Understanding Arjuna’s Emotional Conflict in Vishada Yoga Using Contemporary Psychological Frameworks

The Bhagavad Gita, a profound text of Indian philosophy, is not merely a text to understand spirituality but also could be used to understand human psychology, as it offers insight into moral dilemma, emotional conflict, resilience, psychological guidance, and much more. Among its eighteen chapters, Chapter 1, also known as Arjuna Vishada Yoga, gives insight into the psychological conflict of the warrior Arjuna as he faces emotional conflict and turmoil on the very first day at the onset of the battle in Kurukshetra when he is faced with fighting against his own kin and teachers. His emotional conflict, characterized by anxiety, confusion, loss of meaning of life, moral dilemma, and emotional paralysis, leads to cognitive confusion, psychosomatic symptoms, avoidant behaviour, and existential crisis. This review paper aims to understand and explore such conflicts faced by Arjuna with the help of modern psychological literature to have a more profound and holistic understanding of our indigenous grasps over psychological wisdom.