The Metaphor of Gitopnishad: Dealing with Stress and Dilemma during Pandemic

Abstract: During life challenging times like the present COVID-19 pandemic, the peoples of the world are faced with a number of questions of an existential nature. There is a sense of guilt, anguish, helplessness, uncertainty and powerlessness when one is fighting an enemy we cannot see nor figure out its path and effects. Something which is so powerful and widespread that the entire human and animal race seems powerless to treat and tackle it. With limited resources and no definite end in sight the situation today has caused potential moral injury along with pschyo physical effects. Spiritual practices and advice may help to deal with moral paradoxes and ethical dilemmas when other secular supports are undermined or inaccessible. The Holy Indian Epic, the Bhagvad Gita has described the moral distress of the warrior Arjuna, during the battle of Kurukshetra and the advice given to him by the Lord Krishna the gist of which can be encapsulated in the form of the four Ds- Detachment, Duty, Doer-ship and Dhyana or meditation.This article will focus on dealing with the effects of the pandemic by offering solutions to existential dilemma, with moral and psychological distress by imbibing and emulating the teachings in the verses of the Bhagwad Gita. Keywords: Pandemic, existential, dilemma, distress, spiritual