TryGOLD- Free

GOLD FROM THE Bhagavad Gita
Spirituality & Health|January/February 2025
What ancient traditions can teach us about our modern-day health challenges
- MALLIKA IYER
GOLD FROM THE Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita eluded me for many years. I read teachings from different cultures as part of my personal self-development, and the Gita is an essential text to my own family’s religion, Hinduism. It’s certainly remarkable from a philosophical standpoint. Dating at least 2,000 years old, it’s an epic poem consisting of 700 verses written in ancient Sanskrit that was passed through oral tradition across South Asia, where it still holds great significance as a guide for life, family, and self-actualization. The text has been cited as an inspiration by great leaders and thinkers across history (including Mahatma Gandhi, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and even J. Robert Oppenheimer), and its message has been depicted in art, children’s books, movies, and a popular TV series that I often watched with my family.

Even so, I remained perplexed about its relevance to modern times since the struggles it spoke of and the society it described seemed so far from our world today. In the text, the great warrior Arjun stands on a battlefield at the presence of a grave and deadly war. He is a member of the Pandavas, a powerful clan that was exiled for 13 years in the forest after losing a game against the Kauravas, a rivaling clan of the same lineage (effectively, their own cousins). The Pandavas complied with their exile, and at this point in the story they are returned to claim and rightfully rule their kingdom. However, the Kauravas refuse to return the kingdom or reach any peaceful negotiation. In order to restore righteousness and order across the land, the Pandavas must turn to war.

Lord Krishna preaches to him about dharma, or duty, and the importance of taking right action to bring about a just and harmonious world.

This story is from the January/February 2025 edition of Spirituality & Health.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January/February 2025 edition of Spirituality & Health.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM SPIRITUALITY & HEALTHView All
MY BODY IS A WONDERLAND
Spirituality & Health

MY BODY IS A WONDERLAND

If a man is to live, he must be all alive, body, soul, mind, heart, spirit. —Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

time-read
3 mins  |
January/February 2025
MOMENTS THAT CHANGE THE WORLD
Spirituality & Health

MOMENTS THAT CHANGE THE WORLD

THIS PAST SUNDAY I CRASHED MY BIKE so hard I flew over the handlebars, landed on my head and back, and broke my helmet. Thankfully, my 16-year-old son Patrick was there to make sure I did not try to move my neck or body or let anyone else move me. It felt good that his words were so solid, helpful, and calm with so many people wanting to do something before the ambulance guys took over—and then a CT scan showed nothing broken.

time-read
4 mins  |
January/February 2025
DEBUNKING PROSPERITY MYTHS
Spirituality & Health

DEBUNKING PROSPERITY MYTHS

Adopting a holistic view of prosperity brings true wealth, which has little to do with your bank balance.

time-read
6 mins  |
January/February 2025
A Hilltop of Happiness
Spirituality & Health

A Hilltop of Happiness

I recently went to the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, North Carolina, a spectacular hilltop retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains that opened 10 years ago. But I've been curious about the Art of Living and its leader, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, for decades. I first encountered followers of Gurudev at the International Spa Association convention in Las Vegas, where I met the creators of Shankara, an Ayurvedic skincare company that is now the heart of the Shankara Spa at the retreat center in Boone. Amidst the bustling Vegas convention, these followers of Gurudev created an island of calm.

time-read
5 mins  |
January/February 2025
HOW TO HOLD OUR ANGER WITH WISDOM
Spirituality & Health

HOW TO HOLD OUR ANGER WITH WISDOM

IN UNITY, WE HONOR JESUS AS THE WAY SHOWER. In The Revealing Word: A Dictionary of Metaphysical Terms, Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore expressed that Jesus “came to awaken us to the possibilities of his own nature.” He noted that Jesus “had an insight into those things that are ever mysteries to those immersed in the sense consciousness,” including “judgments based on outer appearances” that “produce discordant thoughts, jealousies, and a host of limiting beliefs.” Fillmore further stated that Jesus was the “representative of a thoroughly organized plan to help humanity into a higher realization of God and its relationship to Him.”So what about that time in the temple when Jesus lost his cool? Was that part of the “thoroughly organized plan” or “a higher realization of God”?

time-read
3 mins  |
January/February 2025
Point of View Is Everything
Spirituality & Health

Point of View Is Everything

You're not stuck in your story.

time-read
6 mins  |
January/February 2025
THE POWER OF NAMING AN ANIMAL
Spirituality & Health

THE POWER OF NAMING AN ANIMAL

“YOU NAMED HIM BOOGER?” I asked the shelter volunteer. My husband and I stood by a cage, already in love with the tuxedo cat it held. Although introduced to us as “Bub,” his official paperwork read: “Booger, 4 years old, special needs.” The text “Booger” was struck through, “Bub” written in its place. “We can always rename him again. He’s coming home with us,” my husband asserted, settling the matter.“Are you sure you want to take him? You know he’s special needs,” the volunteer queried.“So am I!” I declared. “What do we need to know?” We learned the cat had respiratory issues.

time-read
2 mins  |
January/February 2025
SPLINTERED PIECES
Spirituality & Health

SPLINTERED PIECES

Seeing her father in the psych ward seemed all wrong—until her inner guidance helped her see it as exquisitely right.

time-read
6 mins  |
January/February 2025
ANCIENT HEALTH SECRETS
Spirituality & Health

ANCIENT HEALTH SECRETS

How ancient wisdom teachings align with cutting-edge health science

time-read
6 mins  |
January/February 2025

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Learn more