From the
time I gained consciousness, certain sutr of the Shrimat Bhagavad
Gita—specifically sutr 36 to 46 of Chapter 11—have echoed in my ears
and seeped deep into my soul. These verses were spoken by bewildered Arjun in praise
of Shri Krishan in a state of shock, awe and reverence having witnessed
the vishwaroop. They were recited every morning during family prayers in
my maternal grandfather’s home. That sound, that wisdom, became a part of me
before I even fully understood it.
I first had the occasion to
recite the Hari Gita by Dina Nath Dinesh at the age of 13,
alongside elders, during the mourning period following my maternal
grandfather’s passing. That experience left an imprint far deeper than I
realized at the time. When I was in my final year of law college, at the age of
21, I attended 365th Geeta Gyaan Yagye at Jodhpur by Swami
Chinamayananda, 12th Chapter of Shrimat Bhagwad Geeta and Naarad
Bhakti sutr. Thereafter my paternal grandfather—himself a deeply realized
soul—gifted me my first personal copy of the Shrimat Bhagavad Gita,
translated by Swami Chidbhavananda of Kerala, which I hold even today as
my prized possession. I read it and re-read it several times. And I can say
with certainty—it opened my mind forever.
Over the years, I immersed
myself in the works of the world’s great thinkers—Aristotle, Plato, Spinoza,
Machiavelli, Epicurus, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Bertrand Russell, Emerson, Ernest
Hemingway, Ayn Rand, Paulo Coelho. Each of them offers a unique insight into
human nature, power, ethics, society, and spirit. And yet, I say this with deep
conviction: there is no text—neither in the East nor in the West—that offers a
more profound and complete exposition of universal philosophy than the Shrimat
Bhagavad Gita.
It is timeless. It is
transformative. It is unmatched in depth. Every great philosopher—whether
consciously or not—has been touched by its essence. But beyond its spiritual
and philosophical richness, I tell you this: no other book better reveals the
art of advocacy. And I say that not as a philosopher, but as someone who has
spent nearly five decades inside the courtrooms, almost 49 years in the Supreme
Court of India.
I know that many of you here
have read, studied and must have felt the essence and power of Shrimat
Bhagavad Gita in some form or another. Today, I invite you to revisit
it—not just as a sacred spiritual text, not just as a guide to personal
enlightenment, but as a masterclass in advocacy—As practiced by none other than
Shri Krishan himself. For the next 20 minutes, let us walk this timeless
path together, with our mobile phones in our bags. Let us examine, layer by layer: The key
players, the battlefield setting, the looming trauma of what is to come, the profound
and generative dialogue, the direction offered at every turning point, and
finally, the goal it ultimately seeks to achieve.
This
journey, believe you me, is not ancient history. It is our own legal ecosystem,
mirrored in epic form. Shri Krishan is 89 yrs old, a senior advocate. Arjun,
around 64 yrs old an experienced judge, gripped by ethical conflict and
futuristic trauma, kurukshetr is the courtroom and what expounds is Gita,
our spiritual jurisprudence, our directive principle, various paths that can be
followed, sustainable development goals as defined by United Nations which should
be undertaken, and finally the goal— the transformation from a karta to
a drishta.
Let us begin with the
Players, the key characters. One embodying absolute truth and various
dimensions of life and other who needs to understand the irrelevance and
transitionary nature of conflict, evolve, understand the larger cosmic design
and perform or undertake the action in hand with perfection as drishta,
not as karta.
1. Shri Krishan
is a Poorn Avataar, a complete manifestation of the cosmos in physical
form. He embodies three essential forms - prakriti—the physical world
and human faculties: ego, mind, and intellect, Jeev or Ishwar—the
individual soul, the cosmic energy within each of us, parameshwar or brahm—the
infinite, total cosmic energy. What makes the Gita truly profound—and at
times, difficult to grasp, especially for Western philosophers is Shri Krishan’s
seamless movement between these three forms. He speaks sometimes as human being,
sometimes as the aatma, and sometimes as the pramaatama. Unless
one is fully aware of these distinct dimensions of his cosmic presence, Gita
will remain only partially understood. Krishan’s role is akin to that of
a senior advocate—he is learned, a philosopher, a strategist, and a wise counsellor.
His advocacy is not limited to arguments, it is complete understanding of
spiritual jurisprudence rooted in compassion, cosmic order, and timeless truth.
2. Arjun is a kshatriye,
not just a warrior but a master archer, a man of high intelligence, disciplined,
full of valor, have fought many battles and wars. But just before the great war
of Mahaabhaarat, standing on the battlefield, something changed in him. Suddenly,
he is overwhelmed by a vision—not of victory, but of destruction. He sees not
triumph, but the death of nearly 4.5 million gallant warriors. He sees 4.5 million
widows, fatherless children, broken families, collapsed societies, and a future
scarred by grief. The war, in his eyes, now threatens to destroy the very
social fabric, which as a king he must protect. This moment is akin to a
distinguished judge, someone who has spent a lifetime interpreting law with
precision and objectivity, suddenly confronted with a case so critical, so
consequential, that he foresees its impact of the society as a whole and impact
on generations to come, the outcome could be catastrophic. He hesitates. He
seeks to run away from the war and adjourn the war, weighing the implications,
consequences and after affects.
