Perennial Psychology of the Bhagwad Geeta

Compiled by Sanjeev NayyarJanuary 2002

By Swami RamaCourtesy and copyright The Himalayan Institute Press

The Holy Geeta entered my life in the autumn of 1993. I was sitting in Chennai’s Taj Coromandal one evening not knowing what to do when I happened to see the Holy Geeta by Swami Chinamayanandji. Something attracted me and I got down to reading it. In eight years am on my third read now. It has become my best friend. When I am feeling low, confused or lonely I open the Gita, read a few pages and feel content thereafter. The beauty is that the interpretation of various slokhas is different every time I read it. May be it has to do with the stages and situations in my life. The one by Swamiji is very good for a spiritually evolved person. What I like in the one by Swami Rama is that it easy to understand, very good for a person who is reading the Geeta for the first time.

A bit about Swami Rama. Swamiji founded the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust in India and many centers across the world. A student of both Himalayan cave monasteries European universities, he founded the Himalayan Institute to create a bridge between the ancient teachings of the East and modern scientific approaches of the West. Visit them at

Some people associate the Holy Geeta with Sanathan Dharam. To my mind it has universal application, shows us how to handle the problems of life, be happy inspite of ups and downs, perform duty without being attached to the fruits of action etc. The Geeta is eternal, as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.

For your convenience I have reproduced the book verbatim. The format is as follows. It starts with an introduction followed by excerpts from individual chapters. Each chapter consists of slokhas with commentaries. Besides explaining the slokha, the commentary highlight the comparison between eastern and western psychology. It has my comments in brackets to help you distinguish it from the original text.

“The Bhagawad Gita is the fountainhead of eastern psychology and this commentary is designed to draw out its psychological concepts and make them accessible to all students. These profound insights are intertwined with philosophical concepts, so the task undertaken here is to separate the psychological principles and to explain them their practical application. The word philosophy is a compound of two words, philo and Sophia, which means ‘love for knowledge’. There are 18 chapters in the Gita each describing a different aspect of the process of self-transformation. The aim of the Gita is to teach the aspirant how to establish equanimity in his internal life and in his activities in the external world, to help him develop that tranquility within, and to explain the art and science of doing actions skillfully and selflessly.

The book aims at helping you understand your inner potentials, it is not possible to function effectively and harmoniously in the external world, for all the things happen within before they are expressed externally. Sri Krishna modified and simplified the Vedic and Upanishadic knowledge with the Geeta.

Modern psychologists attempt to help the client modify his conscious attitudes and unconscious behaviors, but their analysis lacks the depth and profundity found in the Gita. Most modern therapists do not explore the purpose and meaning of life. They do not go to the root of the problem but analyze it without understanding the fundamental cause. By contrast Sri Krishna presents a philosophical foundation for understanding the purpose of life and the way to live life harmoniously, and he offers Arjuna practical advice on living and coping with the world”.

The Holy Geeta has changed the way I think, my attitude to life and the world at large. The site is a manifestation of the influence the Geeta has had on my life. You are able to read excerpts from the Holy Geeta due to the Herculean efforts of my assistant Ajay who has typed 125 word pages as if it were part of his Dharma. Ishwar please makes his dreams come true and bless him.

The essay has the following chapters –

Arjuna’s despondency.Click here for more
The Way of Self Knowledge.Click here for more
The Yoga of Action. Click here for more
Knowledge of Renouncing Fruits.Click here for more
Knowledge of Renunciation and Action. Click here for more
The Path of Meditation.Click here for more
Knowledge of the Absolute in its Entirety. Click here for more
Knowledge of the Eternal.Click here for more
Knowledge of the Royal and Secret Path. Click here for more
The Glorious Manifestations of the Lord. Click here for more
Yogic Vision.Click here for more
The Yoga of Devotion.Click here for more
Knowledge of the Field and the Knower. Click here for more
The Profound Knowledge of the Three Gunas. Click here for more
The Eternal Tree of Life. Click here for more
The Destiny of the Sages and the Ignorant.Click here for more
Three Modes of Conviction.Click here for more
The Wisdom of Renunciation and Liberation. Click here for more
Glossary of Sanskrit termsClick here for more.

Arjuna’s DespondencyChapter 1

Dhritarashtra asked

What did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, O Sanjaya, gathered together on the battlefield of righteousness, Kurukshetra, with the intent to fight ?

Ignorant and unjust people are spiritually blind. Because of their selfish way of life, they do not accept reality. Dhritarashtra usurped the kingdom of the innocent and righteous, refusing to hand over the lawful rights of his nephews. In every family, society or organization the elders must give the younger members their proper rights. When that is not done, frustration develops and creates a reaction in the minds of those whose rights have been snatched unjustly. (The same applies to parents handling of children. When parents do not give their children space, are perpetually finding fault, suppressing their feelings, hitting them they become rebels, aggressive and sometimes defensive).

