---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book…"
description: "\"The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think…Throughout the Mahabharata ... Krishna goads human beings into all sorts of murderous a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/wendy-doniger-32713_behavior_the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book_338166.png"
---

#  The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans…

![“The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think…Throughout the Mahabharata ... Krishna goads human beings into all sorts of murderous and self-destructive behaviors such as war… The Gita is a dishonest book …” quote by Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/wendy-doniger-32713_behavior_the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book_338166.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/wendy-doniger-32713_behavior_the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book_338166.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/wendy-doniger-32713_behavior_the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book_338166.png)

> “The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think…Throughout the Mahabharata ... Krishna goads human beings into all sorts of murderous and self-destructive behaviors such as war… The Gita is a dishonest book …”

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author critiques the Gita, portraying it as a text that rationalizes violence and self‑destruction rather than a purely spiritual guide.

**In simple terms:** The Gita can be used to justify harmful actions.

Key Takeaway

Question the moral narratives of revered texts.

Themes

religion violence interpretation mythology

Mood

critical analytical

Type

scholarly controversial

When to use this quote

- academic study
- interfaith dialogue
- ethical education

Key Concepts

ethical relativism historical context power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What aspects of the Gita are beneficial?
- How do cultural lenses affect interpretation?

A Different Perspective

May overlook the Gita’s philosophical depth and spiritual teachings.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Destructive behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destructive-behavior/) [Gita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gita/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Krishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/krishna/) [Mahabharata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mahabharata/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self destructive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-destructive/) [Self destructive behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-destructive-behavior/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [From the writing stage, I had envisioned a film that would be bright and light, even if the movie addresses adolescent unrest and self-destructive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alante-kavaite/from-the-writing-stage-i-had-envisioned-a-film-that-would-be-bright/)

[Alante Kavaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alante-kavaite/)

> [Well it's been about 100 years and every attempt at a comics writers' union has failed miserably. There is, sadly, a long history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-michael-bendis/well-it-s-been-about-100-years-and-every-attempt-at-a-comics-writers/)

[Brian Michael Bendis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-michael-bendis/)

> [“The problem with alienating, self-destructive behavior is people get it into their heads it’s a cry for help. It wasn’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-summers/the-problem-with-alienating-self-destructive-behavior-is-people-get/)

[Courtney Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-summers/)

> [Having children is not an act of God. It's not like you're walking down the street and pregnancy strikes you; children are a result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/having-children-is-not-an-act-of-god-it-s-not-like-you-re-walking/)

[Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/)

> [It's important to recognize your own self-destructive behavior and be honest about it. You're only hurting yourself or losing out on your truth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-aguilera/it-s-important-to-recognize-your-own-self-destructive-behavior-and-be/)

[Christina Aguilera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-aguilera/)

> [In Maybe I Will, Laurie Gray writes about important topics that teens need to talk about, including sexual assault, friendship, and alcoholism or self-destructive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-rainfield/in-maybe-i-will-laurie-gray-writes-about-important-topics-that-teens/)

[Cheryl Rainfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-rainfield/)

> [“The one who might be holding you back is you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/the-one-who-might-be-holding-you-back-is-you/)

[Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/)

> [“I was more addicted to self destruction then to the drugs themselves ... something very romantic about it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/i-was-more-addicted-to-self-destruction-then-to-the-drugs-themselves/)

[Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/)

> [There's nothing cool about being self-destructive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/there-s-nothing-cool-about-being-self-destructive/)

[Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

> [“The prefrontal cortex is a complex, fragile region of the brain. In its healthy state, it directs human impulses toward rational choices and away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-powers/the-prefrontal-cortex-is-a-complex-fragile-region-of-the-brain-in-its/)

[Ron Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-powers/)

> [“It would be a sin to help you destroy yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-would-be-a-sin-to-help-you-destroy-yourself/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [A truly moral nation enacts policies that encourage personal responsibility and discourage self-destructive behavior by not subsidizing people who live irresponsibly and make poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-truly-moral-nation-enacts-policies-that-encourage-personal/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“All are at war with the one who wars against self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-yen-a-gardner/all-are-at-war-with-the-one-who-wars-against-self/)

