1. The Bhagavad Gita I Asian Religions Berger

2. The Status of the Bhagavad Gita  6 th chapter of the epic Mahabharata  Two Divisions of Scriptural Texts  sruti (“heard’): direct perception of divine truth  smrti (“remembered”): handed on through tradition  Gita predominantly considered smrti text, but is accorded sruti status by some groups such as the Krishna Consciousness movement of Bengal (16 th century)

3. Synthetic Tendencies of Gita  Gita’s Attempt to Harmonize Stands of Religion  Ancient Brahminism and new Devotionalism (bhakti)  Upanisadic doctrines with new theism  Ideals of caste society and renunciation Gita’s form of theism -- henotheism (istadeva): preferred divinity -- brings together brahman and personhood

4. Genealogy of the Epic War  Prasara / Satyavati – Vyasa (author of narrative)  Vyasa / daughters of Santanu  Dhritarastra – Duryodana (Kauravas: “bad guys”)  Pandu – Yudhisthira, Arjuna (Pandavas: “good guys)\  Krishna (incarnation of Vishnu) assists Kauravas but advises Pandavas

5. Arjuna’s Arguments against War  Duties to the Family (p.35)  Intimacy and laws of kula-dharma  Destruction of Society (p.35)  Destroying family will destroy castes and society  Arjuna’s Moral Standards  Consequences that will result from actions are the basis upon which acts are judged moral or immoral

6. Krishna’s Arguments for War I  The Immortality of the Soul (pp. 36, 43, 44)  The need to distinguish body from true self  The Responsibility of Castes (pp. 37, 39, 40)  The superiority of caste to family duty  Non-attachment to consequences (pp. 37, 38-39)  Karma accrues based on intention, not “fruits”  Krishna’s Moral Standards  Correct mystical/metaphysical knowledge  Intentional, not consequential, standards of moral judgement

7. Reading for Next Class  Yoga (pp. 51-52, 59-68)