top of page
Search
Writer's pictureShantanu Panigrahi

Evidence of Gita contradicting itself



The Gita says in Chapter 10, verse 20: ‘I am the supersoul seated in the Hearts of all living entities, I am the begining , the middle and the end of all beings’. Then in Chapter 12 verses 15, 16 and 17 Krishna says: ‘He for whom no one is put into dificulty and who is disturbed by no one, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, in fear and anxiety, is very dear to me.’; ‘My devotee who is not dependant on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert without cares free from all pains and not striving for some result, is very dear to me’; ‘One who neither rejoices nor greives, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and in auspicious things, such a devotee is very dear to me’.


Thus Chapter 12, verses 15, 16 and 17 gives the attributes of the person who is dear to Sri Krishna; that means the rest of the people who do not conform to these conditions are not loved by Him to the same extent. It would therefore appear that He may be seated in every living entity as Paramatma but that does not mean that they are all equally favoured by Him. In a later chapter Gita also gives the impression that Sri Krishna is scathying of atheists? Gita in C 16.6 says ‘In this world there are two kinds of creation of beings: the divine and the demoniacal (asurah)’. C 16.7: In C 16.8 this is explained: ‘They say that the world is unreal, it has no basis, it is without a God. In C 16.9, it further says these people who are of depraved characters, poor intellect, given to fearful actions and harmful, wax strong for the ruin of the world.’ See also 16.10. 16.8: Resorting to egotism, power, arrogance, passion and anger, hating Me in their own and others bodies they become envious by nature’. C 16.19: ‘ I cast for ever those hateful, cruel evil doers in the worlds, the vilest of human beings, verily into the demoniacal classes.


However, Gita in Chapter 9, verse 29 says: ‘I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone, I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto me with devotion is a friend, is in me, and I am also a friend to him.’ How can these conflicting views be reconciled? It is clear to me that both these positions cannot be sustained. Either Sri Krishna treats all beings equally or some are more dear to him with others being the subject of his scorn. Gita is therefore contradicting itself and is therefore not the perfect bit of smriti scripture that should be adopted as a holy book.


It is further noteworthy that on the one hand the world is divided into the three gunas according to Gita (Chapter 4 verse 13) but here we see that there are only two kinds of creation, the divine and the demoniacal. Chapter 16 does not make sense to me.

Ratikala at Religious forums protests: Gita cannot contradict itself, the only possible problem is with our inability to comprehend. If we surrender to the Lord, as he says, ‘I will carry what you lack ‘; so if we want to understand we need to surrender. To this I say surrender is not devotion, but arises from fear. The important thing is to seek the truth. That is Om. And when one does that even Gita is not sacrosanct. He cannot demand surrender. It must be self-considered devotion, that is to say, bhakti to truth alone. Then if He comes as a friend that is fine. Truth alone is sacrosanct.

God has to be perfect. He must treat all his beings equally without taking sides. But of course He must favour those who seek the truth as a friend, if the truth is that God is the ultimate reality.

1 view0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comentários


bottom of page