Beyond the Absurd: Reading 'Waiting for Godot' Through the Lens of the Bhagavad Gita
This blog post explores the prompts provided in the "IKS in English Classroom" worksheet. It is an attempt to bridge the gap between the bleak landscape of Beckett’s country road and the spiritual battlefield of Kurukshetra. Over the course of this extensive analysis, we will deconstruct the play using concepts from the Bhagavad Gita Karma, Kala, Maya, and Nishkama Karma to uncover a layer of meaning that is both ancient and startlingly relevant.
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This blog post explores the prompts provided in the "IKS in English Classroom" worksheet. It is an attempt to bridge the gap between the bleak landscape of Beckett’s country road and the spiritual battlefield of Kurukshetra. Over the course of this extensive analysis, we will deconstruct the play using concepts from the Bhagavad Gita Karma, Kala, Maya, and Nishkama Karma to uncover a layer of meaning that is both ancient and startlingly relevant.
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Introduction: The Convergence of East and West
In the traditional English classroom, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is almost exclusively taught through the lens of European Existentialism. We speak of Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and the post-war trauma of a fragmented Europe. We discuss the "Myth of Sisyphus," the death of God, and the collapse of meaning. While these frameworks are valid and necessary, they often leave Indian students alienated, forcing them to adopt a purely Eurocentric worldview to understand the text.
However, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the rising focus on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) invite us to rethink how we approach the Western canon. What happens when we strip away the existentialist label and view Vladimir and Estragon not as French vagrants, but as souls trapped in a spiritual crisis? What happens if we read their paralysis not as "Absurdism," but as a misunderstanding of Karma? What if their despair is not just modern ennui, but a reflection of Vishada (deep despondency) without the guidance of a charioteer?
In the traditional English classroom, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is almost exclusively taught through the lens of European Existentialism. We speak of Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and the post-war trauma of a fragmented Europe. We discuss the "Myth of Sisyphus," the death of God, and the collapse of meaning. While these frameworks are valid and necessary, they often leave Indian students alienated, forcing them to adopt a purely Eurocentric worldview to understand the text.
However, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the rising focus on Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) invite us to rethink how we approach the Western canon. What happens when we strip away the existentialist label and view Vladimir and Estragon not as French vagrants, but as souls trapped in a spiritual crisis? What happens if we read their paralysis not as "Absurdism," but as a misunderstanding of Karma? What if their despair is not just modern ennui, but a reflection of Vishada (deep despondency) without the guidance of a charioteer?
The Eternal Wait in the Wheel of Samsara: A Gita Reading of Beckett
(The image is iconic: a country road, a tree, and two men in bowler hats)For decades, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot has been the quintessential symbol of Western existentialism a bleak portrait of a universe without meaning, often read through the grim lenses of Camus or Sartre. However, if we shift our gaze from the streets of Paris to the battlefield of Kurukshetra, a new dimension emerges.
By applying the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) specifically the philosophical framework of the Bhagavad Gita we can reinterpret the tramps' despair not just as "modern boredom," but as a profound failure to navigate the laws of Karma (Action), Maya (Illusion), and Kala (Time).
AI-Generated Image- Description: A surrealist landscape where Vladimir and Estragon sit beneath a tree that resembles the Ashvattha (sacred fig), while the faint, cosmic silhouette of a chariot and a divine guide (Krishna) looms in the twilight sky.
(The image is iconic: a country road, a tree, and two men in bowler hats)
Part I: The Conceptual Warm-Up (Addressing Section A)
1. The Nature of Crisis: Arjuna’s Vishada vs. The Tramps’ Despair
The first section of our worksheet asks us to draw a parallel between Arjuna’s Vishada (existential crisis) in the Gita and the situation of Vladimir and Estragon.
In the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the warrior prince Arjuna collapses in his chariot. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the war, the confusion of duty, and the horror of killing his kin, he is paralyzed. He drops his Gandiva bow and refuses to act. This is Vishada a state of intense spiritual despondency where the individual loses the will to engage with the world because the world no longer makes sense morally or logically.
Vladimir and Estragon in Waiting for Godot exist in a perpetual state of Vishada. Like Arjuna, they are paralyzed. They constantly say, "Let’s go," but the stage direction explicitly states: (They do not move).
However, there is a fundamental difference in the nature of their crisis, which defines the trajectory of the two texts.
