Shraddhà in the Bhagavad-Gìtà

The issue of Arjuna''s transformation in the Gětŕ has recently attracted some scholarly comment, but most scholars do not discuss the role of shraddhŕ (zeal, soul force, enthusiasm) in this transformation. This work is a theological effort to answer what the role of shraddhŕ is in Arjuna''s final acceptance of war as the necessary solution to his moral dilemma. It shows that shraddhŕ differs from bhakti, and becomes the immediate cause that moves Arjuna to fight. When the Gětŕ starts, Arjuna is a devotee (bhakta) without shraddhŕ, and, when the Gětŕ ends, Arjuna is a devotee with shraddhŕ. That is to say, one can be dejected and still be a devotee. However, one cannot be depressed and full of shraddhŕ at the same time. This distinction between shraddhŕ and bhakti represents the first part of the argument. The second part is the sense conveyed by translating shraddhŕ as "zeal, religious fervour, soul force, or enthusiasm." It is argued that the standard translation as "faith" hinders the effort to construct a comprehensive theology of Arjuna''s transformation.