S2E1 Mahabharata Gita

This episode focuses on the central epic in Indian history known as the Mahabharata, the twelfth chapter of which is Bhagavad Gita. We look closely at the Gita as a great synthesis of the Vedic tradition of sacrifice and the mysticism of the Upanishads. The new way offered in the Gita is known as renunciation in action, which leads to devotion. Along the way we look closely at the three great paths known as jnana, karma, and bhakti yoga and how they prefigure our modern concerns.

Listen to the podcast episode, then add your comments and questions below. Matt will be glad to answer you!

Episode Transcript

The transcript is automatically generated, so please be kind.

So if you're just joining us, we'll give a summary of what came just before this podcast, last time we focused on the Upanishads body of literature that comes up in the late Vedic Period, and we talked about how they show a clear shift away from the external, formal sacrificial rite the traditional Vedic Right? They show instead a turn toward the sacrificial event becoming a fully internalized ordeal, they teach the identity of the human soul with the Divine and also that realization means a kind of resorption, reabsorption into the absolute or the source, and that that is an escape from the birth and death cycle. Also really important about the Upanishads was it's a sign of a new discourse centered around the body, the body against gains status as the oblation in the sacrifice, this new status that the body gains leads to research and development. A lot of things happening. And we talked about mystical developments, like breathing techniques, certain concentration exercises, meditation things. And we also talked about developments in medicine, in Ayurveda, how this new status that the body had gained generated interest in its physiology in a certain way, it became an object in a sense of fascination and affection in a new way. You also really see in the Upanishad the kind of the first clear picture of what it looks like to to do something like we would call yoga. You definitely see pranayama. We went over several mentions of yogic techniques designed to increase internal fire by way of doing breathing, pranayama, and that sort of being the new iteration of the traditional sacrifice, and Now we're burning up accumulated karma from ignorant action that results from misidentification. So today we're going to talk a lot about the we're going to talk mostly about the Gita, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Gita itself is considered to be an Upanishad. So before we can speak about the Gita, we have to talk about the larger epic, or and text that the Gita is nested within. This text is called the Mahabharata, and it is the, you could say it's the national epic of of India. The Maha means great, and Bharata is is the name, a name of India, very much still used today. This is an amazing, massive text story. And it takes itself to be eternal in a sense. So let me read you something from the Mahabharata. This is it commenting on itself. Poets have told it before and are telling it now and will tell it again. What is here is also found elsewhere, but what is not found here is found nowhere else. So everything in it is real, and in a sense, there's nothing new in it. It's everything that is what's not found in it, in some ways, is unreal, because it can't be found elsewhere. If we look at rough dates, Wendy Doniger gives a wide swath of history in which it's likely that these things were composed 300 BCE to 300 CE, okay, the epic itself, she says, she makes it a point in her work to show that the MA. Has been retold many, many times, and that each time it gets a subtle differentiation, a new nuance emerges in it. Here's what Doniger says specifically. It the Mahabharata is so extremely fluid that there is no single Mahabharata. There are hundreds of mahabharatas, hundreds of different manuscripts and innumerable oral versions. It has about 75,000 verses and some 3 million words. It's kind of hard to see exactly, according to these experts, but they all seem to be around somewhere in the 3 million mark for word, it's the it's the world's longest epic. It's 15 times longer than the Hebrew Bible in the New Testament combined, and so it it's the story of of the formation of of of India, in a way, if we were to summarize, because we're going to have to do that, the focus of this episode is, is really the Gita, because of its relationship to modern yoga. And so we're kind of glossing the Mahabharata, but we will take our gloss from from an expert, again, Wendy Doniger, so here's the basic summary. The five sons of King Pandu, the Pandavas were fathered by gods, yudhishtira by Dharma, Bema by the wind, or Vayu Arjuna by Indra and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva by the aspens, all five of them married dropadi When you sthira lost the kingdom to his cousins in a dice game, the Pandavas and Draupadi went into exile for 12 years, at the end of which, with the help of their cousin, The incarnate God Krishna, who befriended the Pandavas and whose counsel to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra is the Bhagavad Gita. They regained their kingdom through a cataclysmic battle in which almost everyone on both sides was killed. Now as a summary of some 3 million words, we know what we're dealing with here, but it contains everything about the divine origins of the first rulers and first people and their relations, what the marriage situation was like, and then this great battle on the field of dharmic, shetra, Kurukshetra, which the Bhagavad