The Invention of Gita

There is no denying that Gita has been an important text for all of us. But why was Gita even made in the first place? What led to the creation of Gita? Let us scope through the backstory of the whole creation of the holy text.

Krishna assisting the cousins; Source: Dailyo

When the scenario became non-negotiable and the war was the most likely outcome, both the Kaurava and Pandava cousins decided to approach Krishna for assistance. Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas, came first. He found Krishna asleep, and so decided to sit beside him and wait. Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, soon followed. However, he sat near Krishna’s feet. When Krishna opened his eyes, he first saw Arjuna and decided to help him. But Duryodhana insisted that he should be receiving assistance as he was the first one to approach. Krishna couldn’t reject either of the ideas. Duryodhana arrived first, but Arjuna was seen first. Krishna decided to give them options to choose from. One of them can have his army, all skilled Yadava warriors, the other can have him, but Krishna won’t fight in the war.

Arjuna was asked to pick first as it was their principle that the the younger one gets to choose first. Without taking any time, Arjuna chose Krishna to assist him. Hearing this, Duryodhana was filled with glee. He felt that the war is completely in their favour, as an already vast army grew bigger and stronger by the addition of the Yadava warriors. Arjuna didn’t have a pinch of doubt in his decision. He knew that he took the right decision by choosing

Krishna. As it turned out, having Krishna

alongside was extremely crucial for their victory.

To divert a bit from the story, this whole

set of events has a lot of lessons inscribed. First, the son of Pandu, sitting at the Lord’s feet, shows his humility. Meanwhile, Duryodhana, sitting near the Lord’s head, suggested hubris. Second, Duryodhana was tempted by the army provided, which made him believe his victory was assured, whereas Arjuna chose Krishna and the path of Dharma and glory.’ He knew that Krishna had all these values embedded in him and that would help them in the war. It also reflects Arjuna’s mindset as he opted

for strong values. Thirdly, Arjuna chose Krishna as he knew that his intelligence and cunningness would be important. Although he didn’t underestimate the importance of brute force and strength, he strongly believed that the strategic and cunning mindset, would be the winning factor in a war scenario.

To explore a little deeper into the second and third

lesson………..how did the cunningness and the concept of dharma got registered? How did an unarmed Krishna help the Pandavas? The answer is the mind and intelligence. Though the Kauravas looked bigger and stronger, the Pandavas had the greatest weapon of all. This weapon was called the Bhagavad Gita. The whole concept of Gita was something that didn’t just become crucial in the time of war, but it had more than enough values to lead a meaningful life till the last breath. At a time

when Arjuna was mentally unhappy about

the war, Krishna came up as a trustworthy friend and a guide. When Arjuna was absorbed with self-doubt, Krishna alone could have and indeed persuaded him. This took the shape of Gita and we all are blessed today only because of Arjuna’s wise choice.