As India celebrates Independence Day on August 15th, we commemorate not just a political victory but a spiritual triumph. The struggle for freedom was deeply rooted in the philosophical soil of the Bhagavad Gita, which served as both inspiration and guide for generations of freedom fighters.
The Gita's influence on India's independence movement is unparalleled. From Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent resistance to Bal Gangadhar Tilak's call for action, from Subhas Chandra Bose's fearless leadership to Sri Aurobindo's revolutionary activities - the Gita was the common thread that united diverse approaches to freedom.
Long before the Constitution of India was written, the Bhagavad Gita served as the nation's moral and spiritual guide, teaching the values of discipline, duty, and courage that defined the freedom movement.
This Independence Day, let us explore how the Gita's timeless wisdom shaped our nation's journey to freedom and continues to guide us toward true liberation - both external and internal.
Mahatma Gandhi called the Bhagavad Gita his "spiritual reference book" and his "dictionary of daily reference." He turned to it in moments of doubt, despair, and decision-making throughout the freedom struggle.
"When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to the Bhagavad Gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow."
- Mahatma Gandhi
1. Anasakti (Non-Attachment)
Gandhi drew his philosophy of non-attachment to results directly from the Gita. This allowed him to pursue the freedom struggle without being deterred by setbacks or corrupted by successes.
"You have the right to perform your duty, but not to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction."
2. Ahimsa (Non-Violence)
Though the Gita is spoken on a battlefield, Gandhi interpreted its message as a spiritual metaphor. He saw the real battle as one against ignorance, injustice, and oppression - fought through peaceful means.
3. Satyagraha (Truth-Force)
Gandhi's concept of Satyagraha - holding firmly to truth - was inspired by the Gita's emphasis on satya (truth) as a divine quality. The power of truth, he believed, was stronger than any weapon.
"Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and yoga... truthfulness, freedom from anger..."
4. Sarvodaya (Welfare of All)
Gandhi's vision of freedom included the upliftment of all, especially the poorest and most marginalized. This aligned with the Gita's teaching of seeing the divine in all beings.
"The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and an outcaste."
While imprisoned in Mandalay for his revolutionary activities, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote his masterpiece "Gita Rahasya" (The Secret of the Gita). His interpretation transformed how millions understood Krishna's message.
Tilak interpreted the Gita not as a call to renunciation but as a summons to selfless action. He argued that Krishna's message to Arjuna was clear: stand up and fight against injustice, even when the odds seem insurmountable.
"Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it!"
This famous declaration was rooted in Tilak's understanding of the Gita's teaching that one must fight for dharma regardless of personal consequences.
"Considering your specific duty as a warrior, you should know there is no better engagement for you than fighting for righteous principles. There is no need to hesitate."
Tilak emphasized that freedom fighters should act without personal motives. The goal was not personal glory or power but the liberation of the nation. This karma yoga approach inspired countless revolutionaries.
"Therefore, without attachment, constantly perform actions that are required to be done; for by performing action without attachment, one attains the Supreme."
Before becoming a spiritual teacher, Sri Aurobindo was a revolutionary who drew inspiration from the Gita. His "Essays on the Gita" explored its revolutionary implications, seeing the call to action as applicable to national liberation.
"The Gita is not a weapon for dialectical warfare; it is a gate opening on the whole world of spiritual truth and experience."
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose found in the Gita the courage to pursue an armed struggle for independence. The fearlessness Krishna demanded of Arjuna inspired Bose's willingness to sacrifice everything for the nation.
"Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be."
This verse on the immortality of the soul gave freedom fighters the courage to face death without fear.
The "Lion of Punjab" drew his fearlessness from the Gita's teaching that the soul is eternal. Even when struck by police batons, he declared that each blow was a nail in the coffin of British imperialism.
Though Bhagat Singh became an atheist in his later years, his early revolutionary activities were inspired by the Gita's call to fight against injustice. The verse on facing death with equanimity particularly influenced young revolutionaries.
"One who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation."
The Bhagavad Gita teaches that while political freedom is important, true liberation goes deeper. It is moksha - freedom from the bondage of ignorance, desire, and ego.
"A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego - he alone can attain real peace."
"The sage whose mind is untroubled in the midst of sorrows and is free from desire amid pleasures, from whom passion, fear, and anger have departed - he is called a sage of steady wisdom."
"One who performs duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water."
The concept of "Swaraj" - self-rule - that defined the freedom movement has its deepest roots in the Gita's teaching of self-mastery.
"For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, the mind will remain the greatest enemy."
"One should elevate oneself by one's own mind, not degrade oneself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well."