Gita is the story of. So we begin to focus on the Gita. Of course, we want to know a little bit what does the word itself mean? Most of the times you see it translated as song of God, it's the central chapter in the Mahabharata, and its significance for the Hindu imaginary, is really impossible to overstate. So Bhagavan, I think pretty close. I'm probably pretty close to right that it means something like god man. That title is given to Ramana Maharshi, for instance, anyone considered to have realized could have that title. This appearance of this god man centers around Krishna in this battle, because Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu. The doctrine of the Avatar is in the is in the second chapter, I think, somewhere in the beginning, where Krishna tells Arjuna that when, when things have gone bad at a certain level, then the divine incarnates. And in this case, that's Vishnu. And that way, the way can be taught, and dharma can be re established, and things can go in that direction. So the Bhagavan in this case is Krishna, who is driving this warriors chariot in this battle, and the Gita is the song of that and. We have to this folk the subject of the Gita itself is way beyond our scope. So remember that we're leading up through the sort of most significant ideas in history that kind of lead up to modern yoga, and so we're focusing on the Gita in relation to yoga in particular, we should know that there are many other things taught in the Gita, unimaginable depths, that that we won't be speaking of. But in order to, in at least as I see it, speak about modern yoga, it doesn't make sense to to not speak about this. You'll see why, I hope, after we get through so how are we going to focus on the Gita? We're going to focus in two, basically two areas. Number one, we've spent a lot of time talking about the Vedic sacrifice and how it comes up through history, and how its valences are changed, how it the images surrounding it subtly morph and so on. The the Gita is a is a synthesis of that Vedic view, in a way with the view that emerged from the Upanishads, which is more of a renunciate view. We'll get into the specifics of that in a minute. But it, it actually puts those two together. And this is a kind of yoga happening, and it offers, in a sense, something new. And so it, it's a great Confluence and coagulation of significance worked out in kind of a practical way, and then placed in the context of devotion. Ultimately, second, the Gita and the sutra are the yoga sutra. Potentially, are pretty close together in history in terms of time and composition. And because the yoga sutra is really important for modern yoga, and because the Gita and the sutra share certain things and emphasize certain things, they they obviously relate to one another. We need to speak about how the Gita and the sutra interface or intersection. There's also secondarily after the yoga sutra, there's some things in the Gita that have been interpreted later on in history to be referring to Hatha Yoga. So first we're going to talk about the Gita as synthesis, and then we're going to go to its its intersection with the yoga sutra, to kind of position ourselves in relation to these main ideas. Now, if the Gita is the synthesis, it has a specific if it's a synthesis of the Vedic, what we call the Vedic way of sacrifice, and the the evolution of that in the Upanishads, which is more ascetic, more pulling back away from the world than sacrificing in order to produce benefit. It's a the Gita is a critique of both of those ways, and there are specific shlokas that refer specifically to sacrifice, which is called The Way of action, also sometimes in the Gita, and then references to the ascetic way, which is called The Way of renunciation. Here's an example of the critique of the Vedic sacrifice. This is from chapter two. This is slokas 4243 and 44 and then 46 the ignorant ones proclaim this flowery discourse, Arjuna, delighting in the letter of the Veda and saying there is nothing else, full of desires intent on heaven. They offer a rebirth as the fruit of action, and are addicted to many specific rights aimed at the goal of enjoyment and power to those, the ignorant ones, who are attached to enjoyment and power, whose thought is stolen away by this kind of talk. Resolute insight in meditation is not granted. And then 46 kind of sums it up, as much value as there is in a well when water is flooding on every side, so much is the value of the Vedas for a Brahmin, who knows, I feel like I'm going to get struck by lightning for saying that about the Veda. Give it as much saying. Tea and reverence, you know, as come with us up to this point. But this is a very important thing to see. It's not an uncommon thing to see that an ancient system of sacrifice, for instance, that that initially produced benefit turns into something else, becomes sort of automatic, or wrote loses its mojo in a certain way. The critique being offered here is something like that. But look at specifically what has happened. Krishna is critiquing the aim in a certain way, of the sacrifice, he says, full of desires, intent on heaven. They offer rebirth as the fruit of action, and are addicted to many specific rights aimed at the goal of enjoyment and power. So obviously, aimed at the goal of enjoyment and power shows that there's a problem in the way this offering is being made. It says they offer rebirth as the fruit of action. So as I understand it, when the Vedic sacrifice was being made, in general, we're still in the the place of reincarnation here. And so rebirth is just taken for granted. But it's a matter