Across diverse cultures, geographies, and eras, philosophers have arrived at remarkably similar conclusions. They’ve contemplated the nature of reality, the limits of human knowledge, and the best way to live a meaningful life. What’s truly fascinating is when they find common ground on one of these points, despite disagreeing on the others. This is precisely the case with the Stoics and Krishna’s teachings in the Bhagavad Gita. It’s a striking parallel: while their views diverge on many topics, their advice on how to navigate life seems to echo the same profound wisdom.
This shared outlook on life is particularly fascinating when you consider that Krishna’s own teachings are often misunderstood as being inconsistent. He passionately advocates for Samkhya philosophy in one moment, then shifts his focus to Karma Yoga, making it sound like the best path to follow. This apparent inconsistency is a common criticism from many philosophers. However, this is a misunderstanding and we must consider two crucial points. First, Krishna presents each philosophy with subtle adjustments that render them mutually compatible. He isn’t abandoning one for another. Instead, he’s weaving these seemingly distinct philosophies into a harmonious whole. He is conveying the same truth through the lenses of different philosophical systems.
Second, the Bhagavad Gita is not a formal philosophical philosophical teaching imparted by a sage to their disciples in a gurukul. It is an intimate conversation between two friends on a battlefield. This context makes it more a work of psychology than a rigid philosophical treatise. Yet, philosophers from around the world have tried to impose their pre-existing philospohical beliefs onto its verses, often twisting Krishna’s words to fit their own doctrines.
Each verse of the Bhagavad Gita is a profound aphorism that could be dissected for hours, with interpretations we might still miss. In a single article on comparing two different philosophies, I won’t be able to give any verse the time and attention it deserves. This article aims to explore the striking similarities between two systems of thought, not to provide an in-depth analysis of either.
💡 A Note on Translations: When seeking out commentaries or translations of the Bhagavad Gita, it’s best to stay away from those published by or affiliated with a specific sect or cult.
With that in mind, let’s now turn our attention to Stoicism, a philosophical school that emerged during the Hellenistic period in ancient Greece and endured for centuries. Hellenistic kingdoms faced internal conflicts and new external enemies. Thus, a sense of social unease pervaded the populace. This shift in societal mood prompted philosophers to turn their focus from abstract, transcendental realities to the practical problems of the world. Epicurus, the founder of Epicureanism, famously said:
Empty is the word of that philosopher by whom no affliction of men is cured. For as there is no benefit in medicine if it does not treat the diseases of the body, so with philosophy, if it does not drive out the affliction of the soul
While Stoicism also made significant contributions to the theory of logic, our primary focus here will be on its profound views on ethics and society.
It’s in the search for inner peace that we find a remarkable convergence with Krishna’s teachings. In fact, a single verse from the Bhagavad Gita seems to encapsulate the entire ethics of Stoicism:
He who is free from malice towards all beings, friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, even-minded in happiness and distress, and forgiving, such a devotee is very dear to me.
-BG 12.13
For the Stoics, reality is purely material. The gods and our souls are composed of a finer substance than the matter we see and touch, a divine breath or “pneuma.” They borrowed heavily from Heraclitus for their cosmology, envisioning a single, divine being they called the Logos. This Logos manifests itself as a cosmic fire from which the world unfolds. The Stoics saw the universe as a single, living, divine body, with the Logos serving as its soul and reason. If I squint a bit, this concept of material world and souls as the body of divine and the divine as its soul resonates well with the teachings of Madhvacharya.
The Logos is the rational principle that permeates everything. Little sparks of the divine fire, the logoi, are dispersed throughout the world like seeds. These seeds are responsible for the reason and order of the universe and are the source of rational thought in human souls. In this way, the divine is both transcendent and immanent, an idea that directly echoes Krishna’s words in the Bhagavad Gita, specifically the following verses
This entire universe is pervaded by me in my unmanifest form. All beings dwell in me, but I am not contained in them.
-BG 9.4
Nor do beings exist in me, behold my divine mystery! Although I sustain all beings and am everywhere, I am not bound by them.
-BG 9.5
Krishna’s statement that all beings “dwell in me” while he is “not contained in them” beautifully captures the Stoic idea of a divine principle that is both within and beyond the material world.
Yet, a key difference emerges here. The Stoics viewed this creation as a rigid necessity, suggesting their divine being wasn’t entirely free. They believed that nothing in creation is contingent; everything is predetermined.
Given that a divine spark of reason resides within us, the Stoics, like Aristotle, believed that the highest good for humanity is a life lived in accordance with reason. The entire universe operates on rational principles, and we should be no exception. In fact, the Stoic’s highest virtue is to achieve complete rational control over one’s life. But how do we achieve this?