Gandhi often emphasized that swaraj begins with the individual: "Real Swaraj will come not by the acquisition of authority by a few but by the acquisition of the capacity by all to resist authority when abused." This capacity comes from inner self-mastery.
The Gita lists fearlessness (abhaya) as the first divine quality in Chapter 16. This teaching gave freedom fighters the courage to face imprisonment, torture, and even death.
"Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge, charity, self-control, sacrifice, study of the scriptures, austerity, and uprightness..."
"For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. It has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval."
This understanding of the soul's immortality emboldened revolutionaries. If the self cannot be killed, what is there to fear? Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru walked to the gallows with smiles on their faces, secure in this knowledge.
"Therefore arise, O Arjuna, with the determination to fight. Having made up your mind to fight, treat pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike. In this way, you will not incur sin."
This equanimity - treating success and failure equally - allowed freedom fighters to persist through decades of struggle, setbacks, and sacrifices.
The Gita's teaching on svadharma (one's own duty) was interpreted by freedom fighters as a call to national service.
"It is far better to perform one's natural prescribed duty, though tinged with faults, than to perform another's prescribed duty perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duty, for to follow another's path is dangerous."
Just as Arjuna's duty as a warrior was to fight for dharma, the freedom fighters understood their duty was to fight for their nation's liberation. This was their svadharma - their sacred calling.
"One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities."
Even the apparent "inaction" of satyagraha - peaceful non-cooperation - was powerful action. Gandhi's Salt March, fasts, and civil disobedience campaigns were deeply active even when they appeared passive.
This Independence Day, consider: What is your duty to the nation? How can you contribute to India's continued progress? The freedom fighters fulfilled their dharma - now it is our turn to fulfill ours.
The Bhagavad Gita's vision of unity inspired a freedom movement that brought together people of all castes, religions, and regions.
"I am the same to all beings; to Me there is none hateful or dear. But those who worship Me with devotion are in Me, and I am also in them."
The Gita teaches that the same divine consciousness animates all beings. This spiritual understanding of unity transcends divisions of caste, creed, and community.
"Those who see with eyes of knowledge the difference between the body and the knower of the body, and can also understand the process of liberation from bondage in material nature, attain to the supreme goal."
The freedom movement united Indians across all divisions. The Gita's teaching that the same atman dwells in all provided the philosophical foundation for this unity.
As we celebrate our nation's freedom, let us remember that true independence includes freedom from the divisions that weaken us. The Gita teaches us to see the unity beneath the diversity - one nation, one people, one divine spirit.
The Gita's teachings that inspired our freedom movement remain relevant for the challenges we face today.
While we are free from colonial rule, new forms of bondage have emerged:
The Gita's teaching on self-discipline and detachment offers the antidote to these modern bondages.
"Whatever action a great person performs, common people follow. Whatever standards they set by exemplary acts, all the world pursues."
Each of us can be an example of the values that define a truly free and great nation.
The Bhagavad Gita profoundly influenced leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Subhas Chandra Bose. Gandhi called it his "spiritual dictionary" and drew the concept of nonviolent resistance from its teachings. Tilak's commentary "Gita Rahasya" interpreted it as a call to action against oppression. The Gita's teachings on fearlessness, duty, and detachment from results gave freedom fighters moral courage to sacrifice everything for the nation.
The Gita teaches that true freedom (moksha) is liberation from the bondage of desires, ego, and ignorance. In BG 5.28, Krishna describes the sage who is "free from desire, fear, and anger" as truly liberated. The Gita distinguishes between external political freedom and internal spiritual freedom, teaching that complete liberation requires both. True swaraj (self-rule) begins with ruling one's own mind and senses.
Swaraj, meaning "self-rule," has deep roots in the Gita's concept of atma-samyama or self-mastery. The Gita teaches in BG 6.5-6 that one must elevate oneself by one's own mind, not degrade oneself. True swaraj begins with mastering one's own senses, mind, and desires before extending to governance of society and nation. Gandhi often quoted these verses when speaking about independence.
Gandhi frequently cited BG 2.47 on performing duty without attachment to results, BG 2.48 on equanimity, and the verses on the immortality of the soul (BG 2.20-25). He also drew inspiration from Chapter 12 on the qualities of a devotee and Chapter 16 on divine qualities. Gandhi read the Gita daily and considered it his "mother."
Begin the day with meditation and reading key Gita verses. Reflect on your duties as a citizen and how you can serve the nation. Practice the Gita's teaching of unity - seeing the divine in all fellow citizens regardless of caste, religion, or region. Take inspiration from freedom fighters who applied Gita principles in their struggle. Most importantly, work on your own inner freedom from negative tendencies.
Download the Srimad Gita App to read the same verses that inspired India's freedom movement