Arjuna’s Crisis: Arjuna’s paralysis stems from an excess of meaning and consequence. He knows too much about the implications of his actions. He worries about sin, social order (Dharma), and the destruction of the family unit. His crisis is active; he is questioning the nature of right action. He asks Krishna, "What is the good in this? How can I be happy by killing my own people?" His waiting is a pause for knowledge.
The Tramps’ Crisis: Vladimir and Estragon’s paralysis stems from a lack of meaning. They do not know why they are waiting, only that they must. Their crisis is passive. They are not asking, "What is the right thing to do?" They are asking, "Is there anything to be done?"
When we view Godot through this lens, we realize that the play is essentially a depiction of Vishada without Krishna. Imagine the Gita if Krishna remained silent. Imagine if Arjuna sat in the chariot for eternity, speculating on whether he should fight, without ever receiving the divine instruction on duty and the soul. That is Waiting for Godot. The tragedy of the play is not that Godot doesn't come; it is that the characters lack the spiritual discrimination (Viveka) to move beyond their despondency. They are stuck in the "Yoga of Dejection" but never graduate to the "Yoga of Action."
The first section of our worksheet asks us to draw a parallel between Arjuna’s Vishada (existential crisis) in the Gita and the situation of Vladimir and Estragon.
In the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the warrior prince Arjuna collapses in his chariot. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the war, the confusion of duty, and the horror of killing his kin, he is paralyzed. He drops his Gandiva bow and refuses to act. This is Vishada a state of intense spiritual despondency where the individual loses the will to engage with the world because the world no longer makes sense morally or logically.
Vladimir and Estragon in Waiting for Godot exist in a perpetual state of Vishada. Like Arjuna, they are paralyzed. They constantly say, "Let’s go," but the stage direction explicitly states: (They do not move).
However, there is a fundamental difference in the nature of their crisis, which defines the trajectory of the two texts.
Arjuna’s Crisis: Arjuna’s paralysis stems from an excess of meaning and consequence. He knows too much about the implications of his actions. He worries about sin, social order (Dharma), and the destruction of the family unit. His crisis is active; he is questioning the nature of right action. He asks Krishna, "What is the good in this? How can I be happy by killing my own people?" His waiting is a pause for knowledge.
The Tramps’ Crisis: Vladimir and Estragon’s paralysis stems from a lack of meaning. They do not know why they are waiting, only that they must. Their crisis is passive. They are not asking, "What is the right thing to do?" They are asking, "Is there anything to be done?"
When we view Godot through this lens, we realize that the play is essentially a depiction of Vishada without Krishna. Imagine the Gita if Krishna remained silent. Imagine if Arjuna sat in the chariot for eternity, speculating on whether he should fight, without ever receiving the divine instruction on duty and the soul. That is Waiting for Godot. The tragedy of the play is not that Godot doesn't come; it is that the characters lack the spiritual discrimination (Viveka) to move beyond their despondency. They are stuck in the "Yoga of Dejection" but never graduate to the "Yoga of Action."
2. The Failure of Karma: Action vs. Waiting
How does Beckett portray the absence or failure of karma in the play?
Central to the Gita is the concept of Karma Yoga. Krishna teaches that action is inevitable: "No one can remain without performing an action even for a moment". Even sitting still is an action of the body and mind. However, the Gita distinguishes between Karma (right action), Vikarma (wrong action), and Akarma (inaction/detachment).
Beckett’s play is a theatrical experiment in Akarma misunderstood as passivity.
In the Gita, true actionlessness is an internal state where one acts without attachment. In Godot, the characters attempt physical actionlessness while being mentally obsessed with the fruit of the action (the arrival of Godot).
Vladimir and Estragon believe that "waiting" is a justification for their existence. They believe they are keeping their appointment. However, from the IKS perspective, they are failing in their Dharma. They are physically present but spiritually and intellectually inert.
Consider the episode with Lucky and Pozzo. Lucky is a caricature of a Karma Yogi gone wrong. He acts incessantly carrying bags, dancing, thinking but he does so in total slavery, without knowledge or liberation. He is bound by the rope of attachment to Pozzo. Vladimir and Estragon, conversely, are caricatures of the ascetic who renounces the world but not the desire for the world. They have renounced movement, but they are desperate for the validation that Godot represents.
Beckett portrays the failure of Karma by showing us actions that have no consequence. Estragon struggles with his boot; Vladimir struggles with his hat. They exchange insults. They exercise. These are not actions in the Gita’s sense because they are not performed as a sacrifice (Yajna) or duty (Dharma). They are performed merely to "pass the time." In the absence of a higher purpose (which Krishna provides to Arjuna), action becomes mere mechanics, or as Beckett puts it, "The habit of a great deadener."