People forget that their span of life in this transitory world is brief and should be utilized to perform those actions that are helpful on the path to enlightenment rather than to perform actions that will create further bondage. Self-realization is the ultimate goal of life. Not realizing that fact, the ignorant waste the precious moments of life that could be utilized for spiritual progress and for the benefit of others. Selfishness contracts the personality rather than allowing it to expand to universal awareness. Ignorant people like Dhritarashtra live only for themselves and do not show consideration for others. (From personal experience I can say that we derive far more happiness by being helpful to others).

Arjuna was aware that without profound knowledge of the Eternal, external and mundane power and wealth are not at all helpful in fulfilling the purpose of life. The central theme of life is to awake, arise, and gain knowledge. If that is not constantly remembered, one becomes lost in the jungle of the external world. One should always be a ware of the purpose of life, for it is only awareness of the Eternal that prevents one from being dissipated and distracted by the charms and temptations of the world. When a student like Arjuna constantly remains in contact with his teacher, and a competent teacher like Sri Krishna is teaching him, liberation becomes easy and is attained here and now. (At some point of time possibly before 35, we must ask ourselves What is it that we want from life? To find the right answer first we need to look within, know ourselves, our inner nature, ascertain what is it that makes us tick).

Sanjaya replied

King Duryodhana, seeing the force of the Pandavas deployed in battle formation, approached his preceptor, Drona, and addressed him in these words:
O Preceptor, see this great army of the sons of Pandu deployed in battle formation by your intelligent disciple, the son of Drupada.
Here are brave men like Bhima and Arjuna, with their great bows, intent upon war; Yuyudhana, Virata, and Drupada, each commanding eleven thousand chariots.
Dhrishtaketu; Chekitana; the virile King of Kashi; Purujit Kuntibhoja; and Shaibya, the bull among men.
Here are the strident Yudhamanyu; the virile Uttamaujas; Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra; and the five sons of Draupadi, all of them great commanders.

A human being need not waste his time and energy gathering great means to fulfill the purpose of life. He can live with few means if he knows how to utilize those few means correctly and at the right time. That skill is developed as one learns to coordinate his different faculties and modifications of mind. It results from sincere efforts made by the aspirant to develop full clarity of mind, which is the very basis of actions performed successfully in the external world. Mind and action are virtually one and the same: one is a seed and the other a plant that bears flowers and fruit. (Clarity of thought comes when our mind is free from agitations, which in turn come from desire.)

It is important for one to be aware of both his strengths and his weaknesses, for without such awareness, success in life remains a mere dream. An aspirant should first learn to strengthen the faculty of discrimination and judgment. That faculty enables him to recognize both sets of qualities as they within himself: those that inspire him to attain his goal and those that create barriers for him and dissipate his will power. Every sadhaka should first learn to examine and be aware of those two factors.

One whose mind is imbalanced due to a lack of moral courage can use brute force to support his ideas, but he can never remain in peace and happiness. What good is life when one is torn by anxiety, which weakens his inner strength? Such a person experiences defeat in fighting the battle of life, although he has many external means to support him.

Parents play a significant role in shaping the lives of their children, and thus the sons of Dhritarashtra follow in the footsteps of their unjust father. When parents are greedy, egotistical, conniving, and unjust, their children consciously and unconsciously develop the same characteristics. Human society suffers as a result of self-created misery because the elders do not realize that children trained in an unjust atmosphere will also become unjust. As one rotten fish pollutes the whole pool, so one man can mislead an entire society. Therefore a king or leader should be righteous and just and should stand as examples for others to follow. Dhritarashtra is the antithesis of such an example. (How many parents realize the impact of their behavior on their children. I have known of parents who fight their children, think of the impact on a child’s mind).

Many great civilizations have been destroyed by foolish, selfish, and greedy leaders. For instance, Nero was delighted to see his kingdom burning, and in the second world war Hitler was obsessed by war hysteria and became imbalanced, thinking of nothing but killing and destroying other nations. Many examples of such atrocities committed by kings and leaders in the past and present could be cited. Why do we forget that this world is a field of action and that if we learn to perform our actions skillfully and righteously, our journey will become a perennial song?

10. This force of ours supervised by Bhishma, is large but inadequate; however, the force of these (Pandavas) supervised by Bhima, is small but adequate.