At such a turning point, the
art of advocacy becomes not just relevant—it becomes essential. And Shri Krishan,
the advocate par excellence, steps forward. With clarity, insight, and
compassion, he begins to build his case—not through imposition, but through a
generative dialogue. He listens, he explains, he dismantles doubt, and step by
step, he guides Arjun out of his paralysis and into purpose. That is
true advocacy.
3. The Goal and the Path - The
Gita also helps us to understand, the most fundamental question: What
are we all striving for? Whether you are a student, a parent, a lawyer, a
judge, a professional, an entrepreneur—or even a policy maker in government—the
question is universal: What is the end goal? Is it wealth? Fame? Peace?
Health? Power? Wisdom? Happiness? Or spiritual liberation? Shri Krishan’s
divine mission had two objectives - First, to rid the earth of evil at the
close of the Dwaapar Yug and second, to expound and firmly establish
a philosophy so profound that it could transform Arjun—not just from Karta,
the doer, into Drishta, the observer—but also serve as an eternal
compass for humanity through the period of Kaliyug.
From killing Pootna at just
three days old, to vanquishing the many Asuras sent by Kans, to slaying
Kans himself, and later eliminating Shishupal, Jaraasangh, and ultimately the
mighty warriors of Kaurav—Bhishm, Dronaachaarye, Karn, and many more. Shri
Krishan did not just fight evil. He uprooted it. And in doing so, he laid
the foundation of a universal spiritual philosophy that continues to guide us,
even today. Shri Krishan did not just tell Arjun to fight a war,
he simply empowered him with wisdom to face our inner battles—with courage,
with clarity, and above all, with consciousness.
Let us all here learn not
just from the Gita, but from the advocate within it. At the heart of the
Shrimat Bhagavad Gita lies a philosophy that urges each one of us—just
like Arjun, paralyzed by futuristic trauma on the battlefield—to evolve.
To move from Karta, the doer consumed by action, to Drishta, the
seer anchored in awareness and perform all our action to its perfection. To
shift from the subjective, clouded by emotion, to the objective, guided by
clarity. And my dear friends, that is the highest transformation we, as
lawmen—whether advocates or judges—must undergo. Never lose your sense of
justice, objectivity and the larger cosmic design.
Shrimat
Bhagavad Gita is composed of 701 sutras, divided into 18
chapters. The contributors are - Dhritraashtr– 1 sutr, Sanjay – 40
sutr, Arjun – 86 sutr, Shri Krishan – 574 sutr. Gita
is not a monologue—it is a dialogue in the form of Geet. A transformational
exchange between doubt and wisdom, between the confused mind and the
enlightened soul. As the conversation unfolds, Arjun raises 15 questions. At
one point—even challenges Shri Krishan's authenticity itself (sutr
4.4): “How can I accept that You taught this wisdom to the Sun God in
ancient times when You were born just recently?” That’s not just a
question. That is scepticism born of inner conflict. And yet, Krishan does not get
offended. He does not assert authority. He answers—smilingly, gently, patiently, with calm wisdom.
This
is the art of true advocacy—not domination, but persuasion rooted in clarity. Arjun,
gripped by fear of the unknown and burdened by foresight, uses every
conceivable argument to stall the war. He knows that if he, the central warrior
of the Pandav, refuses to fight, the war halts. In the first eight
questions, up to Chapter 6, Arjun challenges Shri Krishan
continuously—often without fully understanding the implications of either his
doubts or Krishan’s answers. Yet Krishan responds to each question with a
smile. He knows that the blowing mind, when heard with patience, will
eventually settle. He knows that the real transformation will eventually come.
It is much like what happens
in court. A judge asks sharp, even sceptical, questions. The seasoned advocate
listens calmly, answers precisely laying the groundwork for the final
submission. The early exchanges are not distractions. They are necessary, they
build the foundation of faith, trust and conviction. Then comes Chapter 8—a turning
point. Here, Arjun raises deep, fundamental questions:
"What is Brahman? What
is Adhi-aatma? What is Karm? Who is Adhi-bhut? Who is Adhi-daiv? And who is Adhi-yagye
in this body, O Krishan? And how are You to be known at the time of death by
the self-controlled? (sutr 8.1–8.2). These are not mere
academic queries. These are existential inquiries, and Shri Krishan
answers them all—defining the divine attributes, the eternal essence, the
soul’s journey, and the cosmic laws. In Chapter 10, Krishan expands further. He reveals 76 divine manifestations of the
cosmic order—each one symbolic, universal, and deeply philosophical.
Among
them, as described in Sutra 10.34, he lists seven attributes that are
distinctly feminine: Fame (Kīrti), Fortune (Śrī), Speech (Vāk), Memory (Smṛti), Intelligence (Medhā), Firmness (Dhṛti), Forgiveness (Kṣhamā). And then he says
something truly extraordinary: Of all forms of fame, the greatest is the fame
of motherhood. There is no higher glory. It is a distinction and a divinity
unique to women.
