The Gita on the Battlefield

The Gita on the Battlefield - Really!

September 22, 2012

I am very excited by a recent post from the Hindu Press International. Capt Rajiv Srinivasan, of the US Army, recently addressed a Hindu American Foundation (HAF) fund raiser in Sugarland, TX on September 7, 2012. One quote caught my attention:

Srinivasan, who is from Roanoke, Virginia, found the military life ethically challenging to his beliefs, which he had suppressed. He found that he could not really answer questions about his religion. So he turned to the Bhagvad Gita and the sermon that Krishna gives Arjun on the battlefield resonated with him. Krishna's admonishment to stand up and fight for what is right gave Srinivasan a realization. "All of a sudden, my views about the pacifist nature of Hinduism went out of the window," he told the audience of about 150 people, "and I understood that you have to fight for what you believe in."

I then followed up and came across this HAF entry by Capt Rajiv Srinivasan as well as his blog. It is clear that this young man is going places. Outside India, we are very used to public figures discuss their Christian, Islamic and Buddhist beliefs, here is one who is proud of his Hindu heritage. I am sure his thatha (grandfather) will be very happy. If that inspires more Hindu Americans to feel comfortable in the US military, more power to him. Biased as I am, I love that he continues to maintain his commitment to a vegetarian diet even in the army.

Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post

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