Modern Frames and Premodern Themes in Indian Philosophy by Raghuramaraju A.;

Author:Raghuramaraju, A.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2017-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

While this contextual necessity made Krishna advice Arjuna, this however, says Gandhi, cannot be universalised and cannot be taken as Krishna endorsing violence. Making this clarification, Gandhi says, ‘But to conclude from this that the Gita teaches violence or justify war is as unwarranted as to argue that, since violence in some form or other is inescapable for maintaining the body in existence, dharma lies only in violence.’ On the contrary, clarifies Gandhi, ‘The man of discriminating intellect … teaches the duty of striving for deliverance from this body which exists through violence, the duty, that is, of striving for moksha’ (CWMG vol. 33: 88).

Non-violence is generally contrasted with violence. However, Gandhi’s idea of non-violence is in a triangular relation with violence and inaction. This is reminiscent of three gunas – tamas, rajas and sattva – in Samkhya. Thus, the concept of non-violence is contrasted not only from violence, but equally, if not more, from inaction. This is important because while the contrast between violence and non-violence is evident, what is not emphasised is Gandhi’s further contrasting of violent action from inaction. He says in Young India on 11 August 1920 that if ‘there is a choice only between cowardice and violence’ he would advise ‘violence’ (CWMG vol. 21: 133).

Thus, Gandhi clarifies his stand, depicting the Gita as advocating non-violence, and explaining the reason and the context behind Krishna’s advice to Arjuna to fight. He does this by pointing out that violence is to be preferred to inaction, though non-violence is the first preference. This thus rejects the charge that there is inconsistency between Gandhi’s endorsement of non-violence and following the ideals of Gita. Having used this internal variable in changing the interpretation of Gita, Gandhi turns to an external variable that falls outside the text, namely, the context of narrating the epic Mahabharata that contains Gita as a part. Let me discuss this in the following.

Referring to the context of the epic Mahabharata, Gandhi says, ‘Vyasa wrote his supremely beautiful epic to depict the futility of war’ (CWMG vol. 33: 87). Because the context of narrating the epic, which was originally called Jaya, meaning victory, is to dissuade the successors of Arjuna, who are threatening to kill all serpents, about the futility of war, particularly the Kurukshetra where there were no winnings except killing of people. Taking on those who interpret the Gita as endorsing violence, he says:

When I was in London, I had talks with many revolutionaries. Shyamji Krishnavarma, Savarkar, and others used to tell me that the Gita and the Ramayana taught quite the opposite of what I said they did. I felt then how much better it would have been if the sage Vyasa had not used this illustration of fighting for inculcating spiritual knowledge. For when even highly learned and thoughtful men read this meaning into Gita… .

(CWMG vol. 37: 82)

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