How does Beckett portray the absence or failure of karma in the play?
Central to the Gita is the concept of Karma Yoga. Krishna teaches that action is inevitable: "No one can remain without performing an action even for a moment". Even sitting still is an action of the body and mind. However, the Gita distinguishes between Karma (right action), Vikarma (wrong action), and Akarma (inaction/detachment).
Beckett’s play is a theatrical experiment in Akarma misunderstood as passivity.
In the Gita, true actionlessness is an internal state where one acts without attachment. In Godot, the characters attempt physical actionlessness while being mentally obsessed with the fruit of the action (the arrival of Godot).
Vladimir and Estragon believe that "waiting" is a justification for their existence. They believe they are keeping their appointment. However, from the IKS perspective, they are failing in their Dharma. They are physically present but spiritually and intellectually inert.
Consider the episode with Lucky and Pozzo. Lucky is a caricature of a Karma Yogi gone wrong. He acts incessantly carrying bags, dancing, thinking but he does so in total slavery, without knowledge or liberation. He is bound by the rope of attachment to Pozzo. Vladimir and Estragon, conversely, are caricatures of the ascetic who renounces the world but not the desire for the world. They have renounced movement, but they are desperate for the validation that Godot represents.
Beckett portrays the failure of Karma by showing us actions that have no consequence. Estragon struggles with his boot; Vladimir struggles with his hat. They exchange insults. They exercise. These are not actions in the Gita’s sense because they are not performed as a sacrifice (Yajna) or duty (Dharma). They are performed merely to "pass the time." In the absence of a higher purpose (which Krishna provides to Arjuna), action becomes mere mechanics, or as Beckett puts it, "The habit of a great deadener."
3. Kala: The Trap of Cyclical Time
The third warm-up question addresses Time (Kala).
In Western linear time, history moves forward. You are born, you live, you die. Absurdism often struggles with the realization that this line leads only to death.
In the Gita, time (Kala) is cyclical and eternal. It is the destroyer of worlds, but also the cycle of renewal. "I am Time, the great destroyer of the world," Krishna says. However, this cycle implies evolution birth, death, and rebirth, ideally leading to liberation (Moksha).
In Waiting for Godot, time is cyclical, but it is a broken cycle. It is Samsara without evolution.
Moment 1: The Tree In Act 1, the tree is bare. In Act 2, it has four or five leaves. This is a clear marker of cyclical time seasons change, life returns. In an IKS framework, this should signal hope or change. However, for Vladimir and Estragon, the change is imperceptible and irrelevant. They cannot remember the past accurately. "Use your head, can't you, look at the tree," says Vladimir. Estragon replies, "Was it there yesterday?" The cycle moves, but the consciousness of the characters remains stagnant. They are trapped in the "wheel of time" but are blind to its turning.
Moment 2: The Sunset The sudden falling of night at the end of each act is another moment of cyclical time. "The sun sets, the moon rises." In the Gita, the wise man knows that night and day are fleeting and remains balanced (Sthitaprajna). In Godot, the onset of night brings terror and the repetition of the exact same ritual: "Well, shall we go?" "Yes, let's go." (They do not move).
The repetition in Godot is the repetition of birth and death without the accumulation of wisdom. It is the nightmare of reincarnation where the soul forgets its lessons from the previous life (Act 1) and repeats the same mistakes in the next life (Act 2).
The third warm-up question addresses Time (Kala).
In Western linear time, history moves forward. You are born, you live, you die. Absurdism often struggles with the realization that this line leads only to death.
In the Gita, time (Kala) is cyclical and eternal. It is the destroyer of worlds, but also the cycle of renewal. "I am Time, the great destroyer of the world," Krishna says. However, this cycle implies evolution birth, death, and rebirth, ideally leading to liberation (Moksha).
In Waiting for Godot, time is cyclical, but it is a broken cycle. It is Samsara without evolution.
Moment 1: The Tree In Act 1, the tree is bare. In Act 2, it has four or five leaves. This is a clear marker of cyclical time seasons change, life returns. In an IKS framework, this should signal hope or change. However, for Vladimir and Estragon, the change is imperceptible and irrelevant. They cannot remember the past accurately. "Use your head, can't you, look at the tree," says Vladimir. Estragon replies, "Was it there yesterday?" The cycle moves, but the consciousness of the characters remains stagnant. They are trapped in the "wheel of time" but are blind to its turning.
