Faith Is the Foundation

About This Bhagavad Gita Quote [Longer Commentary]

Faith, in this context, isn’t just about a belief in a higher power. It extends to faith in oneself, one’s abilities, and one’s experiences. It’s the undercurrent of trust that helps us navigate the complexities of life, the inner compass that directs us through our individual paths. Without faith, Arjuna’s courage would waver, and the knowledge he seeks—knowledge of duty, righteousness, and purpose—would remain elusive.

Excerpt From Contextual Passage For This Quote

Krishna: Without faith, no knowledge can be attained. Without knowledge, action is blind. Without action, there is no perfection, and without perfection, no freedom.

Arjuna: But what is faith? And how does one attain it?

Krishna: Faith is the firm conviction that the Self is supreme. It is the unshakable belief that the soul is eternal and divine. Faith is the foundation of all knowledge, and without it, no one can achieve enlightenment.

—Eknath Easwaran, Translator [The Bhagavad Gita, Nilgiri Press (2007)] P. 38.*

*According to Eknath Easwaran, “The Bhagavad Gita is not a book written by any one person. It is a collection of teachings that have been passed down from generation to generation by the sages of India. The teachings are attributed to Krishna, but they are actually the distillation of the wisdom of many great teachers.”

Easwaran (2007) goes on to say that the Bhagavad Gita is “a living book” that continues to speak to people of all faiths and cultures. He believes that the teachings of the Gita are as relevant today as they were when they were first written.

An Additional Quote (Bhagavad Gita, 4.39)

“A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.”

—Eknath Easwaran, Translator [The Bhagavad Gita, 4.39, Nilgiri Press (2007)] P. 38.