Today, as I got out of bed, I remembered the lines from Matthew Arnold’s poem that my maternal grandfather, a tutor, elaborated on with great patience to his students for almost a week. I was around 12 years old at that time, visiting my grandma’s house during the summer holidays, and this poem was part of the curriculum for the higher secondary examination.
“Yet, when the echoes
Of his long failure to a drear
Memorial vainly throng, the iron dooms,
His firm unbowed forefathers did not know,
Subduing hope to fear,
All our own centuries have witnessed here.
If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars;
It may be, in yon smoke concealed,
Your comrades chase e’en now the fliers,
And, but for you, possess the field.”
The profound philosophy woven into these verses of the English language must have been a challenge for the students, mostly from middle-class shopkeeper backgrounds with little exposure to English outside of academics. It wasn’t a concern for me at that time since the curriculum had changed by the time I reached their level. However, the words of the poem recited by my Nana Ji continue to resound in my mind. For many years, I didn’t care to understand its meaning, but when I delve into the Bhagavad Gita, I find striking parallels.
I wish to discuss these parallels today, not from a literary perspective but from the profound philosophy of living life that both the Bhagavad Gita and this poem emphasize—sustaining hope, the driving force of life.
The Bhagavad Gita is rich with wisdom that parallels the themes of hope, fear, perseverance, and the importance of action found in Matthew Arnold’s poem. Here are some Sanskrit verses from the Bhagavad Gita along with their interpretations that align with Arnold’s themes:
Bhagavad Gita 2.47
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
Translation: “You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.”
Interpretation and Parallel with Matthew Arnold’s Poem: This verse emphasizes the importance of action without attachment to the results, akin to Arnold’s theme of continuing effort despite uncertain outcomes. Just as Arnold advises balancing hope and fear, the Gita advises focusing on duty without getting paralyzed by concerns over success or failure.
When I delve further into it, I find that one’s inner consciousness motivates them to continue performing actions in the face of adversity, regardless of whether or not you read the Gita or motivational poems. Even a small worm trapped in water tries its best to survive. Personally, I lived through this during my prolonged sickness and my wife’s fight with cancer. When faced with adversities, one can sustain hope only by continuing action—the action prompted by the instinct to survive—regardless of whether the result is to one’s liking or not.
Bhagavad Gita 3.30
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः॥
Translation: “Surrendering all your activities unto Me, with your mind intent on the Self, free from desire and ego, fight without any fever.”
Interpretation: This verse encourages performing one’s duties with a focus on the higher self, devoid of selfish desires and anxieties. It echoes Arnold’s idea of moving forward and acting even when hope seems deceptive, and fear looms large. Although Arnold’s poem doesn’t specifically say to surrender one’s actions to the Supreme, it motivates continuing action even when prospects look bleak.
My Nani (Maternal Grandma) completely recovered from paralysis for a few years before falling to it again for many years, but it was perseverance and action that sustained hope in both cases—in one case she fully recovered, and in another, she was bedridden. Both scenarios encourage surrendering actions to a higher power or continuing action, if possible, with necessary course correction regardless of the outcome. Hope sustains life and should never be given up.
Bhagavad Gita 4.18
कर्मण्याकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य:।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्त: कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्॥
Translation: “He who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.”
Interpretation: This verse speaks to the deeper understanding of action and inaction, paralleling Arnold’s contemplation of hope and fear. It suggests a wise balance, recognizing the subtlety in life’s efforts and outcomes, much like Arnold’s call to navigate through hope and fear. It is important to contemplate the outcomes of action and carry out the necessary course correction after due deliberation and foresight to improve it. This is what will practically sustain hope and motivate continuing action in the right direction.
Bhagavad Gita 18.14
अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम्।
विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम्॥
Translation: “The place of action (the body), the performer, the various senses, the many different kinds of endeavour, and ultimately the Supreme.”
Interpretation: The Bhagavad Gita brings out the five factors of action: the place of action (body), the performer, the senses, efforts and actions, and the support by divine will. This verse brings to the fore the components necessary for action, stressing that many factors, including divine will, contribute to the outcomes. It aligns with Arnold’s reflection on hope and fear by acknowledging the complexity of effort and its results, reinforcing the necessity of perseverance despite uncertainties.
Conclusion
We started this blog with the objective of understanding the philosophy of perseverance and action in life as seen from the Bhagavad Gita and Matthew Arnold’s philosophical poetry. We learn that sustained effort, not momentary genius, incremental progress, sustained resilience, adaptability, and consistent learning and improvement are likely to reward better results than momentary genius and short spells of hard work. This could be the secret to success in life. Above all, let us resolve to remain perseverant, duty-bound, and follow a balanced approach to hope and fear that life keeps confronting us with.
Inspire Positivity 