Moment 2: The Sunset The sudden falling of night at the end of each act is another moment of cyclical time. "The sun sets, the moon rises." In the Gita, the wise man knows that night and day are fleeting and remains balanced (Sthitaprajna). In Godot, the onset of night brings terror and the repetition of the exact same ritual: "Well, shall we go?" "Yes, let's go." (They do not move).
The repetition in Godot is the repetition of birth and death without the accumulation of wisdom. It is the nightmare of reincarnation where the soul forgets its lessons from the previous life (Act 1) and repeats the same mistakes in the next life (Act 2).
Part II: Guided Close Reading (Addressing Section B)
"Godot is not a character but an expectation."
This core idea from the worksheet invites us to shift our gaze from the identity of Godot to the function of Godot.In the Gita, the root of suffering is attachment (Raga) and desire (Kama). Suffering arises when one is attached to a specific outcome.
1. Godot as Phala (Fruit of Action) The most direct comparison is Godot as Phala. Krishna warns Arjuna: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions" (Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana).
Vladimir and Estragon violate this central tenet. Their entire existence is defined by the fruit (Godot). They do not enjoy the waiting; they do not find purpose in their companionship (action); they only endure the present moment because they believe it will buy them a future reward.
Because they are fixated on the Phala, they are miserable. If Godot came, their waiting would be validated. Because he does not, their actions feel meaningless. A Karma Yogi would say: "Wait if it is your duty to wait, but find joy and purpose in the waiting itself, regardless of whether Godot arrives." The tramps fail to do this. They are beggars for the fruit of action.
2. Godot as Maya (Illusion) We can also interpret Godot as Maya. In Advaita Vedanta (a school of philosophy closely linked to the Gita’s teachings), Maya is the cosmic illusion that veils the true nature of reality (Brahman). It keeps the soul trapped in the material world through ignorance (Avidya).
Godot serves the function of Maya. He is the illusion that "tomorrow will be better." He is the carrot dangling in front of the donkey. Vladimir says, "We are not saints, but we have kept our appointment. How many people can boast as much?"
This self-righteousness is based on an illusion. By focusing on this external entity (Godot), they avoid looking inward. They avoid facing the "silence" of the universe. Godot is the distraction that prevents them from realizing the Self (Atman). As long as they wait for Godot, they remain trapped in the dualities of hope and despair, night and day, salvation and damnation.
3. Godot as Asha (Desire/Hope) Hope is often seen as a virtue in the West ("Pandora's Box"). However, in the context of the Gita and Buddhist philosophy, Asha (desire/hope) can be a chain.
Vladimir and Estragon are enslaved by hope. "Hope deferred maketh the something sick," Vladimir tries to quote Proverbs. In the Gita, the ideal state is to be free from desire (Nishkama). The tramps are constituted by their lack they are empty vessels waiting to be filled by Godot.
If we view Godot as Ishvara (God), the play becomes a critique of the "Bhakti" (devotion) path when it is devoid of action. They are waiting for grace to fall upon them without doing the spiritual work required to receive it. They want salvation (Moksha) to be handed to them like a pair of comfortable boots.
In the Gita, the root of suffering is attachment (Raga) and desire (Kama). Suffering arises when one is attached to a specific outcome.
1. Godot as Phala (Fruit of Action) The most direct comparison is Godot as Phala. Krishna warns Arjuna: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions" (Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana).
Vladimir and Estragon violate this central tenet. Their entire existence is defined by the fruit (Godot). They do not enjoy the waiting; they do not find purpose in their companionship (action); they only endure the present moment because they believe it will buy them a future reward.
Because they are fixated on the Phala, they are miserable. If Godot came, their waiting would be validated. Because he does not, their actions feel meaningless. A Karma Yogi would say: "Wait if it is your duty to wait, but find joy and purpose in the waiting itself, regardless of whether Godot arrives." The tramps fail to do this. They are beggars for the fruit of action.
2. Godot as Maya (Illusion) We can also interpret Godot as Maya. In Advaita Vedanta (a school of philosophy closely linked to the Gita’s teachings), Maya is the cosmic illusion that veils the true nature of reality (Brahman). It keeps the soul trapped in the material world through ignorance (Avidya).
Godot serves the function of Maya. He is the illusion that "tomorrow will be better." He is the carrot dangling in front of the donkey. Vladimir says, "We are not saints, but we have kept our appointment. How many people can boast as much?"
