Invitation to World Religions

The Teachings of Hinduism  111

The Bhagavad Gita , which was composed in about the first century of the Common Era, sets forth all three margas, explaining characteristics common to all three and making clear their mutual compatibility. Of fundamental concern is the need to eradicate the ignorance and attachment born of an egoistic sense of self- hood. One passage puts it this way: “He who abandons all desires and acts free from longing, without any sense of mineness or egotism—he attains to peace.” 5 Karma Marga  As noted previously, all Hindus are required to act in conformity with dharma, the duty to live in a manner that upholds the cosmic and social order. Karma marga combines focus on dharma with an attitude of detachment with regard to acting and to the results, or “fruit,” of action. In the words of the Bhagavad Gita (5.11–12): Relinquishing attachment, men of discipline perform action with body, mind, understanding, and senses

for the purification of the self. Relinquishing the fruit of action the disciplined man attains perfect peace; the undisciplined man is in bondage, attached to the fruit of desire. 6

When the self, or atman, is devoid of attachment to the results of action, the prob- lems of egotism and the suffering brought about by birth, disease, old age, and death are resolved. Bhakti Marga  The path of devotion, bhakti marga, is the most widely practiced of the three paths to liberation. This chapter’s survey of the history of Hinduism includes a section detailing the rise of the bhakti tradition. In an important manner, the tradition is grounded in the Bhagavad Gita , which, along with prescribing the other two margas, gives pride of place to bhakti. In the Bhagavad Gita , the featured deity is Krishna. Bhakti, however, can be directed toward whatever deity one chooses. The deity is perceived as the supreme divine reality, as is clearly shown with regard to Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita . Hindus typically worship more than one deity, depending on personal preference and on the occasion. For instance, during the festival in honor of Saraswati, goddess of education, Hindu schoolchildren offer devotion to her. There are numerous such festivals of the gods in the Hindu year. In the Bhagavad Gita (12.6–8), Krishna makes clear to his devotee Arjuna the great benefits of bhakti: But men intent on me renounce all actions to me and worship me, meditating with singular discipline. When they entrust reason to me, PROPERTY OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS