Did you ever think Bhagavad Gita is true or false? Did these teachings actually come from Lord Krishna to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra battle or did the Bhagavad Gita merely exist as a philosophical work written by someone many thousands of years ago?
These are very common questions, particularly from children and youths who need to have the answers explained logically before accepting spiritual knowledge.
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered spiritual books of the world. It is depicted as a dialogue between Lord Krishna and His devotee Arjuna in the Mahabharata War. But is Bhagavad Gita real? To comprehend this, we will dip into its scriptural roots, historical context, and its teachings as outlined by Vedic wisdom.
1. What Is the Bhagavad Gita?
Bhagavad Gita (“The Song of God”) is a sacred spiritual text that contains 700 verses. It is listed in Bhishma Parva of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata.
It is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna before the great battle of Kurukshetra.
When Arjuna sees his family, teachers and friends in the other camp, he becomes disturbed and confused. He doesn’t want to wrestle with them.
Here, Lord Krishna imparts to him spiritual knowledge concerning the soul, the works or actions and duty, the yoga system, devotion and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Bhagavad Gita is not just a religious book. It gives an answer to the question why we are here and what we are here for, and what our relationship with God is.
2. Is Bhagavad Gita Reality or a myth?
The Vedic scriptures and the Vaishnava tradition state that the Bhagvad Gita is truly a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna.
This spiritual knowledge is not new, Krishna Himself tells us in the Bhagavad Gita.
In Bhagavad Gita 4.1, Krishna tells Arjuna that this never-ending science of yoga was taught to him by the sun god, Vivasvan. Then it was given to Manu by Vivasvan and Manu gave it to King Ikshvaku.
Thus we see that the Gita’s teachings antedate Krishna, in this instance, by a considerable period of time according to the Gita’s own history.
In Bhagavad Gita 4.2 Krishnabhagvadra states that this knowledge was passed down through a chain of disciples called parampara. That succession was broken over time and Krishna repeated the same ancient knowledge to Arjuna.
In the Vedic view, the Bhagvadh Gita is not a made-up philosophical text but a timeless knowledge imparted by the Supreme Lord.
3. Was Bhagavadgītā actually spoken by Lord Krishna?
In order to understand the authenticity of the Bhagavad Gita, it’s important to understand who Krishna is in the Vedic literature.
Lord Krishna is understood to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin of all the avatars in the Vaishnava tradition.
The Bhagavad Gita covers the entire expanse of Krishna’s divinity. In Chapter 4, Verse 7, He says:
When people in the world turn less religious, O descendant of Bharata, and more predominant irreligious, then I descend Myself.
This verse tells us that the Supreme Lord is incarnated in the material world to re-establish religious principles and lead living beings.
Srila Prabhupada discusses Krishna and His non-material existence. He is present here, but His essence and activity transcends the world.
The traditional story is that Krishna gave the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna because he was Krishna’s devotee and friend.
4. Is Mahabharata Real? Understanding the Historical Background
The Bhagavad Gita forms a part of the Mahabharata, and so does it help to have an understanding of Mahabharata’s historical background.
The Mahabharata is a narration of the clash between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, both of the Kuru family. Finally, their enmity results in the ‘Great War’ at Kurukshetra.
The famous Kurukshetra is a true geographical place in Haryana state of India. It is the traditional epic of the Mahabharata war and is also a pilgrimage site.
Archaeological studies have been carried out on ancient settlements related to Mahabharata tradition also but Hastinapura is not among them.
But all the events, characters and dates found in the epic have yet to be determined through archaeology. Numerous interpretations and chronologies have been offered by different scholars.
The Mahabharata is believed by followers of the Vedic tradition to be a traditional account of historical events, called “Itihasa”.
It is crucial to separate what scriptures record, what archaeology indicates and what modern historical techniques can prove independently.
5. What Bhagavad Gita has to say about Srila Prabhupada?
Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), spoke of the necessity of interpreting the Bhagavad Gita as it is, not by adding or subtracting from Krishna’s words.
The teachings are explained in his translation and commentary, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, from the disciplic succession’s point of view.
One of the most fundamental teachings he gives us is: “We are not these bodies of flesh. We are eternal souls in spirit.
In Bhagavad Gita 13.2, Krishna tells Arjuna that just as the embodied soul changes to take on the form, body, or child of childhood, youth and old age, so does it pass to another form of body at death.
This understanding alters our perceptions of life. Rather than feeling like a body, an appearance, a profession, a social standing, we realize we are a spiritual person.
The Bhagavad Gita’s primary goal is to bring our lost connection to Krishna through devotion, or bhakti-yoga, back into our lives, as Srila Prabhupada explained.
6. What is the relevance of Bhagavad Gita in today’s life?
The Bhagavad Gita remains relevant to human life, leading them in handling the challenges of life after thousands of years.
Think of the student who has no idea as to what is going to happen in their future, the individual with anxiety or the individual who cannot determine what is right.
It was a similar situation with Arjuna. He wasn’t sure about his responsibility and didn’t know what to do.
It wasn’t just Krishna saying, “Leave your duties.Krishna did not just say to him, “leave your duties. Instead, He imparted Arjuna with spiritual knowledge and how to carry out his duties with a correct mind.
The Bhagavadgītā says:
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- Self-realization: To realize that you are not a body but an eternal soul.
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- Karma-yoga: Action with detachment from the fruits of action.
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- Mind control: Train your mind, don’t let it train you.
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- Bhakti-yoga: Cultivate the love for the Supreme Lord in devotional service.
These teachings are not for a specific age group. They can assist students, professionals, families and anyone looking for a meaningful life.
7. Here are some common questions and answers regarding the Bhagavad Gita.
In the name of the Lord, is Bhagvad Gita real or fake?
The Vedic scriptures and Vaishnava view point to the fact that the Bhagavad Gita is a true dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. Modem historical study is not able to support an independent dating of its entire historical chronology.
The existence of Lord Krishna is questioned.
The Vedic scriptures speak of Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead who came to this world. His life time is known from scriptural testimony and religious tradition, but not all details of His life can be substantiated by historical evidence.
Does Mahabharata actually happen in History?
Itihasa’ is generally accepted as the Mahabharata in the Vedic literature. It continues to be the subject of archaeological and historical research and is still the subject of debate regarding the chronology and details.
Who was the author of Bhagavad Gita?
The Bhagavad Gita tells us that Lord Krishna gave this spiritual knowledge to Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
So, is Bhagavadgītā real?
The question “Is Bhagavad Gita Real?” leads us beyond history, deeper into our spiritual identity.
In the view of Vedic scriptures and Krishna Consciousness, the Bhagavad Gita is the never-ending spiritual knowledge that Krishna, the Supreme Personality of God, spoke. There is another facet to the research – the historical and archaeological one, not all elements of the traditional story have been independently substantiated.
However, the real significance of the Bhagavad Gīta is in its teachings. It calls us to realize who we are, why we are here and what our relationship to God is.
Do not condemn this ancient wisdom without reading it; take some time to read the Bhagavad Gita and understand Krishna’s original message.
We have to read the Bhagavad Gita through the disciplic order, and accept it as is, as Srila Prabhupada explained.
Hare Krishna!
