My Gita

by Devdutt Pattanaik

The Gita we overhear is essentially that which is narrated by a man with no authority but infinite sight (Sanjaya) to a man with no sight but full authority (Dhritarashtra).

The monastic approach willy-nilly appeals to the modern individualist, who also seeks self-exploration, self-examination, self-actualization and, of course, selfies.

To empathize is dharma.

The word brahmana has two roots: expansion (brah) and mind (manas). In the Rig Veda—depending on usage—it refers to language, the power of language to expand the mind, and the expanded mind. The student was referred to as a brahmachari, one who was expected to behave such that his mind expanded. Later, it came to refer to ritual manuals (brahmana texts), and eventually to keepers of these texts (the brahmana caste, more popularly known as Brahmins). Even later, it became a character in the Puranas, Brahma, the creator of the world, who is so consumed by his creation that he forgets his own identity and becomes unworthy of worship.

Krishna knows that in a world without boundaries, there will always be another chance, and then another.