of the sacrifice becomes a matter of performing the correct actions in a certain manner so that you have a better rebirth and you don't have, for instance, what the Upanishads bring to the scene, which is the idea that we just need to get out of that cycle altogether. And so when Krishna is saying, here, they're they're looking for, they offer rebirth as the fruit of action. They're looking for a better rebirth in the next life. So there's a certain selfness in that that is unacceptable and that's lost as the goal of enjoyment and power. So to those who are attached, whose thought is stolen away by that kind of talk promises for the future, let's get the goods in a certain way. They can't get resolute insight in meditation. They can meditate, but it won't come because the mind and the heart this desire matrix that keeps running about always have to having to have something that's gratifying, enjoying that gives me more power, that's about as valuable as water, when the as well is when everything is flooding on every side. And so you see that a new way is being offered here with the critique of the Vedic sacrifice. In the last episode, we spoke about how the the Upanishad, and what it brings with the teaching on Brahman and the identity of the soul with the source, is it brings also a new way to the scene. The Gita is well aware of that way, that renunciate way, that Gnostic way of realization and seeing clearly the identity of the human soul, or the Jiva, the atman with Brahman tat tavam Asi, the Gita is well aware of that, but it sees that that could become a problem, and it's speaking here specifically about meditation or contemplative ways. This is from chapter three, slokas six, he who sits restraining his organs of action while in his mind, brooding over the senses with a deluded mind is said to be a hypocrite. So this is a sign or a signal of the way of renunciation, restraining the organs of action. And so the idea of fettering things here, because actions have consequences, is is well underway. It's obviously meditative, because sitting still and then a focus on the mind. But if the mind is brooding over the objects of the senses, then internally, another world has been created that resembles the outer and that coming to stillness, or that ceasing of action, this way of renunciation is hypocritical. So we're kind of in a a bind in a certain sense, in a broad sense, the Gita is wrestling with the relationship between these two paths. We have this Vedic path that we'll call the path of return, or the path of action, in which one engages in the sacrifices to obtain a surplus of good karma and ensure a better birth in the next life. So this is positive action on my own behalf. Then come along the Upanishad, we'll call this the path of release, or the path of renunciation. All action or Karma leads to attachment, that leads to suffering, and that leads to rebirth, and then the worst part, that leads to Red Death again. Wendy donninger says that it's not rebirth that people mind so much. It's this continual redeath. This is long, slow moving toward death, if indeed it lasts, you know, a long time, or whatever else, the Upanishad is trying to offer, a release right from that through the realization of the identity of the Atman and Brahman. Here's what Doniger says specifically about these two ways, the Vedic and the Upanishadic, the way of action, the way of renunciation. These two tracks, one for people who want to get off the wheel of redeath, and one for those who don't want to get off the wheel of rebirth, continue as options for South Asians, even to this day. So the Gita is wrestling with this, and it's going to put it together, put the two together, evolve them, bring them forward, and, in a way, Crown them. Now, how does it resolve these two how does the Gita put these two paths together and crown them? It has to do with action. So much of the teaching in the Gita is about the nature of action. Is the way of knowledge better, or is the way of action better? What's right action, what's non action, what's wrong action. Ultimately, it says to be is to act that no one can avoid acting. And that's a profound realization, because it shows you that when you think you're not acting, there's going to be consequences to that, and when you're obviously acting, there's going to be consequences for that. And so it it puts it all together, and it says, ultimately, all sacrifices composed of action. But this can't be imitative. This action can be imitative of the past, in a sense, because of new ways being offered. So sometimes that's called wisdom in action, nice karma, Karman, action and renunciation can exist in a relationship of creative complementarity, but we don't have to forsake the world. That means, become a renunciate and pull back, and we don't have to be absorbed completely into the world. We can keep our responsibilities, even in this case, and remember, this is a story about a war, even if our responsibilities oblige us to go into battle, so we don't have to pull back from the world or be totally absorbed in it, we can even go into battle between those two possibilities. Renunciation of action is a good in itself that's has a lot to do with what yoga is traditionally conceived of. You know, being a renunciate, but the Gita offers something a little bit different. Renunciation in action. This is the ideal of actionless action, what it means to be wise in action. Nice karma. Karma, as I said, Krishna, is the exemplar of what it means to act that way. And in chapter three, shlokas 22 to 25 we get that. Here's what it says For me, oh Arjuna, there