[E'yen A. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-yen-a-gardner/)

> [“Desperate and dammed persons share an affinity for flirting with danger; an infectious case of erotic morbidity fetters them to self-destruction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/desperate-and-dammed-persons-share-an-affinity-for-flirting-with/)

[Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/)

> [“If you aren't destroying your enemies, it's because you have been conquered and assimilated, you do not even have an idea of who your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-aren-t-destroying-your-enemies-it-s-because-you-have-been/)

[Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/)

## More by Wendy Doniger

> [Who would not prefer animals to these people who prefer animals to people?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/who-would-not-prefer-animals-to-these-people-who-prefer-animals-to/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [“As the Hindu gods are ‘immortal’ only in a very particular sense – for they are born, and they die – they experience most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/as-the-hindu-gods-are-immortal-only-in-a-very-particular-sense-for/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [Women were forbidden to study the most ancient sacred text, the Veda,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/women-were-forbidden-to-study-the-most-ancient-sacred-text-the-veda/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [(Sarah Palin's) greatest hypocrisy is in her pretense that she is a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/sarah-palin-s-greatest-hypocrisy-is-in-her-pretense-that-she-is-a/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [I'm a pacifist. I don't believe in 'good' wars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/i-m-a-pacifist-i-don-t-believe-in-good-wars/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [The dog who doesn't bark is about a silence that speaks; it is a good metaphor for the Pariah voice, the dog's voice, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/the-dog-who-doesn-t-bark-is-about-a-silence-that-speaks-it-is-a-good/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [“whether or not people get the gods that they deserve, they tend to get the gods (and demons) that their animals deserve—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/whether-or-not-people-get-the-gods-that-they-deserve-they-tend-to-get/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [“The future Buddha was once born as a rabbit, who vowed that he would give his own flesh to any beggar who came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/the-future-buddha-was-once-born-as-a-rabbit-who-vowed-that-he-would/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [Wine is the liquid form of the Goddess Tara, who is the saviour of all living creatures, the mother of all enjoyment and Release,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/wine-is-the-liquid-form-of-the-goddess-tara-who-is-the-saviour-of-all/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [Holi, the spring carnival, when members of all castes mingle and let down their hair, sprinkling one another with cascades of red powder and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/holi-the-spring-carnival-when-members-of-all-castes-mingle-and-let/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [“In 1864 a geologist named that supercontinent Lemuria, because he used the theory to account for the fact that living lemurs were found, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/in-1864-a-geologist-named-that-supercontinent-lemuria-because-he-used/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book-as-some-americans-think-2/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

> [“James Joyce, in his novel Finnegans Wake, in 1939, punned on the word “Hindoo” (as the British used to spell it), joking that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/james-joyce-in-his-novel-finnegans-wake-in-1939-punned-on-the-word/)

[Wendy Doniger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

[Explore all 14 Wendy Doniger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/)

## More Behavior quotes

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/)

[Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/)

> [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/)

[Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/)

> [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/)

[Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/)

> [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/)

Burne Hogarth

> [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/)

[Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/)

> [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/)

J. Willard Gibbs

> [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/)

[Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/)

> [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

> [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/)

[Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/)

> [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/)

[Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/)

> [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

[Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think…Throughout the Mahabharata ... Krishna goads human beings into all sorts of murderous and self-destructive behaviors such as war… The Gita is a dishonest book …",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wendy Doniger"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book-as-some-americans-think/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Behavior"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book-as-some-americans-think/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/wendy-doniger-32713_behavior_the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book_338166.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/wendy-doniger-32713_behavior_the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book_338166.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/wendy-doniger-32713_behavior_the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book_338166.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think…Throughout the Mahabharata ... Krishna goads…” — Wendy Doniger",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Wendy Doniger",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-doniger/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The Bhagavad Gita is not as...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book-as-some-americans-think/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-doniger/the-bhagavad-gita-is-not-as-nice-a-book-as-some-americans-think/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