This self-righteousness is based on an illusion. By focusing on this external entity (Godot), they avoid looking inward. They avoid facing the "silence" of the universe. Godot is the distraction that prevents them from realizing the Self (Atman). As long as they wait for Godot, they remain trapped in the dualities of hope and despair, night and day, salvation and damnation.
3. Godot as Asha (Desire/Hope) Hope is often seen as a virtue in the West ("Pandora's Box"). However, in the context of the Gita and Buddhist philosophy, Asha (desire/hope) can be a chain.
Vladimir and Estragon are enslaved by hope. "Hope deferred maketh the something sick," Vladimir tries to quote Proverbs. In the Gita, the ideal state is to be free from desire (Nishkama). The tramps are constituted by their lack they are empty vessels waiting to be filled by Godot.
If we view Godot as Ishvara (God), the play becomes a critique of the "Bhakti" (devotion) path when it is devoid of action. They are waiting for grace to fall upon them without doing the spiritual work required to receive it. They want salvation (Moksha) to be handed to them like a pair of comfortable boots.
Part III: Comparative Thinking (Addressing Section C)
The worksheet requires a tabular comparison. Here, we expand that table into a comprehensive analysis.
The worksheet requires a tabular comparison. Here, we expand that table into a comprehensive analysis.
Detailed Analysis of the Parallels:
The Failure of Dharma: Vladimir asks, "What are we doing here, that is the question." He answers himself: "We are waiting for Godot to come... in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come."
Here, Vladimir identifies his Dharma. In the Gita, Krishna urges Arjuna to follow his Swadharma (one's own duty), even if it is flawed, rather than another’s duty. Is waiting truly their Swadharma?
The tragedy is that their "duty" is self-imposed servitude. They are not waiting because the universe demands it; they are waiting because they are afraid of the freedom to not wait. This contrasts with Arjuna, whose duty (fighting) is ordained by his station in life (Kshatriya) and the cosmic situation. The tramps act out of fear of freedom; Arjuna acts out of acceptance of responsibility.
The Perversion of Sthitaprajna: A key concept in the Gita is the Sthitaprajna the person of steady wisdom, who is "unshaken by adversity, who is not elated by happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger".
Vladimir and Estragon are the anti-thesis of this. They are hypersensitive to physical discomfort (boots, bladders, hunger). They are terrified of silence. They oscillate wildly between amusement and despair. However, Estragon sometimes displays a grotesque parody of this detachment he forgets everything immediately. But this is not the "steady wisdom" of the sage; it is the dementia of the lost soul. Forgetting is not detachment; it is the loss of the self.
The Failure of Dharma: Vladimir asks, "What are we doing here, that is the question." He answers himself: "We are waiting for Godot to come... in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come."
Here, Vladimir identifies his Dharma. In the Gita, Krishna urges Arjuna to follow his Swadharma (one's own duty), even if it is flawed, rather than another’s duty. Is waiting truly their Swadharma?
The tragedy is that their "duty" is self-imposed servitude. They are not waiting because the universe demands it; they are waiting because they are afraid of the freedom to not wait. This contrasts with Arjuna, whose duty (fighting) is ordained by his station in life (Kshatriya) and the cosmic situation. The tramps act out of fear of freedom; Arjuna acts out of acceptance of responsibility.
The Perversion of Sthitaprajna: A key concept in the Gita is the Sthitaprajna the person of steady wisdom, who is "unshaken by adversity, who is not elated by happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger".
Vladimir and Estragon are the anti-thesis of this. They are hypersensitive to physical discomfort (boots, bladders, hunger). They are terrified of silence. They oscillate wildly between amusement and despair. However, Estragon sometimes displays a grotesque parody of this detachment he forgets everything immediately. But this is not the "steady wisdom" of the sage; it is the dementia of the lost soul. Forgetting is not detachment; it is the loss of the self.
Part IV: Creative-Critical Task (Addressing Section D)
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The worksheet offers a choice between a dialogue and a critical note. Given the depth of this assignment, we will undertake -
Option A: Dialogue Writing. This allows us to creatively inhabit the IKS framework.
The worksheet offers a choice between a dialogue and a critical note. Given the depth of this assignment, we will undertake - Option A: Dialogue Writing. This allows us to creatively inhabit the IKS framework.
Title: The Chariot and the Country Road
Setting: A metaphysical space. Arjuna, wearing the clothes of a modern university student, sits despondent on a bench. Beside him sits Krishna, timeless, calm.