These qualities are not just
virtues. They are manifestations of the cosmos itself. Understanding them is akin to understanding the jurisprudence of the universe. So,
as we study this sacred dialogue, let us not just admire its poetry or memorize
its verses. Let us learn its advocacy. Let us absorb its jurisprudence. Let us
awaken the Krishan within us—calm,
wise, unwavering. And refine the Arjun within us—seeking, struggling, and
ultimately, surrendering to truth.
The Shrimat Bhagavad Gita
is not just a scripture—it is a transformational guide to life. It offers the
deepest, most profound insights into the nature of beings, the Atma—our
soul, the Devtas—divine forces, the relationship between humans and
these divine energies, and finally, Brahm—the total cosmic energy that
permeates all existence.
One of the greatest
challenges in understanding the Gita lies in the way Shri Krishan seamlessly
moves between his various forms—as a human being, as the Atma, and as
the Paramaatma. These transitions are so subtle, yet so significant,
that even serious seekers often find themselves overwhelmed.
But more than that, the
second chapter—Saankhye Yog—is itself a complete and complex
philosophical frame work.It is profound because of its simplicity, and therein
lies the paradox. Unable to grasp its depth, many enthusiastic readers give up
right at the beginning. And that is why, friends, my suggestion to beginners is
this: Start with Chapter 16. In Chapter 16, sutras 16.01 to 16.05, Shri Krishan
clearly lists 28 attributes of divine nature—qualities that support spiritual
evolution and contribute to harmony and growth. In contrast, from sutras 16.04
to 16.20, he describes 64 traits of those consumed by asuric
tendencies—those who are toxic, narcissistic, and destructive. These qualities,
though ancient, are timeless. They manifest in various combinations within us
and around us, even today. Being aware of them is essential—so we can deal with
such energies effectively and consciously.
In Chapters 14, 17, and 18, Shri Krishan
then elaborates on the three gunas—Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas—and
how they manifest in every dimension of our lives. He discusses shraddha,
worship, austerity, food, yagya, speech, charity, knowledge, action, the
doer, intellect, firmness, and happiness. It is a comprehensive jurisprudence
of consciousness—a blueprint for understanding human nature, intention, and
behavior in all its complexity.
Across
the Gita, Krishan lays out all
possible paths that a human being might take in their journey toward truth and fulfilment.
Chapter 2 – Saankhye Yog – the path of self-knowledge, Chapter 3 – Karma
Yog – the path of action, Chapter 4 – Gyaan Karma Sanyaas Yog – the
path of knowledge, action, and renunciation, Chapter 5 – Karma Sanyaas Yog
– the path of active renunciation, Chapter 6 – Atma Sanyam Yog – the
path of self-restraint, Chapter 7 – Gyaan Vigyaan Yog – the path of
knowledge and experiential science, Chapter 8 – Akshar Brahm Yog – the
path of the imperishable, Chapter 9 – Raaj Vidya Raaj Guhya Yog – the
path of royal wisdom and mystery, Chapter 12 – Bhakti Yog – the path of
devotion and surrender, Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyaas Yog – the path of
liberation and renunciation
Each chapter is a
torchlight. Each is designed to help us find what is true for us—not imposed,
not theoretical—but experiential and real. In Chapter 11, Krishan grants Arjun the Vishwaroop Darshan—a vision of the
entire cosmos in one divine form. This is not just knowledge. This is cosmic
experience. And that, dear friends, is the true essence of Sanaatan wisdom.
It is not about winning debates. It is not about proving intellectual
superiority. It is not about dialectics or rhetoric, It is about generative
dialogue. It is about the direct transmission of truth—truth that must be
experienced, not just argued. Truth that is felt, not merely understood.
It’s like the clear-eyed
vision of a judge—who sees the facts, understands the law, weighs the
social impact, and perceives the full spectrum of consequence, all at once. In
the end, Shri Krishan does not ask Arjun to fight as a Karta—a doer. He
lifts him to the level of a Drishta—an observer. One who is unattached,
objective, and deeply aligned with dharma. And to me, that is the highest role
of an advocate. To guide the judge with clarity, foresight, and wisdom. To
speak not just to the law, but to the truth of justice itself. To help shape
judgments that endure—not just legally, but morally. Let us learn from the Gita.
Not just its philosophy, but its method. Not just its words, but its
wisdom. We are each placed into this world by a principle of cosmic design. Born
in a particular place, at a particular time. To a specific family, with a
distinct colour, caste, gender, belief, aptitude, and attitude. Given unique
friends, mentors, and professions.
We are not meant to imitate.
Remember this—imitation is suicide. Each of us has our own land to till. And we
must till it alone, no matter the outcome— Good, bad, or ugly. Gita
teaches us this eternal truth: Work to your own perfection, every moment. Live
with awareness and joy, every moment and experience the bliss of your own
existence. That is the message of the Gita for us all.