Among the major texts of Hindu literature, no work has been read, commented on, and translated as much as the Bhagavad-Gita, a mystical and philosophical poem written in Sanskrit around the 3rd century BC. Often considered the Bible of Hinduism, it takes the form of a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and the god Krishna at a decisive battle. Through this conversation, the text explores duty, right action, renunciation, and spiritual quest. The first work translated from Sanskrit into a European language in 1785 by Charles Wilkins in English, the Bhagavad-Gita has continued to arouse great interest in the West, notably influencing Gandhi in his reflections on non-violence and moral resistance.
Created in 1980 by Philip Glass, the opera Satyagraha is directly inspired by the Bhagavad-Gita and the life of Gandhi. The second part of Glass’s trilogy dedicated to great historical figures, alongside Einstein on the Beach and Akhnaten, the opera explores Mahatma Gandhi’s influence on modern political thought by weaving a narrative that spans different eras. Each act highlights a personality who has influenced or supported his ideas: Leo Tolstoy, the poet Rabindranath Tagore, and finally Martin Luther King, inspired by Gandhi’s principles of non-violence. Recently introduced at the Paris Opera in a staging by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, the work emphasizes its enduring significance.
Raphael Voix, an ethnologist and researcher at the CNRS specializing in Hinduism and its social and political dimensions, revisits the origin of Gandhi’s non-violence philosophy:
“On the one hand, it should be noted that non-violence is a translation that is not quite accurate of the term ahimsa, which literally means the non-desire to kill. Thus, in India, there may be violent and lethal actions carried out in the name of ahimsa, the non-desire to kill. Namely, precisely to achieve a better world, to fight for a better world. The second point is that we tend to completely associate Gandhi’s actions with non-violence. But for some, in essence, the forms that his political actions take, such as the great Salt March or the significant fasts he undertakes, are actions in which he forces the British government to react. And to some extent, it is a form of violence as well.”
Context: The article discusses the influence of the Bhagavad-Gita on literature and opera, particularly in relation to the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Fact Check: The Bhagavad-Gita is a well-known Hindu scripture that has inspired many works of literature and art, including Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha. Gandhi was indeed influenced by the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita in his advocacy for non-violence.