The Stoics argued that when we allow our emotions to control us, we become their victims, incapable of living a truly rational life. They identified four core emotions, each stemming from a flawed judgment:
- Pleasure is the result of a present good we are experiencing
- Desire is the result of a future good we are looking for
- Grief is caused by a present evil
- Fear is caused by anticipation of a future evil
The Stoics asked a fundamental question: Will a rational person tie their happiness to things they can’t control? Our desires for fame, wealth, pleasure, or the love of another person place our happiness at the mercy of external events. But if the events of the world are already determined as part of the beautiful plan of the universe, then it is irrational to be swayed by emotions. To react to life’s events with such emotions is as absurd as regretting or fearing a change in the multiplication tables; it’s a rebellion against a necessary and unalterable order.
Therefore, the Stoics advocate a serene detachment from passions and emotions. Their advice is to find contentment in whatever life brings our way, welcoming every event as an expression of God’s will and an essential part of the harmonious cosmic scheme. We could choose to fight against the tides of fate, but that would be as futile as a single drop of water trying to alter the course of a river. Instead, we should be rational and calmly submit our will to the will of the divine.
This Stoic ideal of serene submission finds a remarkable parallel in the Bhagavad Gita’s description of a person situated in wisdom, a Sthitapragya, who is free from desires, passions, and emotions.
When one completely abandons all desires arising in the mind, O Arjuna, and finds satisfaction in the Self alone, then he is said to be a person of steady wisdom. One whose mind is unshaken by sorrow, who is free from craving for pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, such a sage is called a person of steady wisdom. He who remains unattached in all situations, who neither rejoices when he obtains good, nor hates when he encounters evil, his wisdom is firmly set.
-BG 2.55-2.57
Just as rivers flow into the ocean, which remains unmoved though being filled, so desires enter into a wise person, yet he remains steady; he, and not the desirer of desires, attains peace.
-BG 2.70
Krishna’s words “unshaken by sorrow” and “free from craving for pleasure” echo the Stoic’s goal of emotional detachment. The metaphor of the unmoved ocean is a perfect illustration of the Stoic ideal of remaining content and unperturbed by the “rivers” of desire and external events.
Krishna, too, alludes to a form of determinism. He states:
The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, and by His will, makes them act as if mounted on a machine.
-BG 18.61
Prakriti (material nature) performs all actions by the three modes (gunas). But the soul, deluded by ego, thinks, ‘I am the doer.’
-BG 3.27
This verse powerfully illustrates the idea that our actions are guided by a higher force, and our sense of free will is a divine arrangement. Krishna also directly addresses the illusion of ego, showing how our actions are driven by the forces of nature, not our individual choice.
He even reveals that many of the warriors on the battlefield have already been slain by his will, with Arjuna and others serving as mere instruments in a predetermined outcome:
I am Time, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. Except for you (and a few others), all the soldiers here on both sides shall be slain. Therefore, arise and gain honor! Conquer your enemies and enjoy the kingdom. They have already been killed by My arrangement; you are merely the instrument, O Arjuna.
-BG 11.32-11.33
Regarding our social responsibilities, the Stoics urge us to transcend the narrow definitions of state and country. They believe that we should see all of humanity as a manifestation of the divine, making us citizens of the cosmos. A similar sentiment is powerfully expressed in the Bhagavad Gita, when Krishna says:
The self-realized yogi sees me in all beings, and all beings in me. Such a yogi sees the same everywhere.
-BG 6.29
Krishna further emphasizes this idea of universal connection by stating how he pervades every being, encouraging equal respect and non-discrimination:
I am the Self, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, middle, and end of all beings.
-BG 10.20
The wise see with equal vision a learned and humble brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and even a dog-eater.
-BG 5.18
Stoicism, an ancient philosophy from Greece, and the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita may seem worlds apart. Yet, a closer look reveals a striking convergence in their core principles for living a meaningful life. Krishna’s description of the Sthitapragya, a person of steady wisdom finds a powerful echo in the Stoic’s pursuit of a rational life. Both philosophies advocate for emotional equanimity in the face of life’s inevitable ups and downs and share a view that a higher order or divine will governs the universe. They encourage us to look beyond personal attachments and see ourselves as part of a greater, interconnected whole.
This remarkable convergence proves that while the paths may differ, the ultimate destination is often the same (at least in Indian Philosophy): to become a flute with no note of its own but being played by the divine.
Thanks for reading!