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The voice of conscience
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Taking Arjuna’s side
The topic before them was whether dharma must be followed when it conflicts with one's moral sense of right and wrong. Krishna, however, argues that dharmic justice must be served at all costs. He pontificates that the loss of present life is of no concern on the cosmic scene since we are all reborn.
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Krishna reveals His larger divine forms to Arjuna to explain that all objects and beings emanate from and demise into His infinite cosmic self. He presents a nihilistic view that life means suffering and suggests that rejecting dharma risks a lower rebirth and greater suffering.
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Krishna reveals two methods to connect (yoga) with the true and infinite divine and thereby escape the cycle of rebirths and suffering forever. One is through meditation and transcendental knowledge (Raja-Jnana yoga) acquired under the guidance of enlightened gurus; but the one recommended for the common man, and also to Arjuna, is to do one's duty (following dharma) with detachment toward outcomes and worship Krishna with complete devotion (Karma-Bhakti yoga).
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Arjuna also wonders that if moksha is possible through transcendental wisdom, then why engage in a calamitous war. However, Krishna emphasizes that the dharma of a great warrior such as Arjuna is to set an example for the world, and if he doesn't do that, he will be mocked by everyone as a coward—and such ignominy would be worse than death.
Modern interpretation of old wisdom
For the layman, the core message of the Gita is often summarized as "Do your duty without expectation of reward." The second important message is that ultimate happiness comes from stoic detachment from material desires and the dualities of pleasure and pain, success and failure. This is a modern-sounding message. One way to happiness is to lower your expectations.
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However, modern concepts of duty (in terms of right and wrong) differ significantly from the principles of dharma and adharma. For instance, most princes fighting alongside the wicked Duryodhana were aware of his adharma (injustice), yet fought for him due to family ties and sworn oath loyalties. Meanwhile, foot soldiers fought and died without any say in choosing their side. Among all warriors, Arjuna alone questioned the wisdom of following dharma to the point of complete destruction.
Similarly, when the Gita discusses karma performed with complete detachment, it specifically refers to prescribed duties within the varna (caste) system. It elaborates on the inherent qualities of the Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra (Ch. 18, V. 41–44). While it doesn't explicitly forbid crossing caste boundaries, it strongly discourages it (Ch. 3, V. 35 and Ch.18, V. 47), warning Arjuna that:
"It is better to perform one’s own duty (svadharma) imperfectly than to perform another’s duty perfectly. By performing the duties prescribed by one’s own nature, one does not incur sin.”
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Dharma & conscience
Making moral choices between right and wrong (dharma-sankat) requires freedom of conscience. If dharma allowed the foot soldiers and princes the freedom to choose, they could have deposed Duryodhana with far less bloodshed. However, this option wasn't available—they were bound by the higher law of dharma to fight and die for their respective sides, even if they were wrong.
The ensuing war and destruction demonstrate that following abstract principles over practical wisdom leads to severe consequences—which is good for an epic story, not for reality. Also, the Mahabharata does not end on a happy note for Arjuna, as he fails to attain moksha despite receiving dharmic wisdom firsthand, engaging in destructive war as advised, and witnessing Krishna's cosmic forms with mortal eyes.
Gita—the Indian “bible”
Unlike other popular stories from the Mahabharata, the Gita was relatively unknown until the British began searching for the "Indian bible" (a text where God speaks directly to man).
Lord Warren Hastings (Governor General of Bengal), the East India Company, and the Asiatic Society of Bengal—founded by Sir William Jones in 1784—were instrumental in pioneering Indian research and scholarship. They sparked interest in Sanskrit studies across Europe and introduced Indian philosophical texts to Western intellectuals. The Gita first reached Western audiences through Charles Wilkins's English translation in 1785, followed by Edwin Arnold's 1885 "The Song Celestial."
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Due to its international popularity, Indian nationalists who first encountered the Gita through English translations—including Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, and Lokmanya Tilak—acclaimed it as India's primary philosophical text. Ambedkarites grumbled about its casteist inclination.
Within India itself, the Gita's widespread recognition came later, when organizations like Gita Press began publishing numerous affordable editions, making it accessible to the average Indian.
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Modern problems of cultism & narcissism
The concepts of Jnana and Bhakti yoga have led to a proliferation of semi-literate cult leaders in India who claim mystical enlightenment through archaic texts, meditation, or devotional practices—drawing millions of followers. Since public education in modern philosophy is virtually absent in India, many people mistake grandiose but meaningless word salads for profound wisdom.
Many bright people, frustrated after years of pursuing competitive exams and degrees in fields they were not interested in, start new careers in Indian mysticism to feed their own narcissism, ultimately gathering cult followers of their own on social media.
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