Arjuna: (Throwing a copy of Waiting for Godot on the floor) I don't get it, Krishna. I just don't get it. Why do we study this? Nothing happens. They wait. Godot doesn't come. They talk nonsense. What is the point? It’s just... suffering.
Krishna: (Smiling) Suffering is the beginning of inquiry, Arjuna. You stood in the middle of the battlefield and refused to fight because you saw only suffering. These two men, Vladimir and Estragon, are on their own battlefield.
Arjuna: But my battlefield was real! Kurukshetra was about justice and duty. Their battlefield is a country road with a dead tree. They aren't warriors; they are clowns. They aren't fighting; they are just... waiting.
Krishna: Is waiting not a fight? They are fighting the silence. They are fighting the memory of who they used to be. You asked me, "What is the use of this kingdom if I have to kill my kin?" They ask, "What is the use of living if Godot does not come?" It is the same question, Partha.
Arjuna: But you gave me answers! You told me about the soul, the imperishable Atman. You told me to act without attachment. Who tells them?
Krishna: That is the tragedy of their world, Arjuna. They have no charioteer. They have surrendered their intellect, not to the Divine, but to an expectation. Remember what I told you? "You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work."
Arjuna: Karmanye vadhikaraste... Yes.
Krishna: Look at them. They do not work. They only want the fruit. They want Godot to come and save them, to give them a warm meal, to tell them they are "saved." They are beggars for the fruit. Because they do not act, they are trapped in the cycle. Act 1 is Act 2. Yesterday is today.
Arjuna: So, Godot is... Maya?
Krishna: Godot is the projection of their own desire. As long as they look down the road for meaning, they will miss the meaning within themselves. They say, "Nothing to be done." I say to you, "Arise, O Bharata!" That is the difference. To say "Nothing to be done" is Tamas darkness, lethargy. To say "I will do my duty regardless of the outcome" is Sattva light, truth.
Arjuna: So, if I were Vladimir, what should I do? Leave?
Krishna: Physical movement matters little. You can leave the road and still carry the waiting in your heart. You must realize that Godot is neither coming nor not coming. You are complete without Godot. If they realized their own Self (Atman), the waiting would end. The tree would not just put forth leaves; it would bear fruit. But they are afraid of the self. They are afraid of the silence where the Self resides.
Arjuna: It’s terrifying.
Krishna: The ego is always terrified of its own dissolution. That is why they keep talking. They talk to drown out the reality of their existence. You, my friend, must learn from them. Do not wait for meaning to arrive from the outside. Create it through your righteous action.
Arjuna: (Picking up the book) So, it’s a warning?
Krishna: It is a mirror. It shows you what the human soul looks like when it forgets its connection to the Infinite. Read it not with despair, but with compassion. They are waiting for me, but they do not know my name.
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Part V: Critical Reflection (Addressing Section E)
Setting: A metaphysical space. Arjuna, wearing the clothes of a modern university student, sits despondent on a bench. Beside him sits Krishna, timeless, calm.
Arjuna: (Throwing a copy of Waiting for Godot on the floor) I don't get it, Krishna. I just don't get it. Why do we study this? Nothing happens. They wait. Godot doesn't come. They talk nonsense. What is the point? It’s just... suffering.
Krishna: (Smiling) Suffering is the beginning of inquiry, Arjuna. You stood in the middle of the battlefield and refused to fight because you saw only suffering. These two men, Vladimir and Estragon, are on their own battlefield.
Arjuna: But my battlefield was real! Kurukshetra was about justice and duty. Their battlefield is a country road with a dead tree. They aren't warriors; they are clowns. They aren't fighting; they are just... waiting.
Krishna: Is waiting not a fight? They are fighting the silence. They are fighting the memory of who they used to be. You asked me, "What is the use of this kingdom if I have to kill my kin?" They ask, "What is the use of living if Godot does not come?" It is the same question, Partha.
Arjuna: But you gave me answers! You told me about the soul, the imperishable Atman. You told me to act without attachment. Who tells them?
Krishna: That is the tragedy of their world, Arjuna. They have no charioteer. They have surrendered their intellect, not to the Divine, but to an expectation. Remember what I told you? "You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work."
Arjuna: Karmanye vadhikaraste... Yes.
Krishna: Look at them. They do not work. They only want the fruit. They want Godot to come and save them, to give them a warm meal, to tell them they are "saved." They are beggars for the fruit. Because they do not act, they are trapped in the cycle. Act 1 is Act 2. Yesterday is today.
