Bhagavad-Gita: Discourses 13 through 18 (finish) - Article Example

Dis s thirteen through eighteen Dis s thirteen through eighteen In the Bhagavad-Gita, dis s thirteen through eighteen are the simplest discourses for me to comprehend. I realized that these discourses are thought provoking, which made me develop strong feeling towards them. Further, I understood that these discourses are educative. Krishna reveals the human personality to Arjuna in the thirteenth discourse describing to him that the human body is like a field while the human soul is the knower of the body or field.

Krishna further asserts that all the qualities and modifications in an individual are triggered by nature, and therefore, it only occurs during birth. Other transformations that occur on the body or in the field occur after a person has been born. In the fourteenth discourse, Krishna describes the three Gunas. He argues that there exist three gunas, which include Tamas, Raja, and Sattwa. Among these gunas, Krishna explains that Tamas is the most evil since it is filled with acts of ignorance and is bound by acts of indolence and sleep.

Krishna considers Sattwa as the holiest and the highest quality among the three gunas since it is stainless and bound by happiness, wisdom, and knowledge. He states that Sattwa brings illumination, wisdom, and happiness. Raja is associated with greed. It is the main cause of pain, suffering, and sorrow. Raja emerges from the nature of enthusiasm and bound by attachment of actions. After reading the fifteenth discourse, I realized that Krishna was trying to promote and praise himself. I learned that Krishna was explaining to Arjuna that the Lord or Supreme Being is powerful and the only source of life.

Although, I failed to comprehend what Krishna was saying about the allegory. In the sixteenth discourse, Krishna explains to Arjuna that there exist two types of people born in the world-the holiest or divine and the unholy (demoniac). Holy or divine individual are able to overcome the ways that leads to hell such as passion, greed and anger. The unholy or demoniac do not believe in the existence of creator of the universe. Such people argue that they know everything by themselves. These kinds of people are inhabited by Tamas quality.

By reading the seventeenth discourse, I was able to learn and comprehend how people behave, act and how their actions and behaviors rely on Raja, Tamas and Sattwa. An individual who depend on Sattwa will do everything for the service of the Lord. Sattwic practices are conducted with trust, with no desire for a reward. A person who relies on Raja will carry out activities that do not aim for Lord’s services while a person who depends on Tamas quality will act foolishly with greed and anger to ensure that other people do not prosper.

Krishna explained to Arjuna that Sattwic practices should be done in a suitable location and time with no need for reward and rajasic practice is conducted with the wish for reward. However, if an individual made a gift with anger, greed, insult and with no respect, Tamas quality is practiced. In the eighteenth discourse, Krishna summarizes the entire message in the Bhagavad-Gita by stating that human beings should be conscious with what they do because they do things with one motive, which is to get God’s mercy and grace, and to achieve eternal life.

ReferenceMiller, S. (1986). The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna’s counsel in time of war. Boston: Bantam Classics.