is nothing whatever to be done in the three worlds, nor is there anything not attained. To be attained. Nevertheless I engage in action. Indeed, if I unwearied, should not engage in action at all mankind would follow my Path everywhere. If I did not perform action, these worlds would perish, and I would be the cause of confusion, I would destroy these creatures, while those who are unwise act from attachment to action, so the wise should act without attachment, intending to maintain the welfare of the world. So I. The right relationship between the human layer of action and the divine layer of action is for a certain mimesis to be going on between them. And in this case, Arjuna needs to take the action of starting the war. So he's having to learn about what right action is and how to relate to an action, even if it is one is as devastating as this. So because the divine engages in action, we also engage in action, but the wise act from a space of non attachment and they intend to maintain the welfare of the world. So the specifics in that teaching, they mean that if we're going to value the world, and we're going to act on our own behalf, and we're going to also embody the wisdom of renunciation. At the same time, we're supposed to behave like these wise ones. So that means stuff like decentralizing naked egoic concerns, proceeding, quote, unselfishly with non attachment to the results, what the Gita calls the fruits of action. The Gita gives a warning about what it means to not do this or to act unwisely. It says the world and its inhabitants are ensnared in a repetitive, karmic cycle of ignorance. That's chapter three, sloka nine. And so unwise action equals ensnarement. It equals unfinished business, things that create cycles and edit eddies repetitive things, even if they repeat over long periods of time. That's because of attachment to the result, trying to control the way that it turns out, or we're just bound up too much, not able to give enough, for instance, affection and attention to the to the process itself, to generate gratefulness as as it unfolds, and somehow, instead we focus on the fruit how it's going to be. We have to understand that we don't know how it's going to be, even when we take the right action. So that's the wise part that's seeing and being able to be non attached to the fruits, remember, there is a part about maintaining the welfare of the world that being something of the motivation of this kind of action. Why do I do what I do to maintain the welfare of this world, to uphold or to be a support, right in a certain way. I think nice karmia Karman is refers to a set of pillars about action in the world. So that idea of becoming a support in a certain sense, rather than something that has to be fed power and enjoyment, is a deep part of this moral flavor that the action has so wise action has to also be morally sound and justifiable. This should become this, this way, this feeling, this giving action this flavor, is really the foundation for practice. Okay, so you can think subjective clarity. That means I've surrendered attachment to outcomes and objective rationality in the sense that it emerges. This action emerges from a universal moral ground, that is, it is a good imitation of the action of the Divine. So let's give a summary. The Mahabharata is the great epic of India. India is still called Bharata. So this is a deep piece of the national consciousness, the identity of who Hindus believe. They are many. And the Gita is the central chapter, and this is a story of a war. It's a key text for understanding how the meanings that we associate with yoga today sort of emerged and were used where. They came from. It's it's so key it it teaches several yogas. The Gita is also a synthesis of the two great past that have kind of preceded it. One is the way of action, or the Vedic way. And one is the way of renunciation, the way of the ascetic in the Upanishad, where realization means getting out of the cycle of birth and death. I wanted to leave you with something that is quoted endlessly in so many different contexts. I have seen this basic quotation. It's from chapter two. It's sloka 17. It's quoted so much because it's kind of an ultimate truth, or it's the object of a certain level of realization about what is valuable and so forth. Chapter Two, slocus 17, of the non existent. There is no coming to be of the existent. There is no ceasing to be. The conclusion about these two has been perceived by the seers of truth. So if, if I translate that just a little bit into one of the best or one that I remember the most is that which is real cannot be destroyed. That which is unreal never really existed, or only appeared to exist. This is a statement about the nature of the self, that the the soul cannot be. It says, pierced by a a spear. It cannot be burned by fire. It cannot be made wet by water. It cannot be dried by wind. This is a deep teaching that is given to Arjuna about the the nature of what he actually is, and it it points him, his consciousness, in the right direction that picks up the pattern in the Upanishad right about the nature of the the importance of the realization of the Self, and places that realization in the context of a situation that demands, you know A heroic action. And so action in the world becomes based on this realization of the Self. I've also found that quotation at times to be incredibly comforting. What is real cannot be destroyed. What is unreal never existed, maybe it seemed to so we hope you find some of this interesting. Thank you so much for listening. God bless you, and we'll see you next time.