The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most well known pieces of text in the Hindu religion (Brodd, 95). It is a detailed poem about how a person can fulfill his or her religious duties otherwise known as completing one’s dharma. From reading this text, we are taught about the very basic ideals of the Hindu religion such as Brahman, Yoga, and Karma (cite). A passage on pages 185-187 of the Bhagavad Gita eloquently explains the concept of the atman and continuation of the atman in the cycle of death and re-birth called samsara. Through repetition and a series of detailed metaphors, the text reiterates to the reader that the body is only temporary; the soul is eternal. The Bhagavad Gita is a discussion between the god Krishna, or ‘The Blessed One’ as he is referred to in the text, and Arjuna the warrior (Doniger, 176). At the beginning of the text, Arjuna explains to Krishna how morally distraught he is about going into

If we put this passage in context with the rest of the Bhagavad Gita, it becomes clear that Krishna is doing much more than explaining the characteristics of the atman; he is revealing some significant aspects of the Hindu religion such as ethical practices and some emotional aspects. This text begins with Arjuna contemplating the morality of the life of a warrior. Krishna then shows the reader how fulfilling one’s dharma is in fact a very moral way of living one’s life. The god also reassures the reader that there is no moral injustice harming others in battle by enforcing the idea that the body is merely a portal for the soul. Doing one’s religious duty is always the ethical thing to do even if it emotionally it is difficult to complete. In this way, this text is vital to the Hindu religion because it teaches the reader that sometimes fulfilling one’s dharma is not always easy or