Although Duryodhana has superior strength, he has an inferiority complex that shows itself in his jealous feelings toward the Pandavas. He knows he is fighting a war for unjust and unrighteous motives. When enveloped in selfishness, even the mightiest cannot be victorious, for inner strength alone motivates one to successfully fight in the battlefield of life and to skillfully perform his actions and duties. By contrast, selfish motivation weakens the will and inner strength. One who is selfishly motivated cannot persuade the conscience, which judges one’s intentions before he decides to act, to take his side. Such a human being continually creates a division within himself by ignoring his conscience and continuing to follow the path of unrighteousness. He knows what truth is, but his actions are motivated by selfishness, greed, and possessiveness. Duryodhana’s situation is exactly like that: his inner strength is weakened by the division he has created within himself. Although Duryaodhana has the stronger army and skilled generals, he is unsure of his victory.

When a king suffers from an inferiority complex, he may act as though he is superior, but such a person actually feels inadequate underneath his false show of bravado. There is no such thing as a superiority complex: there is only one complex, and that is inferiority. When one is aware of his weaknesses but does not know how to rid himself of them, he creates a shield for his protection; when one does not want to accept and confront his weaknesses; he puts on a false front and acts as though he is superior. Such people actually think they are superior to others because they have not learned to accept things as they are. A sense of superiority is like a house of cards that can crumble at the touch of a finger. (I had a friend who was five feet tall but was always very aggressive, actually very touchy as if to hide the inferiority complex that he suffered from).

Everyone has weaknesses. Wise is he who acknowledges his weaknesses and works steadily to remove them and to replace them with the essential virtues that strengthen him and make him brave, fearless, and truthful. There is always a war between the forces of virtue and vice. Weakness may appear to be strong because it persistently resists accepting and acknowledge its reverse side. Virtue, however, has genuine strength because it is a product of a balanced mind. Weakness arises from imbalance, whereas balance is the true source of strength.

Even though Duryodhana has the most powerful army and the best generals, still he lacks confidence. And when one is not sure of himself, it is difficult for him to be victorious. Confidence comes from inner strength, from the inner conscience that constantly judges one’s thoughts, feelings, desires, and motivations. One’s conscience protects him from the traps laid by his weaknesses.

Causing Duryodhana great joy, the elder of the Kurus, the grandfather Bhishma, a man of splendor, loudly roaring a lion roar, blew the conch.
Then conches, kettle drums, tabors, drums, and trupets suddenly blared forth, and that sound was tumultuous.
Then, standing in a great chariot drawn by white horses, Krishna and Arjuna also blew their celestial conches.
Krishna, the Lord of Senses, blew his conch named Panchajanya, and Arjuna, the Winner of Wealth, blew his conch, named Devadatta; Bhima, he of fierce deeds, blew his great conch, named Paundra.
King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew the conch Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew their conches, named Sughosha and Mani-pushpaka respectively.
And the King of Kashi, the excellent archer, as well as Shikhandi, the great charioteer, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and the unconquerable Satyaki.
Drupada and the sons of Draupadi, each and every one, O King, the mighty-armed son of Subhadra-they all blew their conches, each his own.

The leaders of both armies blow their conches, and the armies beat their drums and blow their trumpets to inspire their own soldiers. First Duryodhana’s army creates a fierce sound to terrorize the Pandavas, but the Pandavas’ army returns a mighty sound with full confidence. The gestures and sounds that are created to frighten the opposition have two possible origins: fear and confidence. When human beings are frightened, they do not create music but frightful sounds. Sri Krishna and Arjuna, who are confident of their strength, create a melodic sound. In fact, the whole of the Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna that creates a beautiful melody, a divine song. The sounds created by Duryodhana’s drummers are violent; they are created out of excitement, fear, and anxiety. Their sound does not compose any poetry or song, for it has its origin in the destructive aspect of Shakti, the primal force that resides within. That primal force has two aspects: one is merciful, gentle, and kind; the other is cruel, brutal, and annihilating. The war represents the inner conflict between the annihilating and merciful powers within each person.

There the son of Pritha saw those who were like fathers and grandfathers to him, teachers, uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, as well as companions,
Fathers-in-law, as well as friends in both armies; seeing all those kinsmen standing there, Arjuna the son of Hunti,
Possessed by a pitiful mood, feeling very sad, said these words: I see these kinsmen present here with the intent to fight.

When Arjuna inspects the opposing army, he sees that among its leaders are his teachers, cousins, father-in-law, and other close relatives and friends. He suddenly becomes affected by his attachment to his relatives, sinks into a self-created pool of sorrow, and forgets his purpose. Attachment is the greatest source of misery. The strands of attachment bind the sadhaka and weaken his determination, will, and inner strength. He forgets the ultimate goal of life and becomes a victim of mundane and transitory relationships.