Few Indian thinkers have engaged with the religious and philosophical traditions of India as rigorously as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. A jurist, social reformer, economist, and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Ambedkar's writings reveal a deep concern with how religious texts shape social life. Among the many Hindu scriptures he critically examined, the Bhagavad Gita holds a special place. Far from revering it as a spiritual guide, Ambedkar viewed the Gita as a counter-revolutionary text—one that philosophically justified war, upheld caste hierarchies, and reasserted Brahmanical authority in response to the egalitarian principles of Buddhism.
The Gita as Counter-Revolution: A Philosophic Defence of Inequality
In his unfinished essay, "Essays on the Bhagavad Gita: Philosophic Defence of Counter-Revolution" (in Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Ancient India, Vol. 3 of his collected writings), Ambedkar argues that the Gita should be read not as a religious gospel but as a political treatise.
He specifically targets verses such as:
Bhagavad Gita 2.19:
वेधा अविनश्चन्नं न ओश्चन्नं मंयते य:। जानी हंति च भ्ान्ती जनानि कायं स न हंति चैत्य:।
"He who thinks that the soul kills, and he who thinks of it as killed, are both ignorant. The soul kills not, nor is it killed."
Ambedkar critiques such verses for removing moral responsibility from war and killing. He argues that Krishna's exhortation to Arjuna to fight—grounded in the immortality of the soul—serves to rationalize violence.
Similarly, in Bhagavad Gita 4.13, the verse most cited to justify caste hierarchy:
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मआन्यम्। तस्य कर्तारमपि मां न कार्त्र्यमव्ययस्य।
"The four-fold order was created by Me according to the divisions of quality and work. Though I am the author thereof, know Me as non-doer and immutable."
Ambedkar argues that the Gita provides a philosophical reworking of caste, making it a matter of inherent qualities (gunas) rather than birth—yet still enforcing hierarchy.
The Gita and Buddhism: A Textual Counter to Equality
Ambedkar saw the Bhagavad Gita as a direct ideological response to Buddhism’s emphasis on equality, non-violence, and rational inquiry. In The Buddha and His Dhamma (1957), he outlines Buddhism’s ethical foundation in compassion and non-violence, contrasting it with the Gita’s validation of righteous war (dharma-yuddha).
In Bhagavad Gita 18.66:
सर्वधर्मान परित्यज्ज मामेकं शरणं व्रज:। अहं ्त्वां सर्वपापेब्यो मोक््षयिष्यामि मा शुच:।
"Abandon all dharmas and come to Me alone for shelter. I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve."
Ambedkar interpreted this as a call to blind devotion over rational ethics. In contrast, the Buddha urged each person to critically test teachings through experience and reason.
Indirect Critiques: Riddles in Hinduism and Annihilation of Caste
In Riddles in Hinduism and Annihilation of Caste, Ambedkar does not always name the Gita explicitly, but he consistently critiques the philosophical underpinnings of Hindu scriptures that promote caste and fatalism. His core argument: any religion that upholds inequality cannot be morally justified.
Conclusion: A Radical Re-reading
Ambedkar’s engagement with the Bhagavad Gita is not a casual rejection but a thorough ideological and philosophical counterpoint. He reads the text as a manifesto of counter-revolution—a defense of hierarchy cloaked in metaphysical poetry.
His critique invites readers to question received wisdom, reconsider the function of scripture, and ask whether spiritual texts can ever be separated from the social realities they inform. In doing so, Ambedkar not only critiques the Bhagavad Gita—he redefines the terms on which religious and philosophical thought must be engaged in a just society.
References:
Ambedkar, B.R. (1987). Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Ancient India, Vol. 3.
Ambedkar, B.R. (1936). Annihilation of Caste.
Ambedkar, B.R. (1987). Riddles in Hinduism, Vol. 4.
Ambedkar, B.R. (1957). The Buddha and His Dhamma.
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