Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 October 2025
The eighth chapter looks into ‘Concepts of Divinity in the Bhagavad-gītā’; The Gītā is rich with theological descriptions of divinity, whether these refer to the supreme as Kṛṣṇa or the personal God, as Brahman or the impersonal divinity, as the universal person, as the avatāra, as an internalized concept or the witness in the heart and as immanent concepts of divinity revealed through nature. This chapter offers a critique within the realm of philosophy of religion and argues that definitions such as pantheism, deism and theism do not grasp the personalistic themes of the text. A personalistic way of reading the Gītā is suggested, and as such, the concept of ‘the person’ is discussed and an alternative definition of personhood, one that befits the Gītā, is offered. It is also argued that as the Gītā considers itself to be poetry (Gītā means poetry or song), the Gītā’s poetic aspects should also be considered, and not just the philosophical ones. A critique of direct language is offered, and it is pointed out that as opposed to poetry, it is difficult for direct and philosophical langue to grasp personal expressions. The chapter offers a new categorization according to which the concepts of divinity are divided according to the three metaphysical levels underlying the book.
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