Arjuna: So, Godot is... Maya?
Krishna: Godot is the projection of their own desire. As long as they look down the road for meaning, they will miss the meaning within themselves. They say, "Nothing to be done." I say to you, "Arise, O Bharata!" That is the difference. To say "Nothing to be done" is Tamas darkness, lethargy. To say "I will do my duty regardless of the outcome" is Sattva light, truth.
Arjuna: So, if I were Vladimir, what should I do? Leave?
Krishna: Physical movement matters little. You can leave the road and still carry the waiting in your heart. You must realize that Godot is neither coming nor not coming. You are complete without Godot. If they realized their own Self (Atman), the waiting would end. The tree would not just put forth leaves; it would bear fruit. But they are afraid of the self. They are afraid of the silence where the Self resides.
Arjuna: It’s terrifying.
Krishna: The ego is always terrified of its own dissolution. That is why they keep talking. They talk to drown out the reality of their existence. You, my friend, must learn from them. Do not wait for meaning to arrive from the outside. Create it through your righteous action.
Arjuna: (Picking up the book) So, it’s a warning?
Krishna: It is a mirror. It shows you what the human soul looks like when it forgets its connection to the Infinite. Read it not with despair, but with compassion. They are waiting for me, but they do not know my name.
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Part V: Critical Reflection (Addressing Section E)
The final section of the worksheet asks for a metacognitive reflection on the utility of the IKS lens. This is perhaps the most crucial part of the assignment, as it aligns with the critical pedagogy and NEP 2020 goals mentioned in the worksheet header.
The final section of the worksheet asks for a metacognitive reflection on the utility of the IKS lens. This is perhaps the most crucial part of the assignment, as it aligns with the critical pedagogy and NEP 2020 goals mentioned in the worksheet header.
1. Decolonizing the Absurd
The question posed is: How does using Indian Knowledge Systems change your reading of a Western modernist text?
Traditionally, Indian students are taught to view Godot through the context of World War II, the Holocaust, and the decline of Christianity in Europe. While historically accurate, this pedagogical approach keeps the Indian student as an outsider looking in. We are forced to empathize with a cultural trauma that is not ours.
Using the Gita as a lens shifts the center of gravity. Suddenly, the text is not "foreign." The concepts of cyclical time, the illusion of the material world, and the paralysis of will are native to Indian philosophical discourse.
When we read Godot as a failure of Karma Yoga, the text opens up. It is no longer just a play about "nothingness"; it becomes a play about spiritual ignorance (Avidya). This empowers the student. We are not just borrowing Western theories to explain Western texts; we are applying universal Indian frameworks to critique Western literature. This is true "Swaraj" in ideas.
The question posed is: How does using Indian Knowledge Systems change your reading of a Western modernist text?
Traditionally, Indian students are taught to view Godot through the context of World War II, the Holocaust, and the decline of Christianity in Europe. While historically accurate, this pedagogical approach keeps the Indian student as an outsider looking in. We are forced to empathize with a cultural trauma that is not ours.
Using the Gita as a lens shifts the center of gravity. Suddenly, the text is not "foreign." The concepts of cyclical time, the illusion of the material world, and the paralysis of will are native to Indian philosophical discourse.
When we read Godot as a failure of Karma Yoga, the text opens up. It is no longer just a play about "nothingness"; it becomes a play about spiritual ignorance (Avidya). This empowers the student. We are not just borrowing Western theories to explain Western texts; we are applying universal Indian frameworks to critique Western literature. This is true "Swaraj" in ideas.
2. Meaning vs. Challenge
Do you think Absurdism becomes more meaningful or more challenging when read through the Gita?
It becomes both.
It becomes more meaningful because it rescues the text from nihilism. Western existentialism often ends at the cliff-edge: "God is dead, life is absurd, we must imagine Sisyphus happy." The Gita offers a ladder up from that cliff. It suggests that the "Absurd" is not the final reality, but a state of confusion caused by attachment to the material. It implies that there is a way out of the cycle (Moksha), even if Vladimir and Estragon cannot see it.
However, it also becomes more challenging. The Gita is a demanding ethical framework. If we judge the tramps by the standards of Krishna, they are not just victims; they are complicit in their own suffering due to their lethargy (Tamas). It forces us to ask hard questions: Are we, like them, waiting for a savior instead of doing our duty? The Gita does not allow us to wallow in self-pity the way Absurdism sometimes permits.
Do you think Absurdism becomes more meaningful or more challenging when read through the Gita?
