Gita Counselling: Supreme Healer’s Public Therapy

 

Gita Counselling:
Supreme Healer’s Public Therapy

Gita: Meaning

Gita generally refers to the Bhagavadgītā. However, Gita is a generic name ‘for certain sacred writings in verse, often in the form of a dialogue and devoted to the exposition of particular religious and theosophical doctrines; e.g. शिवगीता, रामगीता, भगवद्गीता’ (V.S. Apte).

Bhagavad Gita appears in the Bhishma Parva, the Sixth Book of the Mahabharata. There are 24 other Gitas in the Mahabharata including the Anu Gita (Ashvamedha Parva) where Arjuna prays to Sri Krishna for a reiteration of Bhagavad Gita. I have  forgotten your teachings, he submits; Krishna chides him for being so neglectful and forgetful, and says, listen once more, be attentive; but I won’t reiterate with comprehensive details as earlier.

The Gita sermon- transcendental knowledge of Yoga, ancient and mysterious- was first taught by Sri Bhagavan to Vivaswan (the Sun god) who taught it to Manu, the father of mankind, who taught it to King Ikshvaku; and thus, the wisdom was transmitted down the ages through the revered Guru-shishya Parampara. However, in course of time, this supreme knowledge was lost (4.1 & 4.2). Sri Krishna delivered the sermon twice to Arjuna- once prior to the commencement of the Mahabharata war, and again as Anu Gita.  

There are many other Gitas in the Ramayana, the Puranas, with some Gitas existing as independent texts.

Gita Upanishad

Though not one of the ten principal Upanishads, Gita is called an Upanishad since it is structured as one. Upanishad means ‘sitting down near’ referring to the shishya seated at the feet of his Guru. Upanishads are in Q & A format with the shishya asking questions and the Guru leading him to understanding.  

Arjuna, the shishya would ask questions; Sri Krishna, the Guru, would explain with patience, empathy, and compassion, and remove Arjuna’s confusion and doubts. Notably, Krishna addresses Arjuna as sakha (friend), and bhakta (devotee), extending and expanding the Guru-shishya relationship.

(Source: Wikimedia Commons- Sri Krishna preaching Gita Upadesh to Arjun - Unknown, Miniature Painting, Kashmir School - Google Cultural Institute- Date-1875-1900)

Who says What?

Gita is structured as reportage by Sanjay for Dhritarastra’s benefit. Sanjay was granted Divya Drishti – virtual audio-visual access to the battlefield – to give a blow-by-blow account to Dhritarastra whose blindness was physical as well as moral.

Gita is essentially Shrikrishna’s sermon, with 574  of the 700 shlokas delivered by Krishna. Arjuna has 85 shlokas of which the most are in C-11 (33), and C-1 (21); in the remaining, he asks a few questions responding to which Srikrishna expounds on different aspects of the mysterious and sacred Yoga, guiding Arjuna and other humans to navigate the turbulent seas of life.  Sanjay’s role is not insignificant; he has 40 shlokas; and  Dhritarastra has only one, the opening shloka.

Gita Therapy

Bhagavad Gita is much more than a religious sermon, and may be appreciated as psychological counselling- the world’s first therapeutic session; administered in an emergency to a valiant warrior who had suffered an unforeseen nervous breakdown; open-air, public therapy viewed by millions of warriors; and completed in a single session with guaranteed healing!

With no couch available, Arjuna sat down on the floor of his ratha. He was confused, torn with doubts about the right course of action for him, sad, dejected, depressed, and declared his resolve not to fight. Tormented by moral dilemmas, I surrender myself to you, please instruct me, he prayed.

A significant departure from the typical Upanishadic setting of Guru-shishya dialogue in Q & A mode. Kurukshetra was a battlefield where rivers of blood would soon flow, no hermitage with a relaxed ambience conducive to teaching-learning. Krishna was no rishi or a regular Guru in his ashram; he was very much a man of the world, a master strategist, and an invaluable ally, Arjuna’s relative (cousin), and a friend (sakha). But Arjuna had surrendered as a devotee and sought his guidance as Guru. At that point, Arjuna was unaware that Krishna was the Supreme One; Krishna would reveal his identity later during the session, and upon Arjuna’s prayer display his Vishwaroopa.

