Shrimad Bhagavad Gita would be an ideal text for PhD students in clinical psychology. Arjuna, the greatest hero, momentarily becomes so despondent that he wants to lay his ghandiva down and refuses to fight. Krishna, his charioteer, makes a quick diagnosis of Arjuna’s mental state as classical reactive depression coupled with severe anxiety neurosis and starts his psychotherapy session so effectively through this great classic, Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.
The Gita, which was penned by Vyasa, the old sage, in words in the Mahabharata, has remained an all-time classic. Even the West, from where most of our intellectuals get their inspiration from, has recognised the Gita as an all-time great. American author Stephen Covey, in his books, reiterates the same principles without reference to the original source.
Arjuna has all the features of anxiety: state-dry mouth, palpitation, sweating, trembling of legs, fear, clouded mind, etc. Krishna’s diagnosis was dead right. The best treatment for that is good psychotherapy and Lord Krishna does a good job. He reminds Arjuna that it is his duty to fight as a warrior; he will be letting his brother down if he now declines to fight (anaarya, akeertipara, aswargiyam, etc.). Krishna tells him to have detached attachment in life.
He asks him why he refuses to fight and kill his relatives while he enjoys the same when it comes to others? That is due to moha (attachment) which must be won over; Krishna also reminds Arjuna that he is not killing them. They are already dead.
He is only an excuse for their death (nimitta maatram); I am yet to find a better textbook of psychotherapy than Gita in medical literature. It also teaches us that life is a struggle with ups and downs like the waves in the sea which one has to survive to live, but it says that if you want to realise God you have to win over your ego! Strange as it might look it is simple daily philosophy for life itself. Today’s doctors would have given Arjuna a tranquiliser and put him to bed. Krishna practised futuristic medicine of making the irrational mind see reason and work properly (psychotherapy).
If one dispassionately studies the Gita one finds answers to many of our esoteric questions for which western science has no answers. This is especially true of death and related subjects. The Gita also gives us a living philosophy for happiness of mind and peace. Detached attachment is a wonderful formula to avoid shoka (sorrow) in life and to move on.
Prof. B M Hegde
Email: hegdebm@gmail.com