.BK.Satyanarayan
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