It becomes both.
It becomes more meaningful because it rescues the text from nihilism. Western existentialism often ends at the cliff-edge: "God is dead, life is absurd, we must imagine Sisyphus happy." The Gita offers a ladder up from that cliff. It suggests that the "Absurd" is not the final reality, but a state of confusion caused by attachment to the material. It implies that there is a way out of the cycle (Moksha), even if Vladimir and Estragon cannot see it.
However, it also becomes more challenging. The Gita is a demanding ethical framework. If we judge the tramps by the standards of Krishna, they are not just victims; they are complicit in their own suffering due to their lethargy (Tamas). It forces us to ask hard questions: Are we, like them, waiting for a savior instead of doing our duty? The Gita does not allow us to wallow in self-pity the way Absurdism sometimes permits.
3. IKS as Lens vs. Supplement
Should IKS be used as an interpretive lens or only as a supplementary framework in English Studies?
It must be a primary interpretive lens. Using it merely as a supplement ("Oh, by the way, this is like Karma") tokenizes Indian thought. To use it as a lens means to restructure the entire analysis around it as we have done in this blog.
If we only teach the Western view, we confirm the bias that "Theory" comes from the West and "Data" comes from the East. By reversing this using Eastern Theory to analyze Western Data (Godot) we validate the intellectual robustness of the Indian tradition. We demonstrate that the Bhagavad Gita is not just a religious scripture but a sophisticated psychological and philosophical manual capable of deconstructing modern literature.
Should IKS be used as an interpretive lens or only as a supplementary framework in English Studies?
It must be a primary interpretive lens. Using it merely as a supplement ("Oh, by the way, this is like Karma") tokenizes Indian thought. To use it as a lens means to restructure the entire analysis around it as we have done in this blog.
If we only teach the Western view, we confirm the bias that "Theory" comes from the West and "Data" comes from the East. By reversing this using Eastern Theory to analyze Western Data (Godot) we validate the intellectual robustness of the Indian tradition. We demonstrate that the Bhagavad Gita is not just a religious scripture but a sophisticated psychological and philosophical manual capable of deconstructing modern literature.
Conclusion: The End of Waiting
In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett strips humanity down to its barest essentials: a road, a tree, two men, and time. He shows us the horror of existence when it is disconnected from purpose.
The Bhagavad Gita addresses the exact same stripped-down human condition. It begins with a man paralyzed by the horror of existence. But where Beckett leaves his characters in the twilight of the Absurd, the Gita illuminates the path of Action.
By reading Godot through the Gita, we learn that Vladimir and Estragon’s suffering is not arbitrary. It is the natural consequence of attachment to the future (Phala) and the neglect of the present duty (Karma). They are waiting for Godot to bring them salvation, unaware that salvation lies in the very action of living that they are trying to avoid.
As students of literature, this comparative approach does not diminish Beckett’s genius; it deepens it. It turns the play into a cautionary tale for the spiritual seeker. It reminds us that in the theatre of life, we cannot simply wait for the curtain to fall. We must act. We must play our part. For as Krishna says:
"Perform your obligatory duty, because action is indeed better than inaction."
Vladimir and Estragon remain motionless as the curtain falls. We, the readers, armed with this new understanding, must move.
Here is the Presentation of this blog:
Here is the Video Overview of this blog:
In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett strips humanity down to its barest essentials: a road, a tree, two men, and time. He shows us the horror of existence when it is disconnected from purpose.
The Bhagavad Gita addresses the exact same stripped-down human condition. It begins with a man paralyzed by the horror of existence. But where Beckett leaves his characters in the twilight of the Absurd, the Gita illuminates the path of Action.
By reading Godot through the Gita, we learn that Vladimir and Estragon’s suffering is not arbitrary. It is the natural consequence of attachment to the future (Phala) and the neglect of the present duty (Karma). They are waiting for Godot to bring them salvation, unaware that salvation lies in the very action of living that they are trying to avoid.
As students of literature, this comparative approach does not diminish Beckett’s genius; it deepens it. It turns the play into a cautionary tale for the spiritual seeker. It reminds us that in the theatre of life, we cannot simply wait for the curtain to fall. We must act. We must play our part. For as Krishna says:
"Perform your obligatory duty, because action is indeed better than inaction."
Vladimir and Estragon remain motionless as the curtain falls. We, the readers, armed with this new understanding, must move.
Here is the Presentation of this blog:
Here is the Video Overview of this blog:
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