The Bhagavad Geeta - The Stage is Set

·53 min·5 clips

Swamini Supriyananda explains how the wish-fulfilling tree from Hindu mythology symbolizes our mind's ability to achieve anything.

This episode is part of a series on the Bhagavad Gita, hosted by Swamini Supriyananda, a psychologist turned Hindu monk. It begins with salutations to the Gita and Veda Vyasa, using symbolic references like the Parijata tree and Chintamani stone to discuss the mind's capacity. Swamini explains the Jnana Mudra hand gesture, linking it to ego surrender and spiritual integration. The narrative shifts to the Mahabharata, where Duryodhana's ambiguous verse about the armies reveals themes of fear, insecurity, and rajasic qualities. Bhishma blows his conch to rally the Kaurava army, compared to modern sports hype like the vuvuzela, marking the war's start. The Pandavas respond, with Krishna and Arjuna in a chariot, introducing the chariot analogy from the Katha Upanishad: senses as horses, mind as reins, intellect as charioteer, body as chariot, and soul as passenger. Swamini emphasizes Krishna's role as charioteer, symbolizing surrender, and contrasts Duryodhana's rajas with Arjuna's sattva. Details of conch names like Panchajanya and Devadatta are given, highlighting poetic elements. The episode ends with the Pandava army's powerful response terrifying the Kauravas, setting up Arjuna's downfall in the next chapter. Throughout, Swamini blends storytelling, philosophy, and practical insights, encouraging listeners to tune their minds for deeper understanding.

As heard by us

A symbolic salutation leads into battlefield psychology as the Bhagavad Gita prepares its ground.

Thinking about It reads the Bhagavad Gita through the symbolic force of its opening salutations, treating the wish-fulfilling Parijata tree and the churning of the milky ocean as ways of speaking about the mind's own power.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You enter through Parijata, the wish-fulfilling tree, and hear it turned inward: not magic, but the mind's capacity. Then Duryodhana's display starts to crack.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Thinking about It