Gita Jayanti: The Bhagavad Gita’s relevance transcends borders, Hollywood biggies Hugh Jackman, Vin Diesel are proof

Gita Jayanti, being observed today, December 11, is also known as the Mokshada Ekadashi or Matsya Dvadashi. The day, from a mythological and spiritual standpoint, marks the moment in time when the Bhagavad Gita dialogue commenced between Arjun and Lord Krishna on the Kurukshetra battlefield. Gita Jayanti special: Hugh Jackman is among the eminent Hollywood names who have found direction in the Bhagavad Gita(Photos: X, ISKCON Bangalore) The life-changing impact the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita have had on people from myriad walks of life, can never be quantified. It is also not surprising then, to know that the holy words with their influence, have of course transcended borders to spread its teachings far and beyond. Did you know then, that these international names, too have found themselves smitten the influence of the Bhagavad Gita? Hugh JackmanFor Hugh Jackman, the Bhagavad Gita holds immense meaning in perspective of what the final moments in a persons life represents. In a dated video, a younger Hugh can be seen talking about not personally having faced a moment or a period of time when he felt death upon him, but unfortunately, he had come dangerously close to the paradox at the time of researching for one of his films, which entailed him watching brain surgery. Knowing that the woman on the table was going to die, led him down a hypothetical path involving his own potential demise. The short clip shows Hugh explain how the Bhagavad Gita is tantamount in making peace with such intrusive phases of one’s life. Shawn MendesPersonal ordeals, particularly in his love life is what drove singer Shawn Mendes to turn to spirituality and religion. Part of this effort found him delving into Hinduism’s Bhakti movement. As a matter of fact, back in 2021, Shawn through his own admission, spent every Thursday meditating, followed reading and discussing the Bhagavad Gita with Jay Shetty, something which evidently stabilised him well. Will SmithWill Smith is one actor, consently committed to bettering himself. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that he too has found solace in the Bhagavad Gita. As a matter of fact, during a chat with Jay Shetty for his On Purpose podcast, the actor delved into how deeply he resonated with Arjun and His trajectory. Not just this, Will has also been very vocal of the impact Sadhguru has had on his life, another testament to his self-help journey. Special mentions: Chropher Nolan and Vin DieselSometimes its not about the individual per se but the vision and that is why director Chropher Nolan and actor Vin Diesel are also part of this l. While for the former the reference is of course, Academy award favourite Oppenheimer (2023), for the latter, it’s the relatively lesser known Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016). Both at the time of its release as well as eventual resurgence, the clip of Vin quoting the Bhagavad Gita — “Always perform with detachment, any action you must do. And surrender all actions to me”, broke the internet both times around. A more vociferous reference to the holy text however, was Nolan’s film, tracing the life of J Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb who had led the Gita as one of his most formative influences. The context of the influence was of course doused in controversy given Oppenheimer’s seminal role in the WWII nuclear bombings, but Nolan’s depiction of that very influence in the film, particularly through the line, ‘Now I am become death, the destroyer of the worlds’, is peak cinematic brilliance. We wish you a blessed and insightful Gita Jayanti.