People think that therapy is only for individuals with mental health conditions. Are you one of them? Chances are that you are. Do you think counseling is a newer way of working with your feelings and thoughts? If yes, you are not alone. We’ve all been there, believing that therapy is a modern-day solution to emotional disturbance.

What if I tell you a couple of instances of the past that explore counseling as one of the ancient ways of getting assistance with mental health concerns? So let’s take a deep dive into 8th century BC, in Indian mythology to uncover some of the old school techniques to heal Godly individuals.

Yes, you read it right! Even the Gods faced mental health issues and needed a counselor. Fascinating, right? One such great example of a mental health practitioner is Lord Krishna himself!

Lord Krishna in Mahabharata

The Indian land had found its breakthrough in mental health through the teachings of Lord Krishna in Hindu mythology. This was long before the rest of the world, and well before the word, ‘psychotherapy’ was coined.

The Bhagavad Gita, the Divine Song of Lord, is a part of an epic, Mahabharata. It is composed of around 700 verses, which are based on a dialogue between Lord Krishna and a warrior, Arjuna in the war at Kurukshetra.

Gita describes numerous instances in which Krishna took on the role of a counselor in guiding and helping His disciples. What resulted from the 18 counseling sessions on the battlefield, becoming Gita's 18 chapters. A credible model of counseling and therapeutic principles; still holding relevance in this day and age.

This article respectfully attempts to discuss a few parallels between the teachings of Lord Krishna and the therapy process involved in addressing various concerns. Along with a few psychological insights and how those solutions are still valid in the modern-day world.

Psychological Issues experienced by Arjuna

Because of the guilt of fighting his kin, Arjuna was experiencing a panic reaction on the battlefield. It caused him to have negative and suicidal thoughts of him dying at the war, rather than killing his own family.

He unfairly accounts himself for the destruction. This was causing him to experience multiple, conflicting emotions such as grief, anger, fear, and pessimism. This led to a state of inaction and anxiety.

Krishna assumed the role of a Guru, an expert, to work on the anxiety features present in Arjuna, such as weakness of limbs, dryness of mouth, palpitation, fear, body shivering, dizziness, and a state of confusion.

Krishna’s Therapeutic Process to help Arjuna deal with Psychological Issues

Lord Krishna educated Arjuna about the temporary state of anxiety. He also confronted Arjuna’s belief and pointed out the inconsistency of refusing to kill his family but at the same time tolerating fighting others.

Krishna suggested a few positive coping skills to work on negative coping mechanisms used by Arjuna. He guided Arjuna to have an accepting and realistic view of the world that would help to relieve the pain. He inspired hope, self-belief, and motivation in Arjuna to fight the war.

Krishna offered Arjuna, unconditional positive regard, empathy, and warmth. He also emphasized the power and capabilities of the individual self.

While addressing Arjuna’s conflict, Krishna leads him to the right course of action. He guides him to be mindful of the present, be in the here-and-now. At the same time, not to worry about the uncontrollable, inevitable, unforeseeable future consequences.

Krishna, as a therapist, used a diverse approach in His counseling sessions with Arjuna, which could be nothing but modern-day talk therapy.

With the guidance of Krishna, Arjuna was able to understand the challenges he faced and discover appropriate solutions. Thus, Arjuna stood victorious as he sought support from the right teacher, Lord Krishna.

Kubja’s Body Image and Self-Esteem Concerns

Moving away from the contributions of Krishna in Mahabharata, He also extended His life-long assistance to numerous people.

Kubja, a royal palace server, with a hunchback and a diseased physical condition. She was insecure and vulnerable to her physical appearance that affected her overall well-being.

Despite the physical limitations, she was resilient as she dedicatedly offered her services at the palace.

This impressed Lord Krishna when He first saw her. He saw a potential in her that was beyond her external appearance and shortcomings.

Lord Krishna had strongly affirmed the idea of a healthy body image in her after talking to her. He assisted her to explore her inner beauty. This helped her to embrace her vulnerability and enhance her self-esteem.

Once Kubja was able to recognize her true self, Krishna then freed her from the hunch and improved her physical well-being.

The Takeaway from Krishna’s Therapy clients- Arjuna and Kubja

Despite having God-like virtues, Arjuna, Kubja, and perhaps many others experienced mental distress. It is only natural for us, humans, to experience emotional disturbance. We face various challenges in our lives just like them. At some point in our life, we’ve all been there, feeling low and unexcited.

What separates humans from both the clients, Arjuna and Kubja, who willingly seeked support and guidance from their therapist, Lord Krishna. Along with many other life lessons, what we really need to learn from them is that we should seek assistance when in need from an expert, without any reluctance, just like they did.

Such examples of Krishna's consciousness show us that for our ancestors and gods, mental wellbeing was at the top of the priority.

Modern-day outlook to Therapy

I wonder what must have changed in the new world of today, where mental health has become a taboo and stigmatized topic of discussion. Why do we hesitate in seeking help from a mental health professional? Is mental health stigma greater than our well-being?

Some progress may be achieved by using spirituality-based therapy in order to break the stigma, particularly from the older generation. This approach will not only empower individuals to relate to the counseling process but also encourage them to be more open to seeking assistance from a mental health professional.

Conclusion

The Bhagavad Gita can be called an encyclopedia of mental health education, fully covering 360 degrees of human lives. Thus, it is known as the Manual of Life as one can seem to find answers to every question.

Lord Krishna’s instruction in Gita provides valuable counseling case study lessons for a student of psychology. Krishna discusses different aspects of mental health, such as ways of avoiding negative thoughts, increasing consciousness, forgiveness, meditation, detachment, and so on. These aspects are very important not only for constant mental health maintenance but also for the improvement of mental well-being.

Krishna’s guidance to Arjuna, Kubja, and others in the past has not only extended help to them but also provides us with valuable insights. These understandings still withhold relevance in the present day. Therefore, in the truest sense, Lord Krishna was perhaps the first and greatest therapist that the world may have witnessed!

What are some of the teachings of Lord Krishna that you follow regularly?

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References

Bhatia, S. C., Madabushi, J., Kolli, V., Bhatia, S. K., & Madaan, V. (2013). The Bhagavad Gita and contemporary psychotherapies. Indian journal of psychiatry, 55(2), 315–321.

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Reddy M. S. (2012). Psychotherapy - Insights from Bhagavad Gita. Indian journal of psychological medicine, 34(1), 100–104.