“Emotional Intelligence in Bhagvad Gita”

- Dr. Pooja Bhavarth Dekhane

Bhagvad Gita is utmost reverend scripture in the spiritual world of India. All Indian’s believe that they get all the answers for their day to day life questions from Bhagvad Gita. Bhagvad Gita is a dialogue having all answers of the questions asked to Lord Shrikrishna by Arjuna (hero of Indian epic Mahabharata) approximately 5000 years back. Most remarkable thing is still in present era we find answers to our questions from Bhagvad Gita. Being a student of Psychology and a follower of spirituality I always try to study sources of different Psychological concepts in our Holy Scriptures and teachings. One of my favorite concepts is Emotional Intelligence which I had also selected for my Doctoral study. This term was first coined by John D. Mayer and Peter Salovey in 1990. It was sporadically used and studied by different scholars but it came into light in 1995 with the book named ‘Why it can matter more than IQ’ by Daniel Goleman. Though now a day it is considered as a type of Intelligence and an important contributor in the success of people; initially there were disputes among researchers whether to consider it as Intelligence or not. But before 5000 years it was explained in the form of Intelligence by Lord Shrikrishna in Bhagvad Gita. One can match characteristics of Emotionally Intelligent person with the characteristics explained by Lord Shrikrishna while discussing a person having Steady Intellect (स्थितप्रज्ञ) in chapter number two of Bhagvad Gita. Bhagvan says-

दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः ।

वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते ॥2.56॥

duḥkhēṣvanudvignamanāḥ sukhēṣu vigataspṛhaḥ ।

vītarāgabhayakrōdhaḥ sthitadhīrmunirucyatē ॥2.56॥

The one who doesn’t get disturbed by sorrows, who doesn’t elate with and lust for the happiness, and who is free from anger, fear and attachments is called as ‘Steady Intellect (स्थितप्रज्ञ)’. In next verse he says-

यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभम्‌ ।

नाभिनंदति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥2.57॥

yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnēhastattatprāpya śubhāśubham‌ ।

nābhinaṃdati na dvēṣṭi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā ॥2.57॥

The one who is always detached and unaffected and who never experience mood swings by whatever good or bad happens to him; he is called to have Steady Intellect.

Emotionally Intelligent person can have better control on his emotions and manage his emotions well as he can look at his emotions indifferently like the person having Steady Intellect does according to Lord Shrikrishna. To be neutral to all positive and negative emotions that emerge in our mind one has to first accept them. Acceptance to the positive and negative emotions i.e. acceptance to the good or bad incidences that happen in our life keep us steady and calm. For acceptance of good or bad incidences, one has to use rational thinking. And to have rational thinking one has to have a better cognitive functioning i.e. Intelligence and as per Bhagvad Gita Steady Intelligence. One can manage his emotions if he uses his intelligence to reason them out. The horses of the chariot of our life are our emotions and the charioteer is the intellect. If our intellect possesses the reins of our emotions in its hands, it can direct the impulses of our emotions in proper direction which can help us to achieve our goals more quickly. But if the reins fall loose that is intellect loses its control on emotions, emotions can lead our life to wherever they want. How to hold a control of our intellect on our emotions then? To achieve this Bhagvan says-

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्‌ । अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥ ६/३५

asaṃśayaṃ mahābāhō manō durnigrahaṃ chalam । abhyāsēna tu kauntēya vairāgyēṇa cha gṛhyatē ॥ 6.35 ॥

It is always difficult to have control over our restless mind but it is possible through suitable practice and detachment.