Published: January 9, 2025 • 11 min read
In Vedic tradition, speech (vak) is a divine power. The universe was spoken into existence; mantras carry spiritual force; words shape reality. For writers, this understanding elevates the craft: writing is not mere typing but participation in the creative power of the cosmos.
अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः।
अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च॥
"I am the Self, O Gudakesha, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings."
When you write a story, you create a world with beginning, middle, and end—you participate in the divine creative act. The characters you breathe life into, the worlds you build, the truths you illuminate—these are sacred work.
Writer's block often stems from fear: fear of not being good enough, of judgment, of failure. The Gita addresses fear directly:
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
"You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action."
Your job is to write—to show up at the page and put words down. Whether those words become bestsellers or remain in a drawer is not your domain. This releases the pressure that causes block.
When blocked, tell yourself: "My only job right now is to write the next sentence. Whether it's good is not my concern—that's for later." This breaks the paralysis of perfectionism.
The ego asks: "Will this make me famous? Will people like it? Am I a good writer?" These questions obstruct creativity. The Gita offers freedom:
यस्य नाहंकृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते।
"One who is without ego and whose intelligence is not affected..."
Many writers describe their best work as coming "through them"—as if they were channels rather than sources. This experience of ego-dissolution is the flow state that the Gita's teachings cultivate.
When you're not writing to prove yourself or gain approval, you can serve the story itself. You become an instrument rather than an author-as-celebrity.
Writing requires faith—faith that the story will emerge, that the blank page will fill, that the revision will work. The Gita speaks to this:
श्रद्धावाँल्लभते ज्ञानं तत्परः संयतेन्द्रियः।
"The faithful person, absorbed in divine knowledge and controlling the senses, attains transcendental knowledge."
Faith in the writing process means:
Every writer faces rejection letters, bad reviews, and harsh criticism. The Gita's teaching on equanimity is essential:
समदुःखसुखः स्वस्थः समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः।
तुल्यप्रियाप्रियो धीरस्तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः॥
"One who is balanced in pleasure and pain, who is self-contained, to whom a clod, stone, and gold are the same, who is equal to the pleasant and unpleasant, steady, equal to criticism and self-praise..."
Neither praise nor criticism should determine your relationship with writing. Write because writing is your dharma, not because of how the world responds.
Explore all 700 verses of the Bhagavad Gita for wisdom that fuels creative work.
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