The Nonviolent Hero in the Bhagavad Gītā, Gandhi, and the Quakers: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

The heroic figure in the Bhagavad Gītā must exhibit fluency and facility in four Yoga practices: discernment, aplomb, devotion, and meditation. Through discernment or Jñāna Yoga, one knows that the soul can never be killed. Through aplomb or Karma Yoga, one is able to hold to one’s dignity in the face of humiliation or glory. Through devotion or Bhakti Yoga, a person devotes heart and soul to a cause higher than oneself. Through meditation one cultivates a place of abiding calm. The simultaneous manifestation of all four Yogas allows a person to dwell in an attitude of nonviolence (ahiṃsā) at all times, serving as a beacon of safety even in the midst of turmoil.