VIOLENCE AND
GITA
DR.
SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR The use of the word “UDDHA” i.e. war has lead to many misconceptions about Gita. One of them is that; She advocates violence. It is because of our intellectual, conceptual and emotional bankruptcy that we are unable to understand the meaning of “death” is forgetting one’s self; and any activity in personal and social life conducive to such forgetting of one’s true self, is violence and ADHARMA.
The word “PRANASHYATI” is used in 6th chapter, 9th chapter and also 18th chapter to clearly indicate that forgetting one’s self is death. True violence is intellectual, emotional, instinctual and physical action conducive to forgetting oneself, (which involves “forgetting” one’s father, mother, brother, sister, teacher, friend, society and so on. This; as every one knows is associated with overtly mean, individualistic and ungrateful behavior which is violence! Gita asks us to remember and focus on our true self so that our behavior remains oriented to self realization. This is called YOGA in Gita and is called ANUSANDHAN in other spiritual parlance.
This focusing and remaining oriented is not easy. There are many detractors within and outside forcing oneself and the others to forget the true self (violence and ADHARMA), which come in the way of self realization; and consequent socially beneficial behavior! Gita advocates participating in the war against such violence and ADHARMA. Namasmaran reorients us to our true selves and empowers us to fulfill our role in any given situation in an accurate and satisfactory manner i.e. to defeat violence and ADHARMA and promote DHARMA. This is called DHARMYA YUDDHA (not DHARMA UDDHA) in Gita. This reorientation, focus and bond with the true self is called YOGA in Gita and ANUSNDHAN in other spiritual parlance as mentioned earlier,
and which is what teaches and guides us to realize!