How did the session proceed? Arjuna had suffered a massive, crippling anxiety-attack, and was psychologically and physically not in a position to engage in war, not to speak of leading the Pandava army to victory. The 18 Chapters constitute 18 modules or phases of counselling- proceeding from basic to complex and intense. Chapter-2 is designed as a potent, effective dose to help Arjuna unlearn and discard fallacious assumptions, comprehend the ancient, mysterious knowledge imparted by Krishna, and act upon it.

Arjuna enumerates his anxieties and submits most of his queries in Chapters 1 & 2, but continues to seek clarifications till the very end, and the session concludes only when he declares that his confusions and delusions have been cleared by the competent counselling.

Therapy comprised audio lessons backed up with never-before-seen visual illustration- Vishwaroopa. Sanjay narrated full details of the session to Dhritarastra, and Veda Vyasa transcribed it for others to benefit from the wise counsel of Sri Bhagavan.

No medication was required; the problem was psychological; the counselling was healing- it cleared the cobwebs of anxiety and confusion; and the healing came from within Arjuna who steadied his mind.

Gita’s universal appeal is owing to its secular counselling, not limited to believers and practitioners of Sanatan Dharma; it transcends all religions, is relevant to humanity, and speaks meaningfully to the modern readers, too.

Memorable Similes*

Gita makes dexterous use of alankara, a poetic tool in Sanskrit literature. It has numerous profound upamas (similes and metaphors) to convey deep philosophical truths with simplicity and brevity. These similes often draw from nature, daily life, and spiritual metaphors, offering vivid imagery to explain abstract concepts.  

Here are a few examples:

A thousand suns arising simultaneously! A what-if scenario that defies imagination. How would that look like; are human eyes capable of handling such dazzling, blinding radiance? Surely not. But Sanjay having been granted divyadrishti could describe the divine radiance of the Supreme One in Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita.

If the splendour of a thousand Suns was to blaze all at once (simultaneously) in the sky, that would be like the splendour of that Mighty Being (great soul). (11.12**)

Grieve not, tells Sri Krishna to Arjuna, for Death is not a terminal event, but a mere transition. Just as humans discard old, worn-out clothes and adorn new garments; the soul abandons the old, decaying body, and acquires a new body. Why worry about what is inevitable; for those born will die, and those who die will be reborn?

Just as a man casts off his worn out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied-Self casts off its worn out bodies and enters others which are new. (2.22)

When, like the tortoise which withdraws its limbs from all sides, he withdraws his senses from the sense-objects then his Wisdom becomes steady. (2.58)

For, the mind, which follows in the wake of the wandering senses, carries away his discrimination, as the wind carries away a boat on the waters.(2.67)

He attains Peace into whom all desires enter as waters enter the ocean, which, filled from all sides, remains unmoved; but not the desirer of desires.(2.70)

As a lamp placed in a windless place does not flicker — is a simile used to describe the YOGI of controlled-mind practising YOGA of the Self (or absorbed in th e YOGA -of-the-Self). (6.19)

Song of God: Philosophy through Poetry

The Bhagavad Gita is of enduring appeal, not for Hindus alone. Of course, it is an important scriptural document; but it is much more than that. It is an eloquent song, where the distilled wisdom of the Vedas and Upanishads is woven into exquisite poetry, and composed in anustubh chanda for lyrical chanting. Philosophy made easy through poetry and song! Gita is thus eulogised in Gita Mahatmya:

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपाल नन्दनः ।

पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥

All the Upanishads are the cows, Krishna the milkman, Arjuna the calf, and the discerning, diligent readers the partakers of this nectar.

Why are non-Hindus and non-religious persons also fascinated by Gita? Maybe, because Sri Krishna’s counsel includes many secular recommendations for a meaningful, balanced life; relevant to all humanity regardless of religion.

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*Source for text in italics under this section is shlokam.org

** Verse Reference: Chapter-11 ,Verse-12.

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1.   Bhagavad-Gita As It Is: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

2.   Sanskrit Documents.org

3.   Shlokam.org

4.   Sacred Songs: The Mahabharata’s Many Gitas (Rupa, 2023)– Bibek Debroy

5.   You Tube

6.   ChatGPT, CoPilot, and Gemini